Dreaming of Stars
by Gushy48
Summary: Sanji Inochi, a selfless man who is unable to use his Quirk—Dreams, being considered Quirkless. Through luck and seemingly-impossible odds, he finds his way to U.A. High School in Class 1-B. With what Life brings to 1-B, the society that they live in—the Hero Society—will forever be altered. (x-posted on AO3) (Chapter 49: Week of October 4th)
1. Dream To Reality

_"You know this already, but he was a great man. Never cared about himself though no matter how hard I tried. It's… God, I can't believe that we were kids back then. Anyway...we met in the middle of our eighth grade year. He was extremely shy, which he obviously grew out of. And, once we got to U.A., I… I didn't know how much our lives would change. How much he had to change in order to be a Hero he truly needed to be..."_

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

The wind feels nice. Not too cold. It's the kind of cold that reminds a man that he's still alive. That he is, in fact, can still feel a chill crawling his spine. It's a refreshing day in Kibo. Summer is slowly being replaced by fall. September is always a great month to walk around in. Not too scorching hot, not too freezing cold. Just…in-between. Lovely in-between. I wouldn't have this any other way.

Jeez, it's five months, six months until March. Until the Entrance Exam. I should be training right now. By no means I would call myself a weak person, but I'm not necessarily strong either. Heck, I'm Quirkless. Well, legally Quirkless to be exact. In order to pass the exam, I need to train my body to its maximum limit and go beyond that. I need to be the best Quirkless man out there, because I'm not gonna awaken to my Quirk anytime soon. No, I don't expect to awaken to it until years from now. There's no possible way to use its intended purpose. I looked on the internet and had no luck. No method could forcibly activate it. That's the life of a Quirkless, but I'm not letting that stop me. My classmates make fun of the fact that I try to be a Hero, but I don't care. Suzuki tells me that I won't be a Hero, but I can be. I'll be a Hero. It's the only thing I want in life is to help others. No fame, no fortune. Just that. I want to save people just like All Might and smile like him. I know that countless others are fighting for the same goal, but just this once, I have to win. It's selfish thinking about it, even more so doing it, but it's necessary. I don't know what the Exam's gonna be like, so I need to study and train. I can't be a hulking brute, I have to be a somewhat-educated hulking brute. That's why I spend most of my time at a gym or a library, and a couple of school clubs. Got nowhere else to go other than Gin, my foster father, but I usually call him my "foster guardian". (I don't like to use the word "father".) Compared to others, he's pretty good despite being an alcoholic. He's a retired Pro Hero, but he cares about me. Doesn't want me to get hurt, doesn't want me to suffer. He's a good man, just fell onto hard times.

It's…kinda sad, to be honest. I wish I could help him, but I don't think I can do anything. He's a man with his own regrets and secrets, while I'm just a kid who doesn't know what my family's like. I barely remember them. It's only one memory, and it's blurry. My dad definitely had short white hair while my mom had long black hair. I think… I think there was someone else, multiple "someone else's" maybe, but I can't remember. I don't know their Quirks either, so my Quirk could've passed down to me or be a mutation. Either way, I can't fix that itching question. I've been a foster kid since I was five. Family isn't much of a thing to me. (I mean, if I'm going by my first name, Sanji, then I'm the third son. I must have two older brothers.) And, about my Quirk, I can use it somewhat despite the definition of "legally Quirkless", which means I have a Quirk but cannot use it. For example, if a Pro Hero needs his hands to use his Quirk like spitting out fire or something. On a mission, their hands get amputated. Thus, they became legally Quirkless. The other way a person can be Quirkless is by birth, being incredibly unlucky. And, I'm not that kind of Quirkless. I know for a fact that I have a Quirk because I can use it to a degree. It's just… complicated to say the least.

It's called "Dreams". That's my Quirk.

My life really sucks, doesn't it? It's insulting to know about my own Quirk. For a guy whose last name is "Inochi", life had it out for me, but I'm trying to change that. I got dealt a bad hand for sure, but I'm using it to get a royal flush. I have to-

_Bzzzt! Bzzzt!_

Never mind, that'll have to wait. My phone's buzzing. I take it out and look at the soft vibrant screen. It's Gin. He texted me, "Sanji, come home. I have something to tell you." If he's texting me, then it's really important. He knows that I want to be a Hero, so maybe it involves that? Who knows... Only the man himself can answer. I get off of a bench and start walking. It's gonna take a while to get home.

After about twenty minutes, I'm in the main street of Kibo where stores are a common occurrence. The pedestrians mostly walk on the streets with a few exceptions who bike or drive. I usually go to the gym or the library because again, the U.A. Entrance Exam is only months away. Unfortunately, at the end of the road is my middle school: Kibo Middle School. Kibo isn't the largest town, but it's also not the smallest. It's small enough that mostly everyone knows everyone. With that, everyone knows me: Sanji Inochi, the legally Quirkless man. In a world like this, someone like me…it's not a good match-up. In fact, one of my classmates, Saito, sees me. He smiles widely like we're best friends. He exclaims like we're practically brothers, "Inochi! Wanna see me pitch a fast one? Watch, this one's goin' one-sixty!" He's unusually friendly… Must not be in the mood to jab at me.

I silently nod, watching him carefully. We're in a pitching range that's pretty much outdoors. I know Saito's pretty good at baseball. He's the star pitcher on the team. He gets into position and spits his imaginary saliva out. I watch his fingers grip the baseball, letting it get to know its texture before his arm shoots forward like a cannon, throwing it into the net at front. The speed gun calculates Saito's pitch and he's right. It went one hundred sixty-five kilometers per hour. In the U.S., that's over one hundred miles per hour. Saito laughs and taunts, "Hey! Think you can pitch like that? C'mon, I wanna see you try!"

"I-I rather not… I have to get home," I tell him, but my voice isn't strong enough. He puts a ball in my hand and pushes me to the designated mound. Crap, guess I don't have a choice here… I might as well get this over with and move on, because Saito won't take "no" for an answer.

He says, "I'm taking a video." Oh, so that's what he's doing… Saito's filming this to embarass me. I sigh, holding the ball in my palm. You know, my treatment won't get worse after this. A video is nothing compared to being Quirkless. So I get in the same position that Saito was in. I pull my hood down, letting my hair be free. I lock eyes with the net. The center: That's my target. Alright… In an instant, I pull my arm back and pitch it directly in the middle within a split second. The speed gun quickly calculates my speed to be one hundred sixty-six kilometers per hour. Huh, that was better than Saito's? Heh, guess I'm stronger than I look. My shoulder hurts a bit, which explains why pitchers don't pitch that high consistently. Saito himself looks a bit shocked. He asks, "Inochi… Did you ever pitch before? In your entire life? Because fuckin' hell, you're supposed to be a Quirkless."

I put my hood back on and stuff my hands in my pockets. I answer, turning away from him, "N-No… Never in my life. Can… Can I go home now? My foster guardian needs me for something, a-and I'd rather not keep him waiting." Saito grunts, gesturing for me to get out. I do so too eagerly to be honest, quickly making my way to Gin's. Don't know how everyone will react to that, but it's not gonna be good. I walk faster, dodging all of the people out on the streets. Some make a few comments, but most leave me alone. After more than twenty minutes, I'm at home. The sun went down already. The sky's a mix of yellow and blue, slowly getting darker as each second passes. My home's quaint. It's not the nicest place, but it's far from the worst. Our trash is out, which is mostly filled with bottles. I don't mind the smell. It's not pleasant, but I can live with it. I take my key out and unlock the door. For some reason, I hesitate for a second before I open the door. With a sigh, I go inside, taking my hood and my shoes off. At the end of the hallway is Gin, who's sitting in the kitchen, staring at me. His brown stubbles have gotten longer than before. Did he get any sleep? There's no bottles to be seen as well. The air's a bit heavier too. What's going on?

"Gin," I say his name, approaching him a bit meekly, "wh-what's going on? Is something happening?" I don't like the look on his face. It's not in a "I'm going to hurt you" kind of way, but "I'm sorry".

"Kid, I can't take care of you any longer. Look at me, Sanji. You know I'm a mess, so that's why-"

"W-What? Honestly, Gin, you're better than most. I can tell you've been through a lot, but you still have a kind heart. Rarely anyone else could do that. I—"

"You're the same, kid. Anyway, let me finish, okay? I have to let you go, but I'm sure as hell not putting you back in the system's hands. The government's great and all, but this is one of its flaws. That's why I used one of my old contacts… He's gonna take you in with his family," Gin tells me, standing up from his chair. There's a distant look in his eyes. I don't know much about him, but something happened when he was working as a Pro. His name was Vilemouth, and his Quirk shares the same name. It's uh… He could put nearly anything in his mouth and spit it out as a dangerous projectile. Absolutely disgusting, useful, but still disgusting. But, who is this "contact" of his? Gin must really trust him.

"Who is he, Gin? W-When am I leaving?" I ask, instinctively clenching my hand to my chest, playing with my hoodie strings. I could imagine a thousand faces, thousands more from this man's family. I'll be living with them, right? God, I can't be a burden to them. Who knows what kind of convincing Gin did? I can't be a burden on these people.

"You know about Master Kendo, kid?"

What?! Master Kendo?! When All Might was just a student at U.A., Master Kendo was a very popular Pro! He wasn't exactly the most powerful one, but he was a master at all martial arts in the known world! Officially recognized too! If you got into a fight with him, you would lose near instantly! Heck, his Quirk, Reversal, allows him to use his opponent's force into his own attacks! Theoretically, he could defeat even All Might because he can use his force against him! I'll be staying with him?! God, I'll be living with him?! Wait, Gin knew that I want to be a Hero. He seriously asked Master Kendo to take me in… so I could train to become one? This can't be real. This really can't be real! I'm not gonna be just a burden, I'll practically be dead weight! I'm Quirkless! How can I impress him?! What about his family too? How can I not let them hate me? This is all too much… All too much… Knowing him, I'll be hiking up a mountain with weights on my back for a punishment! Might as well scale the Wall of China because I-

"Sanji, you're daydreaming again. Snap outta it, kid. You're leaving tomorrow. I know how much those punks at school hate you, so I wanted to make it quick. You don't have to see them again, especially Suzuki," Gin says, smiling slightly. I can feel my heart trying to make its way out of my chest… God, I don't know what I'm feeling. It's fear and excitement mixed into one. I mean, this is so sudden! So out of the blue! I think Gin was planning this for a long time, but he never let me know! Jeez, I think I'm having trouble breathing! I never felt this way before, especially when I'm moving. It was always the same dull feeling. I… Ugh, just gotta take a deep breath and everything will be fine.

Somehow, I manage to say, "Thank you, Gin. I'll… I'll try to be a Hero! I'll-"

"Aw shut up. Your life's changing, kid. Now, pack your things up. It'll be a long train ride to Musutafu, where U.A.'s at. It's about time something went your way."

"A-Alright… Alright… U.A. High School… I gotta do it… I gotta do it."

"You also gotta calm down. I know it's exciting, but I'm getting kinda worried."

"S-Sorry! I'll get packed! Thank you again, Gin!"

I rush off into my room to pack what little things I have.

* * *

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Hey Dad, got anything to explain to me?"

"Nope," I reply, sipping my tea. Hayami tilts her head, trying to intimidate me, but I'm her father. If anything, I'm the one who taught her how to intimidate. Anyway, she must've found out about what I'm doing. Not sure how, but she's a smart woman.

Hayami says on the edge of taking my tea and pouring it on me, "Sanji Inochi. You sure his last name is not 'Inoichi'? Because I think it might've been a typo. Of course, I need this information since you're taking whoever-this-boy-is in without even telling me. Did you even think about how Itsuka feels about this? How I feel?"

"I wanted another man in the house," I joke, putting my cup down. I turn to my daughter who's looking mighty red. "In all seriousness, I have no idea if the boy's last name is 'Inochi' or 'Inoichi', but I'm going with what's written. And, if you want to know why I decided to take him in, it's…complicated."

"Complicated? Really? Okay, I know we can sustain another man in the house, but do you even know what he's like? He could trash the place, show no respect whatsoever. I'm not one to judge, but foster kids usually end up as juvenile delinquents. Why did Gin ask you to take him? He's washed up. What makes Sanji different?" she asks, sitting next to me. I take a peek over at Itsuka, who's tinkering with her father's motorcycle. (She values that thing more than her life itself. I can't blame her. Kaito was an idiot, but he was a good father. Better than me.)

I sigh, recalling the phone call with Gin. "Gin is a lot of bad things, but he's also honest. He told me a lot about Sanji. The boy has a kind heart, doesn't want to make anyone upset. And, he wants to be a Pro Hero even though he's legally Quirkless."

Hayami continues to argue, "Dad, I know I'm being insensitive, but so what? There's a lot of Quirkless in the world who wanna be a Hero. You know that Itsuka is bummed out for failing the Recommendations Exam. Not only do we have to worry about Sanji, she has to worry about him too. What separates him from others besides from having a distant dream?" Hmph, she makes a lot of good points. In this world, you can only be a Hero if you have a Quirk. Sanji has one, but he can't use his. Or, so he thought. That's what Gin told me about. Normally, I wouldn't accept even with that, but my instincts are telling me to take this kid in. They're telling me that, somehow, this boy is special. It's unexplainable otherwise.

"Gin told me that his Quirk, despite the fact that he can't use it, allows him to learn physical tasks quickly. That, and he told me Sanji trains every night. I mean, literally every night. The boy doesn't sleep, Hayami. One or two hours, but that's all. I never heard of anyone so determined. If you're not convinced still, my instincts are ringing in my head. Each and every one of them are saying to take him in. It's unexplainable until you feel it yourself," I tell her, standing up. I walk towards a window where nothing of importance is outside. Heh, what Tatemi would think about this? She would accept Sanji instantly, no convincing needed. I'm supposed to be the logical one, but I'm acting on my instincts. Heroism taught me to always act on those, "following your gut" they would say.

"Gosh, Dad… This could change everything, y'know? We have to live with him until we get tired of Sanji or until he becomes a Hero. But, I know how stubborn you are. It runs in the family. No matter what the hell happens, I trust you," Hayami says with a smile in her voice. Good, because I'm supposed to be her father. She's supposed to do what I say despite me being senile. Now, here's a bigger problem: How do we break the news to Itsuka?

"Good, so that means you're telling my granddaughter?" I ask, turning around with a smirk. Hayami puts a finger up and shakes her head.

"Nuh uh. You're the one who decided this, so you get to tell her. I'll be cleaning out the spare room, Dad. Let's hope Itsuka doesn't feel the need to throw a wrench at you, because you surely threw one in her plans," she declares and immediately walks upstairs. Okay, guess she doesn't do everything I ask. Every time I talk to her, I'm getting more and more convinced that she isn't Tatemi's daughter. Tatemi was a sweetheart, but Hayami? If Kaito got through her thorns, then he would probably see a tiny, itty bitty rose. And Itsuka's just like her mother in a lot of ways…

So, Master Kendo, how are you going to tell your granddaughter without dying? Well me, that's a very good question. A question that would require a lot of thinking and possibly body armor.

"Why aren't any of these wrenches working?!"

_CRASH!_

I need to pick out a grave…

Itsuka Kendo

"Hey Yui, is it normal for a granddaughter to have an overwhelming desire to murder her grandfather? I'm just asking for a friend, but is it normal?" I ask her. She stares at me blankly. That's about the look I was expecting to get.

"Uhm, why? For your friend," she asks back, going off of my hypothetical. Well, how do I explain this without yelling my head off? Hmm, here's the simplest explanation I could give.

I calmly explain, not raising my voice whatsoever, "Okay, so my friend's grandfather decided to take in a random foster kid from who-the-hell-knows-where because one of his old students told him to. Why? Well, this foster kid apparently wants to be a Hero despite the fact he's legally Quirkless. Of course this had to happen after I failed—I mean, my friend failed the U.A. Recommendations Exam. Naturally, my friend's mom is taking her grandfather's side on this, so I'm- I mean, my friend is alone on this." I look around my class, making sure no one else is trying to listen in on us. Good, no one's being nosy.

"Did you meet him yet?" Yui asks, knowing full-well that my friend is me. Looks like the cat's out of the bag… God, just as I thought life couldn't get any worse. Grandpa and Mom assured me that he isn't a delinquent, but do they really know for sure? Statistically, foster kids are more likely to end up as Villains. Inochi could be a good guy, but I can't one hundred percent know that. Chances are, he's a disrespectful jerk that I wanna punch.

"Nope, he's coming tomorrow. Watch, he'll be a delinquent. Ugh, God… Currently, you are my only anchor to sanity. Thanks for dealing with a girl like me," I say, smiling slightly. Yui nods and hums. What did I do to deserve someone like her? She doesn't complain about me. Even though she says a few words, she knows exactly what to say.

"Hey Kendo, I couldn't help but hear your conversation…" Ito, one of the more persistent boys in my class, butts into our conversation. He has a crush on me, and frankly, the way he goes about it is kinda creepy. "I… uh… can help with that delinquent… Gotta hammer the nail that sticks out, right?"

"I can hammer him myself, Ito, but thanks," I tell him. He awkwardly smiles and backs away nearly into a desk. He's uh… definitely nervous. I wouldn't mind otherwise, but there's just something off about him. Anyway, I look back at Yui who's just staring at Ito. (Good thing no guy tries to make any advances on Yui, otherwise they'll have to meet my fist.)

Yui shakes her head and turns to me. "So… He's joining our class, right? It sounds like he's the same age as us."

"Yup and yup. I almost forgot, but his name is Sanji Inochi. I don't even know what he looks like, Yui," I tell her, getting in close to whisper, "and if he's like half the guys in school, then I'm going to hurt him."

"Oh c'mon, he can't be that bad!" Tokage exclaims across from us. Seriously?! She was listening in too?! She doesn't have a right to comment on this… If anything, she's the reason why I'm sour. Tokage gets up and stands in front of us. "This guy, Inochi right? He wants to be a Pro, so we can assume he's a nice person. Could be a cutie too."

I grumble, laying my chin on my arms. "Frankly Tokage, have you seen some Heroes nowadays? Yeah, they're Heroes, but they're also jerks. I'm sorry that I'm not having much faith in him, but it's hard. He might be your type though. You two gonna get married and have kids?"

"Nah, you're living with him already. I'd rather not take this boy from you. Watch, he'll be the envy of the school. We both know how many guys have a crush on you and Kodai," Tokage says, naturally drifting to love and relationships. I don't know why she keeps mentioning it, but it's annoying. It's like she's compensating for something.

"Can you not obsess over my relationship? Don't you have something better to do? Like, you know, being a capable heiress?" I snap at her. Tokage puts her hands up and takes a step back, showing her jagged teeth.

"Right in the heart, Kendo! I got the message just fine. I'll leave you two be. Tomorrow, there will be a reckoning once the guy comes. Can't wait to meet him!" Tokage takes her bag and leaves. Good, I don't have to worry about that snake anymore. She's too much of a perfect girl. That's why she beat me in the Recommendation Exams. Even without her father's influence, she's just…flawless in general.

"She's trying to be nice, Itsuka," Yui tells me, and I know. I totally know that, but doesn't she see it?

"There's something off about her, Yui. I mean, someone can't be that good at life. Tokage is just…you know what I'm trying to say. Anyway, I need to take my mind off of this. I need to relax, so wanna just roam around the city?" I offer.

"Sure."

* * *

"Eee."

"Yui, if you want to act scared, you should try moving your body...and be a bit louder."

"Eeeeee."

"That jumpscare literally knocked the shoes off of a man once, and your friend didn't even flinch! She doesn't get scared much, does she?" the worker asks, watching in amazement with me. Let's see though…nope. I have no idea what terrifies Yui. She loves cute things, so maybe something creepy? Eh… At least this VR store is pretty neat. Personally, I wouldn't be able to do what Yui's doing. I would scream so much, especially since there's clowns in that game.

"She's the most fearless girl I know. Honestly, if she gets scared, then I'll be terrified outta my mind. Or, if she shows any feeling that isn't indifferentness. She's still my best friend though," I tell him, walking up and pulling the VR headset off of her. Yui looks at me unimpressed/indifferent as always.

"Hi," she says.

I reply, "Hi, Yui. C'mon, we bothered the poor worker enough." I usher her out of the store, thanking him on the way out. He simply smiles and lets us be on our merry way. We go back out to one of the shopping districts of Musutafu. It's an amazing place with a low crime rate, beautiful districts, and of course, U.A. High School. Grandpa always lived here. He created the Dojo to help train future martial artists. He's personally training me since I'm his granddaughter, and aiming to be a Pro like him and Dad. For far back as the Kendos go, we are a city family thriving on being the best fighters in the world. Well, for Mom, she became one of the best support scientists. She even made Dad's motorcycle and outfitted it for heroism. One day, I'm going to use it just like him.

Let's see, what else can we do though? We can check out the latest western comic books, or watch an action movie. What would Yui like though? Maybe a shop dedicated to animal plushies and toys. Or a clothing store. She's a little bit of a fashionable girl. Don't know why since she looks cute in virtually anything. I got enough money to sustain us… Oh, speaking of sustaining, we could go to a cafe. But, that also increases the chance of us getting harassed by a guy. Eh, I can always protect Yui. What's nearby—?

"Hey! Watch where the hell you're going!" A middle-aged man in front of us yells. Oh, a guy in a white hoodie and a black backpack accidentally bumped into him. He's scrambling on the ground to pick up his phone, but the man takes it before he can. "Do you know who I am, kid?!"

Hoodie whimpers, taking a step back. He stammers, "I-I'm so sorry! I… I'm just—"

"Just what?! I could ruin you, you know! I work for Hawks! He could tear your future apart," the asshole threatens him. Seriously?! Did he have to make a commotion on the middle of the street? Hoodie looks like he's my age. He must be nervous out of his mind! Doesn't help that this guy here is tormenting him.

"Uhm… C-Can you—?"

"Don't—!"

"Hey, that's enough!" I stand out from the crowd, getting their attention. The man stares at me like I'm a threat to this imaginary power. Hoodie looks at me too, bowing his head slightly either from shame or anxiety. I tell the man, "Give him his phone back. I'm sure that someone here is recording this. It'll be a shame if Hawks catches wind. You could lose your job. We don't want that, do we?"

The man stutters some kind of insult out before throwing Hoodie's phone at him. He catches it as the other guy storms off flustered and embarrassed. Good, I handled that situation well. I walk up to Hoodie with Yui as everything slowly gets back to normal. I ask him, "You okay? You seem a bit rattled."

"Heh… K-Kinda. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. I'm… I'm new to Musutafu, so everything's pretty much new," he shakily says, holding his phone to his chest. I barely catch a glimpse of Hoodie's hair. I think it's black and white. He can't maintain eye contact, but his eyes are gray. He's attractive in a cute, anxious boy kind of way. (Yui is silent like always.)

"Heh, Musutafu can get overwhelming quick. Glad you ran into me rather than someone who'll take advantage of you. So Hoodie, what's your name?" I ask him, briefly looking over at his phone. Damn, his phone's cracked from the fall. I feel even more sorry for him. Alone, lost, and nervous in a giant city? It's a recipe for disaster.

"Oh! Uhm… My name… Name… I'm sorry, I'm just so nervous… Can I calm down first before I tell you it? B-Because my heart feels like it's gonna explode. I hope you c-can understand," Hoodie says with a shy little smile on his face. Okay, I'm not going to let this guy roam around Musutafu by himself. I hope Yui doesn't mind an extra person in our group. (She doesn't look like she minds, but she doesn't look like anything most of the time.)

"It's fine. I'll just call you 'Hoodie' 'til we get your name. If you wanna complete the naming scheme, then call me 'Fists' and my friend here 'Size'. Anyway, how about I treat you to some famous Musutafu ice cream? Well, it's not exactly famous, but it's delicious nonetheless," I ask him, but I'm not giving him an option. Hoodie is getting ice cream with us whether he likes it or not.

"You really don't have to! I can p-pay for it myself. I don't wanna be a b-burden, you know? It's not right for me," he says exactly what I think he'll say. Not only Hoodie's anxious, he's also a really decent guy. I wonder what brings him out to Musutafu of all places? Maybe it's for U.A.? Japan needs people like him.

"Hoodie, you can't argue with Fists. She's stubborn," Yui warns him, and she's completely right. Hoodie can't talk himself out of this. With how his eyes look, he knows it. He'd better see the stubborness in my two God-given eyes. He sighs and nods, letting me take control of him. I pat his shoulder and I take him to the nearest vendor. Yui points one out after a few minutes of walking. It's a mochi stall. Ooo, there's coffee-flavored mochi. I know what I'm getting! And, it's really cheap too. Perfect! Hoodie gets his first positive introduction into Musutafu that isn't a screaming man on a power trip.

We wait in line. Hoodie has his hands in his pockets. He's calmed down a bit. He's not as jittery as before. Yui is staring at a picture of mango mochi, can't blame her. Other than coffee, orange is the most delicious color. Hmm, back on Hoodie, I wanna get to know him better. He might go to my school. Heck, if we both get into U.A., he might be in my same class! I ask him, "Hoodie, you aiming to be a Hero? You look like you're the same age as me, and most teenagers in Musutafu want to be one."

Hoodie answers, "Y-Yeah… It's why I moved here actually… I can tell you and Size want to be Heroes too. I-I kinda have to ask though, but from the nicknames you told me… It seems like those are your Quirks… You can do something with your fists, a-and Size can alter size, right?" He got it. What kind of Quirk does he have? From his physique, he's pretty fit. He's way taller than me too. It's funny seeing him so shy when I'm literally forcing him to get ice cream with me. Hmm, don't think I can figure it out. It's not blatant like a Mutant-type Quirk.

"Yeah, Fists can enlarge her fists. She can punch out a concrete wall if she tried. I almost died, that's how we met," Yui explains, and she's right too. When we first met at the beginning of middle school, I was testing out my strength on a concrete wall. Unbeknownst to me, she was on the other side of the wall. Long story short, Mom yelled at me, Grandpa was proud, and I made a best friend.

"Heh… sounds l-like a fun story to tell," Hoodie comments, smiling. He slightly glances at me, letting me see more of his black and white hair. As I see it, his hair is more white than black, but I'm not sure. He does have a hood on. For all I know, the tufts of hair I see are the only ones there, and the rest of his head is just pure baldness. Anyway, it's time for us to order. I go ahead and—

"M-Mister… Can you help me?" A little boy tugs on Hoodie's jeans. He's crying. Hoodie gets down on one knee, getting face-to-face with him.

"What's wrong?" he asks in a soft voice, trying not to upset him further.

"I-I'm lost… I dunno where my Mommy and Daddy's at…" the boy says, wiping away his tears. Hoodie nods and looks at the vendor. No, he looks at the menu for some reason before pulling out his wallet.

"We'll find them. For n-now, you should get something sweet. Want mango? O-Or maybe strawberry?" Hoodie offers. I would step in by now, but jeez… When I think that he couldn't be even more of a good person, he gets better. Who are this kind soul's parents? I want to thank them for raising their son like this.

"M-Mango, please…" Hoodie nods and tells the vendor that, but the vendor isn't accepting the money, offering to give the mochi for free. Hoodie, despite everything, insists that he pay because "it's the least" he could do. Before they could get into an argument, the vendor shoves the mochi in his hands. Hoodie sighs and gives the boy the mochi, letting him eat it. Without a second thought, he takes off his hood and lifts him onto his shoulders, higher than the crowd of people.

"See your parents anywhere?" he asks, looking up at him. The boy shakes his head. He searches for his parents with a delicious treat in his mouth. Okay… Maybe I'm wrong. Hoodie is an angel sent from God. I look at Yui and she looks back. We both have the same look in our eyes. This guy is great, our eyes say.

"Let's go walk around," I tell Hoodie. With a nod, we do that. The four of us walk around the district, looking for the boy's parents. While Hoodie and the boy were looking for the parents, Yui and I were searching for any officers. The parents would've gone to them immediately to report a lost child. It took about thirty minutes, but we find an officer. Hoodie puts the boy down while the officer calls it in. Ten minutes later, we get to meet the parents. His mom runs up to his son crying tears of joy while the father shakes our hands, thanking us for finding him. We all say it was our pleasure. Well, I do. Yui and Hoodie simply hum. After all of that excitement and no mochi unfortunately, I think we should call it a day.

I take my two friends off to the side, saying, "So, great job Heroes! We rescued our first child. I'm kidding of course, but Size and I gotta get home, Hoodie. Oh, do you know where you live? I might escort you there myself considering how clueless you were earlier."

Hoodie nervously chuckles, scratching the back of his head. (I get to finally admire his hair. I was right: It's mostly white. His fluffy hair trails forward, being slightly unkempt and a bit spiky in some areas. Some tufts of his hair covers parts of his forehead. Most of it, like before, is white with some of it being black. I estimate it being a seventy-thirty percent split. If Hoodie wasn't so nervous, I'd bet he would look like a mature man.) "I-I would say 'you don't have to', but look what happened… Anyway uhm... I live here."

He shows me the GPS on his phone and…

…

Huh, I should've known. I turn to Yui who sees it too. I say, "Well Yui, looks like I'm going home. See you at school tomorrow."

"Fists…? Y-You really are gonna escort me back? R-Really! You don't have to! It must be out of your way! I can use m-my GPS to take me there! Please, don't—!"

"No, Inochi. It's not 'out of my way'. It's in my way. In fact, that's where I live. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Itsuka Kendo, Master Kendo's granddaughter, and this is Yui Kodai, my best friend," I finally greet him with a big smile. Yui smiles too. I want to take back everything I said about him earlier. Inochi is a great person. Not a delinquent by any means. Let's hope he doesn't hear the things I said though...

Inochi, meanwhile, is dead quiet. "..."

"Itsuka, I think you broke him."

* * *

_"Really, that's how we met. Biggest, but the best coincidence in my life. Heh, that's where it all began. That's where I knew he would make a great Hero. But..."_


	2. A Kind Hero

**Sanji Inochi**

"Itsuka, is this one of your classmates? Wait, are you-"

"Y-Yeah… I'm… I'm Sanji Inochi. Th-thank you for allowing me to stay here ma'am," I greet Miss Kendo, bowing in respect. Kendo clicks her tongue, signaling me to stand straight, which I quickly do. Gosh, of all people I could've met, I really met the granddaughter of Master Kendo? She's such a good person. Even though she didn't know me at first, she made sure I was comfortable in Musutafu. I try to continue, "I-I ran into your daughter earlier… She… uhm… uhm-"

"I rescued him from a guy who works for Hawks. For an hour or so, I didn't realize that this guy was actually Inochi until Yui and I were about to head home. It's a good thing I bumped into him and not some con artist," Kendo explains for me, thank goodness. I can't lie, she terrifies me a little. Who else terrifies me more? Well, that'll be her mom. (Miss Kendo looks like an older version of her, actually, just with longer hair that's loose.) Wait, where's Master Kendo?

"Hehe, I can see why you wanted to protect him. Anyway, Sanji, just call me 'Hayami', not 'ma'am' or 'miss'. Now we got that settled, how's the ride from Kibo? Being in a city must be quite a game-changer," she asked. Miss Ken- I mean, Hayami seems nice too despite being a bit scary… She looks like the kind of mother who specializes in tough love. Well, how should I know? I never had a mother to call my own, nor a dad.

"I uhm…lived in Tokyo and a few c-cities before, but nothing l-like Musutafu. And the b-bullet train was good… Thanks for asking, Hayami," I say, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice, but it doesn't work. They can tell that I'm extremely nervous. God, I can't imagine how they were feeling before this. Their entire lives being uprooted just because of me… I don't want to inflict that anyone, but they seem accepting. It feels nice having people who don't look down on me for being Quirkless. Well, it feels nice to have someone who's nice. There's not enough honest and kind people in the world.

"Mhm, here, let me take that off your hands," she offers, taking my bookbag for me. I would've brought it up to wherever my room is, but if Hayami is like her daughter, then I don't have a choice. Anyway, she looks around for someone, presumably Master Kendo. But then she grumbles, yelling, "Dad! He's here! Where the hell are you?!"

"Behind you, Hayami," Master Kendo introduces himself, gently pushing his way where we're face-to-face. I'm taller than he is, but does it matter? He can kick my butt so fast that I won't have time to process what just happened. He has short bed of gray hair on his head, sweeping to the sides. Master Kendo also has a small beard that hangs off of his chin slightly. To be friendly, he pats my arm and says, "Sanji Inochi, welcome to Musutafu, the City of Heroes. I'm sorry, but the next few days will have a lot happening. Like, for example, you're going straight to school tomorrow. We don't have any time to waste, y'know. Every kid in Japan is gunning for U.A. High, especially my granddaughter. Today, though, will be calm and steady. Got anything to say?"

"N-No, Master Kendo. But, uhm, thank you for l-letting me stay here. I must've ruined y-your plans, coming out of the blue like this. I-"

"Don't worry. Those are my problems, not yours. C'mon, what's your favorite food? Hayami promised me that she'll make it for you," Master Kendo asks, and… uhm, favorite food? I never had a favorite before. I look at Hayami, seeing if she'll say anything. She just nods. I have a choice? God, the change really is too much for me.

"Uhm… fish. That counts as a favorite, r-right? I always liked fish when my school served it. Preferred it o-over anything else there," I answer, holding my arm awkwardly. Hayami hums and nods.

"Alright, I'll get on it! You three should get to know each other better. And no, Itsuka, you're not helping me. Last time, you nearly burned the house down," Hayami says, somewhat snapping at Kendo before she gets a chance to speak. They both laugh it off though as Hayami goes upstairs. Oh, she's just putting my bag away… Master Kendo, Kendo, and I find ourselves in the living room, sitting down.

"So, Inochi, why don't you call me by my first name? Since we'll be living in the same house and all," Kendo asks, and well…

"S-Sorry, I'd rather not… I'm just… a bit overwhelmed… I need some time to get used to how my life has changed. I-I hope you don't mind, Kendo," I answer truthfully, not trying to anger her. I think it worked though, as she nods just like her mom. Master Kendo chuckles, leaning back in his chair. I don't think that's chair suited for leaning back.

"Itsuka, ease up on him. One of these days, he'll be a strong and proud man, so let's not rush it. Heck, he'll be so different that you wouldn't be able to recognize him," he says, and I guess? I know I'm a pretty nervous guy, but it'll be nice to keep that in. Heh, it'll be really nice to not wear my hoodie around all the time. I like to think I'm confident, but I'm clearly not. It's something I'd have to build up, along with my strength and skill. God, I haven't even thought about my possible training with Master Kendo too! I always wanted to be proficient in martial arts, since it's the only skill I can improve on. I fancy weapons, to be honest. Sure, I can punch and kick, but it's not effective in some cases. Sometimes, I just need a quarterstaff or even a sword to end the fight. That's the kind of Hero I want to be. It's far off though. But, I'm one step closer to it. Can that version of Sanji Inochi exist? Only the-

"Inochi, you with us? Grandpa did say that you have a tendency to space out," Kendo says, bringing me back. Right! Right… That's one little quirk I have. I nervously laugh, scratching the back of my head.

"S-Sorry… I guess you have to get used to it. And, about me being strong… I w-want to be strong, even without a Quirk. For the past year or so, I've been training by myself. I mean, th-that's why I'm here. It's why Gin sent me here," I tell them. Honestly, doing what he did for me, I don't deserve it. But, it's done. I can't go back now. The only place I could go is forward.

Master Kendo replies, "It's why I accepted you. Quirkless or not, there's potential to you that isn't just a far-off dream. I'm sure Itsuka can agree. You know, she was-"

"Be quiet, Grandpa, and yeah, I do agree. You have the perfect mindset for it. It might be a bit annoying that you're too selfish, but it's fine. Grandpa'll whip us into shape. He _is_ Master Kendo after all," Itsuka assures me. Heh, I can't wait to train under him. I can already imagine what I could do underneath his teachings.

"Thank you… I appreciate it."

I genuinely smile.

* * *

"Sanji Inochi, come in," Mister Uda orders after he gives a speech about the new student: me. Before I go in the classroom, I hear people whispering about me already. What they're whispering about though… it's weird.

"Isn't he a delinquent?"

"I heard he was Quirkless."

"Pretty sure he assaulted a guy before."

"Doesn't he live with Kendo? I feel sorry that she's trapped with him."

I sigh, tucking my hands in my pockets. At times like these, I wish I had a hood on, but that's not allowed in school. I'm stuck with the usual black uniform. Slowly, I step inside and stand in front of the class, not looking at anyone in particular. A few eyes go wide and the whispers, somehow, get even louder.

"He looks strong for a Quirkless."

"I mean, he looks shy. Look at how he's standing!"

"Inochi isn't an ugly guy though. He's kinda cute."

"Quiet down now. For the rest of the school year, he'll be learning with all of you. Now, Mister Inochi, say some things about yourself. Your Quirk, and if you're striving to go to U.A. like mostly everyone here. Miss Tokage, being a lucky girl, got recommended in," Mister Uda asks, and also shares for some reason. Tokage? That name sounds familiar, can't put my finger on it. She makes herself known by raising her hand. She's a short girl with wavy green hair. Her teeth are jagged like a dog's.

Before I introduce myself, I hesitate. I focus my eyes around each of my classmates. Most of them would immediately think less of me. Everyone except for Kendo and Kodai. God, I need to get this over with instead of freezing up. I take a deep breath and say, "Hi. Uhm, it's true. I…am legally Quirkless, don't ask what my Quirk is because I-I don't know. But still, I want to be a Hero."

"Hmph, I thought as much. Go ahead and sit down Inochi, you're behind Tokage," Mister Uto tells me in a much more condescending and hostile tone. Kendo, in the back, shakes her head and scoffs, looking out of the window. Yui's right next to her, and she doesn't look too happy either. I'm on the other side of the room unfortunately. It's time for my first walk of shame in Musutafu. I step down from the front, slowly making my way to my seat. I hear a few of my classmates comment.

"One less man to worry about."

"Inochi, you should give up."

"Why are you still trying?"  
"Don't bother trying to be a Hero. Leave that to people who have Quirks."

"Stick to being a delinquent, not a Hero."

I-!

Tokage grabs my arm. I stop and turn to her. She says to me, "Don't worry about them, Inochi. There's something great in ya, I know it. And, I'm Setsuna Tokage, at your service." Tokage runs her hand down to my own, shaking it. I softly smile and shake back before I take my seat. She's a nice person too. Maybe because she already got into U.A.? Or maybe, Tokage is just like Kendo and Kodai. They don't discriminate.

As Mister Uda starts the lesson, she turns around and whispers, "So, New Guy, hope Musutafu is treating you well. Too bad everyone treats Quirkless like crap, but you don't look like crap to me. I mean, you're a pretty good-looking guy."

"Heh, thanks T-Tokage. And, I don't mind them. I heard it all before. I'm used to it. They won't stop me from trying t-to be a Hero," I tell her. Tokage giggles and nods, her hair bouncing slightly.

"In that case, _Hero_, I better see you in my class at U.A., alright?"

"You can count on it," I reply.

* * *

After the long lesson, it's time for lunch. Tokage tells me to meet her at the cafeteria. I'm pretty sure Kendo and Kodai would want me to sit with them, but I can't deny her. Before I could do or say anything though, a couple of guys immediately come up to me. Ito and Hamada. They volunteered themselves to answer a couple of questions about metaology. (Why was the study of Quirks called "metaology" in the first place?)

Ito says, "Inochi, you're not gonna hurt Kendo, alright? Just 'cause you're Quirkless, doesn't mean you can't hurt her. She deserves more than a delinquent like you, anyway. Ugh, why do you get to live with her?"

…

What kind of man does he take me for?!

Hamada (oh please don't) adds on to what Ito says, "Yeah, I don't buy this shy act of yours. So, you better not lay a finger on Kendo or Kodai. They're the most popular girls at school along with Tokage. Don't try anything with them."

"..."

Ito snaps at me, "Hey! Aren't you gonna say anything?!"

"Ito, Hamada… Stop bothering Inochi. C'mon, he gotta get to lunch because Inochi has a date with Tokage," Kendo says, rescuing me from these two. And by "rescuing", I mean she takes my hand and drags me out of the class with Kodai. I can sense the disappointment and hate from my other guy classmates. Does every man have a crush on these three? God, I can't imagine my life obsessing over girls. I gotta be a Hero after all. Having a girlfriend isn't apart of the plan. Anyway, after a few more comments about me, the three of us grab our lunches and meet up with Tokage at the cafeteria. She has a fancy box of bento. It looks expensive just from the design. Probably worth more than my life.

She greets us first, "Hey you guys. As the class president, I think it's right for me to sit with you. Inochi should have a positive introduction into Musutafu and not be bullied twenty-four seven." Tokage shoots me a smile and a wink while Kendo rolls her eyes. Kodai doesn't… She… You know, she looks completely neutral. I had a feeling she was indifferent to virtually anything…

"We don't have a choice, do we?" Kendo asks, putting a hand on her hip.

"Not at all. My order's absolute, Kendo. I mean, Inochi doesn't mind me an so does adorable Kodai. Now, let's go! Our table awaits us," Tokage commands us with her imperial power. We follow her into a nice beige table near the back of the cafeteria and sit down. I catch the glares of others as we sit though. All of them saying, _Who the hell is that? _Frankly, no idea. Sanji Inochi is a man who keeps to himself.

The first thing Kendo says is, "Why are you talking with Inochi? I get that he's desk neighbors with you, but you don't usually do this. Unless you got a crush on him, which I don't doubt with how much of a romantic you are." I quietly open my lunch, praying mentally (for this meal and my safety) before digging in.

"Kendo, I told you so. Inochi wasn't gonna be as bad as you thought. Too bad the rumors were already spread about him, but they'll dissipate into thin air within the week. I mean, all the guys are gonna hate him for hanging out with the three of us, so him being a delinquent won't matter," Tokage says, but not answering Kendo's question. Kodai does the same thing I'm doing: silently eating. We exchange a content look with each other. (Why does everyone think I'm a delinquent again?)

Kendo retorts, "Yeah, but I can handle them. Stopping bullies is my thing, Tokage. But, you haven't answered my question." Okay, is it me or why are these two rough against each other? I can cut the tension with a knife. Just like this fish- Oh wait, never mind. It's soft enough I can use my chopsticks. I don't have a knife anyway.

"Heh, I don't doubt that," Tokage replies, chuckling before turning to me. "What can I say? Inochi's different than other Quirkless. Usually, they would feel sorry for themselves and mope around aimlessly until the day they die. Him though… He seems like the kind of man who has a lot of agency. After all, every Quirkless I seen is weak in terms of physique. He's fit as a fiddle. Right, Inochi?"

I stare at her and Kendo with a fish tail sticking out of my mouth. "Hm?" Casually, like my mouth isn't stuffed with food, I swallow the fish in the most non-awkward way possible, finishing it with a smile and a head tilt. Well, innocent as a man who swallowed a fish, staring at two of his classmates somewhat arguing with each other like a married couple.

"He's fit, but he's absent-minded. Inochi, have you been paying attention to what we've been saying?" Kendo asks, not digging into her food yet. Question: Why isn't she? I never had food this good before. Gosh, imagine Tokage's bento box. It might taste spectacular, but it'll be like eating gold.

"Yeah, kinda. Agency and what not. Thanks for the compliment, Tokage, but I-I'm not really much. I still have a long ways to go. I'm not that… uhm, impressive compared to others, especially you three. I mean, you got into U.A. by recommendations… That's impressive," I say, changing the conversation to her. Tokage bats her hand, like she's waving the compliment away to the wind.

"It's…" she stops herself briefly, turning to Kendo who's glaring knives into her. "You know what, I shouldn't go on about it. Today isn't about me. It's about you, New Guy. Tell me your dreams, your aspirations! If you got a secret that your bloodline carried since the dawn of Quirks, better spill it now or I'm gonna uncover it on my own."

I laugh, putting another piece of fish in my mouth. I say (after I'm done eating of course), "My only secret i-is my Quirk, I'm afraid. I would let you uncover it, but that would involve ex-experimentation, and I'm not so keen on it."

"Guess we have to wait until we can see it. Anyway, can we talk about something else? Yui, got any suggestions?" Kendo asks her. Kodai looks at her then at Tokage. I think she's thinking, but her eyes doesn't show much.

"Entrance Exam. Six months right? Five? I'm not good at math," Yui sets the topic for discussion. Ah right...it's half a year from now, but it's a hot topic still. The news are predicting the practical portion of the exam. It could be racing, team exercises, or battling to the death. The last one is obviously false, but with U.A.? You never know. The written portion is basically one hundred questions from a question pool of…ten thousand? It ranges from metaology, history, math, et cetera. It's not enough to just be strong, but you also have to be smart. After all, if all of the Heroes were mindless masses of muscle, then Japan would be destroyed.

"Tokage, your dad should know the exam's contents right?" Kendo asks, finally eating her lunch. Eh? Does Tokage's dad work for U.A. or something? It explains why she got a recommendation. Her father put a foot in the door for her. I'd imagine it's the same way with Kendo from the fact she's Master Kendo's granddaughter. Too bad she didn't get a recommendation.

"Sorry, he doesn't know. Even if he did, he wouldn't tell me. Even if I knew, I would be sworn to never tell. You have to figure it out on the day of. You can do it though. Your Big Fists can take you all the way," she compliments Kendo. However, I don't think Kendo takes it too kindly. Yeah, there's something going on between these two. I honestly don't know why. Kendo and Tokage, despite knowing them for a day or so, are similar. If anything, I'd think they're best friends, but as I can see, I'm wrong. Maybe I could do something to fix that...

"Fists aren't enough, y-you know… We have to be smart too. I'm not exactly a prodigy unfortunately, but m-maybe we need some help. Like, from the girl who's already in U.A.?" I offer. Kendo's eyes go wide from what I said. She opens her mouth, but Tokage beats her to it.

"Exactly what I was thinking, Inochi! Look at you, fitting in already!" Tokage exclaims before linking arms with me. Huh, she's a touchy girl. I should've expected that considering Kendo said she's a romantic. I don't mind though, so I'll just casually eat. "You're not bothered by this, are you?"

"Not at all," I answer after I swallow a clump of rice.

Kendo complains, "Can you two stop doing that? There's people at this table."

"Hi," Kodai reminds us that she's still here.

* * *

"Welcome to the Dojo, Inochi. Grandpa should be upstairs, and don't be intimidated by the students here. Most of them are doing this as a hobby, while there's us training to be Heroes," Kendo explains after we walk through the doors. Huh, this place is wild. The outside doesn't look like much. It's a simple concrete building, but the inside? Beautiful. The floor's wooden with a golden glow, the walls are white, decorated with Japanese paintings and pictures of Master Kendo when he was younger. There's some with his wife, Tatemi. She was known as Magnum Opus before she died. After her death, Master Kendo didn't work as much as a Pro Hero. He focused on taking care of his daughter before he inevitably retired altogether. He still teaches those who want to be Pros, like Kendo and I. I think he taught Kendo's dad too, Golden Hand.

Some of the people inside greet us. Well, they greet her, asking questions about me. Kendo answers them with a confident smile and nod, even with the part about me being Quirkless. They give me some side-looks, but that's where it ends. One more man comes out to meet us, someone our age. He has blonde hair and a…tail. A very thick and long tail with a fluffy blonde tuft of hair at the end. "Kendo, is this Inochi?"

"Mhm. Inochi, meet Mashirao Ojiro. He's one of the few students who takes his training seriously, and so, he's a guy I can bear with," Kendo explains much to Ojiro's satisfaction. He didn't like the last part… His tail is drooping like a sad dog, but Kendo laughs. "I'm kidding. He's a good friend and a pretty good martial artist."

"Heh, nice to meet you, Ojiro. I-I hope we can be good friends," I greet him, having my hand out. He gladly shakes it. Kendo isn't wrong. His handshake is really firm. I can feel how strong he is just from it.

"Of course. I'm glad you're here, Inochi. If it's anything, I believe you can be a Hero even with being Quirkless," he tells me, and I'm happier for it. I reply with a small smile and hum. Kendo gestures for us to head upstairs, so we do so. She talks about the Dojo with Ojiro, explaining some unique parts of it. Like, for example, an actual smithery. Hayami is a support scientist and a blacksmith, owning a support company. It's also partnered with U.A. conveniently enough. Up here is specialized training for students who are serious with martial arts, which is only a few. Some include Ojiro and Kendo. When everything's set up, I'll have a room to call my own. That'll be my second home.

We're at the end of the hall. It's Master Kendo's room for sure. We're going insid- Nope, never mind! We're stepping back and taking the door on the left. Good, I don't want to enter hell just yet. Kendo says, "This is your room. Sorry that it's so far down, but you can jog here. Good cardio."

I laugh before we head inside. Inside my room is absolutely nothing! Well, other than a sparring mat and curtains for my windows. Still! Nothing! Nothing at all. Master Kendo is in the middle of the mat though with a smile on his face. There's a wooden table in front of him, and behind him is… I don't know what. I can't make it out. He explains, "Children, I'm glad you could make it to Inochi's execution." He shows us his sheathed katana.

...

I quietly raise my hand and ask, "Can I pray first? I'm n-not religious, but it feels right that I should pray."

Kendo scolds, "Are you not even fazed by this? First, Tokage had her arms around you, and now this?! What kind of man are you?!" That's a bit of a loaded question I'm afraid. I'm not the kind of guy who gets fazed by an old man with a katana or being intimately touched by a woman. Not gonna lie, I never thought I experience these two things today.

"Should I leave? I don't feel like watching an execution today, I'm sorry. Blades are too much for me," Ojiro asks, straying away from Master Kendo. Finally, he laughs. He tosses the sheathed katana to me. I catch it. This feels nice. I never held one before, but it feels right in my hands. Hayami forged this, didn't she?

"I'm joking. Seems like Inochi was the only one who knew I was kidding… Mostly, kidding. I'm here to test his abilities, don't worry," he assures us. Kendo sighs in annoyance while Ojiro sighs in relief.

"Heh, good joke," I say. (That was a joke?!) _Anyway_, I ask not my executioner, but my mentor, "Wh-What do you want me to do with this? I never wielded one before… The closest is a kendo shinai, i-ironically…"

"What do you think? I want you to learn how to use it," Master Kendo says, going into a closet and pulling out two thick cutting mat with another katana. Guess he wants me to cut this, but that looks really _really _thick. I kinda cradle my katana in my arms, watching Master Kendo putting a mat on the table. "I want you to do exactly what I do. Simple enough."

"Grandpa, wait-"

_SLICE SLICE!_

Instantly, Master Kendo unsheathed his katana and landed two precise slices on the mat. It was fast, faster than the eye can see at first, but I saw the outcome. The cutting mat was sliced upwards at an angle with enough precision and grace that it doesn't even move. Neither of the pieces moved until he cut the upper piece in half, letting it tumble to the floor. The lower piece is still like nothing happened. That… That looks extremely hard, but I watched Master Kendo's form and posture. He tilted the blade just right that the edge cuts through like water. I saw how he breathed. He breathed just before he struck. Master Kendo chuckles and puts the second cutting mat on, gesturing for me to do it. I walk up, putting the katana at my left hip. Kendo sighs and shakes her head, saying, "Grandpa, that is an incredibly hard technique. Even though I don't specialize in weaponry, Inochi can't-"

_SLICE SLICE!_

I cut it flawlessly.

"Or, Inochi could do it perfectly without any prior training," Kendo finishes her sentence, being amazed. Ojiro is too. Aw, his little tail is wagging back and forth. Kendo asks, "Inochi, how could you do that? You said you haven't used a katana before."

Master Kendo answers for me, "Inochi isn't completely Quirkless. Gin told me he has Adoptive Muscle Memory. He's able to replicate nearly any physical tasks he sees. It's not his actual Quirk unfortunately because of metaology laws that I never took time to understand. So, Inochi-"

"He could be a master at martial arts within a short amount of time compared to us," Ojiro finishes Master Kendo's sentence. I casually sheathe my katana like I done it one thousand times before. Adoptive Muscle Memory huh? That explains a lot, actually. Like that pitch I threw with Saito, and that people underestimate me in gym. Wait, my Quirk… It gave me this? That seems a bit far-fetched. Something like this is a bit unrelated to the concept of dreams, but I'm not complaining. With what Ojiro said, I could be a master in months compared to years!

Master Kendo laughs and pats my shoulder. Is that… Is that supposed to be funny? "No, he can't be a master so soon. He can learn all the moves within a snap, yes, but his battle sense? It's like a newborn baby. He can't use his Quirk to give him that. That's what he has to develop naturally like you two." Okay, never mind, but that makes sense though. I can't learn reaction time by watching someone. It's like if I try to fix a car after watching a mechanic do it. I might fix it perfectly, but do I gain the knowledge of a mechanic? Not at all. It's a mental thing, not physical. I'm not whining about it. I expected this to be hard work.

"Heh, I-I got a lot of training ahead of me," I say, handing the katana to Master Kendo. He shakes his head and pushes my hands back. Guess he wants me to keep it. I laugh at my own awkwardness, turning to Kendo and Ojiro.

"Well, that's it," Master Kendo announces, picking up the chopped up cutting mats, "I can't test his skill because it's constantly changing. It'll be a mighty waste of time. Anyway Sanji, this room is yours. Fill it up with whatever you want. Remember that there's a gym here, and don't be afraid to ask my daughter for anything. You seem like the kind of guy who would use weapons, after all, so that'll be a majority of your lessons. Well, if you wish. You'll be choosing your own lessons, not me. Come to me whenever you need anything."

He then says to Kendo and Ojiro, "Like always, you two are free to help him out. Spar with him, knock him around, beat him up, or maybe all of the above. You three are training to be Heroes, so get to it." Finally, he leaves my room, making the three of us alone. I sigh, putting my katana on the wooden table.

"So uhm… When do we start?" I ask them. Ojiro shrugs while Kendo takes a step forward with a smirk.

"Now. I wanna see what you can do. Let's spar, Inochi," she tells me, cracking her knuckles!

Why do I feel the sudden presence of death?!

* * *

_CRACK!_

_CRACK CRACK!_

_CRACK!_

"Rrrrah!"

_SNAP!_

I break a wooden peg off of the wing chun dummy. It slides across the floor towards the doorway, where Kendo's at. Wait, Kendo? Why is she here? It's three in the morning. She shouldn't be up this late. I ask her, "Oh, uhm… It's kinda too early to get ready for school, d-don't you think?" I throw a towel over my neck, wiping the sweat off of my face.

"Yeah, but it's also too early to be training, Inochi. In fact, it isn't exactly healthy to train every night for the past week. That's what you've been doing, right? Have you been sleeping at all?" she asks, looking terribly concerned. At least, I think. The room's dark. I didn't bother to turn on the lights. The only light in here is the moon shining through the windows. Kendo must be observant though, noticing that I've been gone during the nights. (Crazy how fast a week went by already. I was going to school, getting tutored by Tokage, then being roughed up by Kendo, and after that, I was learning under Master Kendo. I can feel myself progressing, being better than before. My hand-to-hand combat improved, but I'm specializing in weapons training. That's also why my room has racks and racks of weapons inside. There's enough blades, blunts, daggers, axes, et cetera to worry someone.)

"Only an hour at minimum, t-two if I'm lucky… It's one of the weird things about me, Kendo. I don't need m-much sleep compared to you. I might as well train," I tell her, stepping up onto the edge of the sparring mat. I have a feeling that I know the reason why I don't sleep, but I don't wanna dwell on it. Despite the fact that Dreams is my Quirk, my hands never held a dream of its own. You'd think I could. Maybe have a terrifying nightmare, but not even that. I never once dreamed for as long as I can remember.

"Sure, but I seen how you are in the mornings. You flinch a lot, so that means you're sore beyond relief. You're not giving your body enough time to rest. If you keep this up, you're gonna collapse from pain and exhaustion. There's a limit to how much a human body can take, Inochi," Kendo calmly scolds me. She's right, but can we really call ourselves "humans" in this world? It's not like hundreds of years ago where we had to fight in full suits of metal armor. I can endure this amount of punishment. I've been doing it for over a year now after all. Tonight is just an average night for me, pain and all.

I reply, holding onto the ends of my towel, "Yeah, I-I know, but I can handle it. I've been doing this for a long time, K-Kendo. You know I'm at a big disadvantage, so this is necessary. But, thank you for worrying though… I-It means a lot."

She huffs, putting a hand on her hip. "You're welcome, but seriously? I get that you have to train more than others, but this is kinda excessive. You… You really want to be a Pro Hero _that_ badly, don't you?"

"Y-Yeah… Yeah, I do," I answer, looking out the window where the moon's slowly waning from the sky. I miss the stars back in Kibo. They were out and plentiful, but in Musutafu, the light pollution is too much. The only thing I could see up there is the lonely moon. I find myself saying, "I want to be a Hero, Kendo. A kind Hero who helps others. I don't care about fame, money, I don't care about any of that. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I want to see others happy, like how All Might does it."

I didn't stutter.

"Heh… Is that why you made Tokage tutor us? To see her happy? You know I'm not that fond of her," Kendo asks, crossing her arms. Her demeanor softens, so did her voice. Not only that, she changed the conversation. What's going on inside her head?

"A-As a friend, yes. She's a nice person, Kendo. Why _don't _you like her a-anyway?" I ask back, throwing my towel off to the basket. That's a three-pointer if I get basketball terms right. Never been one to obsess over sports, but it's good exercise.

"Remember the fact that she got into U.A. by recommendations? She beat me in the Recommendations Exam. If you ask me, Tokage is a little too perfect for my tastes. There's something weird about her besides the fact that she's extravagant and flirty with you," she answers and frankly, there's nothing off about Tokage. She's just a fun person to be around, but I don't think Kendo can see that. I should text Kodai about this. She knows Kendo longer than I have, so she should have pieces of wisdom to share with me.

"Guess so," I concede. Let's change the conversation to something other than Tokage. Something extremely important. "So, y-you know my secret now. Master Kendo knew too… Uhm, we should focus on the Entrance Exam. I-I know it's only months away, but we gotta train and study. I-"

"Of course, Inochi. We gotta train our body and expand our mind. We've been saying that too much now. C'mon, I'm already awake, so why don't we do some training together? Think you can keep up with me?" She gestures towards the mat.

I smile and nod. "I-I can only hope…"

* * *

"_But… If I knew… If I knew why he said those words… God, h-he was such an idiot. Y'know, we weren't prepared for what U.A. had in store. Especially him. I remember when he was Quirkless, he went by 'Armory, the Weaponry Hero'. Then, he awakened to be 'Stargazer, the Dream Hero'. Don't think that this is an epic of a man who fought against all odds, battling against powerful Villains to save the day, being the best underdog there is. No, it's far from that. It's rather…a tragedy of a boy who was never meant to be. It's the tragedy of Sanji Inochi, from beginning to end."_


	3. Five Months Later

**Sanji Inochi**

_SPIKE!_

_CRASH!_

"Team Red wins!" Mister Fujino announces, blowing his whistle. Looks like I just scored the game-winning point. I look around at my teammates with a big smile, having my hand up for a high-five. Do any of them high-five me? No. No they don't. They scowl at me before walking over to the bench with their head down and their shoulders slouched. That's a bit cold of them, but I don't mind! I laugh it off, rubbing my head. The Blue Team aren't fond of me either. They're complaining that I, a Quirkless, just beat them _hard_. I'm sorry. I was forced to win.

"Inochi!" a few girls squeal at me. I wave at them, which makes them squeal even louder. Kendo walks into the court and grabs my arm, dragging me to the bench. Oh right, the next team has to play. We sit down next to Tokage and Kodai, both of which were cheering for me. Obviously, one was louder than the other. I throw a towel over my head, drying the sweat off of me. My hair will be a mess, but I never cared much about looking good.

"Masterful spike there, Inochi. I'd thought your body was sore from how much you trained, but you performed your best. In my professional opinion, you carried the Red Team," Tokage says, but she's wrong. My teammates were useful besides the fact that they tried to keep the volleyball away from me a few times. I mean, after my first two spikes, they knew that they had to play fair with me.

"Did you really have to spike it _that_ hard though? I thought the gym floor was gonna crack right open," Kendo complains, eyeing our other classmates on the benches. The boys are glaring at us, whispering to each other while the girls are ogling and gossiping I think? During these five months, I had to get used to being known by the entire school. The guys are still a bit jealous that I'm hanging out with these three sitting with me.

"Sorry, but that's my natural strength. Besides, I'm scared when _you_ will spike it. I'm calling it here: The entire gym floor will collapse beneath our feet. Maybe that's why Mister Fujino wanted you to play on a boys team, Kendo," I say, crossing my arms. Too bad we're not on the same team though. We would've dominated the competition.

"Hmph. Tokage's right though. You carried your team of jerks. They're still jealous of you for no reason other than a stupid crush. I honestly don't get men sometimes, no offense Inochi," she replies as a few guys quickly turn their heads away from us. Right… Ito and Hamada are the perfect examples. One time, they distracted me with something so one of them could ask Kendo out. Naturally, I figured it out and ran to her. I prevented the death of Ito. It's...hard to restrain Kendo sometimes.

"None taken. You know how I don't worry about crushes or love. It gets in the way sometimes," I reply, hanging my towel around my neck. Tokage frowns and hits my shoulder with her head. My shoulder's sore unfortunately, so pain spikes in my arm. She notices me wincing and eases off, giggling like it never happened.

She says, "Even though I respectfully disagree, it explains why you don't really care about girls. I mean, you even compliment them when they ask for one. What happened to my sweet and shy Inochi? Now, he's just sweet, charismatic, and shameless! Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I mean, I'm outta my shell now, but I don't get the 'charismatic' part. I know I'm attractive, but that can't be it," I say, watching the game. Blue Team's leading by a point. Good teamwork, I gotta say. Anyway, back on topic! There has to be an explanation as to why the girls in our school are attracted to me more than others. They know I'm Quirkless, but that doesn't bother them. It's nice, but they're also bothering me for a completely different reason.

Tokage laughs, leaning back a bit too far. I put my arm out to prevent her from tumbling back like a ragdoll. "Well, that's what makes you attractive. Complete obliviousness! Don't you agree Kendo? Kodai?" Kodai just nods, going along with whatever she says.

Kendo rolls her eyes and replies, "Sure. If you talk about him so much, Tokage, why don't you just marry him? Televise it all over Japan! I'm sure they'll enjoy the wedding." Sarcasm isn't a good look on her. Even five months later, she's still jealous of Tokage. She warmed up to her slightly, but that's about it. Jeez, we got two weeks until school ends. If all four of us end up in the same class, then this needs to be settled.

"I'm sure he doesn't mind. Oh, wanna be my bridesmaid, Kodai? You would look perfect in a dress. Like a divine angel sent from God Himself," Tokage asks, making a rectangle with her fingers and puts Kodai in the frame.

"Why not," she meagerly answers, but short answers are the best of her. Kendo rolls her eyes even harder than before. Ugh… Kodai and I are trying to ease the tension between Kendo and Tokage, but it isn't working. The only thing we do is stopping Kendo from beating up anyone who tries to bully me. So far this month: ten times. You'd think they'll stop the first time, or the second time, maybe the third, but nope! Like before, we got two weeks left of eighth grade. Let's hope it doesn't break December's record of twenty-two.

Tokage snickers, and that's the sound of me changing the conversation, "Anyway, we gotta think about what's really important: this volleyball game. Kendo, how fast do you think you're gonna win? Five minutes? Four?" I ask right as Mister Fujino blows the whistle. The next two teams are up. Oh God, this will be a slaughter. Kendo's on the Red Team, so Blue is positively screwed.

"Guess we'll find out. Cheer me on!" Kendo says as she runs out to the court with the other guys. She starts to order them around, putting them in the proper positions. Pretty sure they aren't complaining about it. Kendo is in the middle when the match starts. The Blue Team serves, Kendo hits the ball back to their side, it gets hit back, and one of Red assists the volleyball in the air. Oh God, it's perfectly in position for a spike already?! Kendo calls it and jumps high in the air with her hammer fist back. Time slows down, and so does the cries of fear of her opponents...

"SHE'S SPIKING IT!"

"TAKE COVER!"

"TELL MY MOM I LOVE HER!"

Ah, so this is how I die...

_SPIKE!_

_BOOOOOM!_

* * *

Happy graduation. I almost died two weeks ago, but I lived to see the day. Well, if I could even call it that. Graduation was simply a rushed ceremony congratulating the class presidents, the popular students (like Kendo and Kodai), while the unpopular ones get glared at (like me). All of us were waiting for the news about the U.A. Entrance Exam, and they delivered. The principal gave us our testing locations for the written portion, and we know that we're going to U.A. itself for the practical. The Exam itself is in five days, practical is six. Why is it during a vacation though? It would make sense if it's at the last month of school, so U.A. has time to go through the applications. Well, do they? Simply, I think they can just cross thousands of applicants off just from the practical who don't do well on it. And since the written portion is first too, that'll remove a lot of applicants too. You know what, I'm probably thinking way too much about this. I'm confident that I'll at least pass the written, but the practical is another story. My training with Master Kendo is great, fan-freaking-tastic. I know how to use almost every weapon. Being proficient is another story, which I'm currently working on. As a result of my training, I've gotten stronger and tougher. I also practiced my hand-to-hand combat too. I can beat nearly anyone in the Dojo besides from Ojiro (who is a master at hand-to-tail combat) and Kendo (from the fact that she blew up the gym up two weeks ago). At least I can last a minute with Kendo before she wipes the floor with me. Master Kendo said that I'm better than most in terms of combat competency (without Quirks as a factor), but it doesn't matter when Quirks _are_ a factor. It's pretty much the entire purpose of the Exam. This training guarantees that I'm not completely useless though. I'm the best as an average human can be, thanks to my Adoptive Muscle Memory. Now, I'm up against all of Japan. I should-

There's something behind me. Only one person could have a reason for sneaking behind me. I call her out, "Tokage, put your mouth back where it belongs. Your Quirk is horrifying sometimes, and I'm a little scared of it." Tokage huffs and I hear her walking up behind me. I turn around to see her whole. No floating body parts, no disembodied limbs, none of that. Thank goodness because I'm never getting used to her Quirk.

"Hmph, looks like your battle sense is honed a little too well. Watch it, Inochi, you'll get so powerful that you might get a chance to actually defeat me! I, of course, am strong enough to rival All Might," she says, and I fully believe her. All hail Setsuna Tokage, the most powerful Hero in Japan. Better bow down to her feet and beg for forgiveness, else her overwhelming power will have me put to death.

"You're the next Symbol of Peace, Tokage. I swear by it. Anyway, got anything wise to say before the Exam? It's within the week," I ask, putting my hands in my pockets. We watch for Kendo and Kodai, but I don't see her. They must've been trapped in the auditorium unfortunately. Let's hope no guys are making a move on them. I might not be outwardly protective as Kendo, but I'm still protective as heck.

"Eat well, train well, and most importantly… when are you going to confess your love to Kendo? I'm waiting," Tokage does not advise me actually. Don't know why she thinks I have a crush on her. I'm content with being friends with Kendo, that's all. She only bothers teasing me about it, not her. For a good reason too, because Kendo will absolutely _murder_ her.

I reply, "I'm sorry, the third thing wasn't a piece of advice, so it kinda went through one ear and out the other. Hehe, anyway, what about you, Tokage? Find the woman of your dreams yet? Will I be your best man?" I still remember the moment when she came out to me. That was a month ago I believe. Only I know about it. How did the conversation go again…?

One day, she approached me and said... "_Heya handsome, can I talk to you for a second?"_

I replied… "_Sure, what is it?"_

Then she said, kinda being quiet... "_Remind me. For civics, the laws about heroism and vigilantism were about- I'm a lesbian, Inochi."_

I looked at her and stayed quiet...

Tokage got red and stammered… "_Inochi, did you hear what I just said?!"_

Naturally, I stayed cool and told her… "_Yup. Please excuse me for a brief moment." _After that, I casually strolled up to the classroom window, opened it, and screamed. The entire class stared at me, even Kodai was bothered by it. Then, when I stopped screaming, I walked back to my desk, sat down, and smiled at Tokage who was mentally panicking. I congratulated her, whispering… "_I'm very happy for you."_

And that's how I know. I'm waiting for the day-

_Pinch!_

"Ow! Why are you pinching my cheek, Toka-Kendo? When did you get here?!" I exclaim. So, somehow, Kendo and Kodai are in front of me! I didn't even notice them! Wow, sometimes I even amaze myself at how absent-minded I am at times… Also, I don't want to be rude, but Kendo's cheeks gets puffed way too much when she pouts. It's a bit hard to be scared, but I know if I point that out... I would die.

"Fifteen seconds ago. Tokage was counting how long you wouldn't notice. C'mon, let's go to the library, Inochi. I barely got out alive with boys trying to ask me out, and I heard some of the girls wanted to get your number, so we'd better run," Kendo says, and without waiting for me to answer, she grabs my wrist and literally yanks me along. I yelp, seeing as my entire arm is sore and she isn't making the pain any better! Kodai, of all women, snickers with Tokage. How could she betray me…?

I plead, "Kendo! You're going to rip my arm off! Please, I don't wanna lose my arm just yet! Maybe in two years, or three! But not now! I need it for the Exam!"

"Stop complaining! This is why you should take a break every other night! I get that you like training so much, but please! Take care of your body for once in a while!" she snaps back as she pulls me even harder. I try to reach out for Tokage's hand, but she gets herself out of my reach! Kodai too! Why are they submitting me to this torture?! I'm supposed to be their friend! Not some stuffed dummy to get dragged around!

At some point on our walk there, I just stop moving altogether. Kendo decides to carry me to the library, which I don't mind. I'll just lay in her arms, going over the material for the written portion. So many subjects… I bet America has it easy with their tests… But, I'll try my best to memorize them! I need to be a Hero after all! Let's hope I'm not too much of an idiot though…

* * *

"Inochi."

"..."

"Why is there smoke coming out of your head?"

"The origin of Quirks has many theories. Some say that radiation had a factor in the formation of Quirks, while others state a very distant ancestor at the beginning of human history carried the genes for the foundations of Quirks, in which their genes was implanted in us, awakening when the suitable environment arose. A German metaologist by the name of-"

"Okay, I can see where your mind's at. Was that your essay? Because jeez, mine was about hero history and the impacts of the U.H.N. in today's society. I'm sorry that you had a hard time, Inochi. You survived though! That's great!"

"Huh?! Did someone say hero history! U.H.N.! That's right! Uhm… that is the United Hero Nation which was once the United Nations formed after World War Two! It was renamed and remade to ensure Pro Heroes-!"

_SLAP!_

Kendo slaps me. Woah! I can think again! My head hurts a lot! But, I can think again! Also, I need to say this, "OW?! Thank you for knocking reality back into my head, but still! I think my cheek will be red for hours from how hard you slapped me!"

"Hmph, good thing we both agreed that you needed it," she snarkily comments just as we're outside our home. Kendo pats my arm and actually goes inside the garage first. Must be checking up on her motorcycle. It was her dad's, his Hero Vehicle. From that name, it's safe to say the bike is pretty golden. I mean, it even has golden trails when it gets on the road! At least, that's what Hayami said. She was the one who customized this motorcycle for heroism. It's extra durable, fast, and really awesome. I think it even drives to Kendo whenever she needs a lift. Well, if she can drive it. She doesn't have her learners yet.

"I'll be a badass with this bike, just you watch. I might get one for you one day, if your Quirk doesn't let you run as fast as a car," she says, flicking a spec of dirt off of it. I only laugh as a reply since my brain is still a little fried from the Exam. Looks like she's done checking already. We go inside our home, taking our shoes off. Hayami and Master Kendo are in the living room waiting for us. They have soft smiles on their faces. Heh… Five, maybe six months… That's how long I've been here. Seems like just a day ago that I was a guy with a hoodie. Now, I'm not hiding my face anymore.

"How was the written portion? I'm assuming Itsuka excelled while Sanji… Uhm, you know what? I can see the smoke coming out of his head," Hayami says, chuckling. I'm surprised my hair hasn't caught on fire yet, but the day is still young. I laugh, leaning against a wall for utter support.

"I'm sure he passed. Last night, he was training while reciting his notes. Every punch was a line about math or something. Could be Japanese? I dunno. Honestly, how _did_ I pass the Exam?" Master Kendo asks himself. He looks like he's remembering his past days as a U.A. student. I don't wanna be rude, but he's probably like me in terms of intelligence.

"That sounds like Inochi alright. We got the practical tomorrow, so we'd better rest. _Right_?" Kendo looks at me, expecting something…? Oh, she wants me to take a break tonight. Uhm, if I don't have a choice. I'm inclined towards training tonight, but it makes sense to let my body heal to ensure that I'm at the top of my game. But, I don't sleep like she does. Crap, what do I say? Maybe if I stay silent, that would help.

…

"Alright, that settles it, I'm gonna trap you in your room. This will be for your own good, Inochi," she tells me. Okay, let's find out if she's actually serious or if she's joking. A part of me wants to feel like she's joking, but this is Kendo! She's probably dead serious. Oh God, I'm going to be a prisoner in my own home.

I turn to Hayami, asking with my eyes, _Is your daughter serious?_ Hayami shrugs and replies, _Knowing her, yeah. What can I say? She's my daughter._ I look at Kendo once again, who's staring at Hayami and I. She asks, "Why are you two having a conversation with your eyes? Inochi, say something."

"I'm scared," I quietly speak for once. She groans and I sit down on the couch, my knuckles turning white from gripping my pants. Master Kendo laughs and taps his armrest. He's probably laughing at how afraid I am.

"Jokes aside, both of you will do great," he says, giving Kendo a chance to sit next to me, "you two are special kids. One is the toughest woman alive, protecting everything she holds dear. The other is the best Quirkless alive, determined to reach his dream. Those are qualities that true Heroes have, but kids…"

Master Kendo leans forward in his chair, putting his hands together. "From tomorrow onwards, your life will be difficult. I guarantee you that by the end, you won't be the same Itsuka and Sanji sitting at this couch. You'll be something different. You'll be a better version of yourself. Promise me you'll become that?"

"Yeah, Grandpa."

"Of course."

"Good. Both of you can do this. Remember, you're not alone. You'll have friends at U.A. and us two. Now, let's cheer up with a feast and some TV! It's enough of me getting serious!" he exclaims, which is also the signal for Hayami to go into the kitchen. But though…a feast? Well, looks like I might be so full that I wouldn't be able to move.

Three years from now, I'll be standing in this house being a new man. At that point, I'll have my Quirk and be a stronger man than I am now. There's no more turning back! No matter what, I'll be a Hero!

I will be a Pro Hero for Japan! Even if mountains stand in my way, I'll carve through them and go beyond!

* * *

"So, we could've brought equipment?" Ojiro asks, staring at my quarterstaff that's laying on my shoulders. Well, the answer's obvious. I didn't bring this staff here to pole vault over the U.A. Barrier. Even if I could do that, how would I land safely on the other side? I would just go _splat _immediately.

"Mhm," Kodai answers, holding up her bag of screws and bolts. Her Quirk, Size, is much more effective with objects. She can't do anything without objects, which makes her effectively Quirkless like I am. For Kendo and Ojiro, they're lucky since Kendo can activate Big Fists and Ojiro has a tail he can swing around.

"Yeah, I kinda only have my feet and fists. It wouldn't be the best thing against whatever we're fighting today," I explain, spinning my quarterstaff around my neck and into my gracious hands. Kodai casually ducks without changing the expression on her face. Well, I wasn't gonna whack her in the head with it. I'm skilled enough where I pass the point of accidental assault… Yeah, I'm sorry Ojiro...

"Yeah… Quarterstaffs hurt… There's people out there who doubt that they can't do anything. They're wrong," Ojiro says, recalling that extremely painful moment. Why does he want to make me feel so bad all of the sudden?!

"If they get into a fight with one, they'll doubt for about two seconds until it hits them… Literally hits them," Kendo adds her own (correct) opinion. She stops for a second and takes a deep breath in. Right, we're in U.A.! It's a beautiful school. A lush walkway leads us into the auditorium with three numbered doors from one to three. There's a few statues and arches here. The main building itself is somewhere on the campus in the form of western letters I believe. A ton of other examinees are here with us. All kinds of Quirks out today too. Well, the only ones we can see are Mutant-types like Ojiro. Kendo looks up at the sky and says, "Y'know, we're gonna rock the hell outta this exam. You guys with me?!"

"Yup."

"Naturally, Kendo."

"Mhm."

"Good! We trained a long time for this. I know Inochi has. Thank God that he hasn't collapsed from exhaustion. That's besides the point though. After we beat what U.A. has in store, we'll be Heroes. All of us will. Japan will be singing our praises," she promises to us with a bright smile on her face. Words like that can inspire a man. In fact, it inspired this man. Quirkless or not, I'll pass the Exam!

"Uhm, alright. I'll try my best," Ojiro sheepishly says, scratching his cheek. Kodai nods with him, humming softly. Kendo looks at me for a response, so I simply pat my shoulder with my quarterstaff, smiling with a head tilt. She looks disappointed.

"Seriously? That's it? You guys aren't gonna say anything else? Inochi, you stopped being shy and quiet. Say something," she asks me.

"Who says I'm not shy?" I say in an introverted tone, shying my face away from her. But, that's just an act. I chuckle and turn back to Kendo, giving her what she wants. "I'm kidding. What do you want me to say that's haven't been said? Don't worry, Kendo. We'll pass and get into U.A.. You can be the people's fist just like your dad." Golden Hand's catchphrase was: "I'll be your fist!" Kendo often repeats that to herself before fights.

"Heh… Yeah, I'm doing this for him and for Japan. He'll be proud if he could see me today," Kendo says with a slightly reminiscent face. That's why she wants to be a Hero. She loved her dad like how any daughter would. I'm not surprised that she inspires to be like him. Hayami supports her, Master Kendo too, and of course, I do as well. I wish I could meet him though. He could be out there though. Golden Hand isn't exactly dead, but just missing. Well, missing for years. It's depressing, but there isn't a high chance of him living years after disappearing. He loved his family after all, so he couldn't disappear because of… Do I really need to think about that?

"He is, Kendo. I don't know him personally, but any father would be proud seeing his daughter growing up to be a Hero," I tell her with Kodai and Ojiro nodding to what I say. Kendo laughs to herself and sighs.

"Yeah… C'mon, we should get inside. Present Mic should be explaining the Entrance Exam for us, so we can't miss it!" she exclaims before she hurries us up. We quickly go inside the building, following everyone to the auditorium. Before we go inside, we take our examinee's card. They have a bunch of information on it. After that, we find four empty seats next to each other and sit down, waiting for the presentation to start.

During this merry time, Ojiro and Kendo theorize about what the Exam will be like. Kodai isn't adding to the conversation unless she's called on, and I try my best to input my own comment every now and then. To be honest, this Exam could be anything. Dragons, fighting Pros, fighting actual Villains, things like that. It's U.A. after all. Who knows what they could be scheming? After about twenty minutes, the auditorium is packed with examinees just like us. That's when the lights dim and Present Mic takes the stage. He looks just as loud as his hair. He starts off the presentation with a question, we don't really answer, so he casually moves on. The Entrance Exam will involve fighting robots (of course it had to be robots) that'll test our Quirks and skill. There are four types ranging from one-pointers too three, while there's one gigantic robot that's worth zero points. It's meant to be avoided. We have ten minutes to defeat as many robots as we can. Higher the points is equal to the chances of getting into U.A.. We're aren't allowed to assault the other examinees here else that'll result in an instant disqualification. As for the battleground itself, we're divided into a lot of different areas. I'm on Battleground A (as stated on my card) while everyone else is different. In fact, we're split up in-between four areas. Kendo comments that U.A. is preventing students from the same middle school from working with each other. Dang it, that means I can't get help! But, it makes sense. We have to show what we're capable of. It won't mean anything if we leech off of someone else's work. Anyway, that's the presentation. Present Mic tells us to walk to our designated battle centers. I stand up, trying to make sure my quarterstaff doesn't hit anyone.

Kendo says, "It's a shame we're not together, but good luck guys. Don't hesitate in destroying those bots. Rack up as many points as you can. And Inochi, do your best. Show that you aren't completely Quirkless."

"Heh, yeah. I'll do that. Punch the heck outta those robots for me, Kendo," I wish her luck. Kodai gives me a thumbs up while Ojiro smiles.

"We gotta get going. See you guys on the other side," Ojiro says before leaving. Kodai leaves to her battle center, leaving Kendo and I here. She smiles one last time, walking away. Well, I gotta make everyone proud. I follow the line to my battleground, holding my quarterstaff with my left hand. Some people comment that I'm not confident with my Quirk because I have a weapon. Well, they're technically not wrong, but I don't want to tell them that I'm Quirkless. That would be an extremely bad move.

Anyway, I make it outside. The sun blinds me slightly before a mock ruined city behind fortress-like walls is front of the testers and I. I always seen this on TV, but I never thought it would be _this_ large! It's a playground for a giant essentially! As the shock wears off, all of us approach the entrance with Present Mic on a tower. The crowd disperses into their own groups. There's a loud group with a stocky (and kinda robotic) blue-haired man with glasses scolding a green-haired boy. I honestly don't know what's going on there. I would intervene, but what the heck will I say? Besides, there's a guy next to me who's staring at my quarterstaff. He has gray hair and weird-looking eyebrows. He asks, "Hey bro, why'd ya got a staff around? Don'tcha got a Quirk?"

"My Quirk _is_ this quarterstaff. It's a pretty good weapon against robots, since they can probably break apart easily," I tell him, spinning it around my arms and body. He takes a step back and laughs.

"Alright! Guess I hafta worry about cha! 'Specially with that hidden Quirk of yours! What's your name? I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!" he introduces himself with a thumb towards his chest. Why did his parents name him that?! Was it four "Tetsu's" or seven?!)

Calmly, and not completely confused about his name, I greet him back, "Sanji Inochi. Good to meet you, Tetsutetsu." I extend my hand and he gladly shakes it. Dang, he's pretty strong from how hard he's gripping my hand. I think he can recognize that I'm strong too.

"May the best man win!" he declares right as the…the gate's opening?! Where's the alarm?! The countdown?! I mean, I already see the robots glaring at us! What's going on?! I look up at Present Mic along with pretty much everybody else!

"THE TEST STARTED! THERE'S NO COUNTDOWNS IN BATTLES!" he shouts at the top of his lungs, using his Quirk. Maybe?! I can't tell when he's using his Quirk or not! He's just loud in general! But, crap! Tetsutetsu pats my shoulder and immediately runs into the battlefield with most of the other examinees!

I follow them without a second thought.

"_I want to be a Hero, Kendo. A kind Hero who helps others. I don't care about fame, money, I don't care about any of that. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I want to see others happy, like how All Might does it." _

Like All Might…

That's right! I have to be a Hero! No matter the costs! Just like All Might, I'll save people just like him!


	4. Quirkless Or Not

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Hyah!"

_CRASH!_

Five points. I kick the now-destroyed two-pointer out of my way. I say to it, "Sorry about that. I promised to be the people's fist, and you were on the receiving end unfortunately." Its red light flickers before going dim completely. Gotta get more than five if I wanna pass this thing! Let's hope to God that all of my friends are doing well!

I shrink my fists back to its regular size. It's no good running around with these massive things. They weigh a ton. Even with my strength training, I can easily throw my back out from the weight of my Big Fists. That's why it's smarter for me to use the momentum of my punch whenever my fists are normal-sized, enlarging it just before I hit my target. I can still punch and wave my arms with Big Fists, but that takes a lot of energy. Energy that I need to survive these ten minutes.

All around me are other examinees who're destroying the robots like I am. No good here, gotta find some place else. This battlefield is large luckily enough, so I take a left turn onto another block. There's fewer people here, but they're still a nuisance to worry about. I take another turn, this time to the right. Aha! There's a nice three-pointer with my name on it. These are "Hard Villains". Compared to the lesser-valued robots, these ones are outfitted with heavier metal plates. Not to mention that they're somewhat like a military tank. But, everything has a weakness. The front of it is armored like crazy, but what about its head? If I took a guess, then that's its weakness.

I approach the three-pointer at the same time it notices me. It beeps, "Target acquired! Killlll!" Why did U.A. program these robots to say that? The three-pointer rolls forward with one of its metal claws up. Heh, I got an idea! I enlarge my fists over top of my head right as when it comes roaring down. I catch its claw, bending my knees to help take the force better before wrapping my massive hands around it. Lifting from my legs, I pick this three-pointer off of the ground and slam it behind me head-first, completely shattering the remaining bits of a two-way road. It's destroyed instantly. Eight points. I shrink my hands again before moving on. That was the only robot on this street from the looks of it. There's broken robots lining the sidewalk, which means someone already cleared this block. Damnit. Just gotta keep moving!

"SIX MINUTES REMAINING! TAKE OUT THOSE ROBOTIC VILLAINS FUTURE HEROES!" Present Mic yells after four minutes of finding jack squat. The only thing I see is destroyed robots! How did everyone else manage to take these things out so fast?! I know I'm not meant for speed, but just how many speed-based Quirks are there?! I think I even saw a girl flying above me! I need to find something fast, because eight points aren't gonna cut it! I need to go deeper into the battle center!

As I take a right turn, I see a silver-haired girl moving her arms up in the air. She… Oh, she has a one-pointer telepathically lifted in the air. She slams her arms down, causing the one-pointer to be immediately destroyed from the force. That's a really powerful Quirk, maybe could be used on humans. Anyway, I run towards her since there's a two-pointer incoming. The girl notices too, uses her Quirk on it, and crashes it against a concrete wall. That's two points for her. I approach the girl and yell, "Nice job! Your Quirk is pretty powerful."

"Thank you. Ah, I do believe I recognize you somewhat. Master Kendo's granddaughter? You share his hair color and eyes," she says. Her voice is quite emotionless. It's not like Yui where there's tiny bits of emotion in her voice. But, it's not everyday that I get recognized by someone. I'm not exactly a celebrity.

"That's right. Itsuka Kendo," I introduce myself, batting my ponytail away.

"Reiko Yanagi. Pleasure to have your acqu-"

"KILLL!" Shit, two-pointer jumping in!

"WATCH OUT!" I shout, taking Yanagi's shoulder and pushing her away. With my other hand, I drive it towards the two-pointer jumping at me. Right at the last moment, I enlarge my fist, shattering the two-point into pieces. It flies backwards where I see a lot more points to grab. It's so much that I don't even know how many are there! I check on Yanagi to see if she's okay, and she is. Not a single scratch on her. I say, "C'mon! Let's take these out together!" (Ten points!)

I charge at them growing my other hand. Two one-pointers, being the firsts in the crowd, become my next victims as I smash them in one single punch. (Twelve points!) By the end of this, I'll have enough points to beat everyone else testing! Now, there's a two-pointer coming at me. I'll just-!

"Excuse me, mind if I borrow this?" A blonde-haired boy suddenly runs in front of me, taps my shoulder. I briefly catch a glimpse of his smug smile before he turns on the balls of his heel like a ballet dancer. In one elegant motion, his right fist grows to the exact same size as mine, taking out _my_ target with a powerful punch. Afterwards, it shrinks. He uses the same hand to pat the dust off of his clothes, turning around to face me. He copied my Quirk! That's his Quirk, isn't it? Bowing slightly, he greets Yanagi and I, "Neito Monoma, ladies. We might be fighting for a spot of U.A., but you two can't defeat that horde by yourselves. Let's join forces, shall we?"

I grumble, having my gigantic hands dragging across the ground, "Fine. We don't have time to argue. Oh, but… If you try something, Monoma, I won't hesitate leaving you to the wolves. Got that?" Something about this guy exudes arrogance. He seems like the type of man who would taunt me endlessly until the day I die. Monoma nods and faces the horde with Yanagi and I. He pats her shoulder too. It seems he can copy more than one Quirk by physical contact.

Yanagi and Monoma levitate pieces of concrete and metal behind them. Yanagi says, "Stay back, Kendo. Else, you'll be torn much like these machines." I nod and let them loose. They send their projectiles towards the robots, shredding the front-liners to pieces. They wail in robotic pain before their comrades charges in closer. That's a lot of points right there! Now, it's my turn! I rush in with my Big Fists back, punching the lights out of a two-pointer. (Fourteen!) Monoma and Yanagi follow behind me, taking a direct approach like me.

I jump in the air and bring my fists down like hammers onto a three-point's head. (Seventeen.)

A one-pointer thinks it can kill me, so it leaps while I'm on top of my latest victim. I grab it and (quite brutally) tear its head off. (Eighteen.)

I leap off of the three-pointer and into a crowd of a two and one-point, striking both of them with a fist each. (Twenty-one.)

A two-pointer tries to sting me with its scorpion-like tail. I dodge it, letting the stinger embed itself in the concrete before I give it a nasty uppercut. (Twenty-three.)

A one-point rushes its claw at me, but I dart above him and smack my foot against it, leading up with a downwards punch. That's another one down! (Twenty-four.)

I land back on my two feet. Oh, there's another one-pointer who's almost destroyed, but it's still functioning. Painlessly, I kick its lights out. (Twenty-five.)

"Kuhahaha! I expect nothing less from the granddaughter of Master Kendo, and the daughter of Golden Hand! Masterful fighting there! If only I could be skilled as you!" Monoma compliments me? No idea. He could be patronizing as hell, but he seems genuine about it. He's a confusing man.

"Indeed. Monoma was surprisingly strong with his Quirk. He has some degree of skill in adaptability, but he is not as strong as you are, Kendo," Yanagi, much more clearly, compliments me. She is much more nicer than this guy. I mean, why the hell is Monoma smirking like that?! Is there something on my face?

"Thanks guys. Guess we should split up no-"

"THREE MINUTES REMAINING! THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE THE ARENA TRAP?!" Present Mic…?

_STOMP!  
RUMBLE!  
STOMP!_

Oh my God! There's the zero-pointer! It's loud, massive, and absolutely out of my league! Bad news is: It's _on the street across from us! _The only thing between us and that thing is a row of buildings! Even worse, the buildings are structurally weak, so they could come crashing down at any moment! Monoma states, "Well, that is quite large."

"No shit Sherlock! We gotta get back to the entrance! These buildings will fall on top of us if we don't move!" I tell them, shrinking my hands and leading them the way out. There's no chance in hell that I'm going face-to-face with the giant. We gotta take a detour. We might run out of time, but we won't die in the process! I take these two down God knows how many blocks, but the zero-pointer keeps on stomping towards us! Is this thing targeting us specifically?! God! Why can't this be easy for once?!

Yanagi yells, "We need to hurry! The Arena Trap is gaining distance! Monoma, how are you doing?" Monoma is running like hell behind me. He doesn't seem the most athletic, but he's faster than Yanagi.

He answers, "Swell! When I woke up this morning, I never expected to outrun a giant machine of death! But, here we are, aren't we?! I should have known U.A. would put us up to this!" Monoma lets out a loud groan before asking me, "Kendo! Are you sure we're running towards the entrance?!"

"I hope to God that we are! I saw others running in the same direction as we are! It must be the right way! I-?!"

_STOMP!_

The zero-pointer stomps again. The building besides us crumbles slightly, its walls cracking from the impact. Pieces of concrete snap off, falling around all around us, exploding in clouds of dust and debris. I stop running and move out of the way, pulling Yanagi behind a ruined car for cover. A few agonizing seconds later, the clouds disappear. I look up from the car and… Where's Monoma?! I shout, "Monoma! Are you alive?!"

"Barely… Help…" Monoma whimpers underneath a slab of concrete. Shit! Thank goodness he's still alive! Yanagi and I run over to him. I activate my Quirk, trying to lift it off of him but it's too heavy even for me! Yanagi, being a quick thinker, uses her Quirk to slightly lift it up. She can't levitate it fully, but it's enough to let me pull Monoma out. I hoist him over my shoulder, nodding to Yanagi to get the hell outta here. As we sprint, the zero-pointer turns and walks away from us. Monoma, despite being injured, says, "Thanks, K-Kendo… You're a dependable woman…"

"Save your breath for Recovery Girl. We're not out of the woods yet," I tell him. When we finally reach the entrance, a lot of other testers are there too with medical staff on standby. It seems they got the same idea too. I approach a stretcher with Yanagi, putting Monoma on it. My fists go back to its normal size… Guess this is it for my exam. Twenty-five points total. Let's hope that's enough to get into U.A.. Meanwhile, Monoma is just smirking at me. I tell him, "There's something weird on your face. You should wipe it off."

He replies after he coughs some dust up, "That weirdness is pain. I can't feel my legs, but I'm alive as alive can be. Thank you again, Kendo. You might even be a better Hero than your father."

"Idiot, no one can be as great as him. Now, if we're in the same class, Monoma… I'll be keeping a close eye on you," I reply, crossing my arms.

Yanagi adds on, hanging her arms like a ghost, "So will I. Frankly, you seem like a mischievous man. Those eyes are that of a schemer and a plotter."

"I'm flattered!" Monoma exclaims, then he coughs again. That cough sounded a lot more painful than the last. It's what he gets for speaking that loud after being crushed.

"Please, just shut up," I say.

"A-Alright…"

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"FIVE MINUTES LEFT! IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY POINTS, GET SOME!"

Well Present Mic, I don't want to be rude _but I can't find any robots to smash!_ For the past five minutes, I ran around the city finding nothing! All I saw was wrecked robots and other testers having the same problem as I am. Damnit! There's no way I'm gonna get into U.A. at this rate! I can't worry, I can't stress about it! Just gotta keep running and searching! If I stop now, I'll get overwhelmed by doubt! There's no way I can do that! So, I just need to keep running!

"KILL! KILL! KILL!" Oh thank God that something wants to kill me today! A one-pointer is in front of me about ten meters down the street. This should be easy! I can't afford to slow down though, so I need to end it with one strike without losing my momentum! "SLAUGHTER! EVISCERATE! KILLLLL!"

The one-pointer lurches forward with one of its gray metal claws above my head. I drop to my knees, skidding myself under it. I spin behind me and use the momentum to crack the one-point in half using my quarterstaff before sliding back onto my feet. That's one point for me! Not enough for U.A. unfortunately, so I need to keep fighting!

"TAKE THAT!"

I don't who's shouting, but that was coming from my left! If any luck, there'll be leftover robots for me to destroy! I turn the corner, sprinting in-between two dilapidated buildings. On the other side is a sizable lot. I think this area was a courtyard since there's a fountain in the middle. No time to admire it though! There's a three-pointer in front of me. I can barely see a man behind it screaming and punching this thing, but he isn't doing a thing from the looks of it. I should help him out! I yell, jumping on top of the three-pointer and whacking the top of its head. The metal bends in slightly, but it isn't dead! It wavers slightly, being stunned. So, I hit it again, and again, and again! Each time, the metal caves in more and more before I decide to stab it using one end of the staff. It wasn't the correct way to use a staff, but it put the three-point out of commission!

"Yo, Inochi! That was mine!" Tetsutetsu suddenly exclaims. Crap, I didn't expect to see him of all people! He looks different though. His skin is the same color as steel. That must be his Quirk. A Hardening-type. I get off of the three-pointer to greet him once again. Also, there's a ton of robots here, but their attention is on a green-haired woman. She's standing in front of the fountain with her hands together like she's praying. Tetsutetsu and I watch her as her hair suddenly moves on its own, digging itself into the ground. Instantly, it emerges underneath all of the robots, entangling them in her vine-like hair and destroying this courtyard even further. She crushes them, gaining a ton of points at once. Okay, even though she seems like a nice woman, she has a terrifyingly strong Quirk. Tetsutetsu tells me, "That's Ibara Shiozaki! Pretty freaking strong, right?! Anyway, how many points d'ya got, Inochi?!"

I cringe, shaking my head. "Four, counting the one I just destroyed. Sorry, by the way. For five minutes, I couldn't find anything. I need to step it up."

"Jeez, bad luck huh? Too bad Shiozaki destroyed all of the damn things here. Oh wait, there's one still kicking. You should take that one, man," Tetsutetsu points out, and actually points out a simple one-pointer near us.

"What about you? I mean, we're both fighting for the same thing, Tetsutetsu. You might need that point more than I do," I say as I walk up to it with him. He laughs and bangs on his chest, creating a loud _clang_ that echoes off the walls.

"I got forty-nine points! That's more than enough! C'mon, you seem like a pretty decent guy than the other knuckleheads here. Did you see how they treat others? Like trash! It's pretty messed up," Tetsutetsu implores, and I guess I'm taking this. I nod before I put my foot on the one-pointer's head, gently crushing it. It whines in pain before it falls completely limp. That's five points… Only five measly points.

"It's a good sight to finally see honest and selfless men," Shiozaki approaches us. Upon closer look, she's a really beautiful woman. It's like she was pulled from a fairy tale. Wonder how many points she earned? "Many men and women here are devoid of these traits. They indulge in a self-sacrificial career for their own selfish desires." She has a religious way of speaking, doesn't she? I wouldn't be surprised if she's a Christian, or a Catholic to be specific.

I say, "Personally, I wouldn't admonish them, but we don't have time to argue. Who knows how much time we have left before the exam ends? We should-!"

"THREE MINUTES REMAINING! THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE THE ARENA TRAP?!" As soon as I said that, Present Mic answers my exact question. We got three minutes left- Wait a second?! Did he just say "Arena Trap"?!

_RUMBLE!_

_STOMP!_

"Uhh… We got a problem," Tetsutetsu obviously states since the Arena Trap, or the zero-pointer, comes to life. It emerges taller than the buildings surrounding us, standing tall as a giant. Compared to us, we're ants. It's the same color as the other robots too: dark green. From the size alone, I'm no match for it. Not yet, at least. We have to get the heck outta here before the buildings crumble around us!

I gesture towards where I came in, yelling, "We have to run! We're too close to the zero-pointer!" I start running there, resting my quarterstaff against my shoulder. Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki follow behind me. We-!

_STOMP!_

_CRUMBLE!_

"WATCH OUT!" Tetsutetsu shouts, grabbing me by my back collar and yanking me back. The building to our left crumbled a few massive pieces off, nearly killing me. If Tetsutetsu wasn't here… Ugh, never mind! The debris is blocking our exit! We gotta find another way and hope to God that we don't die! "You okay, Inochi?!"

"I'm alive! But, we still need to get the heck outta here!" I answer, frantically looking around.

Shiozaki points to a building with an open floor, leading out to an empty street on the other side. "There!" she says, immediately running towards it. This time, Tetsutetsu and I follow her into the building, jumping through a concrete window frame. Is it me, or does this seem a lot larger when I'm inside it?! Damnit, it's no good! I hear the zero-pointer stomping with no mercy! Each time it stomps, the ceiling above us cracks like a spider web, crumbling just enough to pile our shoulders with bits of concrete. It's no good! We're nearly halfway there to freedom, but it's not good enough! We have to run faster!

_STOMP!_

The cracks get wider! More dust is falling on our shoulders! I throw my quarterstaff away. It's dead weight to me! I run ahead, faster than I thought I could ever run! Somehow, I reach an open doorway. Tetsutetsu catches up to me and I push him out of the building. I look back at Shiozaki-!

_STOMP!_

Another stomp. The ceiling is on the edge of collapsing completely. The weak pillars, the only things that keep us alive, are about to give in. In fact, a chunk of debris fall in front of Shiozaki, not yet taking the whole ceiling down. She trips and falls! Damnit! Without thinking, I let my legs carry me to her. I throw her arm over my shoulder as I do my damn best to get us both outta here alive! Tetsutetsu's out the doorway with his hand extended out to us! He yells, "HURRY UP!"

The ground starts to shake. My feet go off-balance for just less than a second, but I keep running forward with Shiozaki. I swear, this is not how I wanna die! I never been one to be petrified in the face of death, but this?! This is just crazy! The entire building is about to come on top of us! C'mon, not yet! You won't collapse now, right?! Just hold on until we're home free! Until Shiozaki is safe!

Almost there! I can almost reach Tetsutetsu's hand! I-!

_SMAAAAAASH!_

_CRASHHHHH!_

Before I know it, the ceiling topples down like a house of cards. My arms move on their own, pushing Shiozaki to Tetsutetsu as I hear, _I feel_ everything behind me coming down. I'm almost outside. I can feel the sunlight on my body. Almost there...

I close my eyes.

But, I don't get crushed. I feel something tight wrapping around my wrist before I get pulled so hard that my shoulder dislocates itself. My entire body gets hit with warmth as my back is forcibly dragged across the hard, cold pavement. I'm outside… I'm outside, aren't I? Slowly, my eyes flutter open to the blinding sun before two distinct figures come into focus… My heroes… Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki. They saved me… Shiozaki, at the last second, used her Quirk to pull me out.

Tetsutetsu lends his hand. With my good hand, I clapse it and stand up, relocating my other arm. I grit my teeth and groan, staring at the now-destroyed building. It collapsed inwards on itself thankfully. Now that I think about it, the last stomp… was it really a stomp? It was much louder than the other ones. In fact, the earth shook so much that it could've been a really bad earthquake! What happened…? Shiozaki asks me, "Inochi, are you okay? You nearly died."

"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, you too Tetsutetsu. Without you guys, I would've been the first recorded death in U.A. High," I say, laughing slightly. Tetsutetsu pats my back and smiles widely with _really_ jagged teeth like Tokage.

"Nah man! It was just Shiozaki! But, I'm happy as hell that I'm alive!" Tetsutetsu exclaims, also getting a somewhat of a glare from Shiozaki. He nervously chuckles, turning to a crowd of other examinees walking on a street. "I think that Arena Trap is gone now. Better get to Recovery Girl and get your arm checked up, Inochi! C'mon!"

"Mhm. And before I forget, thank you for rescuing me, Inochi. I hope that I see you in my class," Shiozaki tells me before we follow the crowd. We get to see what happened: The Arena Trap is down. Someone defeated it. Everyone says a green-haired boy punched it with a really powerful Quirk. Present Mic announces that the practical exam is over… Damnit, only five points. I can't get into U.A. with that… As much as I hope, it's not enough…

Once I reach Recovery Girl, I say goodbye to Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki, wishing them luck on their results. These two are kind, and they have powerful Quirks. They deserve to be in the Hero Course. Anyway, I approach Recovery Girl, holding my once-dislocated shoulder. I say, "Uhm, Miss Recovery Girl? I dislocated my shoulder, but I relocated it. I'm just here to-"

"Just 'Recovery Girl', and say no more, Inochi," she replies, somehow knowing my name! She gestures me to bend down on one knee before she plants a kiss on my forehead, healing my arm and any scratches on me. "For goodness sake, you're too tall for your own good. I'm a shrimp compared to you, boy."

"Heh, sorry… How do you know my name?" I ask her, stretching my arm.

"You're one of Saki's kids. How could I _not_ know? I don't talk to that idiot much, but I do keep tabs on him and his family. Jeez, I have some things to say about the Kendos. Do you know how many times Kaito, may he rest in peace, landed himself in my office? Every single time, he fought men trying to woo Hayami when they were your age. And every single time, I would scold him, but it never worked! I don't know how that man didn't get himself expelled. Oh, don't get me started on Sasaki and Tatemi. We were all students in U.A. together. These two wouldn't confess their mutual love for each other until graduation. Graduation! Now, chances are, you and Itsuka will be joining U.A. as the next Pros! I wonder what hell you two will bring me… Inochi? You don't look happy."

"Because… I didn't do so well. If you know Master Kendo personally, then you know why. I tried my best, Recovery Girl," I softly tell her, looking down at the ground.

"I know. I'm not too well-informed on the application process, but you'll get in. Even though you're not technically Quirkless, you're the best one I seen. Now, if you excuse me, I need to scold Midoriya. He's the one who brought the robot down. Have a good day." With that, she walks away with her comically large syringe. Midoriya, huh? Well, he almost killed me, but it wasn't his fault. Doesn't matter though, that's it. That's the entire Entrance Exam. Better find my friends. They surely did better than me.

I follow the crowd again. I go through the same halls until I'm back outside where I was before. Kendo, Kodai, and Ojiro are there waiting for me. They see me and wave. Naturally, I wave back and smile, trying my best to hide my disappointment. They walk up to me with Kendo asking, "Inochi! Glad to see you're still kicking. How did it go? Personally, it went great because I got twenty-five points. Yui has thirteen while Ojiro got seventeen. Oh, where's your quarterstaff?" Wow, that's a lot frankly. Lot more than me.

"Long story short: Arena Trap. And I did pretty well. Got enough points to get into U.A., I'd say," I answer, lying. It's good enough that everyone believes me. Might be because all of them, even Kodai, are stoked about their results. Of course they would believe me. Besides, I don't want to bring them down when they're smiling like that. I don't want to make this all about me, so I ask Kendo, "How did your exam go? You can tell it on the way to the Dojo."

"Oh, I will. I met this guy who copied my Quirk. Seems like a real _nice_ man to say the least," she recalls as the four of us start walking back.

I try my best to listen, but the only thing I do is worry.

* * *

A week passed. Despite Kendo asking me to ask Tokage to ask her "connections" to ask U.A. if they know we got in. It's a lot of asking, but none of it worked. It got as far as Tokage before she shuts us (mainly Kendo) down. (I ended up seeing Tokage's father for the first time through a face call. That wasn't the most pleasant experience.) I don't know where Tokage has her connections, but I don't feel like asking. I'm honestly not fond of that word now. God, Kendo's been on edge for the past week. Every time I see her, she's either tinkering with her motorcycle or viciously training at the Dojo and being way too excited to beat me in a spar. Kodai keeps telling us that she's nervous for the results. I can definitely see it in her eyes. It's a little change in how her eyes look, but it's very noticable. And with Ojiro, he's been a bit jumpy. Every time his phone chimes, he immediately takes it out and be met with disappointment. One time, he nearly dropped his phone in the river. At least, that's what he told me. Hayami and Master Kendo keep telling us (again, mainly Kendo) that we'll get into U.A., but I have a good feeling that I'm not. Kendo? For sure. Kodai and Ojiro? Of course. Not me though. I've been repressing hope for the past week, having fake optimism replace it, answering questions about my exam with vagueness, et cetera. After all, I want to make sure that I don't get in my friends' way.

So, I'm here, standing outside my home for the past five months. I went out for a walk to clear my head, but I'm back now. I wonder once I get the news, the news I'm expecting, what would change? Would Master Kendo kick me out? Will I go into the General Department? Only God knows the answer. And that answer could be in this very mailbox. I open it and there's one single letter inside. I take it out and see a U.A. wax seal on it. Yup, this is it. I shake it around, and there's something inside. It's not paper, but it's some sort of disc. My heart should be pounding, but it's relaxed. I know the results, so Kendo will be thrilled. I unlock the front door and go inside, taking my shoes off. I hear Kendo and Hayami talking in the kitchen with Master Kendo laughing. He's probably watching his shows. Once I come in, Kendo pokes her head out to greet me. I announce before she asks, "I'm sorry, but there's only a letter with a U.A. wax seal. It's nothing important-"

"Nothing important my ass!" she snaps, immediately taking the letter out of my hand. I nearly fall down from how fast she took it! Hayami helps me up and we immediately run into the living room where Kendo tears the letter in half. I stand behind the couch, watching as a metal disc plop onto the table. All of us watch intently as…!

All Might appears as a hologram! Wait, All Might appears?! He's wearing a really snazzy suit! Why is he telling us our results?! Anyway, he exclaims, "I am here! As a hologram! Before I tell you your results, I will be attending U.A. as the heroism teacher!"

"Oh dear God, Toshi will kill his students," Master Kendo mutters under his breath.

"Toshi can go to school but never bothers to visit us," Hayami adds on, pouting. Wait, they know All Might personally?!

Despite those comments, he continues by asking what I assume to be off-stage workers, "Is that all I have to announce? Really? Great! Anyway, as I was saying! Your results, Young Kendo! You must've studied well because you passed your written portion of the Entrance Exam with flying colors!"

The entire room goes silent. We all know what All Might will say next.

"For your practical portion, you scored twenty-five Villain Points total! It's better than ninety-five percent of the examinees! That is why I am excited to say that you will be continuing the Kendo family legacy at U.A.! I-!"

Hayami and Kendo scream in excitement, cutting All Might off. Master Kendo plugs his ears while I smile, patting Kendo's shoulder. I try my best to tell her that I'm proud, but Hayami is currently blowing my eardrums out. I knew it though. All Might didn't even address me. That means I failed. I think… I think it's showing on my face, since Hayami puts a hand on my shoulder...

"Okay! I think the scheduled screaming is done."

Heh, All Might is always the one who inspired me… Guess I can't be as great as him… I-

"Now, how could I _not_ mention Young Inochi? I admire you, frankly. You're much like myself! More than you realize. And, not to mention you have the wit as well! It's clear in your written portion actually, because you passed! Now, as for your practical portion… I regret to say that five Villain Points is not enough to enter U.A. High School."

Dammit… Just as my hopes were rising in my chest… Why did U.A. make All Might say that?! It's no u-

"If that was all. You see, how can a prestigious school like U.A. grade students based on combat ability alone? Aren't Heroes risking their lives to save the public no matter the cost? Wouldn't you say that's lip service? How can we judge future Heroes without judging their genuine selflessness? So!" The screen changes to display two single words: Rescue Points. What… What are these?

"Rescue Points! A committee of well-respected judges gave these points out to the selfless who saved others without a second thought!" The screen cuts to two separate videos: Kendo saving Monoma with Yanagi, and me, saving Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu. I never told them about it. God, the look they have right now...

"Itsuka Kendo: Forty points! You are fifth on the overall ranking!" Oh my God... She really did kill the Exam! The screen shows the leaderboards! I see Tetsutetsu, Shiozaki, and that Midoriya who brought the zero-pointer down!

"And Sanji Inochi: Also forty points. Do you know what this means, don't you?"

I think I do! But... But, God! This actually can't be happening!

"Young Inochi, you will be joining Young Kendo to U.A High School!"

His words... it made my legs go numb, almost making me tumble over the couch. I try everything I can to focus on All Might, the actual All Might, who's smiling at me. I'm going... I'm going to U.A.!

"Quirkless or not, use your determination to be a Hero! I will say this again! Use every ounce of your courage and strength to be the Hero you wish to be! That applies to you as well, Young Kendo! Be the people's fist just like your father! The master martial artist exactly as your fine grandfather!"

He extends a hand out like he's here in this very room. "Now come, my future Heroes! This will be your hero academia!"


	5. Welcome to Class 1-B

**Sanji Inochi**

I close my eyes.

I close my eyes. My body floats on the water-like air, soothingly clashing against my clothes. Even though I'm standing upright, it feels like my head is sinking lower and lower into the earth, but it's expanding outwards. It's a strange feeling, really hard to explain. I haven't gotten used to just yet. After all, I never had a reason to go into this place. I'm legally Quirkless, but this is one major aspect of my Quirk. It's not my Adoptive Muscle Memory. It's something else. It's the only power given to me.

It's the power to enter my own mind.

I open my eyes, being welcomed by the same sight. It's the same useless sight. I'm standing on an open white floor that could burn someone's eyes if they stared into it long enough. As far as the bounds of my mind goes, it's pure white as well. Everything's lit up without a single source of light to be seen. Well, there's one thing that's not brightened. It's the ceiling, acting as the roof of my own head. There's nothing there other than pitch blackness. Yup, this is the only power given to me. I call this place my "Mindscape". It's not a cool name as I want it to be, but it's a name. That's not the only thing that this landscape has though. On this floor lies thousands and thousands of translucent glass-like panes. These… God, these things are complicated and I barely understand them myself. So, each of these things are two panes bent outwards, like the outside edge of a cube where two faces meet. Now, each of them belong to a single person I met in my life. For example, I would have one for Tokage and Kendo each, since I met them. On these panes… How can I describe it…? If an episode of a sitcom was illuminated on it, but the episode was sped up one hundred times than normal. I can barely process each frame, but I have a feeling I know what they're telling me. They're telling me someone's dreams in life. My only evidence is the fact that my Quirk is named "Dreams". The only reason I know the name of my Quirk is… Well, I just know. Much like my Mindscape, I have a name for these translucent things: Dream Mirror. Since it's like a mirror, and I can see into a person's mind. It's not as creepy as it sounds. I can't forcibly enter into someone's head, thank God. I don't even know how I get my Dream Mirrors in the first place. The most likely theory is by touch, since that's how many Quirks get activated. Now, that's almost everything except for the exact number of Dream Mirrors I have. Today, I have 17,321. Before I came to Musutafu five months ago, I only had around 10,000 give or take. Luckily, my brain tells me how many I have, acting like an automated computer. Anyway, that's it. That's all- Wait, no. There's one more.

Carefully, I stick my hand out, taking a few steps forward. After a few meters, my hand flattens against an invisible wall. Yup, still here. In my Mindscape, I'm trapped inside an invisible box. Can't climb out, can't dig under, none of that. Quite literally, I'm literally stuck inside my own head. From this barrier, it must be blocking me out of my Quirk's true purpose.

God, one of these days… I'm going to awaken to it. It might not be years from now. It might even be months! Might be even tomorrow if I'm hopeful! U.A. will help me unlock it. I know it. Anyway, it's time to leave. I did my monthly checkup. It's April. Today is the first day of school.

* * *

White dress shirt: buttoned.

Dress pants: tightened.

Red tie: tied.

Light gray blazer: worn.

Socks and shoes: on

Black backpack: secured.

All ready. Next stop: U.A. High School. Kendo and I are in Class 1-B. Kodai and Tokage are with us, while Ojiro is in 1-A. These two classes are in the Hero Course, a program dedicated to heroism. There are other departments within U.A. as well. There's the General Courses, which are made up of students who didn't perform well in the Entrance Exam, so they were put in there. I'm sure every student in those classes were gunning for the Hero Course. Now, there's also the Support Department. Students in there are studying to be engineers and scientists for Pro Heroes. They have a separate Entrance Exam than the heroism one. (In fact, there's three: Heroism, Support, and Management.) Speaking of Management, the Management Department is suited for capalitistic students who want to manage/run Hero Agencies. It's the U.A. equivalent of business class in middle school, but as a program. Interestingly enough, the Entrance Exams aren't strict. If, let's say, someone took the heroism version of the Entrance Exam, they can opt to transfer into the Support Department rather than the General Courses if they wish. This doesn't apply to the Support and Management Exams because why would someone transfer to another course? They took specific exams to get into those departments because they know they don't wanna be a Hero.

Besides from that, there's the staff in U.A.. They're pretty amazing. My homeroom teacher is Vlad King, or Mister Kan. He's a tall and buff man who can extract his own blood and harden it. It's very disgusting, but he's not a Hero for no reason. 1-A has Eraserhead, or Mister Aizawa. He usually operates at night, and his Quirk is perfect for fighting against Villains. All Might (it's hard to think that I'll be learning under him!) is teaching heroics, Present Mic has English, Cementoss is my modern literature teacher, Midnight is… modern hero art (not my first choice for an elective, but I got put in it somehow), Snipe will be teaching metaology/science in general, and Ectoplasm is my worst subject: math. There's also other Heroes like Recovery Girl, Hound Dog, and more who have miscellaneous roles. God… That's a lot of different Pros. I heard nothing but good things about them! It's… It's amazing that I got in. Honestly…with how the world works…something like this wouldn't be possible. Even if I could be the best, Quirkless aren't exactly valued. It's not illegal to discriminate against them, and it isn't frowned upon in some circumstances. Since U.A. is the best heroism school in the entire world, one would think they wouldn't let Quirkless in. Y'know what, doesn't matter! I'm in U.A.! Can't afford to waste my thoughts on things that clearly didn't happen.

So! I walk out of my room wearing the uniform I will wear for three years! I hear everyone else downstairs. Usually, I would be the only one up at this hour, but today is a special day. I come down with my hands in my blazer pockets, smiling. "Morning! Good to see you guys up," I greet them. Master Kendo and Kendo are talking over a cup of coffee while Hayami is just in front of me with a green velvet box at her back. She greets me and smiles her usual mom smile. Although, her eyes telling me to keep it a secret. Can do.

"Yup. Lucky you. You don't have to worry about alarm clocks scaring you awake half to death," Kendo complains, taking a long sip from her mug, "by the way, thanks for brewing coffee for me. I wouldn't be able to survive without this." That's my morning routine. Get back from my nightly exercise, take a shower, brew some coffee, then get ready to start the day with a few chores. It's the least I could do.

"Mhm," I acknowledge, walking into the living room with her and Master Kendo, "Master Kendo, do you have any tips for surviving U.A.? My instincts are telling me that… well… I could die."

"Calm your nerves, would ya? The only thing you should do is be careful around All Might. He may be your teacher, but it doesn't mean he'll be a good one. Besides from that, don't let the other students get to you. Focus on your own training," Master Kendo answers. He must be talking about the General Courses. And, I'm sure All Might will be a great teacher. He's the best Hero! He might be new to teaching, but he won't kill us.

"That's right. Okay… Now, I think I'm ready," Hayami tells us, showing the box again. Kendo puts her mug down and stares at the box. Hmm, I think it has something to do with Kaito, Kendo's dad. Because, I never seen that look in Hayami's eyes before. It's mournful. "So uhm… God, I can't let myself be a mess again… Itsuka, sweetheart, I have something to give you. It belonged to… It belonged to your dad."

Master Kendo and I go silent, slowly moving away so Kendo and Hayami can have their heartfelt moment. Hayami finally reveals what's inside the box: a class ring. Kaito's class ring. It's a golden-plated ring with an emerald embedded in the center. Around the emerald itself has western letters etched, spelling out Kaito's name. There's also the graduation year plated too. I never knew how Kaito was able to marry Hayami. To be honest, Hayami is the kind of woman who seems like she hates you, when all along, she has feelings for you. And, Master Kendo is incredibly protective of his daughter. Imagine what Kaito had to do to get his favor. It worked out though. He raised Kendo well. It's a shame he went missing all those years ago. Hayami explains, "It was his class ring… H-He spent an arm and a leg for it, but he always managed to convince himself that it was worth it. I-I… God, since you're doing this for him... I-It felt right for you to have it. For you know, safe keeping… I don't expect you to w-wear this stupidly expensive thing."

She hands the box to Kendo, who's crying. I never thought I would see her cry. I never thought I would see her _and_ Hayami cry. Kendo… She takes the box and holds onto it like it's something fragile, staring at her father's ring. There's all kinds of emotions emanating from her. God, I can't imagine how she feels. Feels like I'm out of place. But! This is an incredibly sweet moment. It almost makes me cry myself. Master Kendo puts a hand on my shoulder before approaching his granddaughter, saying, "Your father was frankly a fool, but he was a great man. He would feel blessed to have you as his daughter."

"P-Please shut up… I-I don't feel like sobbing this m-morning…" Kendo replies, mumbling as she wipes the tears away with her sleeve. Hayami is a mumbling mess of words and tears. Now… Now I feel like I really don't fit. I would say something since that's the respectful thing to do, but what the heck will I say? I never felt a father's head rub, a mother's embrace, or the bonds with any siblings I might have. Until Hayami and Master Kendo, I guess. Hayami is the closest thing I can get to a mother, and Master Kendo to a grandfather. When I was ten or eleven, I would've never imagine this.

Hayami blows her nose into a napkin, sniffling. She looks at me and asks, "Sanji… Uhm, I-I'm sorry if I'm prying, b-but you never told us about your birth family… D-Do you know what they were like?"

"Hayami, I don't wanna ruin this moment. It's about your husband… It doesn't feel right to talk about my own family," I tell her.

"G-Gosh, just do it. Anything to g-get me to stop sobbing," she insists, rubbing her eyes until they get even redder than before. Kendo actually agrees with her by nodding. Alright… if I have to.

"Well, I remember barely anything. The only memory I have is blurry… My dad had short white hair while my mom had long black hair. I don't know if I'm an orphan, or if they gave me up. And, since my name is 'Sanji', I probably had two older brothers, but I can't remember them. I'm sorry that I don't have anything positive to say."

"O-On that depressing note… I'll just put this in my room. After that…we're going to U.A., alright?" Kendo says, and I nod as a response. She closes the box and practically sprints upstairs. Her footsteps sounds like a drum that's offbeat with the rest of the band. Hayami sniffles more while Master Kendo chuckles to himself. One door slam of finality later, she's back with a completely different face on. Her eyes are still red, but there's a smile on her, gleaming like the brightest star in the night sky. "Let's get going."

"N-Not without a hug first," Hayami states before hugging her daughter, kissing her forehead. After that, she turns to me and actually hugs me for the first time. I… Yeah, I awkwardly pat her back. She huffs and comments, "Y'know…you're practically family at this point, but go ahead! Be an awkward dork. Get to school you two. I expect great things."

"Expect greater than great," Kendo assures her, approaching the front door. She opens it and lets a beam of sunlight in. She says to me, "C'mon, we gotta be Heroes."

"Yeah… We do."

* * *

"Inochi, did I ever mention that this school was designed in hell?"

"That _wasn't_ your first thought? The main buildings are freaking letters! You know how Japanese people like western languages! Thank goodness that there's signs around because I have no idea what this map is." I gesture to this map that looks like an abstract piece of art. That's what "abstract" means right? Just lines and names strewn all about with near-invisible diagrams thrown in?

"Yeah… Let's follow the signs. 1-B is this-a-way," Kendo says, pointing to the right. She leads the way, so I get a chance to admire how beautiful the interior is. The floor is painted to look like a two-way street, the walls and ceiling are spotless white, and the sunlight is illuminating everything to make it that much better. Along the walls are posters of famous Pro Heroes, clubs, sports, and something about Golden Week. Man, these will be the halls I'll walk countless times! Imagine participating in the Sports Festival! Or be in the Culture Festival! Or in any festival in general? I'll-!

_BUMP!_

Eh? Something ran into me. I turn around and see a guy with a weird face… It's like a manga panel. Well, not anymore. His head turns into a dizzy swirl with the rest of him on the ground. I never thought a Mutant-type Quirk could do this. Well, it's my fault for not being aware of him. I tell him, "Laying on the floor won't do good for your back, trust me on that." I extend a hand out. The man yelps, suddenly realizing where he's at. He instinctively puts up his arms before sighing, relaxing them. He takes my hand and I help him up. I apologize, "Sorry for scaring you. What's your name?"

"I-It's fine… I'm Manga Fukidashi. Call me 'Fukid-'" He stops himself, shaking his head before starting again, "Manga. Call me 'Manga'." His name suits him.

"Sanji Inochi. And the kind lady staring at us is my friend, Itsuka Kendo," I introduce us. Kendo walks over and shakes Manga's hand, being more gentle than usual. Oh, I see why… Manga isn't exactly the strongest person. In fact, I don't think he exercises often by the looks of his arms. Guess he's a dork about mangas. Nothing wrong with that.

"Nice to meet you, Manga. What class are you in? We're in 1-B," Kendo asks, and Manga's head turns into an exclamation point.

He says, "I-I'm in that class too! Guess… Guess we'll be classmates." Well, that's a pleasant coincidence. Manga seems like a really good person. I hope that everyone in my class is a good person anyway because… uhm… Why are they in U.A. if they're not?

"You guys are in 1-B too?!" A high-pitched girl yells behind us. We turn around and see a really adorable girl. Her eyes are so big! There's two horns on her head like a bull, and her feet are hooves. She kicks her legs together, saluting, "I am Pony Tsunotori! I'm the American switching student!" Must be "exchange student", but I don't wanna correct her.

Kendo smiles widely, immediately rubbing Pony's head. "I'm Itsuka Kendo. The tall guy's Sanji Inochi, and the other one is Manga Fukidashi. Great to meet someone like you, Pony!" Since she's from America, us Japanese usually call foreigners by their first name if they prefer it. How can I not resist calling Pony by her first name anyway? It's a cute name!

"Nice to meetcha! Now! We gotta get to class! C'mon, I'll race you guys there!" Pony exclaims before galloping down the hall, being much faster than I am. Kendo stammers before running after her! Not sure she's running to protect Pony or from competition, but it doesn't matter! Guess I'm running too! I pat Manga's arm before I chase after them. I turn the corner, passing 1-A. There it is! A black sign has "1-B" printed in red! I slow down to a brisk walk, taking my time. Manga catches up with me, nearly to the point of exhaustion. He holds his hand up, but it drops to his side. Slowly, he heaves into the room muttering something about "dying". I should apologize later...

But anyway, I take a deep breath and walk inside. I'm greeted with a nice sight: A clean and vibrant classroom. Large windows, white walls, and a chalkboard at the front of the room. It doubles as a computer screen, I'd bet. But, what's even better is the people here. My classmates. I see Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki! They haven't noticed me yet, but I'm glad they're in my class. Now… Ah, there's Kendo. She's talking to Kodai. Where's Tok-?!

"Inochi! You're alive!" Tokage yells, suddenly running up and wrapping her arms around me. There's the woman I was looking for. "You made it, kiddo! Welcome to the big leagues! Hope you're ready!"

"That and beyond," I reply, taking my hand to rub her hair. Kendo rolls her eyes while a man with a headband looks at me, being pretty surprised.

"Dude… You have the heiress of Tokage Industries around your waist. How the hell did you do that?" he says what?

I ask back, "I have the who-now around my what-now?" Tokage makes a weird face and lets go of me. Kendo is too! Okay, what's going on? Even the guy with the headband! Is there something I'm missing?

"Inochi, my adorable boy," Tokage says my name like how someone talk to a toddler. "Did you ever question why my dad have connections in U.A.? And why I get picked up by a fancy black car? Why my meals are five-stars, top of the class?"

I don't say anything.

"Oh my God, you really don't know! How did you not know that I'm the heiress of one of the most successful companies in the world?! Heck, Jurota's company is one of its subsidiaries! Oh right, Jurota Shishida! He's one of my good friends! Say 'hi', Inochi," she commands me, pointing to Shishida, a very hairy man with glasses, who looks extremely confused. I just wave and he waves back.

"Tokage, it's Inochi. Sometimes, he's an insightful man. Most of the times, he's an absent-minded idiot," Kendo insults me. She isn't wrong! But, it's a bullet right in the heart! Still, how didn't I know this from the beginning?! All of the clues were there, but I was blind as a bat! How can I make it up to Tokage now? Oh, I know what would cheer her up.

I get on one knee, putting my arm on top and resting my forehead against it. This needs to be the ultimate form of genuine guilt. "Forgive me for my ignorance, my queen. If need be, take my head."

"Not yet, my knight. That head of yours still has a life to live," she spares me. A simple pat on the head lifts me back onto my feet. That's done and over with. A few people are staring at me like I'm a clown in a circus, but I don't care about being embarrassed. Tokage says, "So, how's U-?!"

"INOCHIIIII!" Tetsutetsu screams, furiously sprinting up to me-?!

"Tetsutet-?!"

_CRASH!_

I hear Kodai… "You killed Inochi."

I wasn't expecting to get tackle-hugged by Tetsutetsu, but it's great seeing him again. After a quick chat, I decided to talk to the rest of my classmates.

* * *

Yosetsu Awase. He's the man with the headband, and one of the top ten in the Entrance Exam. His Quirk is Weld, letting him weld any two things together. Awase is a bit vulgar in the way he speaks, and a bit perverted, but he has a good heart. Already, he's asked me to give him "tips on the ladies".

Sen Kaibara. At first glance, he's a handsome man, but a bit distant. That's just him being indifferent. His Quirk is Gyrate, which lets him rotate any of his limbs. He doesn't give me much to describe about him.

Togaru Kamakiri. He initially didn't want to talk to me because I was a "goofy freak". Kamakiri isn't wrong, but Kendo told me his Quirk is Razor Sharp. I don't know how she knows, but she told me that Kamakiri can grow blades out of his body. After that, she didn't want me to talk to him.

Shihai Kuroiro. His skin is literally black and he speaks like weird magician. I guessed his Quirk right though. It's called "Black". Kuroiro can blend into any surfaces that are black in color, being the ultimate stealth hero. For some reason though, he called me an "enigma filled with riddles".

Itsuka Kendo and Yui Kodai. These two were my classmates back in middle school, and two of my closest friends. Kendo devotes her time to protecting the people she cares about with her Big Fists while Kodai is Kodai. Silent beauty, that's what she is. Do I need to describe them further? I already know what they're like.

Kinoko Komori. Originally, I pegged her as a quiet girl with her bangs hiding her eyes. Well, she _is _a quiet girl, but once I asked her why she wanted to be a Hero, it's like a switch flipped in her. In the most extroverted way possible, she told me how she wanted to be an Idol Hero with her Quirk, Mushrooms. Naturally, I said to her, "I look forward to hear you sing and dance."

Ibara Shiozaki. She saved my life back in the Entrance Exam. I can't thank her enough. Her Quirk is Vines, and I already know how they work. She's already one of the best students in 1-B. Of course, I told her that, but she shook her head and was modest about her strength. She wants to do the morally good thing "in the eyes of our Master".

Jurota Shishida. He's the one that Tokage mentioned when I found out she's an heiress. Shishida is the heir to Shishida Pharmacies. His Quirk is Beast. He can transform… well, into that! He seems such a sophisticated and respectful man though. It's hard to think he can suddenly shift into something so savage.

Nirengeki Shoda. He's a chubby guy, but I see courage in his eyes. His Quirk is Twin Impact, allowing him to land a second impact on his strikes I believe. I think it also applies to anywhere on his body, but I don't know for certain. Shoda himself is introverted. From the looks of him, he feels like he doesn't fit into 1-B.

Pony Tsunotori. I met her just before I walked into 1-B. She's absolutely adorable and innocent. Immediately, I feel the need to adopt her. Kendo feels the same way. Her Quirk is Horn Cannon, which explains for itself. Not only that, she's the fastest woman in 1-B.

Kosei Tsuburaba. Him and Awase were talking together earlier actually. Much like Awase, he's a bit of a pervert. He thrives on competition though. He even challenged me! Well, not exactly the fight I was looking for… Tsuburaba wanted a competition to see who can get a girlfriend first. Frankly, I'm not interested in love, but moving along.

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu and Setsuna Tokage. These two are very touchy-feely kind of people. I don't mind though. Tetsutetsu is an emotional man, striving to be the best. I saw his Quirk already, and it's great. Tokage, on the other hand, is one of the smartest women I know. Behind that gleeful smile lies a calculating woman. Simply put, I can't beat her in plans. She knows me more than I know myself.

Manga Fukidashi. When I walked up to him, he was reading a manga ironically enough. He seems a bit afraid of a lot of things, but he's here in U.A. for a reason. His Quirk is called "Comic", which lets him spit out Onomatopoeias as weapons. Manga told me that he has a twin sister in U.A. too. Her name is Shojo. I would love to meet her one day.

Juzo Honenuki. He's the other recommendation student in 1-B. Honenuki likes telling puns and jokes. Even though some of our other classmates hate it, I don't pay it any mind. Anyway, his Quirk is Softening. He can soften the ground beneath him, which makes for great traps. Oh, he doesn't have a jaw.

Kojiro Bondo. He's… big, to say the least. Bondo's the largest man in 1-B. His Quirk is Cedemine, and I think that's some kind of glue? It's leaking out of his eye holes. For a big guy though, Bondo's quite shy. I feel sorry for him.

Neito Monoma. He's the man that Kendo saved during the Entrance Exam, and he looks pretty smug. The way he talks is a bit dramatic, but I can see why. His backpack has a Broadway pin on it. Monoma is a man of the stage. Shakespeare and… Yeah, Shakespeare is the only playwright I know. His Quirk is Copy. Maybe I should let him Copy my Quirk? Maybe I can find something out about it...

Reiko Yanagi. She's the other person that Kendo met during the Entrance Exam. Her Quirk is Poltergeist, which is basically telekinesis. The most interesting thing about her is the way she speaks. It's very verbose. Yanagi probably aces all of her essays with how many different words she uses.

Hiryu Rin. Rin, I'm going with his last name, is the Chinese exchange student. He seems a little like Shiozaki regarding morals and laws. His Quirk is Scales. Anywhere on his body, scales can pop up. Him and Tokage will get along great. If she wasn't a lesbian, then I could see her being interested in Rin. Well, if I wasn't in the picture.

Lastly is Sanji Inochi. He's sitting at his desk, thinking about his classmates he just met. What do I have to say about him? What does everyone else think about him? Who the heck knows? He could be-

* * *

"Inochi," Awase breaks me out of my mind, changing the scene. Oh right, I'm sitting behind Awase. Kaibara's behind me, Kodai's to my left, and Kendo sits in front of her. "Tell me about yourself, dude. Specifically, how _did_ you get Tokage to hug you like that?"

"Awase, I only known you for twenty minutes, but stop obsessing over women. You and Tsuburaba," Kaibara cuts in before I get a chance to answer.

Awase turns around in his chair, leaning forward towards Kaibara and I. His plastic chair bends slightly. He whispers, "Hey man, but have you seen how many hot chicks are in this class? Kodai's adorable, Kendo's just hot, and look at Shiozaki! If God had a daughter, she would be it! Inochi, you agree with me right?"

"Don't answer his question, Inochi. Awase is like most teenage boys: perverted. Nothing's wrong with it, but it gets annoying," Kaibara tells me. It seems we also attracted Kodai's and Kendo's attention. They're staring at us now.

"I'm a man. It's what we do! Gotta find the perfect girl to spend the rest of my life with! And I mean, if you swing _that_ way, Kaibara, I'm not gonna discriminate! You do you! But, Inochi! We gotta settle this now! What makes you so damn charismatic? You're a ladies man for sure." Awase compliments with Kaibara groaning behind me.

"Well, Awase," Kendo joins our conversation. "Not acting like a skirt chaser helps. Don't you agree with me, Yui? What do you think of Awase?"

"Pervert," Kodai says, destroying Awase's career. Kaibara nearly bursts out in laughter while Awase turns back to his desk, slamming his head against the solid plastic. I didn't say a single word in this conversation. Everyone spoke for me.

Finally, I say something, "So, how's-?"

_Click! Clack!_

Vlad King interrupts me by his footsteps. He walks into the room. Just by his presence, the noise falls and we stare at him. Slowly, with a notepad tucked underneath his arm, he stands behind a pedestal with a scowl on his face. He surveys the room, his eyes dragging back and forth like he's studying us. Vlad King surely knows that I'm Quirkless, right? But, he gives me the same eyes as everyone else. There's no pity in them…

"Welcome to U.A.," Vlad King states, putting his notepad on the pedestal, "I am Vlad King. You can call me that or 'Mister Kan'. Either works fine. As you know, you're in the Hero Course. You will be training to become the next generation of Pro Heroes. The next three years will be hard, each year being harder than the last. But, you know that, don't you? You're prepared for what it takes, otherwise you wouldn't be here. I'll be putting you through the ringer, making a real Pro outta you. I'll challenge you to your limits. No matter who you are or what Quirk you have. For one of you, it's a lack thereof. Inochi, you know what I'm talking about. Stand and tell the class about yourself."

There it is… Mister Kan calls me out specifically. Everyone, except for my three friends, are confused. I do what he says, making sure everyone is staring at me. I explain, "I'm legally Quirkless. But, my Quirk gives me Adoptive Muscle Memory, so I'm able to replicate any physical task I see. Technically, that wouldn't make me Quirkless, but there's metaology laws and laws laws that I don't know for the life of me which states otherwise."

"What?!"

"Dude, you're Quirkless?!"

"Ehhhh?! You must be pretty freaking tough to get in U.A. without one!"

"What's your Quirk, Inochi?!"

"Damn, never expect to see a Quirkless in 'ere. Knew there was somethin' off 'bout ya."

I chuckle, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. "To answer the question regarding my Quirk, I don't know. Monoma, I'm sorry to ask, but maybe you can Copy my Quirk?" I ask him, also lying. Of course I know about my Quirk, but what's the point telling everyone if I can't use it for what it's meant for? And, it's one less thing everyone has to worry about. For now, I'll feign ignorance.

Monoma looks to Mister Kan for an answer, and he nods. Monoma walks up to me and touches my shoulder. Right, his Quirk activates on physical contact. His face scrunches up in disappointment. Dang, why can't he Copy my Quirk? I understand if he can't copy Mutant-type Quirks, but why not mine? "Hmm, I believe your Quirk is an Accumulation-type. Meaning, your Quirk needs some sort of power to function properly, like gas to a car. I can't use it since I'm not fueled up. Perhaps if you know what powers your Quirk, you could use it. Either way, this little experiment is a failure. I'm sorry."

"Thanks anyway, Monoma," I say. Mister Kan nods for us to take our seats, and so he continues. His words leave me after a few seconds, only becoming mumbles. Although everyone knows the truth, I never once hear a rude comment. Not an insulting joke, a jab, nothing. I do hear a few whispers about how talented I must be, which is flattering, but also… it's different. U.A. really is different, huh? Already, I can tell that we won't break each other down. Rather, we build each other up. That's what I feel in this room, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm one of the most unique here. From my Quirklessness, I have to be built up as the highest tower. I don't want that. I don't want to be treated differently as my classmates. Quirk or not, I'll receive the same training as everyone else. I want to be treated just the same as a man with a Quirk! If there's some who wants to coddle me, I'll refuse it! I won't be a Hero if I'm not treated as one! Heck, I'll take a physical test today or tomorrow if it comes to it! That's what being a Hero means! I'll-!

"You have a test tomorrow," Mister Kan announces. "It'll be a survey for me to graph where you're currently at. There'll be two parts: combat and rescuing. That's all the information you'll get. Got it?"

"What."

"Oh come on.

"This _is_ U.A. after all…"

"Unexpected, but a welcomed surprise."

Well… it came to it.

"For now…" Mister Kan trails off, gesturing for something to come inside. It's…? Oh, it's two security robots wheeling in a cart of papers. Stacks and stacks of papers. Oh my God, how many trees died for this?! "We have to deal with this mess first. It's papers for… I have no idea. The pile gets bigger every year."

I'm… I'm not prepared for this!

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

_BAM BAM BAM!_

_BAM BAM BAM!_

_BAM BAM B-!_

"Blowing off some steam?" Inochi asks right before I was about to punch through this straw dummy's head. Shame, if he didn't stop me, I would've done it. I get surprised at my own strength sometimes.

"Yeah, guess I'm up as late as you. Today sucked, Inochi. I never thought I would hate paper, but now I do," I answer, facing him. Inochi's wearing his gym clothes. It's a blue gym shirt with "PLUS ULTRA" in bright red and black gym shorts belonging to an American brand. Seems like he doesn't mind the paperwork we had to do, but I was traumatized when I saw the cart. Do we have to do the same thing next year? God, that'll probably be even more paperwork than today...

"Never thought that'll be our worst Villain to date… Anyway, since we're alone, I wanted to ask you something-"

I answer his question, "Mom hasn't made our costumes yet, so you can't use it for tomorrow's test."

"Wasn't that, but thanks for letting me know. What I _wanted_ to ask about is your dad. He's your inspiration to be a Hero, yet you never talk about him much," he tells me… Jeez, he's really asking me about Dad, huh? Inochi's right, I guess. Mom and I never talked about Dad much. We're not people who dwell on the past… well, not outwardly. Us Kendos don't talk about our history. Especially Grandpa. I know he was friends with All Might, but that's all I know from his early Pro Hero days. The same goes for Inochi too. He never talks about his life before he got here. For the four of us, we would rather leave it behind and look towards the future. Still… It doesn't hurt to remind ourselves why we're looking forward, not back.

"Sit. I'll tell you about him," I say, going over to the windowsill, just large enough for someone, and I take a seat. Inochi sits across from me, putting one leg over the other. I joke, "Let me tell you a story, kiddo."

"Heh, want me to lay my head across your lap? Maybe I could finally rest from your voice whispering to me," he shoots me back with another joke. Jeez, if someone else said that to me, I'd interpret it in a lewd way and punch the dope.

"Sorry, you'd have to stick with my loud voice for the time being. Now uhm…" I start to tell Inochi about Dad. When he met Mom, it was during the first few days of school I think. He told me that he was head-over-heels at first moment he saw her. Mom though, didn't quite like him just yet. He chased her around a lot, but he knew his boundaries. Eventually, Mom accepted his advances. She acted like she hated him, but Mom loved Dad more than anything else. They were the best duo in the world. Dad, being a Pro Hero, and Mom, being an awesome support scientist. Grandpa, despite being overprotective of Mom, taught Dad everything he knows. Then, one thing led to another and little baby Itsuka appeared from thin air. Mom said when I came along, she was the happiest she ever been. Especially when…when I ended up inheriting Dad's Quirk: Big Fists.

Dad was the best. He was a bit like Inochi, actually. Goofy and kind. Anyway, Dad and I did a lot of things together. We wrestled and tumbled, ate ice cream until our brains became ice, and he even let me ride with him on his motorcycle even though Mom hated it. I remember when I saw Dad on TV, beating the bad guys up. Every time I saw him, I knew I wanted to be a Pro just like him and Grandpa. When I told Dad, he lifted me into his arms and rubbed my head. He had such a big smile, showing every one of his teeth. He said to me, "_Be the best Hero, Itsuka. I'm counting on you to take care of me when I get old."_

Dad… He never got old. On November 24th, when I was only eight years old, he disappeared during a patrol in Kamino. The police searched for him. His friends searched for him. Even Mom went out on her own. Nothing. They couldn't find him. Everyday, Grandpa would assure me that Dad will come back home. So, I kept waiting. When I came back from elementary school, I hoped that Dad was standing on the other side of the door, so I could run into his arms. It never happened. The search continued for months, but no one could find him. Mom got more and more depressed by the day, burying herself in her work until she couldn't bring herself out of bed. Grandpa had to raise me when Mom couldn't. It took a long time for her to gather her strength again. Today, I never once saw her happy as she was when Dad was here. That's why I want to be a Hero. For her and for Dad, and one day… One day, I want to continue where the search ended. It might be denial, but I want to look for Dad. Even if the chances of him living are astronomically low, it's still a chance nonetheless.

"So… That's the story of Kaito Kendo. What about you, Inochi? I know you said that you don't remember your family, but what do you think they were like?" I ask him. Inochi sighs and looks out the window, staring at the moon.

"Kind, I hope. They brought me into this world for a reason, no matter how cruel it is. I like to think that's why our family name is 'Inochi'. We bring life to the world we live in," he answers, laying his head back against the edge of the windowsill. A soft smile forms on his lips. Inochi is already bringing life to 1-B. Who else would take their time to meet with each of their classmates? In fact… I…

"You know, Inochi… Your smile reminds me of Dad sometimes. It reminds me that not all of my memories of him are sad."

"I'm glad. How about, just for tonight, you tell me stories about him? Seems like you need motivation for the test tomorrow," he asks. Heh, all of this thinking about Dad did put a damper on my mood.

"Alright… And, thanks for listening to me talk. You're a good friend."

"Of course. That's what I'm here for."


	6. Kan's Test

**Day 2 of Dreaming of Stars. The first five chapters acted as a prologue and a meager introduction to Sanji's journey. For 1-B, everything is new and fresh like an innocent child going to kindergarten. **

**Anyway, for**** Chapters 6-14, I don't particularly like them when I look back at it, but it's nice to see how much I grown. Back to what's more important: 6-10. It's the start of the action and things will slowly pick up. **

**Here's the current Arcs that are published already: Beginning/Prologue (Chapters 1-3) - Entrance Exam (Chapter 4) - Beginning Test/Battle Trials (5-8) - (Fanfic Original Arc) Golden Week (9-11) **

**Chapter 11 isn't directly tied in the Golden Week Arc, but it takes place chronologically after the event.**

**Big question though: Sanji Inochi. He's the main protagonist of this fanfic, but he's so damn similar to Midoriya! I mean, they're both Quirkless (to an extent), incredibly selfless, and pure-hearted! What makes them different? How is this fanfic not a rehash of MHA but with 1-B and a knock-off Midoriya? Without giving too much away, the difference—the big difference—between Sanji and Midoriya lies in how they face life's challenges, and what they learn from it.**

**I fully thought out Sanji's development, so trust me that he's a fundamentally different character than Midoriya, despite how deceiving first glances can be. Heck, Sanji's meant to be a tragic character. Now, I'm done rambling. Go ahead and read—or not! I just want attention for how much I written this story. Please leave some feedback if you want, but keep in mind that not all of the chapters have been released.**

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Put this on," Mister Kan says, throwing a U.A. gym uniform to Awase. He looks at it before turning back to Mister Kan.

"Here? In front of everybody? Hell n-" Mister Kan shakes his head.

"No, in the locker rooms! Everybody get to it!" his voice booms over the class. It didn't take much convincing for all of us to go there. As we leave, Mister Kan throws uniforms at us all. We separate into two lines (boys and girls), and go into our locker rooms.

For this test though, I brought my personal arsenal of weapons. It's all secure in a duffle bag. I guess I'll keep this at U.A. Hayami has extras for her extras back at the Dojo. Along the way, some guys, like Shoda and Tetsutetsu shoot me a few weird glances. Kendo though knows exactly what's in here. She has a smile on her face that says, "Go show them, Inochi."

I shoot a smile of my own, tapping the material of my bag. It's an innocent smile, which doesn't tell anyone about my various amounts of dangerous weapons. Dangerous weapons that could kill someone in a hundred different ways.

…

I'm surprised U.A. allowed this.

In our locker room, it's a normal looking locker room. There's clean lockers, floors, walls, never mind actually. This locker room is pretty great compared to my other schools. Nothing's broken nor old because everything looks brand spanking new.

All of us quickly get dressed in our gym uniforms. It's mainly blue with white lines going through them. Those lines spell out "UA" with the "U" at the top, and the "A" at the bottom. Everyone has their own locker, but I specifically requested a larger locker with weapon racks. Now, here's the hard part: Unzipping my duffle bag. I'm right next to Manga, so let's hope he doesn't pani-

"Holy shit!" His speech bubble shifts into "!," showing that he's pretty anicked. Well, that didn't work, but I figured this would happen. Manga looks at my duffle bag before staring (I think he's staring) at me.

"Dude?! Why the hell do you have so much weapons?!" Manga runs over to my duffle bag and looks over them. His hand suddenly grabs my katana, moving his finger over the blade. "Is this a real freaking katana?!"

I take the katana from his hands, making sure the sharp end isn't facing him. "Yeah, forged just for myself. You know Master Kendo right?"

Manga nods his head, still looking at my various weapons. I have pretty much every weapon imaginable in there. From general European weapons, Chinese, Japanese, and a little bit of stuff outside of Eurasia. "Yeah! Isn't Kendo his granddaughter?"

"That's right. I'm a foster kid, so he took me in. I'm his disciple with Kendo." I start grabbing my stuff, putting it on my weapon racks. I feel Awase's eyes falling upon me now.

"Dude! Really?! So you're like a super soldier then?" He walks over and puts his elbow on my shoulder (Ow, that's sore). Like Manga, he's mainly looking at my arsenal of weapons.

"I guess you can say that." I reply to him. I should think about what weapon I'm going to use. Probably the katana. There's something oddly cliche about going into battle with a katana. That and I'm focusing on swordsmanship with Master Kendo. (Ironically, his first name is Sasaki. Maybe I should try dual wielding like Miyamoto Musashi.)

"Hey! Whatcha talking about over there?" Tetsutetsu asks (on the edge of practically yelling), being across from us. His presence is really loud, like really really loud. I don't know why he talks like he's outside, but that's his charm.

"How Inochi is basically an anime protagonist!" Manga exclaims. His hand is moving like he wants to touch more, but I'm giving that look as if I'm saying, "Don't do it." Tetsutetsu huffs in satisfaction, going back to whatever he's doing.

Awase moves his elbow and pats my back. He tells me, "I hope I ain't fighting you man. You seem like a scary bastard." He goes back to his locker and continues to dress out. Manga does too, but his eyes turn back to me a few times.

I quickly put all my weapons in there. Now, I have to change. I take off my clothes and throw on my pants first. Some of my classmates/friends glance over to me, noticing my scar across my heart. I had it ever since I was five. It's gotten smaller over time, but it's still very noticeable. No one asks me what that's about though. I'm glad because...

I don't know how I got it. Whenever I touch it, I get strange feelings of pain. Not like the pain I feel when my body aches, but a strange itching pain. It's weird, but just about everything about me is weird.

I hear Tsuburaba talking across the locker room with Rin. Tsuburaba is (not so subtly) talking about the girls in our class. Oh boy, I had a feeling he was like this. Rin though, he's just nodding and humming. That's the kind of reaction where someone doesn't know what to say nor do.

Awase and I coincidentally walk over to those two. I have my katana at my side, away from everyone for safety. Behind Rin and Tsuburaba, Shishida is rolling his eyes at Tsuburaba's pervy comments. I can't blame him. Shishida seems like he's a dignified and a respectful man. (Well, I'm not saying that Tsubuaraba isn't that himself, but… He… And...) Anyway! I'm listening in on their conversation, where Awase just joined in.

"Hey Tsuburaba! Who're you talking about?" Awase leans against a random locker with his arms crossed. He has a grin on his face.

Tsuburaba smiles back at Awase. "Well, just the girls. Just from one day, I can tell that they're really something. There's definitely no shortage of beauty in 1-B." Rin removes himself from the conversation, standing right next to me. I'm simply standing here with my katana. I mean, it's not like I'm close friends with three of the beauties.

"I know man! We're lucky as hell." Awase nudges Tsubaraba's arm, trying to insinuate something perverted I guess. Rin and I, we're just standing here with a flat look on our faces. Just standing here like nothing's happening.

Rin nudges me though, taking us both out of their conversation. "Hey Inochi, can I see your katana?" He looks like he knows a lot about blacksmithery, so might as well. I hand him my katana, letting him study it.

He has a bright smile on his face. His hands carefully drift over the blade like he can tell its story just from the touch. "I always had a fascination about these. Not like those anime fans, but a _real _one. Can I ask who made this?"

"It was actually made by Master Kendo's daughter, Kendo's mom. She's a blacksmith among other things." I answer Rin. He gives my katana back to me with a smile.

"Guess we're both fascinated with weapons huh? Can you really use everything you got in your locker?" Rin gestures towards my larger locker. There's small holes where someone can barely see the metal glim of my weapons.

"Most of them. I'm also pretty well-versed in range weapons too like archery." Rin raises his eyebrow like he's impressed.

"Really? If you ask me, you're like an authentic samurai." Rin crosses his arms and smiles. I go to answer, but I hear Awase and Tsuburaba's… comments.

"Look Awase, even though Tokage has a modest bust, she still has those curves!" Tsubaraba says to Awase. Are these two really arguing? How long have Rin and I been talking? It hasn't been that long right? From what Tsubaraba's saying, I think they're arguing on which girl is better. Who's the other girl though?

(Also, the irony I'm feeling is oddly satisfying…)

"I know, but Kodai man! She's cuter than Tokage with a bigger bust! That and her teeth aren't pointy like Tetsutetsu's." ("I heard that!" Tetsutetsu says in the background.) Awase slams his fists together to emphasize his point. Rin looks at me and immediately steps back. My grip around my katana tightens slightly.

"Sure Awase, but you wouldn't be able to sleep with her." Tsubaraba throws some insults towards Awase. They talk and argue like they're old friends, which I don't doubt. Still though, I _live_ with Kendo for crying out loud!

"Then why the hell are you dreaming about a good night with Tokage?!" Awase exclaims, getting a bit louder than he needed to be. Everyone starts to listen in and subsequently get a little disgusted. My grip on my katana loosens though. Even though these two are making perverted comments, they're here for a reason like all of us: To be a Pro Hero. They're good men, with a big emphasis on "men."

"Seriously?" Tsubaraba turns and sees me. He has a smile on his face like he's ignoring the fact that I'm carrying a sharp and dangerous weapon, or maybe he knows that he could be sliced open (even though I won't do that), so he's trying to remain calm. "Oh, hey Inochi! What… Uh… What did you hear?"

"Mostly everything," I answer Tsubaraba, turning my attention to Awase. He adjusts his headband with a bright smile like he's trying to calm me down. I'm already calm, but he doesn't seem to get the memo.

Awase apologizes, "S-Sorry man. I didn't realize you're there, being Kendo's boyfriend and all…" Tokage must have started some rumors. Heh, maybe she was the one who started the rumor that I was a delinquent back in middle school. What's done is done though.

"I'm not Kendo's boyfriend. We're just friends, Awase." My answer I gave him leads to him having a confused expression, like I'm crazy or something.

"Really? Dude, you're living with one of the sexi-"

I clear my throat, interrupting Awase before he gets the chance to make an unnecessary comment. He stops himself, thinks for a second, and continues. "You're living with a beautiful woman. Why didn't you two... You know?" He makes a weird gesture with his hands.

God, I'm getting uncomfortable in this situation. I'm in an awkward place here with my feelings, since I don't understand them myself. It's not that I have a crush on Kendo, but I don't feel… How do I put this? In middle school, I seen a lot of couples and some people making perverted (much more than what Awase and Tsubaraba are making by far) comments.

What they feel, I don't feel. I mean, I can recognize if a man or a woman is attractive, but that's it. My heart doesn't beat the same rhythm of romance. I guess that's what I'm trying to put into words.

But, who says I don't feel love? I feel love everyday. The kind of love with my friends. I really hope I don't take it for granted, because I never felt it before I came to Musutafu. Heck, I think I'll make even more friends in U.A. I'm already friends with some of the guys here, like Tetsutetsu and Manga. At least I don't have to worry about relationships, since I'm not going to be in one any time soon.

Awase suddenly nudges me by poking my shoulder. "Earth to Inochi, are you here dude?" Oh crap, have I been spacing out again?! Crap, I taught myself to focus (which is why I haven't been caught daydreaming much), but I guess it didn't work now.

"Yeah! Sorry, I'm here now." I give a little smile to Awase. I should explain it to him, so I say, "Well, I-"

"Boys! It's time to get out!" Mister Kan yells through the door. Never mind then! Awase lets out a disappointed sigh as we leave our locker rooms.

I nudge his shoulder on the way out. "Awase, I won't tell the girls what you said. I can't say the same for everyone else though, so good luck." I pat his back, knowing exactly what Kendo will do if/when she finds out.

"Thanks man! And between you and me, what's… Uh… What'll Kendo do to me?" Awase asks me with a hint of fear and hesitation in his voice. He has no idea of Kendo's angry side. The last time she got angry was at a bully in middle school. She would have broken some bones if I didn't step in.

I give him a supportive smile. "Let's say you'll need Recovery Girl." Awase looks at me and gulps. He can see the stories in my eyes.

We meet up with the girls. Awase specifically kept his eye off of Kendo and Tsubaraba too, who follows suit. Now, who am I going to fight against? If it's someone like Shiozaki, Bondo, Honenuki, maybe even Yanagi, the match is an instant loss. They can disable me before I even reach them. I know that Kendo will beat me in hand-to-hand combat, so that's a loss too. When I think about it, a lot of people here have really good Quirks, _and then there's me._

Yeeeeeah, this is going to be fun.

* * *

The entire class lines up outside the school, in what I presume to be a training field. Mister Kan stands before all of us going over the rules of the fighting portion of the test.

"Do not seriously harm your classmates. If you're on the ground for more than three seconds, you lose. If you step outside the ring, you lose. That's it," Mister Kan explains to us quite simply. Those are simple, yet effective rules. Anything else is allowed. After that, Mister Kan shows us a screen that shows all the match-ups.

Shishida VS. Pony

Honenuki VS. Awase

Kuroiro VS. Manga

Kendo VS. Kodai (Best friends are fighting. Well, my nightmare just came true.)

Tetsutetsu VS. Monoma VS. Tsubaraba

Bondo VS. Shoda

Shiozaki VS. Tokage

Yanagi VS. Komori

Rin VS. Kaibara

Me VS. Kamakiri

I'm the last fight? With Kamakiri? What was his Quirk again? Razor Sharp, that's it. He can produce blades all over his body. It'll be a fight of swordsmanship! Now this, this is a fight I can win! I have confidence in my abilities. The only thing I have to worry about is Kamakiri's own abilities, so I will have to improvise and adapt accordingly.

Anyway, it's time to watch the spars.

* * *

Shishida and Pony. Shishida takes off his glasses and starts the fight in his Beast form. (Shiozaki lets out a small gasp, "The Beast of Revelation.") He tries to strike at Pony, but like her name, she moves like a horse. She fires her horns at Shishida, trying to push him out of the ring. He inches forward, but it's not enough. Shishida is too much of a giant to be moved back. Pony brings her horns back, but Shishida grabs Pony and reverts back to his human form. He gently puts Pony behind the line. Thank God that Shishida was gentle with her.

Honenuki and Awase. Awase suddenly gets, welds, then throws metal and wooden objects at him with precision. However, Honenuki softens the ground and goes under all of the projectiles. He disappears into the ground with Awase clueless. Suddenly, Honenuki appears from the ground besides him. Awase barely has the chance to weld his feet to the ground before Honenuki tries to push him. Awase laughs, but suddenly starts to sink from Honenuki's Quirk. Mister Kan calls the match there, giving the win to Honenuki.

Kuroiro and Manga. Manga clears his throat before sending Kuroiro with a "WAPOW!" His comic bubble flies towards Kuroiro who… He jumps at it? Willingly going into attacks is an odd strateg-Aha! He merges into Manga's comic bubble. The bubble has black characters and outlining, so he's using his Quirk in it! Kuroiro reverses Manga's bubble back at him. Manga gets hit and flies out of the ring, groaning in pain. I'm sorry, Manga.

Oh boy, Kendo and Kodai. I don't know who to root for. My two friends share a word of kindness before fighting. It seems Kodai's starting the battle first. She grabs a bolt from her bag and throws it at Kendo. She presses her fingers together, enlarging the bolt. Kendo barely dodges out of the way and dashes up to Kodai. She grabs Kodai by her left arm. I hear Kendo mutter that she's sorry before gently pushing Kodai out of the ring. Kendo gives Kodai a big hug as a sign of their friendship. Their friendship is saved!

Tetsutetsu, Monoma, and Tsuburaba. Monoma hits Tsuburaba's back, copying his Quirk. They decide to team up against Tetsutetsu and blow an air wall in front of them. It doesn't do anything though as Tetsutetsu punches through the wall in his Steel form. He charges at Monoma and Tsuburaba, tackling both of them out of the ring. Monoma gets up and laughs as if he was expecting this. Tsubaraba only groans and leaves without a word.

Bondo and Shoda. Before Shoda could do anything, Bondo quickly stammers, "S-Sorry!" before he sprays a large puddle of Cedemine on Shoda's legs. It quickly dries, trapping Shoda in place. Shoda simply nods and says that he had a good match.

Shiozaki and Tokage. If anyone could be Shiozaki's counter, it would be Tokage. Shiozaki does a quick prayer before the fight starts. Once Mister Kan blows his whistle, Tokage splits her body at her limbs, levitating them. Shiozaki sends her Vines to capture Tokage's floating limbs, but they're too fast and small for her. Tokage uses her disembodied limbs to slowly push Shiozaki out of bounds. Just as I figured. Even though Tokage has a seemingly weak Quirk for combat, she used what she got to win. That's my queen.

Yanagi and Komori. It starts with Yanagi immediately lifting Komori with her Quirk. Komori shrieks and tries to move away, but to no avail. Yanagi puts Komori out of the line, winning the fight. I'm not surprised. Yanagi is perfect for a fight like this.

Alright, Rin and Kaibara. After this, it's my match. The calm Kaibara I'm familiar with disappears. Instead, this Kaibara has a sinister smile on his face. Rin forms an armor with his Scales across his entire body. Suddenly, Kaibara's entire body spins around at high speeds. He rushes in with a maniacal laugh. Before Rin reacts, Kaibara's hand goes straight through his armor and hits his chest. Rin falls to the ground with Kaibara on top of him. Three seconds past with Rin on the ground. Kaibara is the winner! He bends down and hits Rin on the chest again, who suddenly sits up. Did… Did Kaibara hit Rin's heart or something?! God, Kaibara's scarier than I thought.

* * *

Let's hope Kamakiri and I have a good (and hopefully not a heart breaking) match.

Mister Kan calls us to the ring. I stand at my side of the ring with my katana in my hand. Kamakiri stands at the other side with his arms crossed. He isn't using his Quirk yet, that's smart. If he grew his blades now, then I could predict his reach. Still, he can control the length of his blades right? If I were him, I would constantly change it to keep me on guard.

I hear Tokage cheering me on. In fact, Awase and Tetsutetsu are cheering me on too. I made some quick friends eh? Kamakiri just rolls his eyes and taps his feet. Something about him though. It feels like I'm missing something.

I heard Kamakiri's surname before, but I can't figure out where. That's the thing I'm trying to figure out. It could be really important to this fight. Hmm, so far, he's been really distant from everyone. From when he does speak, it's vulgar. He speaks in an accent too. In the locker room, Kamakiri isn't like Awase and Tsubaraba… Dang, I still can't figure it ou-

"Ey Quirkless, stop starin' at me like that." His voice grabs my attention back from my mind. Well then, he's just called me, "Quirkless." That must be a ploy to rile me up, but I don't have anything to prove. I'm here just for the same reason he is: To be a Pro Hero.

"Sorry, let's have a good fight." I apologize as I get ready. I stand with my feet apart and my katana out in the proper form. It's not like a thousand years ago where they didn't have Quirks. Master Kendo tells me that fighting nowadays is pretty similar to the animes on TV (he's assuming that I watch a lot of TV, let alone anime). So, I can't rely on old techniques here.

Kamakiri huffs before Mister Kan blows the whistle, signalling that the match has started. Alright, I'll be on guard. There's no good charging in with Kamakiri hiding his Quirk like that. He has something up his sleeve.

Kamakiri starts to walk along the outside edge. I mirror his movement, making sure he's far away from me. We circle each other for a few seconds. My eyes briefly look down at my feet, seeing how close I am to the ed-!

_RIIIIP!_

The sound of clothes tearing forces my eyes back at Kamakiri. On his right forearm, a long slander, green blade is formed. It's sharp on one end to a point. His gym uniform's sleeve is completely torn as a result of his Quirk. Within an instant, he dashes with his blue and white uniform blurring in my vision. Holy crap, he's fast! I pull my katana closer and-!

Kamakiri appears in front of me with his right arm back. He thrusts it forward towards my face. I'm barely able to deflect it to the left side of my head, pushing it away from harm. I parry his blade back and quickly dart deeper into the ring while I have the chance. Even though Kamakiri's on the edge with me, it's way too risky to fight. Any wrong movement will end in failure, so I'd rather have a small room for it.

Kamakiri chuckles before he turns around to face me. He's on the edge. If I charge now, I'll lose. He shown me that he's agile enough to cover a short distance within an eyeblink, so what's stopping him from dodging and using my momentum against myself? This was a bit harder than I anticipated, but I can handle this.

Kamakiri's body shifts slightly forward. This is it! He's going to attack! I was barely able to parry him the first time around. Let's-!

Before I finish thinking, he runs up with breakneck speeds. I slash at him diagonally, going from the top right to bottom left. It's just as fast as Kamakiri's running speed.

_CLING!_

The sound of our blades clash together. Kamakiri suddenly materializes in front of me with his teeth gritting. His right arm is pressed right against my katana. His feet are apart, so that's one possible way to get him on the ground. From the look on his face, my attack was unexpected. Good on me.

"You ain't so bad," Kamakiri says during our grapple together. His gritted teeth turns into a cocky smile. He's getting confident, so he's preparing something.

"Thank you, you're a good fighter." I genuinely compliment him. Kamakiri rolls his eyes like I'm saying it sarcastically. Sorry, I'm not that kind of person. I should disengage. There's a lot of ways where Kamakiri can have the upper hand here, so taking a chance isn't a viable option here.

I quickly take a hop backwards, a little bit closer to Kamakiri's side of the ring, closer to the edge. Kamakiri's mandibles twist slightly as if he's disappointed. I move my fingers around the wrapped hilt of my katan-

_CLING!_

I shouldn't have done that! Kamakiri immediately runs in with his right blade. He clashes with mine, knocking it out of my hands and into the air. The thing is: He's wide open. He can't defend himself fast enough! I bring my right hand back and punch the center of his chest. Right as I hit him, I open my hand to push him back. I hear him grunting in pain as he stumbles into the center of the ring again.

I look up at the air, seeing my tumbling katana. The sun hits the blade at an angle, gleaming brightly. In front of me, Kamakiri recovers from my punch. I have to catch it now! I jump up and grab the katana with my right hand. I land on my feet with my back turned to Kamakiri. This isn't a favorable position, but-

_CLING!_

But, I knew I would block his attack without looking at him. I moved my katana behind me right after I landed, just after he would dash towards me. I hear my classmates and friends sharing the same sounds of awe. My head turns slightly to face Kamakiri, whose face is getting redder. He moves his left foot back. Kamakiri looks angry, so he's going to act on impulse now.

"You son of a bitch!" Kamakiri yells at me. Right as when his left foot starts to move, I immediately duck where my knees almost hit my chest with my katana low. His foot grows another blade as it tears through the sole of his shoe. It goes barely over my head with some bits of my hair being cut. Kamakiri's standing on one leg now, so this is it!

I can't attack him with my katana or else he'll end up with one leg, so I spring my legs up and shoulder bash him. Kamakiri falls to the ground with his back hitting the ground first. He jumps up on both feet, wiping the dust off of his tattered clothes. He stands himself where he's completely balanced with his arms down.

Kamakiri retracts the blade on his foot, as he doesn't need it anymore. He starts to move his left hand to wipe the now-apparent blood off of his mouth (I'm sorry). He's at the edge of the circle, so this is my chance! Before Kamakiri has a chance to react, I dash forward with my katana at the left side of my head, telegraphing a thrust.

That's not what I'm doing though! Kamakiri sees me coming and prepares to dodge, but at the last moment, I bring my blade down and slash horizontally. It would be fatal if it hit, but it didn't. I expected Kamakiri to dodge at the last second, and he did. The thing is, he leaped backwards _right_ out of bounds.

Kamakiri doesn't realize it yet. He takes a step forward right as Mister Kan blows his whistle. "Inochi is the winner!" Kamakiri's mouth go wide until he looks at his feet, realizing that he went out of bounds. He lets out an angry huff and moves his hand across his spiky, green hair.

I have to hand it to Kamakiri. His speed kept me on guard for a lot of the fight. From a glance, his body seems to be suited for it. His Quirk use is pretty creative too. He used his blades with his kicks. I wonder what else he could do? Maybe something where he defends himself by suddenly having blades stick out from every part of his body.

I spin my katana around my hand again, putting it in a backhand position. I approach Kamakiri with my other hand out. "That was a good fight, Kamakiri. Your speed really kept me on guard."

Kamakiri looks at my hand before looking away. He simply scoffs and walks back to the class, leaning against the wall away from everyone. No one really looks at his direction except for Pony.

I walk back as well, sitting next to Kendo. "Good job Inochi! I knew you'd win." She high-fives me with a bright smile. My attention is on Kamakiri though. He must feel some bit of shame for losing to me, especially in a humiliating way. I should talk to him, but I'm the last person he wants to see. I should leave him be.

Pony though, she gets up and runs over to Kamakiri. She starts to talk to him, but Kamakiri doesn't seem to be listening to her. Though, his mouth moves and Pony takes a step back. He seems to be pushing Pony away, but she isn't having that. She keeps talking to him despite whatever he said.

Well, that's nice.

I turn back to Kendo and sigh. "Yeah, all that training paid off." I move my shoulders around, stretching the pain out of them. Dang, I totally ignored the pain during that fight. My body aches like an old man.

"Well, did it prepare you for the rescue part?" Kendo asks me, knowing full-well the answer. We both trained in fighting, not rescuing.

"Not at all. We won't do so hot, Kendo," I tell her, resting my katana back in its sheath. Maybe I should I brought that too within my spar with Kamakiri, but I won anyway. There's no need to worry about that now.

What I need to worry is the rescue portion. I am terrible at rescuing. That's why my hero costume will have something special: A grappling hook. Hayami designed it as a metal bracer on my left arm. I can yank stuff to me and get yanked. I'm also looking into using it in battle as a capturing weapon like Shiozaki.

Mister Kan tells all of us to get up after my short conversation with Kendo (and me daydreaming about my future equipment). He motions us to follow him, and so we do. We follow him to Ground Beta within campus. It's the same location as the Entrance Exam, but there's no robots this time around.

Inside Ground Beta is a lot of colored balls. We go inside with Mister Kan giving each of us a leather bag. Why do we nee-Oh, there's balls. There's a lot of colored balls all over Ground Beta. I can see red ones, green, and blue ones. I see the red ones the most, followed by the greens, and the blues. This is our rescue test? This seems pretty weird…

Mister Kan clears his throat, gesturing that he'll start the explanation.

"As you can see, there's different colored balls all over Ground Beta, each color being worth different points. Red is worth one, green is worth two, and blue is worth three. Your job is to collect the most points as possible within ten minutes. I'll be ranking you based on your points, and that'll be your grade. Good luck." He steps back right besides Recovery Girl, who's on standby. All of us approach a white line, waiting for Mister Kan to give the signal.

When I think about it, this test is more about agility and being the fastest. The fastest and being the most effective. Logically, going for the blue balls is the most profitable choice. If I tie this in to a real life rescue situation, the most profitable choice isn't going for the most valuable civilians. Rather, it's saving everyone regardless of status. What's going on here?

I look at my friends and classmates (practically the same thing now). They don't seem like they're questioning it. In fact, some of them are smiling (like Tokage). From what I thought, they'll go for the blue balls. They'll leave the red balls (and maybe the green balls) alone.

Ah, wait a second! Other than me, Shiozaki seems concerned. She must have the same thoughts going through my head too. What is she going to do about them? Knowing her, she'll try to save every ball there.

I turn around slightly to look at Mister Kan, who has an indifferent look on his face. I turn back to Ground Beta. Alright, even though this test seems fishy, it's still a test. I know I won't win because I'm not suited for rescuing. Like Shiozaki, I'm saving every ball I see. That's what rescuing means.

"Get ready!" Mister Kan yells. I move my right foot forward, looking around at the nearest ball. There's some to the building to my right. All I see is red balls, so might as well.

"Get set!" Everyone else gets ready to run. That building is my target. There's also a window that can lead me straight inside. Let's be an action hero! I heard that's what they do: Crashing through windows.

"Go!" Mister Kan blows his whistle. Everyone runs, including me. I'm not going to pay attention to everyone else. I have to focus on me even though that's selfish beyond imagination.

In front of me is a concrete barrier. I dash towards it and put my hand on the edge, leaping over it with my legs soaring over it. I land on my feet, dashing towards my destination. There's the window again. You know, I could go through the front door, but that'll waste time. I have to go through that window. Let's hope it's sugar glass!

_CRASH!_

It. Was. Not. Sugar. Glass. My entire body hurts now… I think there's some shards in me. So much for not getting injured… Why U.A., did you have to make real glass? I shakily get up, looking around for the balls.

Only red balls here. Five of them to be exact. Alright, better than having no balls. I quickly gather them and stuff them in my bag. There's stairs that aren't blocked, so there must be more up there.

I run up the stairs, skipping two steps at a time. Up here is more red balls. I suspected this. The easiest to get would be worth the least. Stairs are hardly considered a challenge. On this floor is the same thing as the last. Four red balls this time. Nine points so far! Let's go up once again.

It's the same thing as before. In fact, all the floors are like this: Going upstairs, getting only red balls, repeat five more times. I count about thirty balls total, so thirty points. I arrive at the rooftop where, once again, it's just red balls. There's only three here, so I grab them. Thirty-three points and that's it for this building.

How's everyone else? I approach the ledge, leaning over slightly over everyone. I'm pretty high up here. It never ceases to amaze me that U.A. could build this and including more! From afar, I see Tokage's floating limbs collecting blue balls from hard-to-reach places. And Pony, holy crap Pony! She's riding on her horns! They can carry a person like that? That's good to know, and incredibly useful too.

It's enough sightseeing though, it's time to go back. I go back down the building, to the ground floor. It was a lot of walking down stairs without trying to fall to my doom. My legs are killing me. Not because of how many stairs, but from shards of glass that're in it.

"Four minutes left!" Mister Kan yells. Crap, I really took six minutes on that building alone? That sucks, but I'm going to get last place either way. I don't have high hopes for this.

I walk out to the street and-Holy crap! It's littered with red balls. There's some empty gaps here and there, but still… There's so many red balls here that I didn't even see them before. My classmates are seriously treating this as a competition, not a training exercise.

I pick up a red ball, touching its soft, squishy material. Imagine if this had a face on it, then it would be a person. All these balls would be people that was ignored, because everyone else went for people that are "worth more." This is definitely a trick. Mister Kan is testing us on our values, not our ability.

I gather about ten more red balls before Mister Kan calls the test there. I have forty-three points total. Knowing this is a trick, I don't feel bad whatsoever. Everyone else though, they're going to feel a lot of shame once Mister Kan reveals it to them.

I'm the first one to arrive. Recovery Girl sees my condition and shakes her head. She puts a kiss on my hand, healing my body back to brand new. She mutters that I'm "a troublesome man like Sasaki" before walking away. Dang, what went on between these two?

Anyway, Mister Kan asks me to put my balls in a machine. I do so and it quickly goes through my balls, tallying up my points. Yup, it says forty-three. I counted right! I swore I miscounted a few here and there. This proves I'm not completely useless at math.

We both wait for everyone else to come and count their points. The lowest score (other than mine) is Monoma with fifty. Tokage comes in first place with a whopping two hundred points! Holy crap, how many balls were out there? If she only got the blue balls, then that's almost seventy balls right there!

(I'm glad that this test didn't have any surprises. God, I'm having a bad day if _another_ building falls down on me.)

Mister Kan begins to call off the leaderboards, starting with first place:

1st - Setsuna Tokage

2nd - Reiko Yanagi

3rd - Pony Tsunotori

4th - Juzo Honenuki

5th - Ibara Shiozaki

6th - Sen Kaibara

7th - Jurota Shishida

8th - Shihai Kuroino

9th - Yui Kodai

10th - Itsuka Kendo

11th - Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

12th - Yosetsu Awase

13th - Kojiro Bondo

14th - Togaru Kamakiri

15th - Hiryu Rin

16th - Nirengeki Shoda

17th - Kosei Tsuburaba

18th - Kinoko Komori

19th - Manga Fukidashi

20th - Neito Monoma

21th - Sanji Inochi (That's me!)

Once I'm revealed to be in last place, there's sympathetic eyes falling upon me. It's a bit ironic, considering I'm certain that this test is nothing more than a ruse. Kendo walks besides me with a small smile. "Sorry Inochi."

I shrug my shoulders, crossing my arms. "You didn't catch on?" I hint at the irregularities of our "test." Kendo raises her eyebrows like she's confused.

"What do you mean?" Kendo asks me before Mister Kan tells everyone to shut up and listen. We gather around him, who's standing right next to the leaderboards. He looks at it before turning to us. There's a stern look on his face as if he's saying, "I'm disappointed."

Mister Kan stares at all of us before saying, "How many of you only went after the balls worth the most points?" That's it. The moment he said that, it revealed the true purpose of this test. Kendo's eyes go wide open, realizing it too.

Reluctantly, almost everyone in the class raises their hand. The atmosphere, that was once everyone gloating how much points they got, turns into dread. The only people who didn't raise their hands are Shiozaki and myself.

"Shiozaki and Inochi, explain to me why you didn't raise your hands," Mister Kan asks the both of us. I look at Shiozaki, seeing if she wants explain first. She gives me a small nod before stepping forward.

"This test is deceitful. It does not judge us on saving lost souls. Rather, it judges us on our insatiable greed. Some here are driven by pride to win at any costs," Shiozaki explains to us with her religious wording. Still though, she got fifth place of all things! I have a feeling she's one of the most powerful students in the class, maybe in all of U.A.!

Shiozaki shoots a glare to Tokage. Tokage though, she looked worried at the results, but she changes her expression within an instant. She turns to Shiozaki and winks. I have a feeling she likes Shiozaki, but that expression though from before though...

Anyway, it's my turn to talk. I'll ask Tokage later. "Going off with what Shiozaki said, the balls were valued differently on purpose. If these balls were real people, everyone picked and chose who they wanted to save. This isn't a test about rescuing, but a test to stomp out unbecoming traits."

Mister Kan smiles at the both of us. He opens his mouth, but I step forward. This test though, even though it's a trick, it doesn't make sense! All of us would save people regardless of status! They didn't make the comparison of balls to people because it's a frankly stupid thing to think about. I shouldn't be questioning him, but it needs to be said!

"Mister Kan," I interrupt him before he even speaks, "you know that everyone here would save real people if it came to it. We wouldn't care about someone's status, so why did you make this test in the first place?" Mister Kan's eyes go a bit wide before shaking his head.

"Good question, Inochi. The thing is: One of my previous students did exactly this. He saved people based on their worth. One day, there was a rich man who were caught in a fire. Rather than saving everyone he came across, he ran right past them. It costed ten lives. Three of them were elementary school children, two were high school students your age, and the rest were adults. They all burned in the fire, so my student is in prison for the rest of his life. That's why I gave this test, so you wouldn't end up like him."

Everyone goes silent after Mister Kan recounts the story. Even though I don't know most of my classmates well, I know they're vowing, _we're_ vowing, to not be like him. Even though Mister Kan didn't say a single word, there's shame covering his entire body. His student is like Mister Kan's shadow, taunting him.

Mister Kan breaks the silence with a sigh. "I believe all of you have what it takes to be a real Pro Hero. A real potential. Don't lose it." He walks towards us, formed in a straight line. Awase and Yanagi steps aside to let him through as we all walk back to class in respectful silence.

Along the way, Shiozaki slowly moves besides me. She has her hands pressed together in a prayer. She's muttering something about how the dead will find their peace, and Mister Kan's student too. After her prayer, her eyes look above at mine.

"Hello Inochi, you saw through the deceit didn't you? Even though the deceit was well-meaninged…" Her voice goes quiet at the last part. Yeah, the lie was for a good reason. Much like every time I lied.

"I did. Say, Shiozaki. I'm wondering: What do you think of everyone else?" Shiozaki mentioned a few sins from the deadly seven. She must think that our classmates are "sinful." She's not wrong, but…

"They have their sins. Every one of them." Uhm, her voice got a bit more hostile than before. She must trust me though. If it was any other "sinner," then she might not have mentioned it. To me though? She must believe I don't have sin myself, which is incredibly wrong.

I reply back to Shiozaki, despite the fear rising in my chest, "Y-Yeah, but do you wonder why?" Shiozaki looks at me a bit confused.

"What do you mean?" she asks me like she hasn't asked that question to herself. Well, maybe I can share my knowledge on the subject.

"Well, imagine it as this: A man was poor growing up, but he came into a lot of money in a single instant. He's happy, but he's incredibly wasteful with it. Thus, he's greedy, but who can blame him? He had a hard life." I hope Shiozaki understands what I'm trying to say here. I'd rather not tell her outright, but to let her figure it out on her own.

"Ah, so you're saying that it's unfair to judge a person by their sins, because I don't know their life?" Shiozaki got what I was trying to say. Good, because if she didn't… I may end up wrapped in her vines. She accidentally dislocated my shoulder last time she did that when she pulled me away from that falling building.

"Mhm, that's how I see things anyway." I light-heartedly shrug my shoulders, pretending to not be afraid (and ignoring that I stuttered earlier). Shiozaki looks at me before a light smile forms.

"You're a wise man aren't you?" she asks me, believing that I'm wise. Heh, it's a nice compliment, but I'm not wise. I'm only fifteen after all. (Almost sixteen actually. My birthday is in three months.)

"I wouldn't say that," I say, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. Shiozaki lets out a soft chuckle.

"Modest too, much like my father. He's the pastor at his church. Why don't you join me one of these Sundays?"" Shiozaki… Uhm, she just invited me to church already. Just like that… What does she see in me? I don't know how I feel about this, and I'm very afraid. I have to accept her invitation don't I?

"Just tell me when," I say, accepting her invitation. And so, we go back to class. I'm pretty satisfied with this test. Now, it's time to go to All Might's class. The best Pro Hero in the world, is teaching us. It seems so surreal...

* * *

I had to smile throughout All Might's class. After all, he's the one who taught me how to smile this way. He's the reason why I wanted to be a Pro Hero. I have a feeling that a lot of my classmates are the same. All Might is just that influential.

He detailed our first test, calling it our "Battle Trial," which involves both fighting and rescuing. Everyone will be paired off (one team will have three) and be forced to battle each other. One team is the Pro Heroes, and the other being the Villains.

The Pro Heroes are tasked with defeating the Villains and/or rescuing their hostages. If they do that, then they win. In order for the Villains to win, they have to defeat the Pro Heroes and/or defend their hostages. They automatically win when time runs out. Our hostages though, are just training dummies with weird faces on them.

(We'll also get our hero costumes by then, which I'm excited and embarrassed about. I don't think mine looks good whatsoever.)

Compared to Class 1-A, our version of the Battle Trial is different. The Villains there had a "payload" to defend, while our class have to defend hostages. All Might also talked about 1-A and how excited he is about their own Battle Trial. I knew it had to be something about Midoriya.

I remember that I saw a video of him defeating that zero-pointer back at the Entrance Exam. His Quirk is really similar to All Might's with all the powerful punches and all. Midoriya's though, I think his arm and legs were broken from it. I have a feeling that him and All Might are connected in some way.

For my Battle Trial, I want to do my best, but I can't.

There's a more pressing issue: Kendo and Tokage. They are still on bitter terms even after the fact that we're in U.A. together. Kendo's been avoiding her, while Tokage doesn't want to mess with her even more. I have to do something about it, which I quickly concocted a plan while All Might was explaining the test.

I call it: _Operation Dragon Fist!_

This is the operation where I get Kendo and Tokage to be friends! Kodai and I know that Tokage only wants to be Kendo's friend, so I'll have to push them together from behind the scenes. If I tell Kendo outright, then I fear that I won't get the same results than her realizing it on her own. However, I need All Might's help for this. God, I'm nervous to even talk to him, but it's for a good cause!

The bell rings, signaling that school has ended. I tell Kendo that I'll see her at home, which she raises an eyebrow. She's surprisingly okay with it, so she goes ahead without me. Let's hope I can talk to Tokage (and maybe Kodai) about this after school. For now, I have to talk to All Might.

I walk up to his desk with my leg fidgeting a little. He's gigantic, twice as big as Bondo probably! He's wearing a beige suit that surprisingly fits him well. All Might has his signature smile, using it on me.

"Young Inochi," he starts off in his deep, but mighty voice before continuing, "do you need something? You were writing in your notebook earlier." All Might gestures towards my notebook, which I'm using it for _Operation Dragon Fist_ and future operations.

"Yes, Mister All Might. It's about the Battle Trials. I actually wanted to ask you if Kendo and Tokage could be on the same team? Specifically, a Hero team. For me, I want to be on the Villain team against them." I lay out my demands, trying to be respectful as I possibly can.

All Might looks at me for a second or so. It's officially the longest and scariest second of my life. He tilts his head slightly before asking me, "Really? May I ask why?" He's asking if he could ask me?! I'm not worthy to be asked, but I nod my head.

"If you didn't notice, Kendo and Tokage stayed away from each other. So, if they were on the same team, they would-" All Might suddenly interrupts me.

"They would become allies! You would sacrifice your chance to win in order for them to become friends?" All Might asks me another question. I nod my head again with a hum. My hands are together, sweating slightly.

"It's the least I could do. They, including Kodai, helped me a lot last year, when I came to Musutafu. Do you know about my situation?" I ask All Might, delving into my past a little. It's… Something. Something that, when I look back on, makes me tear up a little.

All Might nods, standing up from his desk. "I do, so I'll grant you your wishes! I'll make Kodai be on your team, young Inochi." He puts a hand on my shoulder like he's proud of me. Wait, he _is_ proud of me. I'm so glad…

My lips turn upwards into my smile that's just like All Might. "Thank you, Mister All Might." He pats my shoulder, which shoots pain down from my arm and back. It's sore from training, just like my entire body. I don't care though. It's the pain I'm willing to have.

"You're welcome. When you go home, greet your mentor for me. He's an old friend of my own back in the day," he tells me, taking a step back and look at his chalkboard/TV screen. "You know, young Inochi… She would do something like this."

I blush slightly from All Might's compliment. To think I'm like his mentor, the woman who raised this behemoth of a man to be the best Pro Hero… But, Master Kendo knew her? To think I would be connected to him like this, even though it's only second-hand… Still, it's not like I'm related to her or anything. Besides, All Might taught me that smile.

"Well, Mister All Might, you taught me to smile that way. You must have heard this a lot, but you're the reason why I wanted to be a Pro Hero." I stare at his strong back. His head slightly turns around, letting me see a part of his pearly white teeth.

"I'm glad, Young Inochi. Now, you should tell this plan to Tokage and Kodai shouldn't you?" My body jumps up slightly because I completely forgot about them! Right, I have to talk to them (at least Tokage) before they leave!

"Thank you, Mister All Might! I'll see you tomorrow!" I say goodbye, practically running out the door.

I leave the building. Right outside the U.A. Barrier is Tokage, who's patiently waiting for something! Great! I didn't miss her! (When I think back on it… Yesterday, she left quickly into a luxurious car. She was in a hurry, so let's hope I have enough time to talk to her!)

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"Hey, isn't it one of the most beautiful women in U.A.?" Inochi calls out to me. Heh, I needed someone to cheer up my day. Ironically, it had to be the one person who completely passed Kan's test. I turn around to face Inochi, hiding the impending doom on my face with a cocky smile.

"Why, it's a handsome and charming man! I'd thought you'd be with Kendo and Kodai." Inochi's mouth moves like he's sighing to himself. Oh, he missed Kendo doesn't he? "Aw, you can't go one second without Kendo."

Inochi puts a hand on his hip. "Haha, very funny. I'm not the woman who's glancing at Shiozaki here." Aw really? He found out my little crush on Shiozaki. It's just a small crush though. Her beauty captured this lizard's heart. Alas, we could never be together from her devoutness to her faith.

I put on an impressed face for Inochi. "I knew you would caught on… Speaking of which, you two were chatting earlier. What's up with that?" They spoke right after the rescue portion. The only two people who saw through Kan's test… I should have thought things though…

Inochi's eyes go a bit wide before he laughs awkwardly (but really damn adorable), "Well… Long story short, she invited me to church. And-"

"And you said yes. I would be your plus one, buttttt I got plans," I tell Inochi before he asks me to join him. Yeah, I would really like to go to church of all things, but Dad's schedule can't fit in time for that. (And I still can't believe Inochi didn't realize I'm an heiress. We've been friends for over five or six months by now!)

Inochi smiles to himself before crossing his arms. "Anyway, I'm glad I caught you before you left. I actually have a plan of my own." Oh~? What kind of plan is he concocting? I think I saw him staying after in All Might's class actually. It must be about the Battle Trial.

"Spill the beans! Your queen demands you!" I point at him with a demanding finger! For a queen, I'm really short compared to him. Inochi notices because he's laughing. Wow, that's mean of him. I should tease him about it! Wait, no. He'll give me that sad look and starts apologizing. My heart wouldn't be able to handle Inochi being sad.

"Alright alright!" he exclaims, bowing his head in submission. "I asked All Might if he could make you and Kendo be on the same team. He's making it happen." Inochi has a satisfied smile on his face, but I don't.

Because what the hell?! Did he _really_ ask All Might that?! He knows Kendo and I don't get along! Why would he think this is a good idea! Let alone something to make a plan out of! I need some answers now.

"What the hell Inochi?! You know how Kendo feels about me! Why do you think this is a good idea of all things?!" I berate him, taking a step forward with my face a bit closer to his chest. Inochi still has that smile on his face though.

"You two have to be friends. This is the best way to do it because…" Inochi takes a step back and fully bows this time, extending his arm out and putting a hand on his chest. "Kodai and I will be your enemies." Okay, what?! He's making himself as the Villain here?! Even cute little Kodai?!

"Did you even convince Kodai yet?" I cross my arms, grumbling something. I don't know what I'm grumbling, but it gets the point across that I'm not happy. Inochi looks at me for a second. He didn't.

"Well, not yet. She'll be more than willing to help. We both know that you want to be Kendo's friend, and that Kendo sees her failure in you." Inochi tries to explain his reasoning behind this, but he can just do one simple thing: Tell Kendo like a normal person. Why does he want to go through all this effort?

I ask him, "Why don't you tell Kendo yourself?" I wave my arm slightly to emphasize my point. He shakes his head at me though. Inochi… Even though he's an adorable goofball, he should have told Kendo this.

"She needs to realize it by herself. If I tell her outright, it's not going to change her heart in an instant _and_ it won't be as effective." Inochi tells me. I guess I have no choice but to go along, even though I don't look forward to it. All Might already put it into action…

"Alright Inochi, I trust you." Inochi has a big, adorable smile on his face. He pulls out a notebook and turns to the first page. In big characters, it has only three words: _Operation Dragon Fist!_

Oh my God, Inochi came up with a name and everything! I should be mad that he made this plan in the first place, but he's so incredibly cute and dorky with this! Why doesn't Kendo take this man as her own yet?! He's a national treasure.

"Oh wait! I had something else to ask too! About the test." He closes his notebook and puts it underneath his arm. "You looked… How can I say this… Worried. Is something wrong?"

Oh, of course Inochi caught on. I guess this is his first time seeing me being worried, since I was always first in the class back in middle school. In his mind, he knows that people would look disappointed at their test results, not worried. How should I explain it to him? Well…

"I'm fine! My dad will be a bit disappointed though, but that's it," I answer him, mentioning Dad again. His eyes go a bit wide before frowning slightly. Heh, he's ashamed that he didn't realize that he's a big businessman.

It's a bit of a lie though. Dad will be more than disappointed in me. That's why I have to try harder to get first place in the class. It's going to be a lot harder than middle school though, since we're on a different playing field. My beautiful, progedic mind can only take me this far, so my body has to lead the way forward.

Inochi has a slight smirk on his face. "There's always the next test. For now, your knight has dethroned you." Oh? He's teasing me again? Using medieval metaphors and everything! Well, the queen says otherwise.

"Don't get too cocky! That makes me come after you extra hard! You better prepare yourself, my big and strong knight!" Inochi laughs, bringing out his operation notebook again. Oh, I almost forgot all about _Dragon Fist._

"That's not what I have planned~!" Inochi hums, opening his notebook. I can barely see something about traps. Wait, is he going to literally make traps the Battle Trial? For an adorable man, he's capable of a lot of dangerous things. Heck, I think he held back in his fight with angry mantis man. (Speaking of which, I really feel bad for him. It's a tough situation Kamakiri's in.)

"Knowing you, you planned that you and Kodai will lose right?" He looks at me and goes dead silent. A few seconds pass with him still as a statue. Yup, I'm right. Inochi is too selfless to make himself the winner.

"...Moving on." Inochi finally says something, turning the page. He has an unsatisfied look on his face. "I haven't written everything yet. I'll text you and Kodai about _Operation Dragon Fist _when I'm ready. And remember:-"

I interrupt Inochi, "Don't tell your future girlfriend, I got it." He rolls his eyes and puts his notebook away. Heh, the amount of comments I could make about these two.

_Honk!_

Oh, that must be my ride! We turn to a familiar (at least for me) black, luxurious car. That's Haruto, all right! Inochi looks at him, then at me, then back at him before letting out a sigh. "I'll see you later, Tokage."

"Mhm! See ya tomorrow!" I get on my toes and plant a small kiss on Inochi's left cheek, running off to my car. I get inside, seeing Inochi starting to walk back home. Haruto's in the seat in front of me with a soft smile.

"Hello, Miss Tokage. If I didn't know better, you and Inochi are dating, but I do know better." Haruto laughs slightly, starting to drive back home. He's basically the connection between me, as an heiress and me, as a normal high school girl. Besides from Inochi, he's a guy that I can reliably count on.

"Very funny, Haruto. Anything big happen today?" I ask him, opening my notebook to the notes on the Battle Trial. If _Operation Dragon Fist_ wasn't a thing, then I'll probably be fighting Inochi blindly. Ugh, imagine fighting Inochi. With his Adoptive Muscle Memory and his constant training, he's easily one of the most unpredictable fighters in U.A., which makes him really dangerous.

(This reminds me when I told Dad that Inochi got into the Hero Course. He looked oddly confused. That's when he went into his study and made a call. It was a bit strange, and I didn't dare listen on his conversation again.)

"Well, remember that your father left early in the morning? It was from Stain. He murdered Cyrus," Haruto tells me what Stain did. I personally didn't know Cyrus myself, but she was one of Dad's acquaintances. Knowing him, he'll donate a lot of money to her family. He won't be focused on my failure today, but I'd rather take that than having a woman murdered.

That's also the thirteen Pro Hero that Stain killed. He's going after Executioner Wasp's glory, who decapitated twenty-five people before being caught, and well, executed. I don't know how Stain could do such a thing, murdering Pro Heroes like that and crippling even more. I hope someone finds him and give him what he deserves.

At times like these, I'm happy that Inochi wants to be a Pro Hero. Foster kids like him usually end up in a life of crime. When I think about it, Stain and Inochi have pretty similar fighting styles. Imagine having two Stains out there… Ugh, I don't want to think about it.

I let out a sigh, "Let's talk about something happier." Haruto nods as he turns on his turn signal, going right.

"How is Mister Shishida and Miss Yaoyorozu? I know Mister Shishida's in your class, and I believe Miss Yaoyorozu is in 1-A." I hum and nod, gesturing that Haruto's right about Momo. I should have talked to her earlier, but I didn't get a chance to. At least I know Jurota's doing pretty well for a beastly man as himself.

"Jurota's great! He's happy that I'm in his class. As for Momo, I figure that she's happy too. Haven't gotten a chance to talk to her," I tell Haruto.

We pass the car ride by talking about my classmates. We talk about Inochi, Kendo, Shiozaki (my goddess), and practically everyone. I specifically avoided talking about Kamakiri though, since that's going to be a sad talk.

Then, we talk about the Battle Trial and Inochi's masterplan. We mutually agreed that he was being hopeful, but it's a great plan nonetheless. Let's hope everything goes as planned.


	7. Dragon Fist

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Inochi, you've been there long enough! It's time to come out now," I tell him, putting a hand on my hip. For a shameless man, he's taking a long time in there. We both mutually agreed that we would keep our costumes a secret, but I didn't think he would be this shy about it!

"You'll judge me!" Inochi's meek voice comes out of the door. Ugh, he hasn't talked like that since middle school. I don't understand why he's being like this. Mom made our costumes _and _our equipment! She won't settle having a bad costume, especially for Inochi.

I yell (assuringly) at him, "I won't! How long have you known Mom and I for?!" Inochi grumbles before I hear his footsteps getting closer and closer to the door. He takes in a deep breath, at least that's what I hear, and steps out into the limelight.

Woah…

"Y-You're staring, Kendo…" Inochi stutters with his face turning bright red. Heh, I must be staring at how cool he looks! Inochi must think his costume looks terrible, but it's the exact opposite! He looks like a modern day samurai. Well, more like a ronin to be exact.

I walk up to him, observing his costume. Inochi blushes even more, turning his head away. Aw, it's a rare moment for him to be flustered like this! As for his hero costume…

Inochi is wearing a short sleeve, black and white kimono. On his chest and waist is some tatami-gusoku, a form of samurai armor. His metal armor plates are pitch black outlined with white. It's held together by his black agemaki, or that could be for style. Down to his legs though.. His kimono is above his knees, but it's still a bit flowy. Underneath that is white combat pants tucked into his black boots.

"A-Are you done staring?" he asks me, putting up his white hood that's attached to the neckline of his kimono. There's also a black mask attached to his neck too. I shake my head with a slight smile on my face. Inochi lets out a pitiful noise, having no choice but to let me inspect him.

Now, onto my most looked forward part: His equipment. At his left hip is his katana with its tsuka wrapped in white linen. It's nicely tucked into its sharp black sheathe. Underneath his katana is his wakizashi, which has the same design. His tanto is the same too, but it's much shorter and on his right hip. I walk behind him and see four white pouches with a black button.

I step over in front of him again, looking at his two black bracers on his arms. They have a white, four-pointed star on them. "What's with the bracers? I don't remember samurais having those on them."

Inochi pulls his left arm across his chest, showcasing it to me. "This is… Uh, my grappling hook. I can move around a lot easier and…" He puts his left arm down and brings his right up. "My crossbow. It can hold five bolts at a time."

Grappling hook?! And a crossbow?! This is his way to even up with all of us, but he's going beyond that! It must weigh a lot though... It _does _explain the weight training he did with Grandpa. Jeez, the only thing I have is a utility belt. I don't need anything but my beautiful hammerfists.

Inochi makes a movement with his wrist. His bracer instantly opens up into a crossbow with a steel-tipped bolt already chambered in-?! He's waving that thing in front of me! Inochi, what the hell?!

I take a step forward, moving his hand away from me. "Woah! Don't wave that thing in front of me!" Inochi realizes and moves his wrist again, closing his bracer. He sighs in relief as I let go of his hand.

"I'm so sorry! This thing is touch-!" His left bracer opens up to reveal a metal hook attached to rope. I barely have enough time to sidestep as it shoots out towards the wall behind me, digging itself in. "EEEEEEEE!"

_SLAM!_

Inochi gets yanked by the arm, slamming into the concrete wall. I run over to him as he falls over backwards. I catch him, looking down at his dazed face. "Inochi! Are you okay?!"

Inochi groans, looking up at me. He has a pained smile on his face. "I…I swear I know how to use it."

I giggle, putting him down on his feet. "I hope so. How can you be a badass in one second then be a complete klutz in the next?" Inochi nervously laughs from his own clumsiness, rubbing his bare arms.

"I don't know…" he tells me, taking a good look at my costume. I spin around, showing off my beautiful green qipao to him. Inochi smiles and crosses his arms playfully, making sure his bracers aren't going to activate.

"You look gorgeous, Kendo. Hayami really came through with our costumes, huh?" he compliments me with a smile. I can feel my face getting a little warmer, but he can't see it from my domino mask. He's never afraid to say what's on his mind.

"Aw, thanks for the compliment, Inochi. And yeah, you didn't have to be so flustered about it." I wave my arm towards Ground Beta, gesturing him to follow. We walk down the hall side-by-side.

Inochi talks back to me, "Hey, dressing up in a battle kimono is a bit embarrassing." I snort, quickly covering my mouth to stifle my laughter. To call his costume a "battle kimono" is so off-putting, but so true! I might as well consider my qipao as a "battle qipao" then!

We have a good laugh before we reach everyone else. Look at all these costumes! There's a ton of variety and styles that I could go on and on about. Where's Yui though? I wanna see what she came up with!

"Hey hey, samurai!" Inochi and I turn to Awase, who's waving Inochi over to Rin, Manga, and Kaibara. I heard some things about Awase from Kaibara, especially his comments. One of these days, I'll have a strong talk with him. I need Yui to distract Inochi because he'll try to stop me.

"Hey guys!" Inochi leaves me to be with his guy friends. I pout, putting a hand on my hip. I'm sure Rin, Kaibara, and Manga are good people. But Awase? Making those comments makes me want to punch them.

"Are you well, Kendo?" Yanagi says, walking up to me. Her costume is so like her! A white kimono (like Inochi's), a furred collar, and a black mask covering her nose down.

I reply back to Yanagi, "Yeah, it's nothing. You ready for the Battle Tri-?"

"Kamakiri! Kamakiri!" Pony's voice interrupts me. Yanagi and I watch Pony as she's practically jumping around Kamakiri, looking at his villainy costume. Pretty much everything about his costume is dark and broody.

It contrasts with Pony's costume, who's wearing an adorable bright orange skin-tight shirt with matching pants. For some reason… She's wearing a saddle. Does that mean people can ride her? Oh, I'm not letting any man ride Pony!

"Stop hoppin' around like that Pony!" Kamakiri berates poor Pony, trying to literally push her away. Hmph, why is she hanging around someone like Kamakiri? He's bad news, especially for someone as innocent as Pony.

I turn to Yanagi and say, "I'll be right back." Yanagi nods as I walk towards these two. Kamakiri looks at me and groans. I hear him muttering that the big sister is here. Well, I'm flattered he considers me that.

Pony stops jumping around and looks at me. She has that adorable smile on her face. "Kendo Kendo!" Right as when she's distracted, Kamakiri walks away. Heh, he knows what's good for him.

Yanagi walks up to us. "The mantis has departed." Pony smiles at Yanagi, staring at her white kimono. She touches the fabric before frowning.

"This pretty kimono will rip, Yanagi! I don't wanna see this be ripped!" Yanagi stands there like a still statue. I'm sure her kimono won't tear easily, because it'll be really expensive otherwise.

"Pony, it's probably woven with kevlar, like my qipao and Inochi's own kimono," I explain it to her. Yanagi nods, telling me that I'm right.

"That's cool!" Pony looks around, getting worried with each turn of her head. "Where's Kamakiri? Did he run away again?" She's still on him? What does Pony see in him?

"Why must you be distraught about Kamakiri?" Yanagi asks Pony before I do. Besides me, Yui walks up wearing a red and white bodysuit. She looks gorgeous, and has a cute little hat too! Like always, she has that indifferent look on her face.

"He seems so sad! I wanna help him. That's what real Expert Heroes do!" That's what "Pro Heroes" do, but I don't dare to correct her. No one dares to correct her, but Kamakiri doesn't seem like a sad guy to me. To be honest, he's a lot like Bakugo from 1-A, but less noisy. We hear him yelling in our homeroom sometimes. How does Ojiro deal with him?

Yui looks at me with the same expression I have. She's with me here. "If you say so, Pony. You know what he is though, right?" I warn Pony, which she gladly nods.

"I don't give a dang about that!" Pony exclaims with a hand on her hip. Well, if Pony isn't judging Kamakiri that way… What does that say about me? That I'm a pretty judgemental person for one. I guess I can't judge him that way, but I'm still keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't try anything with Po-?!

"WAAAAAAAAAH!" Manga suddenly screams, making the whole room go silent. We stare at him freaking out in front of… Oh, Tokage is floating her face right in front of him. Of course she would do that. Tokage is wearing a simple blue, scaly bodysuit. I'd thought it'll be green.

"Manga! It's just Tokage!" Inochi tries to shake him out of his fright. Manga is mumbling incoherent. For God's sake, Tokage… She puts her face back with the rest of her body, chatting with the boys.

"Wow! Inochi looks like a real samurai!" Pony runs over to them, hopping all around Inochi. He smiles, presumably telling her all about his costume. Man, on the first day of school, she was so shy! Now, she's literally jumping with joy around us. It's a bit like Inochi. He's an introverted guy, but a real extrovert once you get to know him.

"What a spritely woman…" Yanagi comments, watching Pony with us. Yui nods with her with a simple hum. These two are so quiet and emotionless, but I bet that there's a lot of thoughts going through their head.

"Has the test begun?" Shiozaki walks up to us wearing a plain white robe with knee-high boots. I can't imagine her with any other costume.

"Not yet," I tell Shiozaki, looking around for All Might. Where is he? I'm pretty sure everyone's here except for hi-

_STOMP STOMP STOMP!_

As soon as I think that, everyone stops and stares at a door where the stomping is coming from. That's where All Might's going to appear. It gets closer and closer until…

_CRASH!_

"I AM HERE!" All Might yells out his famous catchphrase, running towards the front of the room with Recovery Girl simply walking at a calm pace. We gather around him, staring at a TV screen that just turned on. It has two words in red: "BATTLE TRIAL!"

All Might points to the screen as it changes into a cool comic, reviewing the Battle Trial with us. The screen changes to Class 1-A and their Battle Trials. All Might narrates through some scenes, especially the one involving Midoriya and Bakugo. I can feel Monoma monologuing inside his head.

Afterwards, All Might snaps his fingers, changing the screen. "Without further ado, it's time to find out the teams!" The screen changes into two wheels with a label up top, "Team A - Heroes!"

The wheels spin for a few seconds before landing on two names: Tetsutetsu and Manga. Tetsutetsu pumps his fist up while Manga lets out a scared whine.

Team B is Shiozaki and Tsubaraba as Heroes. ("I'm dead," Tsubaraba mutters.)

Team C is Inochi and Yui as Villains

Really?! My two best friends are paired together? I was hoping I would be paired with one of them, but I guess I have to be with someone else. As long as I don't get paired with Tokage. Even better, I'll have to fight her!

Team D is Honenuki and Rin as Villains. (Honenuki does a great villain cackle.)

Team E is Pony and Kamakiri as Heroes. What are the odds of that?)

Team F is Awase and Yanagi as Villains. (Awase doesn't look too happy with the pairing.)

Team G is Komori and Kuroiro as Villains. ("I am satisfied," Kuroiro comments.)

Team H is Bondo and Shishida as Villains. (These two didn't say anything.)

Team I is Kaibara, Monoma, and Shoda as Heroes. (I guess Monoma is the extra man in every group.)

That's everyone else except for… Except for Tokage and I. Don't tell me… The wheel spins one more time for Team J, landing on both of our names.

I'm with her… The one person I absolutely abhor. Little Miss Perfect, the one woman who's determined to beat everyone, beating _me._ Why did life had to pair me with her?!

Let me guess, she'll take control of the entire Battle Trial and I'll be tagging along. She'll take the glory of winning while I'll be left with the scraps. What kind of bullshit is this?! It's too late to change the teams now. God, I don't know how this day could get even worse...

Tokage walks up to me with a smile. "Looks like we're partners, Battle Fist!" She's giving me a nickname and everything. That's so damn annoying. How the hell does Inochi deal with someone like her on a daily basis?

"Yup…" I try my best to sound normal, but it didn't work. My voice is completely hostile to this woman.

All Might laughs and snaps his fingers again, changing the title to: "MATCH-UPS!" One wheel is labeled, "HEROES!" while the other is labeled, "VILLAINS!"

"Let's see who're you'll be fighting against!" We stare at the wheels spinning for a few seconds. The first wheel stops at… Team J. We're the first match. At least I'll get this over with instead of waiting. And the other wheel lands on… Team C…

What the absolute hell?! Of all teams I could go up against, it's my two best friends! Is life determined to screw me over at every turn?! Not only I have to pair up with Tokage, I'll have to fight my friends! Normally, I wouldn't be complaining, but Tokage changes all of that.

Tokage snarkily comments, "I didn't expect to fight my knight!" For some reason, her voice sounds… Fake? Is that the right word? It's like she's purposely pretending to be a terrible actor. Ugh, it's like she's trying to provoke me. I cross my arms, grumbling something unintelligible.

Team A is going against Team D.

Team E is going against Team F.

Team B is going against Team H.

Team I is going against Team G.

"Team C and J! Follow the lights to your Battle Trial!" All Might calls us. We follow the lights into a long, white hallway. Inochi awkwardly scratches the back of his head while Yui doesn't have an expression on her face.

"Uhm, let's have a good battle, you two." Inochi tells me. I couldn't help but smile though. This is a good chance to properly fight him using everything we got. I'll still beat him though, with or without Tokage.

Tokage replies back, "You betcha! You better not hold back." She's still talking like that. Inochi slightly winces, but smiles like everything's fine. I didn't bother to say anything else though. Yui stays silent like she always does.

"Yeah, of course. Best of luck!" Inochi says as we reach the end of the hallway, stopping at a metal door.

All Might's voice comes on in the intercoms. "The Villains have a grace period of five minutes to prepare! Use that time wisely!" The door opens, letting Inochi and Yui through. They wave goodbye, leaving Tokage and I alone.

Once the door closes, Tokage brings her hands together. "Alright Kendo! I have a plan. Kodai is an easy target, so I can handle her adorableness myself." Is Tokage talking about fighting or taking care of a puppy? Anyway…

"What about Inochi? Where does he fit in your _great_ plan of yours?" I say without trying to sound passive-aggressive, but it's too late. Tokage notices with a subtle wince, but she's still smiling her cocky smile.

"Y-You can take care of him. Let me go over the plan." Tokage stutters, but maintaining her confident and flirty attitude. I don't know how she's able to go around without a care in the world. It's like winning comes naturally for her, except for Mister Vlad's test earlier. Not only she's an heiress to a multi-billionaire company, she's also a prodigy. Is there anything she isn't?

I lean against the wall, watching her move her mouth. Before I knew it, a bell rings. I didn't catch what Tokage's plan was, but I know enough. She's going up to Kodai while I'm focusing on fighting Inochi. It's a simple plan. Even though Inochi has his weapons, I can still defeat him easily. I have to get up close and he'll lose. He knows this though, so he'll try everything to keep me away from him.

Tokage cracks her knuckles as the door opens. "Heroes! It's time to initiate your Battle Trial! Your hostages are on the top floor. I wish you the best of luck!" All Might tells us before the intercoms shut off. Here we go…

I'll be your fist...

* * *

We go through the door into a large concrete hallway. The walls are like a six-sided die, but the dots are smaller at the corners. I can already tell this will be a concrete maze. Right now though, I don't hear any other footsteps than Tokage's and mine.

As we pass through dark corridors, I look in them. There isn't a single thing in there. Yui and Inochi must be upstairs where the hostages are at. I'd thought Inochi would come down here and meet us himself. He's playing it safe and smart.

"Those two aren't anywhere to be seen…" Tokage says with her bad acting voice. Seriously, why is she talking like that?

"Was this apart of your oh-so-perfect plan?" I ask her with my fists clenching. We stand in the middle of the hallway. I can barely see the stairs at the end, around the corner.

"Yeah, but I was hoping I wouldn't come to that. Our odds of success go down to a seventy-five percent. It's still favorable, but life usually makes that percent be like ten because life sucks." Tokage laughs at her own joke, pretending that she didn't hear the last part. I roll my eyes and look forward.

If they're waiting for us, then there's only one thing to do: Fighting them head on. Screw whatever Tokage is trying to do, this is where I take over. That way, I could actually win without her messing everything up.

"That means there's only one way to attack them." I say, slamming my fists together. Tokage's eyes go wide, staring at me like I'm a lunatic.

"No! That's a bad idea! We'll be going into their territory!" Tokage stops walking to scold me about how bad my idea is. Ugh, after this, she'll rant about how her plan is so much better than mine.

"My plan removes their advantage and giving it to us! Did you even listen to me?!" she barks at me. Yup, exactly what I'd thought she would do. What the hell does she know? Everyone knows that plans don't perfectly work all the time. It's like in the movies. It never works, so the protagonist always has to improvise and adapt.

I cross my arms with anger starting to rise in my chest. "Just stop with your plans already! You said it yourself, life sucks. So, we're going to win, _my_ way." I point to myself before looking ahead. I'll prove to her that I'll win without her "masterplan." Without a second thought, I run towards the stairs.

"If you want to win so much, follow me." I say as I jog over the stairs. Inochi and Yui will probably hear my footsteps, but they already know we're coming.

Tokage yells at my back, "Don't run off like that!" Little Miss Perfect is angry, but I know she won't leave me by myself. If she wants to win like she always does, then she'll be forced to follow me. I don't really care either way. Yui and Inochi are a strong team, but their fighting skills are nothing compared to me.

I turn the corner and spot the stairs leading to victory. I look back and see Tokage chasing after me by flying. A smirk forms on my face. "Looks like I beat you here." I put my foot on the first ste-!

"KENDO!"

_BOOM!_

Right before I exploded, I felt a thin wire right above my toes. Tokage caught up to me before we were sent flying into a wall behind us. My back crashes against it while parts of Tokage's body gets launched all… Everywhere! I'm feeling dazed, but I shake myself out of it. The explosion didn't hurt me much, but…

"Tokage?!" I get up and run over to… Well, I don't know what to run over. She's literally all over the place. I hear her groaning as her body slowly forms back into her full self. Even though I hate her, she doesn't deserve to be blown up!

Tokage stands up and growls at me, growing red in the face. "What the hell Kendo?! I told you to not run off!" Is she blaming me for this?!

"If you didn't distracted me, then I would have saw the tripwire!" I yell back at her, gesturing towards the stairs, which are now partly broken from the explosion.

"Really?! You're the one who refuses to do what I say! I'm trying to help us win, but you're being so freaking reckless! Do you really think you can take Yui _and _Inochi by yourself?!" She snaps back, tearing off her now-broken mask. I can see her scaly green eyes now.

"Yeah, I have complete confidence in my abilities, _Tokage_. They won't be able to beat me, especially badass Inochi!" I snap back, practically spitting in her face. Tokage grits her teeth, twisting her hair around her finger.

"More like completely arroga-"

"Wow, Kendo. I never knew you could say such hurtful things."

Tokage and I turn around to face Inochi, who's leaning against a wall near the broken stairs. He has his hood up with a black mask covering his face from the nose down. His voice… It's different. It's not bubbly or cheerful like before, but it's cold. Cold and emotionless. I can't believe he's been watching us… I can still beat him, right? Even though his complete demeanor has changed, it's possible to beat him and win! But… Why do I feel so scared?

Tokage and I look at each other. The red in our faces disappear, letting fear takes its place. I never seen Tokage having that expression before. How is Inochi doing this to us with only a single sentence?!

"What's wrong? You guys are two of the most powerful women I know, so why are you still like a deer caught in headlights?" Inochi gets off of the wall and casually walks where he's facing us. Behind him is an open doorway leading to a room full of windows. I estimate he's about fifteen or so meters ahead.

Still… Tokage and I remain silent from his taunt. It's not like Monoma's where it's irritating beyond relief. Unlike Monoma, Inochi can and will back his taunt up. I think… I think I severely underestimated him…

We stay where we're at, like statues.

Inochi clicks his tongue like he's disappointed. "So be it."

_CLINK!_

_ZIIIIIP!_

Inochi activates his grappling hook. It extends where it almost touches the ground. He whips it towards Tokage, extending it through the air. (He's trying to capture her?!) I try to push Tokage out of the way, but my muscles freeze up. His grappling hook coils around Tokage's waist as grabs it with his other arm, pulling her towards him.

The rope starts to retract back into his bracer, making her be in mid-air. I yell out Tokage's name, but it doesn't do anything to save her. I watch her being pulled towards Inochi as he heaves her above him. The rope uncoils from her waist as Tokage is launched into the open room with windows.

Without looking, Inochi moves his right arm towards it and opens his crossbow, firing a bolt inside.

_BOOM!_

From what I can see, the entire room explodes. I could only stand there in shock from what Inochi just did. I could have pushed Tokage out of the way, or she could have split herself apart, but we were too dumbfounded. For all I know, Tokage is immediately incapacitated.

Just what the hell are you, Inochi? Earlier, you couldn't even control your grappling hook. Now, you can do all of this?!

It doesn't matter now. I can't let fear stop me. Inochi glares at me as I charge forward, rushing in with my fists clenched. It might not work out, but I have to try! Inochi simply shakes his head and aims his crossbow at the floor in front of me, firing again.

_BOOM!_

The force of the explosion knocks me back, but I'm still on my feet. A large grey cloud of dust and smoke fills the area in front of me. I can barely make out Inochi's dark figure, whose kimono is waving slightly from the explosion.

"I'm disappointed, _Heroes_. You two kept on arguing and bickering, saying such mean things to each other. If you can't work together, then what hope do you have to win?" Inochi says as the smoke disappears. Behind him, I see Tokage staggering out the doorway, holding her arm. Thank God… For once, I'm glad she's okay.

We both stare at Inochi. Even though he's looking at me, his presence is staring at both of us. Like… Like he's expecting something.

"After all, I _am_ your Villain."

Once he says that, Tokage splits her body into small pieces. She yells, "Run, Kendo! We can't take him on like this!" Without thinking, I spin on the soles of my feet and run away from Inochi. I duck into a dark corridor, turning for God knows how many times. I find myself in a dark room, so I let myself close my eyes for a brief second...

_Thud_

Shit, Inochi's here! My eyes jolt open as I enlarge my right fist. I pull back and aim wherever I heard the sou-

"Kendo! It's me!" Tokage loudly whispers to me. My fist stops right at her nose. Shit, I almost knocked her out. I pull my hand back, shrinking it.

"Sorry," I apologize to her, resting against the wall. I didn't expect things to go this way, but should have. This isn't like me at all. What did Inochi say?

"_If you can't work together, then what hope do you have to win?"_

He was talking about the both of us, but he was looking at me. Inochi was talking to _me_, telling me to work together with Tokage. When I think back on it, I was being such a bitch to her wasn't I? I'm the one who refuses to work with her, not Tokage...

"It's fine, Kendo." She accepts my apology, resting next to me. Inochi really did a number on her. Her costume has dust and soot all over. I hear Tokage muttering under her breath, "This didn't go according to plan."

For some reason, I laugh a little. It's a weird feeling though. The usual feeling I get with her, utterly hate, isn't there anymore. "Yeah, it's all my fault… I didn't expect Inochi to be this… How can I say this…?"

"Good guy version of Stain? Ugh, we haven't seen him using his katana yet…" Tokage took the words out of my mouth. God, I'm really happy he wants to be a Pro Hero. I can't imagine him as a Villain… Except right now, of course.

I manage to laugh again despite everything. "Heh… Yesterday, Inochi was like, 'Oh, I can't wait to mix in my kenjutsu with modern techniques!' Now, we're hiding from him. I underestimated him so much…"

My back slides down the wall, making me sit down with my knees close to my chest. Tokage does the same, nudging my shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, I'm pretty sure my arm's dislocated." She gestures towards her other arm, which is hanging around uselessly. It doesn't make me feel any better. Only worse.

"Oh, let me fix that." I grab it and put it back in her socket. Tokage lets out a small whine of pain before rolling her shoulder around.

"You could've warned me, but I guess I deserved that." She groans, hitting the back of her head against the wall. Why does she think that though? I'm constantly going against her plans and everything!

I turn my head towards her. "No, I'm the asshole who couldn't work with you. I'm the reason why we're hiding from Evil Inochi." She looks back at me. Her eyes are a lot kinder than before. Has she always been this way?

"Kend-"

I interrupt her, letting my thoughts flow out of my mouth.

"To be honest, I was always so Goddamn jealous of you. Yui only told Inochi that I didn't like you from the Recommendations Exam, but that wasn't the full truth. It was from how stupidly perfect you are at everything. It's like you were born with the perfect set of genes... I _hated _it so much. It made me feel like nothing in comparison to you.

When I found out that we would be in the same class, I felt so angry that I'll be nothing compared to the great, Setsuna Tokage. Then... This happened. It took getting blown up to show me that I painted an awful portrait of you and took it as the real you. I'm sorry, Tokage. For how I treated you for the past few years..."

I bow my head in shame as Tokage takes in what I said. It really isn't the best time to spill my heart out, but now's better than ever. After a few seconds, I look up to see Tokage with a gleaming smile on her face. "I forgive you, Kendo. Believe me, I was jealous of the badass daughter of Master Kendo. It takes one to know one as they say!"

Tokage jumps up with newfound energy in her feet. "Anyway, there's more pressing matters to get to! We got six minutes until time runs out! It's time to show Inochi what's coming to him! Come on, Kendo."

Tokage lends me a hand. It reminds me of the moment after the Recommendation Exams… We were both exhausted after the racing portion of the practical test. She beat me, just barely. I fell on the ground covered in dirt. Tokage simply smiled at me and lent me her hand, but all I could see was a snickering face, taunting me that I lost.

Looking at it in a different light, she was being nice to me, but I smacked her hand away. It was one of the many occasions that I was being rude and mean to her. Every time, Inochi and Yui gave me a distasteful look. Well, I'll show them that I'll win… With Tokage.

I take off my own mask, throwing it aside. My hand clasps Tokage's as she pulls me back up to my feet. "What's the plan, Tokage?"

Tokage has a bright smile on her face. The one that reminds me whenever she wins. This time, I think she's sharing it with me.

"Well, it's pretty simple actually."

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

It's been two minutes. They haven't gotten out from their hiding place yet. Five minutes to go. They have to defeat me within that time, go up to Kodai, defeat her and/or rescue the hostages. God, I hope they made up within those two minutes. My plan would be a bust if they lost.

Was I being too hard on them? Being too evil? I mean, I practically threw Tokage into a room and blew her up. To be fair, I didn't think I could do that. I only saw Asui doing the same thing, with her tongue, when All Might showed us those clips of 1-A's Battle Trial. It worked though, but a little too well. Kendo was certainty surprised though, as she had a lot of chances to react, but she didn't do anything. Man, I'm way too good at acting like a Villain...

The problem is: Kendo will not freeze up again. That move was a surprise (to all of us frankly). I can't surprise her with the same thing twice. Luckily, Tokage will create an improvised plan to defeat me. I know I'll lose, so it's only a matter of how I'll lose.

I'll still fight at my full potential though because I promised All Might that. Man, imagine what everyone else is thinking…

_Click clack!_

Footsteps! From the sound of them, it's Kendo's. Her footsteps are heavier than Tokage's, so the question is: Where is Tokage? Most likely, she's flying to avoid being heard by me. That means… She's scouting.

I look around for Tokage's eyes in the sky. Kendo won't see me right away because… Well… I'm on the concrete platforms near the ceiling. I have a birdseye view down below. Unfortunately, I don't see Tokage's eyes anywhere. That means I can't find her.

Kendo's in the main hallway now in full view. Well, I can't let time go on. It's time for our rematch. It'll be a close quarters combat, so I'll lose here. Well, I _need_ to lose. I'll be holding back either way, because fighting with a katana isn't that good at incapacitating.

Alright, let's get this over with.

I unsheathe my katana and fall from my platform, landing on my feet in front of her. I spin it around my hand, lightly gripping it with my right. "Did you learn your lesson, Kendo?" Evil Sanji asks her. (It's amazing that I can make my voice cold and emotionless, but I don't like it one bit. It's way too… Well, evil.)

"Did _you_? You know you can't win." Kendo says, clenching her right fist.

"We'll see about that." I put both of my hands firmly on the hilt, getting into position. I definitely know that I can't beat her. For my first trick, my right arm is directly facing her. I activate my crossbow and fire another explosive bolt within the second (two left).

Kendo steps to the side, letting the bolt fly into the wall behind her.

_BOOM!_

If the open room wasn't destroyed before, then it's destroyed now. The sunlight is making itself at home at our Battle Trial. Kendo smirks (I notice that she isn't wearing her domino mask anymore), and takes a step forward. Well, now's a good time as any to strike!

I dash forward and slash at her right hip. Kendo tries to jump back, but my blade nicks her. That part of her costume nicks her, drawing a small amount of blood. She backs up into a wall, putting herself in an awful position. Kendo touches her hip and slightly winces in pain. "Ow…"

I'm sor-!

_SLAM!_

Kendo punches me with a left hook to the jaw. Pain shoots from her punch, leaving a numb feeling in my jaw. I stagger backwards before shaking myself back to reality. Crap, she took advantage of my kindness! She knew I would react to her getting hurt, so I didn't do anything and let my guard down! We're deeper into the hallway now, neither of us are in a favorable or an unfavorable position.

"That's it!" I growl out, aiming my grappling hook at her head. It fires, barely missing Kendo. It hits the concrete wall behind her, digging itself in. Without hesitation, I yank my grappling hook back.

_SLAM!_

It rips a piece of concrete from the wall, hitting Kendo's back. She's forced to step forward closer to me, right where I want her. I spin on the heel of my left foot, connecting my right heel to her head. Kendo groans in pain as she staggers towards the side.

"Take this!" She recovers before I have a chance to attack again. Kendo pulls her right hand back and aims for my head, but I tilt it to the side, narrowly avoiding her punch. What else should I d-?!

_THUD!_

Kendo enlarges her fist, hitting my head again. I'm knocked to the side, dropping my katana on the ground. My back hits a wall, putting me in an unlucky position this time. "Yah!" Kendo grunts, sending her enlarged fist flying at me again. I jerk towards the side and dodge her punch again.

_CRACK!_

And the concrete wall cracks. Yup, I always knew she could break concrete like it's nothing. That's the amount of force she's punching me with. Oh God, how am I not dead yet?!

"Sorry, Inochi!" Kendo shrinks her hand and grabs the rope attached to my grappling hook. Oh crap, I didn't retract it! I could do something! I have enough time to get my wakizashi or my tanto out! But… I really don't want to hurt her! That's it then… I'm resigning myself to my fate.

She lifts me in the air and-!

_SLAM!_

_Crack!_

Ughk!

"That's for blowing me up!" Kendo tells me, but I'm pretty sure she just cracked my back… Not in a good way too… Pain shoots its way throughout my body, telling me to end the match here… Where's Tokage…?

_SLAM!_

"That's for cutting me earlier!"

_SLAM!_

"That's for taking this way too seriously!"

_SLAM!_

Kendo lets go after the fourth time she slams me. She wipes her mouth, smiling wickedly. "And that's for creating this scheme."

Eh…? Did I hear her right…? I don't know, my everything hurts… I can't think right now...

I think I hear a bell ringing. Is that the end of the match? All Might, please tell me that the match ended. I don't want to deal with any more of Kendo's wrath…

"The Heroes have defeated the Villains! Congratulations, Team J!" All Might says over the intercoms. Kendo pumps her fist in the air, cheering in victory. I lay on the ground, defeated. I planned this. She looks really happy too… I'm glad for her…

"Woah Kendo, I think you killed Inochi." Is that Tokage's voice? I think it is… She defeated Kodai? Well, looks like I was wrong…

"Rest in peace," Kodai says to me, patting my head. Thanks Kodai… I'll just… I'll just lay here for a while...

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

I carry Inochi back to our class. Tokage and I have a bright smile on our faces. She was right! It would be this easy! Yui though, she has that same indifferent look on her face. She was in on this, but didn't do much. At least she was emotional support for Inochi because… Well…

"Inochi, how're you hanging?" Tokage pats Inochi's back. It was only a light pat, but he groans loudly in pain. She giggles to herself, nudging my shoulder. "Looks like you got some revenge there, Battle Fist."

"Mhm!" I hum, walking back into our starting hallway. Yui walks in between Tokage and I. She has something on her mind.

"Tokage, you told Itsuka about _Operation Dragon Fist?_" Yui asks her. Tokage tilts her head back and forth slightly, like she didn't tell me about it. Well, she told me that Inochi rigged the teams. What else was there?

"Not exactly. I told Kendo about the rigged teams, but I didn't tell her why Inochi did it." I turn to her with a puzzled look on my face. Tokage smiles and looks forward. Oh, we're here already? Yui opens the door and walks inside with us following suit. Our class claps as we walk inside.

"That was a good fight!" Awase gives us a thumbs-up. Besides him, Yanagi simply nods her head with her arms like a zombie.

"What a splendid performance, Inochi!" Monoma comments on Inochi's acting. Well, it was pretty convincing. He was so terrifying different that it froze me up. That won't happen again though… I hope.

"I don't think this troublesome boy can hear you, dear." Recovery Girl says, gesturing me to put him on a table. She shakes her head disapprovingly at the both of us. "What is Sasaki teaching you?"

I didn't have anything to say. I knew Recovery Girl and Grandpa had history, but he never talked about it. For some reason, he's always secretive about his life in U.A. Mom said it's from bad memories.

Recovery Girl inspects Inochi, turning and twisting him all over. He groans with every movement. "Luckily, you only sprained his back somehow. This boy's resilient." She kisses Inochi's forehead and the back of my hand, healing us. The cut on my hip is slowly disappearing.

"Thank you, Miss Shuzenji…" I bow in respect. She waves me away back to my class, moving in between Yui and Tokage. All Might is in front of us with a bright smile on his face.

"Well, it seems Young Inochi's scheme have worked perfectly! I couldn't be happier." Tokage nods and hums, showing her toothy smile.

"Yup! All Might, do you want to explain what _Operation Dragon Fist _was to all of us? Since… Uhm…" She turns back to Inochi, who's moaning in pain currently. "Let's say the ringleader is occupied at the moment."

"What did I get myself into?" Shoda mutters under his breath, hiding his face slightly in his costume. I would say to that, _U.A. High School! One of the best high schools in Japan!_ But, I'm more concerned about _Operation Battle Fist_.

"I will, Young Tokage!" All Might gestures everyone to watch the screen labeled, "OPERATION DRAGON FIST!"

"_Operation Dragon Fist _was a scheme created by the selfless, and currently injured, Sanji Inochi!" All Might starts his explanation of Inochi's operation. Jeez, he made a name for this and everything.

The screen showcases a comic of him talking to All Might after class. "One day, he talked to me after class. I noticed him writing furiously in a notebook of his, so I knew it had to be that!"

Inochi and All Might are having a conversation without words. Inside Inochi's speech bubble is Team C and J. Team J, us, has a halo around it. Team C has a demon's red horns. "He asked me to rig the teams. Young Kendo and Tokage would be Heroes while him and Young Kodai would be the Villains!"

All Might has a question mark above his head. He asks Inochi why he wanted to do this. The comic switches to Tokage and I, standing on flat rock. There's a crack in the earth, dividing us apart. "He told me about the rift between them. That's when I knew! Young Inochi would sacrifice his chance at winning to restore the friendship and camaraderie between his two close friends! And so, _Operation Dragon Fist_ was set into motion!"

That's what Inochi wanted all this time? To make Tokage and I be friends? It's so like him to do that, but why did it had to be our Battle Trial? Why didn't he tell me that I was being an asshole? Who am I kidding… He'll do ridiculous things like that for me. He's taking this "Plus Ultra" thing so beyond than anyone has gone before. To be honest, I would do the same thing for him… I should apologize after he stops being a moaning mess.

The next screen showcases the clips of our Battle Trial. Including the part where Tokage and I yelled at each other a lot… Jeez, I can't believe that was what? Thirty or so minutes ago? "The Battle Trial went as planned. Team J bickered before Inochi intervened! They came together at the end, putting aside the rift that once separated them and made bridges! I might say though, the combat afterwards was a bit unsatisfying."

Tokage hums, nodding her head, "Yeah… _Operation Dragon Fist_ required Team J to lose. For me, I had to take down Kodai, which was easy, while Kendo dealt with Evil Inochi. In my opinion, Inochi would lose to Kendo regardless if we had this operation or not. Because-"

"Because," I continue Tokage's train of thought, "he purposely held back despite us wanting him otherwise. That's why it was so unfulfilling. He had a lot of chances to counterattack, but didn't. He was terrified of hurting me because he isn't exactly made to subdue."

"Yet, you kept slammin' Quirkless around like a ragdoll? What the hell, Kendo?" Kamakiri adds his two cents in. That's a uhh… Fair point. Also, why the heck is Kamakiri keep calling him "Quirkless?"

("Language," Shiozaki tells Kamakiri. Is this going to be a constant thing?)

A sigh of shame leaves my mouth while All Might laughs, putting his hands on his hips. "Anyway! Young Kendo, do you say that _Operation Dragon Fist_ was successful?" Everyone's eyes are on me.

I had to smile. "Yeah, _Operation Dragon Fist_ is a success alright." Tokage cheers and pumps her arms in the air. Everyone claps, even Yui! Well, this is one of the strangest tests I have ever taken. It feels good though, leaving my anger and hate behind me. I came out feeling a little lighter.

For the rest of the day, the Battle Trials continue.

Team A and D tied.

Team E's and F's fight never happened, but Team F wins by default.

Team B defeated Team H.

Team I defeated Team G.

I'm going to be honest, dealing with my classmates was more exhausting than my own match… Especially Kamakiri… That was another _Operation Dragon Fist _of its own...

* * *

After talking to All Might about my punishment, I catch up with the three musketeers outside U.A. Gate. Tokage and Inochi are talking to each other. Knowing them, they're endlessly teasing each other to oblivion. Yui is simply staring and nodding, saying what's only necessary. It's like what happened with Kamakiri didn't happen… Well, I should act the same.

"Hey guys!" I walk up to them, waving with my biggest smile. They all wave back, letting me into their group. At that moment, I punch Inochi in the shoulder.

"Gah!" He cries out in pain, holding his shoulder. He has a betrayed look on his face. Oh really, he's being betrayed here? Well, it was for a good reason. "I told you that I'm sorry, Kendo!" Tokage snickers in the background.

"Hmph, that punch was for being a ridiculous person in general," I give my reason, crossing my arm. (I shouldn't be _this_ hard on him, but it's kinda fun. It's a great way to cheer me up.)

"You know that's my one setting. You'll just have to deal with me for the rest of your life," Inochi says with a smirk. That's a bit bold of him to assume that we'll be together for the rest of our lives, but I wouldn't mind.

"Oh my God, get a room you two!" Tokage gets in between us, insuitating our "relationship." Oh jeez right, we're friends now. That means I'll have to deal with more of her comments and innuendos. What did I get myself into? I turn to Yui who gives me a look that says, _You have to deal with this._

"Tokage, don't use His name in vain." Inochi puts his finger up. Why is he mentioning Shiozaki's religiousness all of the sudden? I look at Tokage, who's blushing slightly. Eh?

I ask everyone, "Am I missing something here?" Tokage looks at me and quickly shakes her head. Inochi snickers to himself.

"I'm going to tell he-"

Tokage interrupts Inochi, practically yelling at him. "Don't you dare! I'm not ready for her to kn-"

"Tokage has a crush on Shiozaki."

"Yui?!" I look at her in complete shock. She said it without a single care in the world!

"Kodai?!" Inochi has the same look on his face!

"...You betrayed me." Tokage hides her incredibly red face behind her green, wavy hair. Heh, to think Tokage is gay all along! I'd thought she was in madly in love with Inochi from the way she acts around him. Guess I was wrong. Now, I got a weapon of my own against her.

Wait a second! She has a crush on Shiozaki?!

"Shiozaki? _Her?_" Tokage slowly nods with a pitiful hum. I never seen her like this before! It's oddly satisfying seeing her being the one embarassed instead us. Still, she likes the devout Catholic girl. That's so ironic that I don't know how to react.

"Kodai, how do you know about that?" Inochi asks Yui, patting Tokage's shoulder. Even though he's there, Tokage isn't getting out of her slump.

Yui answers, "I thought it was obvious." Tokage suddenly falls to her knees, rolling up into a ball. She whines something about being obvious before mumbling random noises. Inochi sighs, putting a hand on his hip. I bend down to Tokage, giving her an encouraging pat.

"You'll get her one day, Tokage! Just be patient in the meantime." She nods her head, leaning against me for comfort.

"Alright… Thanks Kend-"

"What happened here?" Ojiro suddenly walks up to us. He looks at Tokage before scratching his cheek, a bit confused. Next to him is a floating uniform… Oh! This must be Hagakure! Tokage peers at who's here and suddenly lurches up to her feet.

"Setsuna Tokage!" She shakes Ojiro's hand and looks at Hagakure, trying to shake her hand too, but… Uhm, Hagakure's invisible.

Hagakure grabs Tokage's hand (I think), and shakes it with both hands. "Nice to meet you, Tokage!" She looks at Yui, Inochi, and I, practically bouncing up and down. Her energy reminds me so much of Pony!

"Hey you three! Ojiro told me a lot about ya! How is it like being ninjas?" A feeling of awkwardness suddenly fills the space. Who's going to correct her? I look at Yui, she's shaking her head. Inochi? Nope, he's not telling her either. Tokage? Not at all. I guess I'll do i-

"Hagakure, that's not what we do. It's like those Hong Kong martial arts movies," Ojiro informs her. He doesn't make those comparisons at all, but I guess he said it to help Hagakure understand. Ojiro also has an embarrassed smile on his face. "Sorry guys, Hagakure lets her imagination get the best of her."

She shouts at him, "Hey! I'm right here!" Hagakure starts pounding on Ojiro's chest, but it doesn't look like she's doing much. The rest of us though, we have a small smile on our faces. Imagine all the thoughts going through Inochi's and Tokage's heads right now.

"Heh, how's Class 1-A so far?" Tokage asks them. They turn to her with a loud sigh. Jeez, is Mister Aizawa that tough on them? I heard that he was going to expel a student, but it never happened.

"Well, first off-"

_BOOM!_

What the hell is that?!

We turn to the explosion, staring at Bakugo and Midoriya. They're talking about something. Well, it's more Bakugo yelling about something. I can barely hear him screaming, "DEKU!" Hagakure was going to mention them, wasn't she?

"Them. Those two are my experience at. Crazy explosion guy and small All Might. If 1-A had a face, it would be those two." Hagakure tells us as we watch them arguing.

Inochi nods. "I can tell… Midoriya made a building fall on me." Oh right, the Entrance Exam… I'm still pissed that he didn't tell me that happened. It was so much more exciting than mine. He even met Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu too!

"Eh?! Midoriya's a sweetheart though!" she protests, walking up to Inochi. Ojiro sighs, letting his tail droop down. I take a step back, moving besides Yui. I'll let Inochi explain his experience with Midoriya.

Yui says to me, "Itsuka, U.A. will be very different. I can tell." She always says the wisest things. It's like what Grandpa said. My journey is like a cliff. It's a metaphor for life, obviously. I gotta jump off and make my wings on the way down!

"Mhm, it's already so different from middle school. Are you ready, Yui?" I ask her, turning my head to look at her usual indifferent face. For once, she has a slight smile that could melt any man's heart.

"I am. Ready as I'll ever be." I wrap my arm around Yui's shoulder, bringing her into my warm embrace. She presses her head against my side, observing our weird friends. It feels like yesterday that we met on the first day of middle school… Now look at us.

"You know Yui, I'll be one of the best Pro Heroes out there. Just like Dad, just like Grandpa. I'll reach my limits and go beyond. Just you wait..."

"I know you will," Yui replies back, saying the words that I always needed to hear.

We look at everyone here. Inochi's making jokes, brightening everyone's day like he always does. Tokage is leaning against him, bouncing his jokes off of her own. Hagakure and Ojiro are laughing, having fun. I really needed this though. Just enjoying everyone's company and being happy.

When I think about it though… All of us in U.A., even Kamakiri, are here for the same reason: To be a Pro Hero. We fought tooth and nail to get in here, and here we are. Our life is simply getting started, and it's already exhausting. Who knows what kinds of trials U.A. will throw at us? What life has in plan?

We can handle it though. Because… We have the heart of a hero.

_Honk!_

Yui and I turn around to see a nice black car, parked against the curb. Tokage pops up, slinging her backpack around her shoulder. "That's my ride! See you guys later!" She hugs everyone, including me. I make sure she gets an extra tight one before she leaves.

"Make sure you'll be here tomorrow!" Tokage tells all of us before leaving. Her car drives away from the school, getting smaller and smaller in the city's horizon. I remove my arm around Yui, sighing happily.

That's right, U.A. is hosting its Golden Week event. A ton of Pro Heroes will be there, scouting out for any students for internships. That's how Dad got _his_ internship under Grandpa. He told me that Grandpa almost killed him for just saying one word to Mom. Grandpa's excuse was, "There was a lot of trashiness in that word." I couldn't stop laughing.

Anyway, that's enough reminiscing. I see Ojiro and Hagakure leaving after Tokage. I wave goodbye, telling them that I'll see them soon. Yui's next, giving me a sweet smile and walking away by herself. Inochi walks up to me with his hands in his pocket.

"Ready to go home?"

I nod. We walk home together, talking about school. He keeps apologizing for what he did, but I tell him that it's fine. He's way too kind for this world, but the world needs him. Eventually, we stop talking about school and silently enjoy each other's company. Inochi has a soft smile on his face, staring at the pavement while I watch the sky, moving like a picture.

The clouds look really nice up there.

* * *

"_That was really our beginning. Life threw so much at us. It was a rollercoaster of emotions. Up and downs. Left and right. Light and shad-"_

"_Focus."_

"_Heh, sorry. Where was I? Oh right! What happened after this was…" _


	8. A Nerd, A Blade, and A Thief

**Manga Fukidashi**

"Okay, Manga. You got this! You got this!" I slap myself a few times. Arrrg! I still feel freaking nervous! This usually works… Is it because of the Battle Trial? I'll have to go against Honenuki and Rin of all people!

Honenuki is basically a skeleton that could eat me with one bite! With his class clown attitude, he'll laugh while chomping down on my limbs! Rin, on the other hand, is like that well-disciplined kid! Even though he's all formal and respectful, he knows a hundred ways to pincushion me with his Scales!

Oh God, I'm royally screwed! What am I going to do?! Shojo's gonna rub my defeat in my face! She keeps telling me that I'm the stupid gag character in a shonen, and she's right! This will be so humi-

"MANGA!"

"AHHHHHHH!"

_SLAM!_

"Holy crap! I'm sorry Tetsutestu!" I run over to Tetsutetsu, laying on the floor. Crap crap crap! I accidentally SLAMMED in his face in! Damn you heart! Why must you beat so fast, being fueled by my fear of being a complete idiot?!

I help Tetsutetsu back on his feet. He wombles to the sides a bit, but maintains his balance. "Manga… You got this! If you can knock me on the ground, then you can totally take on Honenuki and Rin!"

Tetsutetsu suddenly moves his fist out to me. Oh crap he's trying to punch me! Wait, it's standing still. Is this a fist bump? He wants _me_ to fist bump him? Uh, let's assume so! It's already been a few seconds and things are getting awkward!

_Bump!_

"That's what I'm talking about!" Tetsutetsu cheers, patting my back. How is he this energetic and carefree all the time? I'm kinda jealous actually… Someone like him doesn't have to worry what everyone else does.

"Team A and D! It's time for your Battle Trial!" All Might calls out to us as the doorway sign lights up. Well, it's time to do this. I have to be like everyone else here! Not afraid of getting hurt, humiliated, losing, absolutely destroyed, and… Oh crap, I'm going to lose…

Tetsutetsu and I walk up to the door with Honenuki and Rin already there. Inochi gives me an encouraging thumbs-up. "Have a good match, you two! Don't hesitate!"

Awase claps his hands. "Yeah dude! Show us what you're made of, Manga!" Even Awase is rooting for me…

"Y-Yeah… I will…" I reply back to him. I'm so glad I'm not fighting Inochi. He's so dang powerful… Everyone is… They're like a protagonist, while I'm their wacky friend and comic relief (literally).

Tetsutetsu irons up his fist, putting it against his chest. "Hell yeah! I'll beat the teeth outta them!" (Shiozaki glares at us! Oh shi-Crap! Tetsutetsu, why are you cursing so much around her?!)

"Iron Man! I can hear you!" Honenuki says, getting his attention. Tetsutetsu has a massive grin on his face. The one that says, _I don't care. I'm going to beat you up anyway! _He's really taking this seriously!

Rin glances over to shaking-in-fear me. He pats my shoulder, making me look into his eyes. "Manga, don't be afraid. When the time comes, do what your body tells you to do." A bell rings, signaling that it's time to enter.

We walk in a long corridor with a door at the end. I don't really pay attention how it looks, but I listen to the sounds of our footsteps back. It's like four different rhythms mixing together into a song that'll make conductors frown.

Oh man… Imagine what everyone is thinking? They're watching us right now! This is exactly like a training arc! But… There's usually only one battle that's shown while the rest happens in a montage. Oh man, I really want to be in a montage now, so I don't have to experience the pain and suffering of defeat!

All Might's voice suddenly comes on the intercoms, telling Honenuki and Rin to go on in for their grace period. They go inside, abandoning Tetsutetsu and I to ourselves. He looks at me and slams his fists together. Oh crap! This time he'll punch me for sure!

"Manga!" He yells at me at the top of his lungs.

I barely manage to whimper, "Don't hurt me!" I put my arms over my head, shielding myself. A few seconds past as I wait for Tetsutetsu's wrath to hit me over the head, but it never came. Did… Did I misjudge again? Oh no…

"I'm not gonna hurt you, man…" Tetsutetsu says in a soft voice and-?! He's hugging me! It's not as tight as I expected it to be though, but it's still very very weird! Two guys shouldn't hug like thi-

_Pat pat_

...

Before I knew it, Tetsutetsu lets go of me. He smiles widely, proud that he hugged me against my will. My entire body is on fire now, like lava boiling inside my chest. I heard enough from Shojo's "mangas" to know where this is heading towards.

Wait a second…

"EHHH?! Why did you do that for?!" I yell at him, backing away towards the door. Tetsutetsu puts his hands up, smiling. "You looked like you needed a hug. That's what bros are for, right?"

Bros?! Those kinds of _bros_?! Nope nope nope! I wanna forget that this all happe-!

_RIIIIIING!_

"There's the bell! Let's do this Tetsutetsu!" I run towards the d-

"It's not-!"

_SLAM!_

"Open…" Tetsutetsu sighs, watching me on the ground already… My everything hurts… This is what Inochi must feel like after Kendo threw him around… I'm not out yet, but I'm pretty close already…

He picks me back up on my feet as the door opens. Okay… This was a bad start for sure, but I don't feel as nervous as before! I _am_ hurting like crazy though… It's like my body went 'KABOOM' absolutely everywhere.

Tetsutetsu gestures for me to follow him, finally getting our Battle Trial started. We walk the halls that Kendo and Tokage did during their match. It's the exact same actually! That's why Tetsutetsu wanted me to follow him, because-

"From last match, we know exactly where the stairs are. Here's what we're gonna do, Manga: We'll charge in, fists clenched, punch the hell outta them, and rescue those hostages! You with me, Manga?!" Tetsutetsu irons his entire body up. The ceiling lights reflect off of him, shining his grey skin.

"Heck yeah!" I mimic his energy, pumping my fist up in the air. Hey, my heart is beating like a normal person for once! This should be a good plan as long as they stay up in their room and don't come do-

"What's up guys?"

"AHHH!"

_Thud!_

"Ow." Honenuki's head jerks back slightly. Holy shit, he scared me! He just came out of the ground like whack-a-mole! And my foot really freaking hurts! Why did Honenuki made his helmet be metal?!

"Ow ow ow ow!" I hold my injured foot, hopping up and down. This really hurts! Oh my God, why does it hurt so much?! Wait a second… Honenuki's here?! Oh shit! He's really here!

"Do you… Need a second, Manga?" Honenuki asks, staring at me with Tetsutetsu. Oh man, they're judging me aren't they?! It's not my fault that embarrassment and I go hand-in-hand! It has a mission to make my life miserable!

"Nope! I'm fine! Everything's fine, Honenuki!" I put my injured foot down, stomping the ground. Tetsutetsu looks at me and nods. Oh no, he's going to-!

He screams with all of his might, "Here I come, Honenuki!" Tetsutetsu raises his foot and-!

"I'm out." Honenuki disappears back in his quicksand puddle, going back into the ground. It solidifies right as when Tetsutetsu puts his foot down. He grits his teeth before grabbing my arm.

"Come on! We gotta get upstairs before Honenuki catches up with us!" Tetsutetsu tells me, dragging me deeper into the hallway. We pass the same halls that could be hiding someone, but no one's there. I really hope Rin doesn't come out like how Inochi did. If he does, then I might as well die of fright here…

"Forgive me." Crap! Right when as I thought it, Rin's already here! I turn my head and see him hiding out in a dark hallway to my right! He's in the perfect position to prickle Tetsutetsu and I with his Quirk!

_Zwipipipipipip!_

That's the sound of Rin's Scales? Good to know! Tetsutetsu panics, "Man-!"

I'm already talking, "I got it!" Alright Manga, think of your training with Shojo!

"_Remember Manga, your Quirk can reproduce the effect of the onomatopoeia! If you recreate the sound of wind, then you create wind itself!"_

_WHOOOOOOOSH!_

"What the?!" Rin crosses his arms, guarding himself as his own Scales are sent back from my Onomatopoeias! It hits him, bouncing off his armor like a rubber ball! Man, all that Quirk training with Shojo really paid off!

"I'm so sorry about this, Rin! Don't hurt me after this!" I let go of Tetsutetsu's arm, standing my ground against Rin. He looks at me before I open my mouth back up again.

You know… Kinda like Inochi's Adoptive Muscle Memory, I can reproduce the sound of practically anything I hear! This sound will reproduce Rin's Quirk, so a barrage of scales will come flying out of my mouth!

_ZWIPIPIPIPIPIPIP!_

"Ghrk!" Rin's armor is chipped away piece by piece from my Quirk. He grunts in pain, holding his arms up and filling them with Scales. Rin swipes at my incoming projectiles, hitting them out of the air. Crap, he's starting to adapt to my attack already! I look at Tetsutetsu, telling him with my eyes that he needs to make a move now!

Tetsutetsu nods and charges in. "I'll punch through your armor, Rin!"

"I wouldn't count on it, Tetsutetsu!" The ground beneath our feet started to waver! Damn it, Honenuki's here! I look back at Tetsutetsu, who's still running at Rin. Before we knew it, our feet started to sink into Honenuki's mud. Tetsutetsu falls on his chest, trying to crawl out, but failing. The mudman himself pokes his head out and cackles before diving back in.

Tetsutetsu yells at Rin, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Rin though, he's free from this mes-

"GAH?!" Honenuki's pulling me in! Crap crap crap! I can't breathe in this thing, let alone knowing how to swim like he does! Wait a second, what if Honenuki's Softening is making the ground be similar to water?! Any sound, like a gunshot, would be amplified! Well, there's one way to find out!

_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_

I scream at the mud, letting it take in my sound. Rin and Tetsutetsu winces from how loud I'm being... Ugh, I think my voice is almost spent after this! I have one more good use left before I lose my voice.

The good news though: Honenuki lets go of my leg! I use this moment to slowly climb out of his quicksand with Tetsutetsu, who pulls me back onto solid ground. Honenuki's head pokes out next to Rin. Blood is dripping from the sides of his helmet. "RIN! RETREAT!"

We hear Honenuki screaming at Rin. Tetsutetsu grabs me once again and pulls me towards the stairs. It's a race now! Us against Honenuki and Rin! They must have another way back to the hostage room, so I better hope we get there first!

Tetsutetsu and I take the stairs two steps at a time. I almost trip a couple of times, but Tetsutetsu helps me out my pulling me up. We reach the top, seeing Rin and Honenuki at the other end of the hall. Well, if this isn't a coincidental timing! I look at Tetsutetsu, saying with my voice dying, "I'm almost out, Tetsutetsu…"

He nods, still in his iron form. "Alright, stay behind me, Manga!" Like a bull seeing red, he dashes up to Honenuki and Rin as I follow him. "Come get me you two! Have a taste of real steel!"

"Stay back!" Rin straightens his arms out, firing off a machine gun of Scales at us. His skin starts to bleed, but he keeps firing! I stay behind Tetsutetsu, letting him take them for me. I hear them clanging against his skin, bouncing to the floor. A few cracks show, but he's staying strong!

"I WON'T LET THEM GET CLOSER!" Honenuki gets on one knee and touches the ground with his hands. The entire hallway floor in front of them starts to waver and soften. Oh crap, he can do that?! Like before, Tetsutetsu and I start to shrink into the ground. We try to struggle out, but Rin's Scales are like bullets! They're hitting Tetsutetsu, slowly breaking his ironskin apart.

Are we going to lose? We were so close too! I… I need to do something about it, don't I?! I can scream at the mud, but that's not going to do much! So, what about the ceiling? If I yell at it hard enough, it'll crumble down on top of us! If we're lucky, then we might make it out of here as winners!

"Tetsutetsu, cover your head!" I raspily say, looking up at the concrete ceiling. Tetsutetsu does what I asked. Rin and Honenuki look at each other before focusing on me. Here goes absolutely nothing!

_BLAAAAM!_

_CRACK!_

I used up every last of my voice! I watch as my Onomatopoeia fly against the ceiling, hitting it like a sledgehammer. Cracks form in the center, spreading around like a spiderweb. Bits of dust falls on my face. Then-!

_CRUMBLE!_

It falls.

It falls on all of us.

I can barely hear Honenuki yelling to take cover before it comes down crashing. Well… If I'm going to lose, then I'm a bit satisfied I was able to help Tetsutetsu despite being afraid of practically everything.

So, I close my eyes and let the ceiling hit me.

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

All Might stares at the screen with a blank look on his face. Well, I'm pretty damn sure we all have a blank look on our faces. I don't know who won, but all of them were fuckin' crazy, especially Manga. Who knew that the frighty bastard could be so damn powerful? I'm impressed.

"It's… Uhm… A tie!" All Might says after he clears his throat. "Young Kendo, Bondo, Inochi, and Kaibara... I need you all to help me get them. Team E and F should prepare for their match…" His voice trails off at the end. Heh, for the best Pro Hero in Japan, he ain't ready for high school students.

"I'm coming too, Toshi," Recovery Girl says, following them into the battlefield. I figure this'll take a good while. Also, how the hell am I gonna prepare? I'm against Awase an' Yanagi. I ain't worried about Awase, but Yanagi is like Manga with an underrated Quirk. An'-

"Kamakiri! Kamakiri!" I'm with Pony of all people. I still don't understand why she's up in my business.

I snap back at her, "What is it, Pony?" Ugh, why does she repeat my name twice? I heard her for the first Goddamn time…

Pony chirps up with her unbelievably high-pitched voice, "I'm ready to beat the shit outta Awase and Yanagi!" The entire room goes silent an' stare at us. Their faces… It's the same Goddamn expression.

"Why are you giving me that look, Kamakiri? I'm taking after you!" Pony asks me. She looks pretty worried, but it's hard to take her seriously with her big eyes and horns. Aw shit, everyone is thinkin' that I'm the devil for corruptin' innocent Pony ain't they? Well, it ain't gonna change what they think of me.

(Shiozaki is givin' me the death stare. Like hell I'm afraid of the Catholic.)

"That's the problem. Ya need to learn to leave me alone. For cryin' out loud, you've been botherin' me ever since the first day of school. You an' your big eyes need to go off an' talk someone else's ear off."

Pony looks at me like I killed a dog or somethin'. She has an angry look on her face, but I can't take her seriously with how much her cheeks puff. "I like talking to you, you know! You gotta stop acting like that!"

"Like what? It ain't your business how I act," I reply back, lookin' around at everyone else. They're still starin' at us like we're a hot topic, but they're slowly mindin' their own business again. 'Cept for Shiozaki. Her eyes are like daggers cuttin' into me.

"Like that! None of us here are judging you for-"

My eyes are shootin' bullets into her. "For what? What are ya gonna say?" Pony takes a step back with her hands together, like she's afraid of the big, scary mantis.

"Uhm… Nothing! Nothing…" Her voice gets annoyingly quiet at the end. I know exactly what the hell she's tryin' to say, what she's tryin' to pull. Someone like her ain't one to talk to someone like me.

"I know what you're gonna say. It's about _him_ ain't it? Why the _fuck_ does it always hafta be about him?!" I raise my voice, gettin' the attention of all the other assholes in the room again. Shiozaki steps forward with her hair gettin' all floaty and shit.

Here it is again ain't it? Everyone will start seein' me as the Villain here like always. Start treatin' me like one. Why the fuck did U.A. even fuckin' accept me anyway? What a fuckin' idiot am I for thinkin' this would be any different from before.

Shiozaki speaks up, "Kamakiri-"

"Don't you even fuckin' _start_, Shiozaki," I snap at her, grittin' my teeth. The fuckin' room explodes in whispers of the same damn thing. The same damned thing I heard a million times over.

"_Why is he here?"_

"_Someone like him…"_

"_The worst of the worst…"_

"_He'll be like him."_

"_You know, he should just give up on being a Hero. A guy like him, he won't do anything good with his life. Even Quirkless people are better than him."_

Pony takes my hand, tryin' her damn best to bother me even fuckin' more, like the fuckin' things our "classmates" are sayin' aren't fuckin' there! "Calm down, plea-!"

"Shut the fuck up!" I shove Pony off of me.

_Thud!_

She falls on the ground, yelpin' in pain. At that moment, just about everyone here start shoutin' shit at me. What a fuckin' day this has been! They're gonna act like I'm the fuckin' bad guy here while they're talkin' shit like that!

"What the hell, man?!" Awase.

"What kind of person are you?!" Shoda.

"I thought you were…" Komori.

"A son does take after." Fuckin' Kuroiro.

"What a troublesome man you are..." Shishida.

"Why the fuck do ya scream at me for?! All of you played judge, jury, and executioner on me before I even gotten the fuckin' chance! You're just as fuckin' bad as I am, every last one of ya bastards! Ya are puttin' all the fuckin' blame on me to cover how shitty ya fuckin' are! I-"

"Enough." Shiozaki sends her vines to wrap my entire body. She lifts me off of the ground and throws me to a wall, not carin' if I'm hurt or some shit. I stand on my feet, glarin' at Shiozaki, who's glarin' right back at me.

"Kamakiri, someone like yourself doesn't deserve a place at this school. Not because of your blood, but from the hate you project onto others. Someone like you… Disgusts me. I hope you repent for your sins, but I doubt it." Shiozaki turns around and leaves me behind to rot in a corner. So does everyone, my so-called "friends."

After a few minutes, All Might comes out with the rest of the gang. Manga, Honenuki, Tetsutetsu, and Rin are placed in beds with Recovery Girl tendin' to them. Now, here's the two popular kids: Inochi and Kendo.

Inochi is a real asshole. Everyone fuckin' likes him for some reason. He has that "perfect personality" that gets everyone to like him. There's somethin' goin' on in that head of his. No one can't be _that_ nice without having somethin' wrong with them. Just… Just like _him_.

For Kendo, what the fuck can I say? Full of herself, stubborn, and everything in between. How the hell does anyone still hang around with a girl like her? Even after the drama shit with Tokage? Oh, Shiozaki's startin' to chat with the wonder duo about what happened. They look over to me a few times. Heh, I think I'm about to get their wrath-

_SLAM!_

Kendo slams her fist on a desk. (Yup, as I expected.) She stomps over to me with Quirkless behind her. Once again, all the attention is on evil ol' me. Inochi grabs her shoulder, tryin' to pull her back. "Kendo, don't do thi-"

Kendo shoves Inochi away. Her eyes are like a bull seein' red. "Kamakiri, I gave you a chance to be a nice person, but what the _hell_ did you do with it?!" She clenches her fist in front of me. What is that? An intimidation tactic?

(Inochi looks at me then back at Kendo, full of shock. Heh, that look says, _What the fuck is going on?)_

I tell her, not carin' at this point, "I didn't remember you givin' me a chance at all." She gives me a look that could kill. I'm not afraid though. Like hell, I'm afraid of someone like her or Quirkless here.

"You son of a bitch! You don't have the _right _to go off on everyone like that! Or hurt Pony!" Kendo growls at me, spittin' all over my face. She's pretty damn angry, ain't she? Imagine all kinds of shit she says behind my back. What a self-righteous bitch. Her and Shiozaki.

"Oh, I'm sorry. At least I ain't the one bad mouthin' people behind their back. Guess that's one thing your dad didn't teach y-"

_THUD!_

Within a blink of an eye, Kendo threw a nasty punch at me. For some reason, I didn't feel her fist crashin' against my face, probably breakin' a bone or two, maybe chippin' a tooth. In another blink of an eye, I finally see why. That motherfucker…

"Stop, Kendo." Inochi tells her, holdin' her fist back. The bastard got in front me, tryin' to protect me or some shit. Why the hell did he even do it?! Oh, I bet he didn't even do it for me, but for _her_. He doesn't want her to get in trouble for punchin' the shit outta me.

Everyone lets out a gasp. No one fuckin' dares to interrupt the three of us. Kendo pulls her fist back, starin' at Inochi. "Inochi…? He mentioned my da-"

"I know what he mentioned. You should be mad, but punching him in the face won't do anyone good. In fact, it'll get both of you suspended or worse," he explains to her, not carin' that I'm standin' right behind him. See though? I was right. He wanted to protect his little girlfriend.

"Really? Kamakiri is like a child throwing a temper tantrum! All because Pony mentioned his dad once, just _once._" Kendo tries to justify why she decided to hit me. Like hell, comparin' me to a damn child. She doesn't know what the fuck it's like.

Inochi asks her, "What does Kamakiri's dad have to do with anything?" Wait a fuckin' second?! He doesn't know?! That's why he's been actin' unusually nice to me ain't it?! It's because he doesn't even know who my fuckin' dad is! Watch, he'll turn on me in an instant.

Tokage butts her annoyin' head in, explainin' the elephant in the room, "Inochi… Kamakiri's dad was the Executioner Wasp. He was a Villain who decapitated twenty-five people before getting caught…"

("And executed," I mutter underneath my breath. Everyone goes silent for a couple of seconds.)

"Inochi… You have to understand...," Kendo's voice gets softer, tryin' to appeal to Inochi. She's actin' like this is an argument where someone can win. Who the hell treats this as a competition? The loser will get fucked sideways to hell.

"I do understand..." he says, turnin' around to look at me. He has a sympathetic look in his eyes, with his irritatin' smile. Why the hell is he givin' me that look? "Kendo… We're talking about this later."

Of course they fuckin' are.

"Ino-"

"Young ones, it's time to stop." All Might steps into the circle with a sad look on his face. It's probably his first time dealin' with shit like this. Maybe that's why it took him a long time to come in. All Might looks straight at me.

"Young Kamakiri… Yelling at your classmates and pushing Young Pony is not appropriate whatsoever. You will receive after-school detention for the next two weeks, and you must write an apology to everyone in class, especially to Young Pony."

He turns to Kendo and Inochi. "Young Kendo, your act of violence is not what U.A. stands for. You will receive after-school detention for the next week. I'll be sure to let your guardians know."

Then to Shiozaki. Heh, guess she's getting punished too. "As for you, Young Shiozaki. For also inflicting violence upon Kamakiri, you will also receive a week of after-school detention." All Might punishes the three of us before walking off to the Battle Trials screen. A heavy silence fills the room. Deafenin', like our eardrums got blown out.

"Team E will not fight, so Team F wins by default. The next two teams should prepare for their match."

…

Everyone disperses back into their own friend circles, except for me. I lean against a wall with my cloak coverin' me. Yeah… What a good Battle Trial this was. What a good week this has fuckin' been. You know...

I ain't right, here.

* * *

**Neito Monoma**

Shiozaki and Tsubaraba quickly ended the match, defeating Shishida and Bondo. It wasn't an exciting match like Manga's, since Shiozaki mostly did all the work. Even though she was at a disadvantage from not being in direct sunlight, she still managed to capture the Villains without any troubles.

And now, it's time for my grand debut! I, with Shoda and Kaibara, will be fighting Komori and Kuroiro. This will be an interesting match-up, indeed. To All Might's flaw in his Battle Trials, our battleground is completely the same from match to match. What was meant to be the Villains' advantage has become null and void. Coupled with greater numbers, my team has a great odd of success.

"Uhm… How are we fighting them?" Shoda looks over to Komori and Kuroiro, who're speaking and sneaking a few side glances at the three of us. Kaibara crosses his arms, deflecting their eyes with his iron gaze.

"Monoma's thinking of something," Kaibara answers the timid Shoda, gesturing over to me, the planner. I am no Tokage, but my plan will come bearing fruit.

Komori's Quirk, Mushrooms, is powerful. She can grow mushrooms _anywhere_. It's safe to assume she can grow them even in our own lungs, leading to a quick demise. As for Kuroiro, he can morph into anything black. I've seen that Komori can grow black mushrooms, so having Kuroiro hiding in those is a possibility.

What we can exploit from these two…

"Monoma, think of something yet?" Kaibara puts a hand on my shoulder. I joyfully smile at him, turning to my two partners. They look at me intently, awaiting my masterplan! Without further adieu…

"It requires some… Underhanded tactics. Especially from you, Shoda," I tell them, talking specifically to Shoda. He has an uncertain look in his eyes before reluctantly nodding. Kaibara nods too, but much more confidently. Great!

"Ahaha! Our victory will be inevitable!" I exclaim, loud enough for everyone in the entire room to hear, especially Komori and Kurorio. Shoda and Kaibara roll their eyes, passing off my exuberance as mere eccentricity!

All Might stares strangely at me before smiling brightly. "Alright! It sounds like everyone is ready! Team I and G! It is now your Battle Trial! You know the drill by now." I whisper in Shoda's and Kabiara's ear before leading us towards the other team.

"Komori! Kuroiro! Let's have a good match!" I wish them luck, patting their backs a tad aggressively. Komori looks a bit frightened while Kuroiro simply mumbles something about me being "a boastful man." Shoda follows after me, patting them as well (among other things). For a chubby man, he's quite sneaky.

"Good luck, Monoma. Break a leg!" Honenuki jokes, knowing how I adore the stage. I laugh, patting his back. "I will, Honenuki!"

"Have a good fight," Kendo says, crossing her arms and pouting. She must be bitter over her punishment. Inochi chuckles slightly, patting her shoulder. "I guess she isn't in the mood to scold you, Monoma."

"Don't worry, I'll deal with Monoma when the time comes," Kaibara says, putting himself in Kendo's spot! Well, I certainly don't mind him dealing with me.

"Komori, I wish you the best of odds during your Battle Trial," Yanagi speaks in her usual verbose way. She meekly nods, hiding behind Kuroiro. His face turns a tad grey, turning away from Komori. Ah, well that's something to take a mental note of.

All Might ushers the five of us into the grey and dull hallway. The sound of our footsteps fill the dead silence as we approach the steel door with visible bolts. All Might's voice comes on the intercoms after the ringing of a bell. "Villains! You have five minutes to prepare! Good luck!" The door opens, letting Komori and Kuroiro go through. Now, it's just the three mischievous musketeers awaiting for their time to come.

"Monoma, did you copy their Quirks?" Shoda asks me with his radar showing a couple of dots. Kaibara crosses his arms again, staring at me silently. I enjoy his soft, yet stern gaze upon me.

"I didn't bother. I never told the class this, but I can only copy Quirks for five minutes at a time. The grace period is exactly five minutes, so I wouldn't be able to use their Quirks," I explain one part of my Quirk to them. The other part is that I can currently only copy three Quirks at a time. As of right now, I copied Gyrate and Twin Impact.

"Interesting. What's the rest of the plan, Monoma? You and Shoda already placed your mines on them," Kaibara asks me once more. I smile, putting a hand on my chest. They listen closely as I relay the plan to them. I can see their confidence growing in their faces.

_RIIIIING!_

"Heroes! It's time to rescue the hostages! You may find the battlefield is rather… Strange," All Might says, opening the door. We're met with the sight of a hallway covered in various types of mushrooms. In fact, everything is covered in mushrooms! Any artificial light is mostly covered too… What a strange battlefield indeed, but I, of course, knew Komori would do this!

"Oh goodness! She really did it! How can we walk through this without breathing in her spores?" Shoda's head shrinks in his suit slightly, his faith wavering. I chuckle, patting his shoulder.

"We're already infected, Shoda. She would have won if she had chosen to grow mushrooms in our throats and lungs, but she didn't. Komori's too much of a kind woman to do that," I assure Shoda. He nods, looking at his radar then at Kaibara. (Good, Kuroiro will not be able to hide from us.) Kaibara is the first one to step into the hallway, bringing his arms out.

"Let's go," he tells Shoda and I before walking down the hall. Shoda keeps a close eye on his radar, directing us towards Kuroiro's position. He separated himself from Komori for some odd reason. He fancies her, so I'd thought he'll be her knight in shining black armor! The Romeo to her Juliet! With a good ending, of course.

The three of us stop at a corner. Around it is Kuroiro, blocking our path to the other stairway. It seems he's bold enough to fight all three of us at once! I have to admit, that type of boldness impresses even me! Kaibara holds up three fingers, counting down.

Three.

Two.

One!

We turn the corner. Kaibara and I activate Gyrate, rotating our arms. However, I stop. I finally know why Kuroiro is simply standing still like the statue of Ozymandias! Because… He isn't there. His costume is. Shoda and I didn't place any mines on Kuroiro himself, but on his clothes. So, Kuroiro figured this out and decided to remove his costume! All around us are pitch black mushrooms too. What a clever man! He led us into his trap!

Shoda frantically looks around and questions, "Where is h-?!"

"...Dark Abyssal Assault!" Kuroiro!

He emerges from the mushroom behind Shoda and kicks him from behind, morphing into a different mushroom. Within a second, flashes of Kuroiro assaults Shoda with a variety of punches and kicks, blending and hiding with each attack. Shoda falls on one knee on the brink of defeat. Kuroiro stands in front of him with a sly smile. Kaibara takes a step forward, but I stop him.

"Shoda… I apologize for this." Kuroiro raises his fist and-!

"LAUNCH!"

_LAUNCH!_

_SLAM!_

Kuroiro is suddenly launched into a wall with his hands and the soles of his feet acting like jets, crushing the mushrooms against his back. He groans in absolute pain, sliding to his knees. He stares at Shoda, unknowingly how he felt the force similar to Kendo's punch a dozen times! And from Shoda nonetheless!

How? Well, I believe I just figured it out!

"Kuroiro! You forgot about Shoda's amazing Quirk! He can recreate the impact of any initial strike, multiplying its force tenfold! Even though Shoda never struck you, you struck _him_. That means the initial impact was you, hitting Shoda! You sealed your own fate at moment you attacked him! Ahahaha!"

Kuroiro sighs, bowing his head. "A clever trick… You deserve this win, Shoda." He sits against the wall, wincing in pain. Kuroiro, the black schemer, has been defeated! Now, it's time for Komori!

Kaibara walks up to Shoda, bending down on one knee. "Can you still fight, Shoda?" Shoda shakes his head, sitting against the wall across from Kuroiro. "N-No, I think I'm spent... You two go ahead without me…"

I nod, turning towards the distant stairs that leads up to Komori. "Thank you, Shoda! We'll win in your honor!" Kaibara and I go off in a run. We quickly climb the steps, squishing any mushrooms beneath our feet. At last, we reach a double door covered in blue mushrooms.

Kaibara shivers slightly before putting his hands on the handles, pulling them open. Komori is there standing in the middle of the room. Like the entire battlefield, it's covered in mushrooms, including the hostages. The woman herself is wearing her bright and jovial mushroom-themed costume. Her eyes appear from her bangs, accompanied with a smile fitting for an idol!

"You finally came to my show! You will face the one and only… Shemage!"

_Poof!_

The mushrooms in behind her explode in colorful clouds of spores. Komor-Shemage curtsies before looking around. "You may have defeated Kuroiro, but you will not defeat me!" Shemage exclaims, prancing around the room. She even stops to pat a child dummy's head! Hehe… A true woman of the stage!

"Shemage! Have you ever heard of a phantom thief?" I mirror her steps, circling around the room with her. Kaibara stays back at the entrance of the room, wearing a confused expression.

"A phantom thief? No, I haven't. Would you elaborate for me? After all, I'm a shroomy kind of girl!" I have no idea what that implies, but I will!

"Well, a phantom thief is a special kind of thief. One who steals something that is not only valuable, but priceless. Like an ancient jewel that would look beautiful on you." I explain to Shemage, tapping a few mushroom caps.

"You're kind, Monoma, but what would a phantom thief do here? There's nothing here of value! Well, except my shroomtastic mushrooms of course! So, what game are you playing at?" Shemage asks me with a confident smile on her face.

"Who can say? A phantom thief are tricksters. They say left when they mean right. They have a hand out while keeping the other behind. In fact, one would plan for their partner to attack right now, but that's predictable isn't it?." I tap more mushrooms, standing near the end of the room. Komori's in the middle while Kaibara's behind her. He doesn't dare to attack Komori, as I exposed the plan to her.

"Hmph. That would be an obvious thing to do. But Monoma… You're alluding that you're a phantom thief yourself. What will you steal from me? My heart?" Shemage puts a hand to her heart, uncertain of my ability. Well well….

"Not your heart, no. You see, a true phantom thief knows their mark! They know exactly how to operate! That _is_ the glory of it all! They steal what's precious without their victim knowing, only until it's too late! Like now!" I cross my arms, bellowing a hearty laugh.

"What the shroom do you mea-?!"

_Poof poof poof!_

From the columns and walls, the mushrooms (specifically, puffballs) release their rainbow-like clouds of spores into Shemage! She curses, "Mush!" I activate my mines on Shemage. From her dark figure in the clouds, she falls on the ground groaning in pain. Kaibara runs up and restrains Shemage before she has a moment to think!

I clap, sauntering over to Shemage. "Shemage! This Phantom Thief has stole the treasure of victory from you! Ahahahaha!"

_RIIIING!_

"The Heroes have defeated the Villains! Come back to the monitoring room!" All Might says, confirming my victory over Kuroiro and Komori! Kaibara releases Komori from his grasp. She dusts her dress off before looking down sadly.

"I'll get you next time, Phantom Thief…" she grumbles before trodding out of the room. Kaibara smiles, approving of our success. I knew we would be victorious today! What a great feeling this is!

Nevertheless, we go back to the monitoring room with the rest of our class. We're met with applause and praise! Except for Kamakiri, of course… I don't envy his situation, but I do wish I could help him in someway.

Shoda has a proud smile on his face. Kendo comments, "Your Quirk is just like my grandpa's, Shoda. I think it's already more powerful than his!" From her comment, he couldn't help but blush. Being compared to Master Kendo of all Heroes? It's a massive compliment!

"I-It's not that powerful, but thank you for the compliment…" Shoda replies back, still being so humble and modest! He's the best of us for sure!

Awase puts an arm around Kaibara's shoulder. "Sucks you didn't get to do much, Kaibara." Kaibara shrugs, turning his attention to me. "I don't mind. Even though Monoma's plan to defeat Kuroiro went awry, it still worked out."

I laugh, catching Shiozaki's disapproving glance. "You are a deceitful man, Monoma." Shiozaki remarks with a frown.

I shrug, pushing my hair back. "Someone like me can only achieve victory this way, Shiozaki. If you strive to do things fairly, then I won't judge. However, that might cost you one day." She huffs and turns her back towards me.

All Might quiets down the class and gathers us around him. We go over the match with my comrades offering constructive criticism. It goes on until the end of the school day. All Might congratulates all of us for participating and fighting in his Battle Trials (with irony that everyone can certainly feel). We go back to our locker rooms, changing back into our U.A. school uniforms.

On my way to leave, Shoda approaches me. "H-Hey Monoma… I wanted to thank you for… For winning the match. I'm sorry that I couldn't do much…" Hmm?

"You're sorry that you couldn't do much? Shoda please! You defeated Kuroiro after he ambushed us! If you didn't use your Quirk in such a creative manner, then Kaibara and I would surely be defeated! You are the saving grace of our match! Be proud!" I assault him with an onslaught of compliments. He looks at me before shaking his head.

"There's a lot more powerful people than me though. You, Kendo, Honenuki, Manga, Tetsutetsu, practically everyone in our class! With how loud and powerful they are… Someone like me will get ignored…" Shoda's voice trails off with disappointment and sadness in his voice. I stop in my tracks, looking at him.

"Shoda, they are the ones who bathe in the limelight, that's true. But… Don't let that stop you! Instead of following their spotlights like a cat following a light, create your own! You may be a supporting character on someone else's stage, but you are truly the star of your own play. Remember that, Shoda."

Shoda stares at me. A few seconds pass before he smiles brightly, nodding. "I will, Monoma! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me, Shoda. Thank yourself." I make my exit, walking through the door. The light hits my face, welcoming me back to the stage. The birds are chirping with their tune, gliding along the cool wind. Kaibara awaits me near the stairs with a slight smile.

"Waiting for me, Kaibara? I'm flattered someone like you would wait for someone like me!" I walk down the steps, moving alongside Kaibara. He shrugs, putting his hands in his pocket.

"Someone has to look after you," he snarkily replies back. And so we leave U.A. after an exciting day of Battle Trials. What will tomorrow's day bring to Class 1-B?


	9. Gold and Silver

**Sanji Inochi**

"Good morning, Hayami." I greet her with a smile on my face, passing a cup of coffee over to her. It's the same coffee brand, Kendo's (and Hayami's) favorite. I could make a list about how similar these two are, it would stretch all of Japan.

"Thanks, Sanji. How was night training? What did you work on this time?" she asks me, sitting down on a chair. She quietly sips her coffee, making a slight noise doing so. Chalk that up with another thing they have in common.

"Well, it was mainly my grappling hook skills. That and I've been working on toning my overall body. So, it's the same old same old." I answer her, putting some of the dishes away. She puts her mug on the counter, smiling slightly.

"Heh, you're welcome by the way. I had to go through like… Five prototypes until I got your grappling hook to be _just_ perfect," she says, and she's pretty much on the dot. The grappling hook is perfect. (Tokage can attest to that, considering that I yanked her across a hallway.)

"Thank you, Hayami. You know, you never told me much about you being a support scientist. Or a blacksmith. Or an engineer…" I put the rest of the dishes and plates away, leaning against the sink. She has an annoyed expression on her face. Her eyes definitely say, _This is coming from you._

"I'll tell you something if you tell something about yourself," she makes a deal with me. I might as well take her trap, so I nod, agreeing to it. "Alright, how long have you been training like this?"

I ask her, "Like what?"

"Like, spending virtually every night pushing your body to the brink and only getting about what? One to three hours of sleep? That senile man who, by the way, can sleep like a bear, is stopping me from doing anything about this. I seen how sore you are. It feels like we're abusing you, Sanji..."

She cups her hands gently around her mug, her finger brushing gently on the pale porcelain. My body feels a lot heavier than before. For her to mention abuse like that… It's silly. Hayami is far from an abuser. She's a mother who specializes in tough love. Love that I never felt in my other foster homes, maybe except for Gin. Something like this… It makes me want to cry tears of joy.

"That's far from the truth. I never had anything like this when I was growing up. It was all… Well, you don't need to worry about that. I'm the happiest I could be, even with training myself to the brink every night. In fact, the pain makes me feel like I'm doing something good with my life, you know?" I answer her with a bright smile on my face. She looks at me with her mouth slightly open before shaking her head at me, acting like I'm crazy.

"Sanji, I never knew you were _this_ much of a masochist, but I'm happy that you're happy. When you first got here, I thought you would be a troublesome kid. Itsuka too! She kept complaining over and over-"

Wait a second?!

I interrupt her, "Was she the reason why our middle school thought that I was a delinquent?!"

_Siiiiiiiip_

Oh my God. "I'm going to… Nevermind. It's your turn to tell me about being in U.A," I remind Hayami of our deal. She stops drinking her coffee to chuckle to herself.

"Alright, I guess you already know that I was in the Support Department in U.A. Kaito was in the Hero Course. We first met outside the Development Studio where I almost blew him up when he wanted something for his costume. After that, he pretty much fell in love with me right then and there. He was a stupid romantic, but..." Her voice trails off, dragging her finger along the rim of her mug. She must be remembering something about Kaito… I should ask something else to lighten the mood.

I find the perfect question to ask, "Think Kendo will find a man?"

Hayami laughs, "Pfft! If she stops scaring away all the men, then she'll find someone. What about you, Sanji? What lucky person has your heart?"

"You should know that he isn't interested in anyone, Mom," Kendo comes downstairs wearing her U.A. uniform. She takes her (still) nice and hot cup of coffee, taking a gentle sip. I nod at Hayami, telling her that Kendo's right. (And it seems like she didn't hear the first part of what Hayami said.)

(Now, both of them are sitting in front of me, enjoying their coffee… I feel like I'm a barista in a coffee shop. I would be the best at brewing coffee. Ah, the art of coffee-jitsu… Easy to learn, hard to master.)

"You know Inochi, you would make a great barista. All you need is the right clothes and you would be one of the best baristas out there. You'll get customers lining up to get a taste of your famous coffee. Already got two regulars," Kendo says exactly what I'm thinking.

Speaking of love and romance...

"I was just thinking that! Let me set the scene for you, Kendo. In another universe, Tokage would work for me. There's a regular that stops by often, always ordering the same thing. This regular though, she's a stunning woman with flowing green hair like she's the child of Mother Nature herself. Tokage, being a mess, couldn't help but be infatuated by her, falling in love with practically everything about her. I notice this, because it's so obvious and blatant, but everyone is somehow inexplicably unable to see it! Anyway… Being a good friend and coworker, I tease her for days, edging her to make a move. She doesn't, because her doubts are filling her mind, poisoning her with fear. That's when a plan is devised! A plan to-"

_Siiiiiiiip_

"Are you two even listening to me?!" I chastise them, who're rudely sipping their coffee while I'm going on about how much of a mess Tokage would be! So much for being the best barista in the world...

"I stopped listening after the 'Mother Nature' part," Kendo admits, sighing happily after a sip of coffee that _I brewed for her_.

Hayami adds in with her own comment, "I didn't know Tokage was gay, and isn't the green-haired girl that Shiozaki? The Catholic one?"

Kendo hums, "That's the one. Don't tell anyone about Tokage. What you need to tell is us tips about today's event? What do you got?"

Hayami finishes her coffee, putting it down on the counter. She looks at the both of us before saying, "One, don't punch any of your classmates. Two, Pro Heroes will have stalls asking for demonstration of skill. That's when you should punch something, probably not a classmate. Three, do something big and spectacular. Again, not by punching a classmate."

Kendo pouts, grumbling, "I got it, Mom… I won't punch anyone today…" Hayami turns to me, but I give her a shrug, gesturing that I have no idea what to do with her.

"I don't know, Hayami. I already talked to Kendo yesterday, but she's a handful. I can't count how many times she almost punched a bully back in middle school," I comment like Kendo isn't there, putting Hayami's mug in the sink. Kendo opens her mouth like she couldn't believe the words I'm saying.

(I'm glad she was there though, unlike back in Kibo. I didn't even say goodbye to my classmates, but they all treated me like I was nothing… Like-)

"This is coming from you! You're more of a handful than I am! I can't count how many times _I_ see you sore from you training so damn much!" she argues back, but I shake my head, smiling.

_Bzzt!_

That must be the disaster whose name is Tokage. She is a convenient way to get myself out of this situation. I pull my phone out and I'm right! She texted me that she's here, waiting outside with Haruto. I don't know why she offered to take us to U.A. (There must be an ulterior motive.)

"It's time to leave, Kendo. Our queen's here with her steed," I tell her, bowing with my hand to my chest. Kendo rolls her eyes, finishing her coffee and slinging her bag over her. She kisses Hayami on her cheek before walking to the door.

"Alright Mom, Tokage is waiting for her knight." Kendo says goodbye where I simply wave. We walk out the door with a luxurious black car parked against the curb. That's Tokage, alright. Just thinking about getting in this car makes me feel rich...

"After you, Kendo." I gesture towards the car, letting Kendo go in first. She opens the door and get inside with me following her. Man… Inside here is exactly what I'd expected it to be. Soft seats, a lot of buttons (that I have no idea what they do), a mini-bar with food and drinks, and my very own Setsuna Tokage.

"Morning Tokage," Kendo greets her, putting on her seatbelt. I do too, greeting Tokage with a small little wave. Haruto's in the seat in front of Tokage, being our chauffeur… That word makes me feel even more rich… and French-y.

"Morning right back at ya! Also, I have something to confess-"

Another voice appears in the seat in front of me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kendo. And hello again, Mister Inochii." Oh crap! I recognize that voice… It's Tokage's father! He's joining us to U.A.?! I met him before, but after hearing he's one of the most powerful men in the world?! I could die if I say the wrong things!

"M-Mister Tokage! I didn't know you were riding with us!" I exclaim, trying to bow, but I can't since… I'm in a car. What the heck is wrong with me?! I gotta calm down and not think about angering Mister Tokage! What the heck can I do in this situation?!

Kendo rolls her eyes at me, smiling towards Mister Tokage. "Don't worry about Inochi. He'll figure himself out in a couple of minutes or so." Him and Tokage laugh at me. I never thought anyone could laugh professionally, but Mister Tokage can pull it off…

Haruto starts to drive towards U.A., finally moving us along. I can barely see Mister Tokage typing on a laptop, presumably doing some work. Kendo, Tokage, and Haruto are talking about what Pro Heroes will be at the event today. I didn't join in because my heart keeps beating a million…

I somehow tune out their conversation though, letting my eyes stare out the window. Houses and people go by, becoming a blur of colors mixing into one amalgamation. It's… Peaceful. My heart starts to slow down as I watch Musutafu slowly erupts into its bustling self.

Ever since I came here, it's all been constant training and focusing on U.A. Everyday and every night was training. So far, out of the six or so months here, I only took five nights off. My body's been sore as long as I can remember, but the pain is getting duller and duller. When Kendo punched my hand yesterday, hurt _a lot_, but it was nothing compared to the first time she punched me. Kendo hasn't gotten weaker (the opposite actually), but I have gotten stronger.

Speaking of that… There's the elephant in the room: Kamakiri. I understand why Pony's been talking to him a lot. I've been bullied (so much) throughout my entire life for being "basically Quirkless", but _him_? I can't even imagine what bullying he went through. It's no wonder that he redirects his anger at everyone else, why he isolates himself from our class, and why he feels that everyone hates him. If anyone was in his position, who wouldn't be that way?

He fulfills a cycle of self-hate too. Kamakiri thinks everyone hates him, so acts like he hates everyone. Everyone hates him as a result, and thus his insecurity grows and he believes that everyone is out to get him. Maybe his Battle Trial wakes him up a bit, showing him his own self-destructive ways. Or maybe he gets even worse because Kendo almost punched him. It doesn't excuse what Kamakiri did though, but I understand why.

Also, for the first time in ever, I actually seriously scolded Kendo about it. It was obvious things like not punching people and trying to understand people like Kamakiri. I manipulated her by comparing Kamakiri to myself, so she would naturally agree with me. As a result, we both decided that we needed to talk to Kamakiri today, _if_ he's at the event. He might not come to schoo-

Kendo nudges my shoulder, letting reality make itself back at home. She smiles and gestures towards Tokage. I ask her, "Uhm, what happened? What did you say this time?" Tokage has a mischievous look on her face again.

"Well, I was talking about our Battle Trial. You're practically a handsomer, Pro Hero version of Stain. If you didn't hold back that is." (Oh, of course Tokage found out that I was holding back in my fight with Kendo.)

"Hey, I was afraid that I would seriously hurt Kendo," I defend myself. (I think? It's hard to tell when she throws in flirts like that.) She rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat..

"That didn't stop you from blowing us up. Seriously Inochi, you could be one of the best fighters in U.A.," Tokage advises me. Well, her compliment is nice and all, but "one of the best fighters?" There's a lot of reasons why I can't apply to that bold statement. (Here's one: Katsuki Bakugo.)

Mister Tokage closes his laptop, turning his head over to the three of us. "Mister Inochi, remind me again, you can't use your Quirk, correct?" Crap, the spotlight's on me now! My heart starts to beat faster again.

"Th-That's correct, Mister Tokage sir. But-"

"But Inochi told us that he has Adoptive Muscle Memory. Let's say he watches someone pulling off a backflip. Inochi could do that without even trying," Tokage helps me out by explaining my situation to him.

Mister Tokage nods his head and hums. I can't tell if it's of approval, or he's taking information in and processing it. "Interesting. It can't be considered a Quirk on its own, since it's a passive enhancement. For example, Beowulf. He can transform himself into a werewolf with super strength and among other things. The super strength isn't itself the Quirk, rather the transformation. Thus, in all cases of passive enhancements, it stems from one's actual Quirk, which you don't know, correct?"

"C-Correct…" I instinctively agree with him, lying right in front of everyone. I'm afraid of telling him otherwise that I know what my Quirk is…

But, I guess this is good to know. My Adoptive Muscle Memory is actually apart of my Quirk, so I've been passively using it. That means my Mindscape is apart of it too, but more of a thing I can activate. Thanks to Monoma, it's also an Accumulation-type, meaning the Dreams I store are my "power". Just… What the heck is it?! It's like life decided to throw random things into me.

"We're here," Haruto ends our conversation, stopping the car in front of the entrance to U.A. There's a ton of people walking inside. Mister Tokage sees this and sighs, like he isn't finished talking to me.

"Haruto, bring the girls inside. I need to have a conversation with Mister Inochi, alone," Mister Tokage tells him. My eyes go wide, turning to Kendo and Tokage. They look at me with eyes that says, _You can handle this. _Haruto gets out of the car, signaling that Kendo and Tokage need to leave. They reluctantly do so, leaving Mister Tokage and I alone.

Mister Tokage turns around in his seat and says to me...

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Here you are, girls. You should head to your classroom for the event. Your teacher must be there," Haruto says after escorting us to the gate. He takes off his blue cap and puts it to his chest, bowing slightly.

"Thanks again, Haruto. Come on, Kendo! Our class awaits!" Tokage yanks me by the hand, leading me inside. The cool air hits my face as the ceiling lights decide to blind me for a few seconds. Jeez, why is Tokage in such a rush today?

"Woah! What about Inochi?" I ask her, looking back at Tokage's car, where Haruto is walking towards. Dang, the car windows are tinted black, so I can't see if he's doing okay or not. Inochi's nerves will get the best of him… He'll say something stupid.

"He'll be fine! It's cute that you're worried about him, but 1-B needs its leader," she tells me with a wink. There she goes again with Inochi and I. From how many comments she made about us, I'd be richer than her dad.

"Well, I don't know if I would call myself a leader. There's a lot of people in our class who can take that role, Tokage. Especially you." She lets go of my hand, snickering. She spins on her feet and faces me, walking backwards now.

"Kendo, I might be a prodigy, but you are so much more charismatic than I am! That's why everyone goes to you for help and support! You're the big sister of 1-B!" she explains to me with a genuine look on her face. Well, I can't argue with her, but there's Kamakiri...

I've been thinking a lot about what happened yesterday. Especially when Inochi scolded me about Kamakiri. (Guess he's the big brother of 1-B.) Like Tokage, he made me see a different picture of him. (I don't know why he did _Operation Dragon Fist_ rather than telling me straight out, but I'm marking it off as him being ridiculous.)

As for Kamakiri, maybe we need another operation. Even though I only know him for a week or so (not that well), he's been bullied so much. It's one thing being Quirkless in this world, like Inochi (legally, at least), it's completely another to be the child of an actual Villain. I can't begin to imagine what it was like for Kamakiri…

"Thinking about Kamakiri?" Tokage asks me, stopping in the middle of the hall. I guess she noticed me thinking to myself. (This is must what Inochi feels like, huh?)

"Yeah… I need to apologize to him. If he's here, that is. Since I'm the Tokage-proclaimed leader of 1-B, then I need to fix things between us." I sigh, looking at the ground in shame. A hand suddenly lands on my shoulder.

"Good thing I'm here to help," Inochi beams, showing Tokage and I his world-famous smile. He looks relatively alive. The talk wasn't that serious nor life-threatening then.

Tokage smiles back and skips up to him. "Inochi! You're alive! Why did Dad make you stay back?" He takes his hand off of my shoulder, awkwardly scratching the back of his head like he always does.

"Well… He basically interrogated me if we were dating. I told him that we're really close friends. I didn't tell him that… You know… You prefer something other than men," he tells us before sighing in relief. "I thought I was gonna die…"

"Cheer up! Now come on!" Tokage starts walking back to class being happiest person in the world. (If I'm the leader of 1-B, then why is she leading us? I mean, she's in a happier mood than usual. It's probably from her dad and Shiozaki, which reminds me that I should talk to her myself. She also got punished by All Might.)

Anyway, we walk into class where everyone else is at. Mister Kan is inside with a ton of names on the board, all of them being Pro Heroes. I recognize most of them except a few, which means they aren't that famous. Out of the corner of my eye, Inochi darts his head back and forth, looking for something. His (very concerned) eyes land on Tokage and I. "Kamakiri isn't here."

I ask him, "Really" I look around the class, and he's right… Kamakiri isn't here today. I considered that to be a possibility, but I never thought he wouldn't come today… It's one of the most important days besides the Sports Festival. (I take a look at Pony. She doesn't look that happy.)

Awase notices us. He takes Inochi by the arm, moving all of us to the side of the classroom. There's a foreboding look on his face. "Didn't you guys hear? Kamakiri's dropping out of U.A."

What?!

"Eh?!" Inochi loudly whispers, shaking Awase's shoulders. "What the heck do you mean? He can't just drop out!" Tokage holds onto her arm, her eyes changing from child-like excitement to shame. I hear Inochi questioning Awase about Kamakiri, but their conversation is getting distant before I can't even hear them at all.

Why does these things happen so damn fast? One day, I'm dealing with Tokage and now, it's Kamakiri. He can't just drop out of U.A. like that, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. The best chance to be a Pro Hero. If he's dropping out, then he's giving up on that dream. Doesn't he want to prove that he isn't his father's son? If he's giving up on even that…

It doesn't matter. I'll make him reconsider if it's the last thing I do.

"Kendo," Inochi gets my attention with Awase nodding behind him, "did you hear? Kamakiri talked to Principal Nezu about it. He has until Monday to finalize his decision. That means we only got today and tomorrow to convince him." Looks like Inochi and I are on the same wavelength.

"Don't you have that church thing with Shiozaki tomorrow?" I ask him, reminding him of his date with Shiozaki. (When he told me about it, I laughed for a long time that I started to cry.) He glances over at her before shaking his head, gesturing that he'll cancel it.

"She'll understand. We should get the entire class on this too. If he sees that all of us here genuinely care about him, then he'll reconsider," Inochi tells me the plan. How exactly should we do it though? Maybe Tokage or Awase kn-

(Speaking of Tokage, she perks her head up.) "Our second operation? Then, I already got the name! It's called _Operation Jack Mantis_! I'm using my executive power, as the queen of 1-B, to make that the definitive name," she names our second operation. It has a nice ring to it, but why is naming this on our priority list?

"Alright," I say, gathering their attention, "I'll be spearheading _Operation Jack Mantis _then. I should have a mental plan after the event is finished." I look over to Awase, being the odd one out in this situation. "Awase, are you with us?"

Awase slams his fists together. "Hell yeah. Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it, Kendo. You can count on me!" Inochi and I exchange a pleased look. That's one down, sixteen more to go.

"Yo! What're you guys talking about?" Manga walks up to us with his hands in his pocket. He looks around at all of us with a curious look on his face. Suddenly, his head snaps to a wall between Tokage and Awase. What is he looking a-

?!

"What the hell?!" Awase swears, jumping back from whoever the hell this is! Tokage gets behind Inochi while Manga is completely frozen! It's like the color from his body disappeared from him! It's all because whoever this guy is?!

His eyes, if I can call blue ovals "eyes", slowly drag across his face like he's analyzing what to do. His mouth opens to a wide, and admittedly freaky, smile. "Hi!"

Manga takes a deep breath in… And faints. Inochi is barely able to catch him, picking up his legs and carrying him like a bride. Tokage and Awase gesture for me to question this guy. (Why do I have to do it?)

"Who… Who are you?! You scared Manga half to death!" I ask the random guy, who has some sort of phasing Quirk, and gesturing over to Manga. His head drifts along the wall, stopping where he's facing Mister Kan's desk.

Mister Kan notices him and lets out a loud sigh, shaking his head. "I should have known it was you, Togata. Could you not scare the first-years? I asked you to give them advice, not give them a heart attack. Where's Hado and Amajiki anyway?" (They must be our seniors.)

"Your Hado is right here, Mister Kan!" A navy-haired girl (Hado) walks into the room, dragging a dark-haired boy with elf ears (must be Amajiki) behind her. Togata pulls his head out of the wall, walking into the classroom last. For a weird-looking guy, his physique is really amazing! Much stronger than I am... (Awase, Tokage, and I go back to our seats.)

Hado drops Amajiki off at the front of the room, prancing over to Inochi and Manga. She shares a welcoming glance with Inochi before poking Manga's head, causing him to wake up. He expresses a question mark and slowly turns to Hado. "Morning, sleepy head! A man's arms isn't a good place to sleep in, you know!" she exclaims with a big smile.

"Whoa whoa whoa wait! I-"

_Thud!_

Manga falls out of Inochi's arms and lands on his butt. He quickly runs over to his seat, burying his face in his arms. What I can see of his face is… Really red. Inochi sighs and sits down behind Awase. I turn back towards Yui, who's been silently observing like she always does. She looks over to Kamakiri's empty desk and nods, telling me that she's helping. Fifteen more to go.

Mister Kan stares at the big three with a really regretful look on his face. "You kids…" he mutters under his breath. "Alright! These three here has some tips to share with you about today's event. Why don't you introduce yourselves? Togata takes a step forward, crossing his arms in a weird way. Hado forces Amajiki to stare at the class, but his gaze wanders towards the floor. (Amajiki must be a shy man, like how Inochi was when I first met him. Well… Not _this_ shy.)

"I'll go first!" Togata says, pointing his thumb to himself. "Mirio Togata! I'm a third-year working for the Nighteye Agency. If you saw me earlier, that was my Quirk, Permeation! In simple terms, I'm able to phase my body through virtually anything and anyone! That's about it… Hmm… Tamaki, I'm passing the torch to you!"

(Wasn't Nighteye a sidekick for All Might?)

Amajiki's body jerks forward slightly when Togata said that. He lets out a poor whimper. "I… I don't want the torch, Mirio… Too hot…" Togata shakes his head, edging Amajiki on using his eyes. He looks back and seemingly has a conversation with eyes. (Like what Yui and I do.) A few quiet seconds pass… Is he going to ta-?!

_Slam!_

Nope. He slammed his head against the wall. Hado frowns, tugging on his shirt. He doesn't react at all. Hado turns towards the rest of us with a smile, assuring that Amajiki is fine. "Don't worry! This shy man here is Tamaki Amajiki. His Quirk is called Manifest. He's able to transform his body into anything he eats!"

Hado giggles and takes a step forward. "And last, but certainly not least, is me! Nejire Hado! You can call me Nejire! My Quirk is called Wave Motion! I can shoot spirals of energy out of my body. And…" she drifts off, staring at Kuroiro. She points at him with a curious look on her face. "Kuroiro right? How can someone see you at night?"

("I am the night," Kuroiro responds… Uhm, I'm not sure how to react to that.)

"Oh Manga Manga! You're like a real life manga panel! How can you eat though?" she asks Manga, who still has his head down. He mumbles something, but no one can understand him. Nejire turns to Shiozaki with a finger pointing at her thorny hair. "Shiozaki, how do you brush your hair with all those thorns?"

(Shiozaki answers her with a slight blush on her face, "I-I have a special bru-")

And Nejire turns to Pony. "Oh Pony! How do you put on a shirt everyday with those adorable horns?" I can't hear what Pony said, but her voice sounded really excited. Togata laughs to himself, looking over to Mister Kan.

(Is Nejire going to ask these questions everyday?)

"Vlad King, can I bother one of your students for a moment?" he asks him. Amajiki picks his head off the wall and whispers something to Togata, but Mister Kan interrupted them with a loud sigh. "Alright, don't hurt them too badly."

Togata gives him a thumbs up and a smile. "I won't!" He turns to Awase, moving his head over to look at… Inochi? Oh no, he'll be way too nervous for whatever Togata wants. "Inochi! Come up here would you?" Inochi opens his mouth in disbelief, looking over to Yui and I.

_You got this_, I tell him with my eyes. His eyes quickly moves left and right, saying, _Nope! I don't want to do this!_

Togata edges Inochi further, "Come on, Inochi! Don't be shy like Tamaki." Begrudgingly, Inochi gets out of his seat and walks to the front of the room. Nejire stops talking to Honenuki (who's blushing), facing those two with her mouth open slightly.

(Why would Togata want Inochi of all people? The only special thing about him is… He can't use his Quirk. That's why Togata wants him. To everyone, it's a miracle that someone like Inochi is in U.A., but he's passively using his Quirk from what Tokage's dad said.)

"What's your secret?" Togata asks him without breaking the smile on his face. "Mister Kan told me that you have Adoptive Muscle Memory, but that could only take you so far! So, what's your secret for getting into U.A.?"

Inochi's body jerks up slightly when Togata asked the last question. He didn't do that before when anyone asked him, but it must have been from his nerves. "It's… Uhm… Training. I'm under Master Kendo with, well, Kendo. It's nothing, really! More training on top of training in U.A." He says, stuttering and stammering over his words. It's an understatement of the century though.

"Dude, you told us that you spend pretty much every night training and working out. That isn't 'nothing.'" Awase speaks out against Inochi (who currently has a betrayed look on his face).

Togata cocks an eyebrow. "Really? Can I try something?" Amajiki fully turns around, shaking his head at him. Nejire takes a step back like she knows what's going to happen. Inochi though, mumbles, "Y-Yeah…"

"Alright! Stay still!" What is Togata going to d-?!

_BAM!_

Oh my God! Why the hell did Togata punch him?! Mister Kan literally told him to not hurt us! He could kill a man with an arm like that! "Inochi!" I yell his name, standing up at my desk. He's on one knee, breathing heavily. Mister Kan throws his arms up in the air while everyone else in the class is completely breathless.

Unlike the rest of us, Nejire and Amajiki look impressed. So is Togata of all people! "I'm impressed, Inochi!" the man, who decided to punch my best friend for no reason and made his day even worse, beams.

"I-Impressed…? You punched me… Crap, that felt like Kendo's punch, but a lot harder…" Inochi groans, standing himself back up. Togata puts a hand on his shoulder, shaking his hand and apologizing.

("Most people wouldn't be able to move after being punched by Mirio…" Amajiki comments. Huh, I don't doubt that. Maybe all that training actually _did_ something useful other than making me worry about Inochi's wellbeing… He did stop my punch yesterday… That was the first time he did that without any visible pain.)

Mister Kan walks up to the four of them, making Inochi sit back down at his seat. "Togata! I don't need more students punching other students! Are you going to advise my students or beat the _hell _out of them? Sorry for my language, Shiozaki," Mister Kan scolds them (and apologizing to Shiozaki). Togata chuckles, trying to cool the situation down before turning to the class.

"Right! I'm sorry about derailing today, so let's make this brief! Today is your first chance to impress a Pro Hero. If you do it right, then you're high on the list for an internship and getting to work in a real Hero Agency.

"They'll ask you to perform special tasks for them. They may include punching something, rescuing a training dummy, or using your wit! If you're specialized in a certain area, make sure you talk to a Hero who's also specialized in that area. After all, why would a student, who's built for fighting, be under a Pro Hero, who's suited for rescuing?

"But also remember that you're not here to earn an internship, but making sure you'll be remembered when the time comes for an internship! Unless you're really well-known, like Tokage here, you're basically a stranger to them. It's going to be hard to get yourself known, especially since you're up against the entire school. Not just first-years, but also second and third-years.

"And, the Hero Course classes aren't the other classes out there. For example, the General Department. They'll be trying their dang best for any Pro Hero to notice them. If they manage to do so, then it's possible that they may be transferred to the Hero Course. The reverse is also true too. If you somehow mess up pretty badly, then you'll be out of the Hero Course. The Support and Management Departments have their own special internships separate from hero internships, so you don't have to worry about them. Do worry that they'll steal some of the spotlight and attention.

That means it's going to be pretty hectic outside. So, before you step out that door, take a deep breath and relax. It's not the end of the world if you didn't impress anyone! This is only your first year in U.A. after all. You got the Sports Festival, the Cultural Festival, and many other opportunities!

Oh, don't worry about fighting against us three. We're already in Hero Agencies already. Now 1-B, do your best out there! Be creative, be wise, and most importantly… Be strong!

You got that?!"

We all nod in unison. "Now, let's go beyond!" Togata pumps his fist in the air. Nejire does the same thing, expecting the rest of us to do…?

"Plus Ultra!" Inochi matches Togata's excitement, looking around the class. He slowly lowers his fist, shaking his head. "My disappointment in all of you is immeasurable," Inochi deadpans, not looking at anyone specifically. (Kaibara pats his back for some reason.)

_RIIIIING!_

"All students! Please change into your gym uniforms and come outside in an orderly manner. Thank you!" Principal Nezu's voice comes on in the intercoms before cutting off. Mister Kan smiles and nods, crossing his arms.

"You heard the man! 1-B, do your best. If you get a chance to outshine 1-A, go and take it."

"Yessir!" We shout in unison, walking out the door and following the sea of students with Mister Kan. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Inochi being held back by Togata. Well, it must be about that punch. Right now though, I gotta impress the heck out of these Pro Heroes if it's the last thing I do!

I'll be their fist!

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

_BOOOOOOM!_

"MOVE YOUR DAMN ICE, HALF-N-HALF BASTARD!"

"You were in the way."

...

How can I compete with these two? Just… Just gotta remember what Togata said to me and do something big. I _have _to. I _need_ to. I can't rely on any of my classmates, especially since I have no idea where any of them are! They abandoned me! One moment, I was besides Shishida and the next, he's gone despite being a hulking hairy man! Crap, I need to focus on the task at hand! Can't let myself panic too mu-!

_BOOOOOOM!_

"DUNCE FACE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Trying not to die!"

"Kacch-!"

"SHUT UP DEKU!"

…

I… What's with 1-A? You know, it's a good idea to be far, far away from them. Somewhere that they can't kill me with their amazing Quirks. Now, what can I do…? Something that I'm specialized in…

_THUNK!_

That's the sound of an arrow hitting a target! Archery, that's something I could do! It might be a regular bow though. I haven't shot with one in a while, but the feeling will come back to me. I let myself squeeze through the crowd, following the sound. It doesn't help that Bakugo keeps screaming at his classmates every second…

_BOOOOOOM!_

(Thanks, Bakugo.)

When I finally got through the hot and sweaty crowd of people, I reach a stall of… Lionheart! He stands behind a table, gesturing towards twelve moving axes with holes in them. A regular target is at the end. Lionheart himself has a bright smile on his face, moving his long, blonde hair behind his shoulder. For a guy wearing dark green clothes with a black shoulder cape, he should be sweating. (If I remember correctly, his Quirk is Windwake. He's able to control the wind around him, making it still or blow as hard as he wants.)

"Students! Come and bask in the Odysseus Challenge, _with_ a Japanese twist! Who's brave enough to attempt this challenge? Only three has done it before, and you may be the fourth," he sticks an English bow out to us. A black-haired boy stepped out of the crowd with a smirk.

"I got it, Lionheart," the boy takes the bow. He grabs an arrow off of a table, moving where Lionheart motions him to go. He nocks the arrow, pulling the string back. This guy is holding the bow too hard. His muscles are tensing up, making his arms shake. Lionheart has a small frown on his face, noticing the same thing I do.

_THWISH!_

_TWANG!_

_SNAP!_

The arrow flew nowhere close to true. It got snapped in half by the first two axes. The boy groans with Lionheart patting his shoulder. He walks away with shame and defeat in his face. Lionheart comes out to the rest of us, offering the bow. I raise my hand, asking him, "I'll try, but can you show us how you would do it, Mister Lionheart?"

Lionheart smiles and nods. "Of course!" I step to the side, having a full view of the twelve axes and Lionheart. Little does anyone know, this is how I'm going to do the challenge. It might be considered hustling, but I have to make do with that little I got.

_THWISH!_

_TWANG!_

_THUNK!_

Effortlessly, Lionheart nocked and fired the arrow, going through all twelve axes and hitting the target at the end without a second of preparation. All of us clap, especially me. That's all I need. Lionheart has sharp senses built up from years of training, but he _did_ set up this challenge. He put all these axes on set intervals, where there's only a single moment where all of them line up just right. He showed the exact moment. I can use the shadows of the axes and among other things as reference points. Now, I need to count on knowing how to fire a bow properly.

I walk into the stall, grabbing Lionheart's bow and an arrow. He guides me to the proper distance as I look forward. All of the axes are swinging so "unpredictably" that it'll make any average person panic. Many different objects moving at different speeds would stimulate a person's brain too much, but all I need to do is focus.

Take a deep breath in. (I nock my arrow, pulling it back.)

Don't hold the bow too hard. (My aim is steady.)

Wait for the right moment. (My eyes have the target. There's no wind to worry about thanks to Lionheart. This is it.)

Breathe out. (Fire.)

_THWISH!_

_TWANG!_

I release the string, letting the arrow loose. It cracks and waves around the shaft of the bow. It moves through the first few holes, then the next, and the last-

_THUNK!_

Heh, already hit the target before I can finish my thoughts! I actually did it! Heck yeah! Might as well call me Odysseus! Whoever the heck that (Greek?) guy is! The crowd gasps in wonder and awe before starting to clap. Lionheart puts a hand on my shoulder like an impressed father.

"I'm impressed, boy! Tell me, did you manage to train to my level or did you merely copy my skill?" he asks me with a curious eye.

"Both, kinda. I have prior experience with a bow, but my Quirk lets my muscles copy anything I see. It's not actually my Quirk though... But uhm… I'm sorry if I hustled you, or anything," I apologize to Lionheart, giving him his bow back.

Lionheart laughs, putting the bow on the table. "It's fine! What's your name, boy?"

"Sanji Inochi, sir. I'm in the Hero Course, specifically 1-B." Once I said that, the crowd in front of the stall groans in unison. Right… I had a feeling that the other classes aren't fond of students like me. (This is terribly ironic…)

"Of course this guy's in the Hero Course!"  
"Always stealing the spotlight from us."

"Why doesn't U.A. ban guys like him from today anyway?  
"Inochi? How are you here?"  
"Just get out of h-"

(Wait, who said my name?)

I excuse myself from Lionheart, stepping out of the stall. Someone pushes through the crowd with a band of about four behind them. In front of them is the familiar light red hair with fox ears. The same, familiar fangy smile. It couldn't be no one other than Karisuma Suzuki.

(Quirk: Nine Tails. He has one tail out right now, and can grow eight more, enhancing his body with each one. There's a massive drawback though: More tails means that he has a higher chance of going berserk. Personally, I never saw him going berserk nor seeing him with more than three tails.)

My eyes couldn't believe that he's here though. I exclaim, "Suzuki?! You're at U.A.?!" Behind him is Suzuki's friends, who'll obey his every command. In middle school, they were different people. I guess he replaced them once he got accepted into U.A. That's like him.

"Obviously. So are _you_. In the Hero Course of all things," he tells me in a demeaning manner, like how he always talks to me… The four students behind him glare at me like I'm evil incarnate, "I'm the class president of 1-D, a _General Course _class."

He takes me by the arm, forcing us to walk away from Lionheart's stall. He doesn't look too different. Still charming and handsome as always. Any woman would fall in love with him at first sight. After all, Suzuki is a "genuine kitsune".

Yeah, there's a reason why people are distrustful with foxes. They're tricksters, the kind who'll deceive you in order to consume your soul. The one who breaks you down, tear you apart, say that you're nothing, beating you to the ground with a satisfied smile on their face, while you could only lay there and cry.

This anger boiling inside me, I hate it. I hate that my heart is on fire, screaming at me to do something about Suzuki. I hate the way that my past has come to me when I thought I left that behind at Kibo. The past that I have always wanted to hide from everyone, and now a part of it is here.

You know...

* * *

I was in sixth grade walking back "home". It was fall, before the moment I found my motivation to be a Pro Hero, before subjecting myself to constant training. Back then, I was quiet, practically silent. Never talked to anyone unless I needed to. Never did anything unless I had to. Always did my work silently, ate alone at lunch. I was seen, but never heard. That didn't stop anyone, especially Suzuki.

When I was walking back home though, I distinctly remember the orange and red leaves falling from the sky. Falling, rocking back and forth like gentle snowflakes. The trees are shedding their leaves, covering the pavement with them. The way they fall down though, it was calm, soothing, like a mother rocking their child to sleep.

Then, a harsh wind blew them away, letting them crash, crumpling to the ground. The sound of light footsteps erupted behind me, so I had to turn around. Before I did though, I knew who it was: Suzuki. He had a group of five walking behind him like fans following a Pro Hero. He stopped in his tracks once he saw me. Me, who was hiding my face with a white hood. I tried to walk away, but he said to me, "Inochi, walking away so soon? Come here. I need to tell you something."

I knew what he was going to say. What he was going to do, but… I stopped in my tracks. I didn't walk to him though. I was too afraid, too scared, knowing what Suzuki could do to me. Back then, he was already someone strong enough to get into the Hero Course. He didn't need his followers, but he had them anyway.

"Saito. Get him for me," Suzuki motioned Saito, so he stepped forward, smirking at me. His arms extended forward like rubber, grabbing me by the arms. He pulled me towards Suzuki, letting go a good distance away from him. I fell, tripped onto the ground crashing, tumbling. I don't know how many times I rolled, but the next thing I knew… I was in front of Suzuki's shoes. It was the standard dress shoes: Black, leather, fancy but not too fancy.

Suzuki laughed at me, pulling the hood off of my head. I felt a few beautiful leaves were stuck to my shirt like I took them as my own. Everyone else was laughing too. Laughing at me, who was covered in dirt and grime. Me, who was simply staring at the ground helplessly. "Inochi, you got some dirt on my brand new shoes, you goofy man! Why don't you lick it off for me?" Suzuki extended his left shoe out, but I shook my head.

"I-I don't want to. Please, just let me leave," I begged him, but my answer didn't satisfy him. Suzuki clicked his tongue, motioning for two of his friends to lift me from the ground. We were at the same level, but I was staring at the ground with my mind not able to comprehend what was going on. I could only notice how fragile the leaves were, underneath Suzuki's feet.

"Why not, Inochi? What's so bad about me? I'm dying to know," he asked me, grabbing my neck and forcing me to stare into his crimson eyes. Somehow, despite how weak I was, I managed to choke something out.

"Y-You… Y-You can't do this…" I told him that. It didn't answer his question, but it answered what he was suspecting. Suzuki glared at me, tightening the grip on my neck. He looked at the two people who were holding onto me, gesturing them to let me go. That's when he threw me to the ground. My back slammed against the pavement with pain shooting up my spine. I yelped, barely able to look up at Suzuki.

He grew a tail.

"I can't do what?!" he yelled at me before kicking me in my gut. I cried out in pain, rolling back with Suzuki following me. I barely caught a glimpse of everyone else in the back. They were smiling, enjoying this. They were like a hive mind. Whatever Suzuki did, they did it too… Whenever he smiled, they smiled.

"Tell me, _Inochi_, what can't I do?! This?!" he growled at me, putting his foot back and kicking me up the chin. My head snapped back as my entire body gave out, laying on the ground. I looked up at Suzuki. His face was completely red from what I said. He was so angry that I'd thought he would burst into flames.

"You, of all people, would tell me what to do!" He kicked me. I felt tears streaming down my face. My mouth was moving, pleading him to stop.

"Stop? Who gave you the right to even speak with me?!" He kicked me again. I felt blood coming out of my mouth, coughing all over my clothes. I barely saw that he grew another tail. Again, I asked him to stop, letting my tears mix in with my blood.

"Asking me again?! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Suzuki grabbed me by my collar, his nails sharp, his teeth even sharper. My head rocked back and forth, dizzy from the pain. I muttered his name underneath my breath, trying to focus.

Without a second thought, he lifted me with one hand and threw me across the pavement. It pounded against my body as I rolled across it. More leaves stuck onto me, hiding the blood on my clothes. I laid on my back, looking up at Suzuki, who seemed like something out of a fantasy book. His foot was pressed against my right cheek, pushing my head against the cold, hard ground.

"Inochi, you are _nothing_ compared to me. You're lucky that you are even able to get my attention. People would bend over backwards to have me step on them. I'm already going to be the next All Might when I graduate U.A. You can brag to what little friends you'll have about how you knew me."

Suzuki pressed on my head even harder, smirking. "Remind me, Inochi… Who will always be better than you?"

Mindlessly, I stuttered out, "Y-You… Suzuki…"

"And what are you?"

"N-Nothing… Nothing…" I said, covered in beautiful fall leaves.

He lifted his foot off of my head. Suzuki stood me up on my feet, brushing all the leaves off of me. Behind him, his friends were smiling even more, but I was focused on him. That was the first time I saw his eyes in a different light. It looked like it was colored with blood. Suzuki playfully slapped my cheek, smiling like nothing happened. "You can go now, Inochi. Have a good day."

I stood there for a second, not believing what he said. A part of me believed he would beat me more, but another wanted me to leave. So, I turned around and limped away. I never heard Suzuki or his friends following me, I never heard them talking, but I felt them staring at me, staring holes into my back.

When I left for Musutafu, I never said goodbye to them. I always remembered this day and what it did to me. Now, the roles are reversed, isn't it? I'm the one who's in the Hero Course and Suzuki isn't.

But now that I remember it, remember how each second played out… I felt angry, but it isn't there anymore. That was out of character for me to think about Suzuki like that. Being angry at Suzuki, harboring this kind of feeling towards him, it's undeniably selfish. How can I call myself a Pro Hero if I indulge in my own hate? I'll be just as bad as a Villain.

* * *

Back to the real world, Suzuki, his new friends, and I find ourselves in an open spot. There's people all around us, but they don't care what's happening here. Suzuki lets go of my arm and we face each other once again. We're wearing the same gym uniform. Blue with white, accompanied by a little bit of red.

"So, you awakened to your Quirk? That's the only explanation why you're able to do Lionheart's challenge," Suzuki questions me with a scowl across his face. He doesn't seem that angry… Yet. I stand up straight, not breaking eye contact with him.

"No, but my Quirk gives me a passive enhancement. It's Adoptive Muscle Memory. I'm able to watch something and copy it perfectly. You seen me do it before, but I didn't have a proper name back then," I answer him, referencing back to middle school. He gives me a simple nod, taking the information in.

"Hmph, so you're still the same man from before, but with bigger arms. I don't know why U.A. even decided to let you in here. I can change that though. I'll be such a good student that they _have_ to move me up to the Hero Course, maybe even replacing you. Oh, I hope I get to replace you, Inochi." The same sinister smile forms on his face.

I know how he is though.

"Suzuki, let me get this straight with you: I don't care. I'm going my own way in U.A., and you should too. Don't obsess over what little I do, what little I _will do_. For your own sake, please forget about me. Let whatever _you think_ we have die right here and we'll go our own separate ways."

Suzuki opens his mouth, like he couldn't believe what I was saying. I figured he would act like this. Someone like him doesn't like to be challenged, doesn't like to be told what to do. He's a narcissist, and someone like me is his greatest enemy. Suddenly though, a hand is on my shoulder. I turn around to see Kendo, who's glaring daggers into Suzuki. She asks me, "Who is this guy, Inochi?"

Suzuki changes his demeanor in an instant, forming a charming smile that could make a girl faint. Kendo though, doesn't crack. He takes a step forward with a hand to his chest. "Inochi, you never told me that you're friends with the granddaughter of Master Kendo! I never imagined she would look so beautiful."

He takes Kendo by the hand, shaking it with his tail wagging. "I am Karisuma Suzuki. You can call me, 'Kari'." Once he lets go, I pull Kendo back next to me. She's looking at me like, _Is this guy serious? _I shrug my shoulders, saying, _Serious as serious can get._

"_Suzuki,"_ Kendo calls him, rolling her eyes slightly, "how exactly do you know Inochi?" Suzuki smiles, going up to me with such friendliness that it's hard to tell that he's lying. He could convince me that we were friends, if it wasn't for… You know…

He exclaims, "We were old friends! Isn't that right Ino-?!"

A voice interrupts him, "Mister Suzuki, is that correct?"

Everyone stops and turns to the new voice. It's a man. A man with laid-back black hair, a white dress shirt, and he's holding a wooden cane with a dog as its handle. It's Grandmaster! The Detective Hero! He's considered to be the world's best detective! His Quirk is, well, a mystery in itself! He never revealed it to the public!

Suzuki's eyes go slightly wide, but it goes back to being unrecognizably kind. He bows in respect-

"There's no need to do that, Mister Suzuki. I heard everything the moment you and your gang stepped foot here. To take such a hostile tone with him and even threatening his place at U.A.? Oh, don't forget about acting like the both of you were best friends. How despicable… If you know what's good for you, leave at this very moment," Grandmaster berates them, gesturing with his cane.

Suzuki grumbles, waving all of his friends to leave. He doesn't say anything, but he gives me a glare. A glare that could kill a man without any remorse. I let out a sigh of relief, turning to Grandmaster and bowing myself. "Mister Grandmaste-!"

"Just 'Grandmaster'. Come you two, let's not worry about that boy anymore. What we should worry about is: Miss Tokage, Manga, and The Count are alone at my stall. I'm afraid it would be destroyed from the three of them, probably from Count deciding to boast his prowess." He taps his cane twice, leading Kendo and I.

(That's right! Grandmaster is partners with another Pro Hero, The Count. The Count is originally from France. He was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Thanks to Grandmaster, he was able to prove it otherwise. After that, The Count moved to Japan with him, and so that's how the Grandmaster-The Count Agency was made!

The Count's Quirk is called Aftershadow. He's able to make a "clone" of himself that's able to do one action, and/or take one hit, before disappearing. On an article about him, his record is twenty Aftershadows at once!)

Anyway, we move through the crowd back to his stall. He was right. Tokage and Manga are there. Tokage is playing chess with The Count while Manga watches. The Count himself, he's wearing a fedora that covers his brown hair. He's wearing… Well, he doesn't have a shirt on. Only dark pants. He doesn't seem to be afraid of hiding his scars, but rather showcasing them proudly.

"Claude! Put on a shirt would you? We're here to set an example to these kids! What would they think seeing a professional Pro Hero shirtless?!" The Count looks up at Grandmaster, shrugging.

The Count replies, "These kids don't care, but I do care about this little girl beating me in chess!" He stands out of his chair, moving his rook over to protect his king. (Ah, so he was in check.) Tokage smirks, moving a queen over.

"That's where you lose, Count! I call this move: Checkmate. I win," she gloats, crossing her arms proudly. Grandmaster puts a hand to his mouth, trying not to laugh. The Count though? He falls to his knees, staring up at the clear blue sky.

He dramatically yells, "Curse you, daughter of Fuyoshiro Tokage!" Grandmaster couldn't hold back his laughter, but he manages to pull The Count back to his feet. These two… These two could be their own TV show.

Tokage and Manga walk up to Kendo and I after that fiasco. Tokage asks me (specifically, us), "So, who was that fox guy? He didn't seem like much of a nice guy to me. Manga, here, thought he was an anime character came to life."

Manga puts his hands up in defense. "That guy looked like an actual kitsune! If we have to fight him, and if he turns into a rabid beast, then I'm going to gloat in your face, Tokage. I know enough anime and manga to know where that's heading." (Oh my God, Manga got his Quirk right without even talking to him.)

Kendo answers for me, "Well, this kitsune was named Suzuki. From the look of him, he was one of Inochi's old bullies, but Grandmaster chased him away. I'm glad that asshole is gone, right Inochi? What did you say to him?" Their eyes fall on me. (Except for Grandmaster and The Count. They're chatting to themselves.)

"That he should leave me alone," I say, generalizing it _slightly._ I turn to Manga and- Wait a second?! Isn't his sister in U.A. too? In the Support Department. Why haven't I seen her around? "Hey Manga, where's your sister? Her name is Shojo, right?"

As soon as I mentioned his sister, Grandmaster and The Count's head perk up. Manga nervously chuckles, holding his wrist like he doesn't know what to do with his arms. "About Shojo… She's kinda a shut-in, you know? It's a complicated story, too long to tell you guys now."

Grandmaster walks up, nodding to what Manga said. "Mhm. It's best not to dwell on it. In fact, we should-"

_WOOOOOOOOOOO!_

All of us turn to the crowd cheering and hollering. We see a winged man flying to the ground without a care in the world. That's Hawks. Once he lands, a swarm of students quickly surrounds him. I don't know what's happening, but I hope Hawks will be fine. In the distance, near the entrance back into U.A., is Endeavour talking to Todoroki. Right, Todoroki is his son, isn't he?

Time goes on. For about an hour, Kendo, Tokage, Manga, and I stay with Grandmaster and The Count, talking about virtually anything. It doesn't feel like they're Pro Heroes, but rather average people. It's different from Mister Tokage, where he has an intimidating presence. These two… They seem like incredibly kind men.

Our biggest talk was Grandmaster's Quirk. Tokage kept guessing and guessing, but she was always wrong. I'm shocked that the world hasn't blown up yet from how smart Tokage and Grandmaster are. These two could formulate a master plan to take over U.A., and no one would be none the wiser until it's too late.

Manga stands up and stretches. "Well, maybe we should-!"

"CLASS 1-B AND 1-D!" A woman's voice comes on the speakers. All of us look at each other, wondering what's going on.

"PLEASE GO TO GYM GAMMA! I REPEAT, CLASS 1-B AND 1-D, PLEASE GO TO GYM GAMMA! ANY OTHER STUDENTS OR PRO HEROES MAY OBSERVE!" The announcement ends, leaving us confused. Grandmaster looks at me with an eyebrow cocked.

The Count quickly throws on a shirt, walking out of the stall. "What are all of you sitting around for? You heard the woman! Let's go!" Grandmaster sighs, getting up with The Count. Tokage, Kendo, and I do the same.

"What's going on? Isn't 1-D a General Department class? What do they want with us?" Tokage asks us as we move through the crowd of gossiping students. Some of them look at us, knowing we're 1-B. Tetsutetsu and Kodai meet up with us.

"Hey Kendo! What's going on here?" Tetsutetsu asks her. She shakes her head, not knowing the answer, but I do. Suzuki is in 1-D as its class president. He did something, but what? Knowing him, it's a competition of sorts.

Shiozaki and Yanagi are next. They ask Kendo, she still doesn't know. More and more of our classmates join us with a crowd following behind. I see some students from 1-A in the crowd, like Ashido and Ojiro, to name a couple. We walk to Gym Gamma with Mister Kan, lining up with him. There's Miss Kojoseicho, the homeroom teacher of 1-D with a line of her students. (Her Hero name is Rose with her Quirk being Plant Manipulation. She's able to control any plants near her surroundings.)

We meet with Mister Kan with the observers in the back. In front of us is Class 1-D with twenty different people, with twenty unique Quirks. One of them being Suzuki, who's standing in the front. Kendo sees him and glances over at me briefly.

"1-B! 1-D here has a proposition for you all. The class president, Karisuma Suzuki, will explain," Mister Kan says, letting Suzuki come forward. He breaks from the line, walking to the middle with his hands behind his back.

"Who's the class president here?" Suzuki asks us. Eyes turn to Kendo, including mine. Even though we haven't nominated anyone, she's the person we would go to. Proudly, she walks forward to meet with Suzuki without saying a word.

Suzuki chuckles, muttering something under his breath. "Kendo, I have an offer for you. It's a little game, capture the flag specifically. My class versus yours. What do you say? Do you think you can defeat 1-D, being the class built to be Heroes?"

His eyes drift towards me.

He repeats again, "What do you say?"


	10. Nine Tails

**Sanji Inochi**

A gentle wind breezes through us, outside of Gym Gamma. Everyone is quiet, murmuring to one another, matching the sound of the wind. We all stare at Kendo and Suzuki. From the look on some of our faces, some of us are in disbelief that 1-D would try to challenge us. It might be from being too arrogant, or from shock that something like this is actually happening. Knowing my class, it's the latter.

"_What do you say?"_ Suzuki's voice rings out in my head. Kendo glances at me, being the first one to turn to. Ah, she wants my input doesn't she? Even though she's the class president, I'm directly connected to Suzuki. I would have the biggest say in this.

No, that's my answer. Suzuki will do everything it takes to bring me down. Everything… Including hurting my friends, hurting Kendo. I'm afraid that 1-D will suffer too from how obsessed Suzuki will be, or already is. It's best for both parties to not have this game.

(Even though with what Mister Tokage said, I can't do it.)

I firmly look at Kendo, shaking my head, saying, _No, don't accept the challenge._ Her eyes go slightly wide before she sighs, turning back to Suzuki. Suzuki though, was watching me the entire time. He has a grin on his face like he proved that I'm a coward or something along those lines. It's the truth he's convincing himself with.

Kendo lets out a deep breath, telling him, "You're on, Suzuki."

?!

The entire class of 1-D erupts in cheers, excited that they get to fight us. I look around at my class, and they seem excited too. Everyone's excited, except for me. Suzuki looks surprised as I am. Him and Kendo approach Mister Kan and Miss Kojoseicho, probably establishing the rules of the game.

"We're really fighting 1-D? Well, this is a pleasant turn of events!" Monoma says, looking at Suzuki in the distance, eyeing him. Kaibara puts his elbow on him, sighing.

He asks, "Why do they want to fight us in the first place?"

"Do you remember what Togata said?" Shiozaki starts to answer Kaibara, "If the General Department impresses the Pro Heroes, then they could be moved up to the Hero Course. The reverse is true too."

"Aw shi-" Awase looks at Shiozaki before clearing his throat. "Crap, I hope I'm not getting transferred. That means we gotta beat the crap outta them in capture the flag."

"I wish Kamakiri was here…" Pony mutters. Kodai gently pats her shoulder, cheering her up in her own, unique way.

"I'm pretty sure Suzuki will transform into a giant fox monster," Manga says, still on Suzuki's Quirk (and still somewhat guessing it right somehow). Tokage rolls her eyes, looking over at Suzuki too.

She says, "We'll sacrifice you first, Manga."

"Ehhh?! Screw that! I'm way too skinny to be a good meal! I don't want Suzuki to eat me!" Manga exclaims with Tokage simply smirking. That's the face she makes when she's about to make a comment.

"Wow Manga, I never thought that you want a handsome, charming man to eat you," Tokage makes an innuendo, causing Manga to get red. Yup, that's what I was expecting.

He snaps back at her, "Tokage, I don't need this from you!" Tokage snickers with Shiozaki behind her, frowning slightly. (I honestly don't know how Manga gets into these situations. His reactions do cheer me up a bit.)

"Everyone!" Suzuki raises his voice, getting everyone's attention. "Here are the rules! Each class will have a flagpole on their side of Gym Gamma. Once a class gets the other class's flag and bring it over to their side of the gym, then they get a point! First class to get three points wins!

We will be wearing flags belts. Once you cross the middle line, onto the opposing class, then it can be taken off of you. If so, then you're going to jail! You can only get out of jail by your fellow classmate tagging you, which also gets all your friends out of Jail if there is any. Only two people may guard the jail at one time. It goes the same for the flagpole.

Speaking of it, you can pass it to your classmates, but it has to be inside the other class's zone. You can't pass the flagpole across the centerline. Oh, they'll be a small square where the flagpole's at. That's a safezone, for five seconds, if you're on the opposing team's side. Lastly, please don't drag the other class into your zone and get them out. That's cheating and it doesn't stand with U.A.'s values.

Now, we can go crazy with our Quirks here, so don't hold back! For you, 1-B, you may bring any equipment you want! Consider this a little gift from me to you!"

He explains the rules to us (and anyone else who wants to watch this game). Mister Kan and Miss Kojoseicho mention something to each other before going inside Gym Gamma, probably to set up the game. Kodai and Awase walks up to me. Awase greets me with a smile, patting me on the back. "Yo, let's get our stuff!"

(That's right, Awase and Kodai's Quirks work better if they have objects. There won't be any in Gym Gamma, so they would be at a disadvantage without them.)

"Alright," I say, joining them. The three of us start to head back inside U.A., with Awase talking about how we're going to beat 1-D. I don't talk with him though, neither does Kodai. This game… I never wanted it to happen. It's all apart of Suzuki's plan… Crap, what was she thinking?

I don't know what to do, but Kendo must've had a good reason. She always has a good reason for these things. Knowing her, she must have seen this competition for revenge or something like that. Even though I'm not fond of it, I'll do it for her. I mean, this game isn't about us two and Suzuki. It's about the entire class of 1-B and 1-D. In a way, she's also doing it for them.

Anyway, we're in the locker rooms now. Kodai goes to the girls' locker room while Awase and I go into ours. I go to my big locker, putting my code in. It opens up and I'm greeted with my hero costume, all laid out for me. I take my two bracers, attaching them to my arms. Left is my grappling hook, right is my crossbow. Lastly, I take my katana, fastening it to my waist. I close my locker, turning back to Awase. "Ready, Awase?"

"As I'll ever be!" Awase steps out from his locker, patting his bag of metal logs. We walk out of our locker rooms and… Kendo's there, waiting for us with Kodai.

"Hey Awase, can you give Inochi and I some privacy?" she asks Awase, who silently nods. (It seems like he recognizes that this isn't the time to make comments.) Him and Kodai walk away, leaving Kendo and I alone. Smiling at her, I adjust the straps on my bracers.

Her head tilts slightly to the side, surprised. Heh, I should be offended that she would think I'm mad. "You're not mad, Inochi?"

I tighten my straps, making my left bracer hug my arm a little bit more. "Well, I'm a bit upset that you accepted the challenge. Why _did_ you accept it anyway?" I ask her, working on my other bracer.

Kendo sighs in relief, answering, "I wanted to prove to Suzuki that you're much stronger than him and his class. You and all of our friends. It would be _really_ satisfying to see him eat his words." She leans against the wall besides me. We stare at a blank, white wall for some reason.

Heh, I know her so well. She wants to prove that we, as 1-B, are stronger than Suzuki and 1-D. She's definitely a righteous person, but I don't dislike it (it's the opposite really). For me, a competition like this isn't my style. I'm still worried though. Suzuki was willing to beat me to the ground in sixth grade, so only God knows what he'll do today.

"That's so like you. A competition like this though, it's not for me. I'd rather have these kinds of things as necessities, not going out of my way to do them. But, can you promise me something, Kendo?" We look at each other, into each other's eyes.

"Of course, name it!" she accepts, nudging my arm a little.

"If Suzuki starts to get angry, so angry that the word isn't fit to describe him, then promise me: Call the game off, and get any and all Pro Heroes to restrain him. Please," I plead her with my eyes turning a bit sad before I blink it away.

"I… I will," she promises me, looking away slightly. "And if I can ask, why are you helping me? You mentioned that this kind of contest isn't for you."

I chuckle to myself, crossing my arms. "What do you think? I'm doing it for you! If you want to prove to the whole damn world that you're the best, then I'm with you, one hundred percent. It doesn't make a lick of sense, since I already think you're the best."

Kendo has a faint blush on her cheeks, smiling widely. "Jeez Inochi… You gotta stop throwing around compliments like that… You're way too good and nice for this cruel world." Oh, is that a challenge?

I spit out another compliment, "Hey, this world isn't so cruel if you're in-"

"Nope, not another compliment out of you! We need to focus on beating 1-D, specifically Suzuki. Let's make it a blowout," she pats my arm, motioning us to leave. I smile to myself as I follow behind her. Kendo always get embarrassed whenever I do that. It's so entertaining and sweet to see her big sister guard down.

Heh, you know… If this is all a contest of proving oneself, then it might be a bit beneficial for me… because…

"_You weren't meant to be-"_

Ugh, I get Mister Tokage's voice out of my head. I'd rather not think about that right now. It's better for my friends to have their time to dominate 1-D, especially Kendo. There's always time to prove myself later.

We go back outside. There's barely anyone outside Gym Gamma, so everyone must have went inside. "Well, Battle Fist, everyone is waiting for us," I tell her, using the nickname that Tokage made up. She rolls her eyes in annoyance.

"Yup… Armory. I'm calling you that from now on," Kendo gives me a nickname, laughing at herself. I like it, has a nice ring to it. It references my ability to master any weapon in a short amount of time compared to others, but I'm surprised I didn't get a nickname referencing a samurai. Eh, gotta be original somehow.

We walk inside Gym Gamma and… Oh, holy crap! It became a battleground! There's broken buildings (not like the ones in Ground Beta, which are actual buildings while these are small), concrete road barriers, a small metal hut that has "JAIL" labeled on it, and a square box with sandbags around it. A flagpole is in the center of the square with a red flag attached, labeled "1-B". On the other side of the gym is the same thing, but mirrored. 1-D has a blue flag.

It's a mini-version of a ruined city.

"Finally," Mister Kan gets our attention, handing us two red flag belts, "Suzuki's been nagging me about when you two would show up." We clip it around our waists. I make sure it doesn't get in the way of my sheathe. (This is going to be a bit inconvenient.)

Kendo asks, "Sorry, Mister Kan. How long until it starts-"

"Five minutes," Suzuki answers us, coming from behind. He sneaks a glare in at me before smiling at Kendo and Mister Kan, with his hands folded at his chest. "Let's have a good game," he says before walking to his side. (Kendo rolls her eyes, obviously annoyed by him.)

Mister Kan sighs, shaking his head. "Go and beat 1-D, would you? I would say 'good luck', but you won't need it. _They_ need it." He has a confident grin on his face, placing his faith completely on us.

"Roger! Come on, we got five minutes to discuss the plan, Inochi!" Kendo tells me before yanking me by the wrist, running towards everyone else, who're gathered near the centerline. Tokage and Monoma are observing 1-D, probably for their Quirks before they turn to us.

We run into Kodai, who has a blank look on her face as always. I point to her, asking, "Hey Kodai! Why don't you show us your battle face?"

"Arg," she makes a sound (kinda like a pirate), grinning weirdly. I gotta say though, that's one of the best battle faces. With Kodai's enthusiasm, 1-D should forfeit the match. They have no idea who they're dealing with.

Kendo laughs, high-fiving me. "Looks like we're going to win, Inochi! Kodai's in battle mode. No one can stop her now."

"You know it," I say with the three of us finally approaching Tokage and Monoma. So, here's two of the schemers in 1-B. They aren't afraid to spy on 1-D, so let's find out what they got.

"Finally!" Tokage exclaims, walking up to us with Monoma. "Do any of you know what Suzuki's Quirk is? I'm mainly worried about him, since he seems to be deceptively powerful. Monoma feels the same way because he can't use his Quirk."

"That's because it's an Accumulation-type, like mine," I answer her, glancing over to Suzuki, "Suzuki's Quirk is called Nine Tails. He can grow eight more tails, growing a lot more powerful with each one, but also having a chance to go completely crazy."

Monoma raises an eyebrow. "Really? Well, that makes things a lot more interesting! Fortunately, Tokage and I were able to figure out three Quirks, but only from them being Mutant-type."

(Tokage throws her hands up in the air, probably realizing that Manga pretty much figured out Suzuki's Quirk.)

"That's great!" Kendo says, turning to me, "thanks to Inochi, I know that he's going to be the main person that 1-D will go after, so I have a plan. We need one person though. He's instrumental."

"Who is this man?" Monoma asks, looking around at our class. Tokage does too, but I have a feeling I know who he is. He's not someone loud or shy, but rather quiet, thinking. You would see him, but you would never hear him.

Kendo smirks, putting a hand on her hip. "Well… It's-"

* * *

"THE MATCH WILL BEGIN IN THREE!" Miss Kojoseicho yells into the microphone. There's people off to the sides, Pro Heroes and students alike. I see some from 1-A, like Midoriya, who's taking notes in his journal.

Bondo and Shiozaki are defending the flagpole, having the best Capturing Quirks. Honenuki, Komori, Monoma are in the front, to the sides. They'll provide a shift in terrain.

(Hmm… The current Quirks that we know 1-D has: Spiky Hair, Springy Feet, Glowing Heart, and Nine Tails. All of them are self-explanatory or I already explained it, except for Glowing Heart. No one knows what that does other than making the guy's heart glow.)

"TWO!"

I'm with Awase, Tsubaraba, Manga, Kaibara, Kendo, and Tetsutetsu. They're acting as distractions for me. Rin and Kodai are defending the Jail. Yanagi, Tokage, Shoda, and Shishida are the general defenders. On the other side, 1-D is more than ready. They look organized just like us. Suzuki is a natural leader, so it makes sense for them to be this prepared. That's one of the things to admire him for. (Especially his Quirk.)

(Their biggest mistake is not lining up at the centerline. They're on defense.)

"ONE!"

I'm ready to bring the flagpole home. I adjust my left bracer, tapping it playfully. That's how we're going to win, with this thing. Kendo is a genius when she told me what to do.

"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!" Miss Kojoseicho blows her whistle, signaling that the match has begun!

Honenuki and Monoma put their hands on the centerline, Softening everything on their side except for the square where the flagpole is resting in. "Sorry about muddying your day!" Honenuki makes a pun, cackling.

1-D shouts profanities and curses, trying to get out of Honenuki's mud. However, there's no solid ground to move onto! Suzuki, in the middle of his zone, looks over to a blue-haired girl with slight bangs. He yells, "Denkai!" Denkai puts her fingers to the ground and… And within an instant, the semi-liquid ground returns back to its regular state! Dang it! They have a direct counter to Honenuki?! I knew it wouldn't be this easy!

1-D gets back up on their feet with Suzuki laughing. He taunts, "That trick won't work on us! Denkai's Quirk is Solidifier! She can turn any liquid, even a semi-liquid, into a solid!" Well, good thing that Suzuki isn't keeping it as a mystery! Here comes for the next part!

"Let's go! Remember the plan!" Kendo yells, leading the charge into 1-D's territory. Suzuki shouts for everyone to charge in too, intercepting us. They have twenty versus our seven, but we're much more trained than they are. I'm with Tsuburaba and Awase while Kendo gets Kaibara, Manga, and Tetsutetsu

In front of me, Spiky Hair jumps through a window of one of the broken buildings to my right. Awase runs up and without hesitation, he quickly welds him into a wall with his metal logs. "Sorry! Too slow!" (Nineteen.)

"RAH!"

_STOMP!_

_RUMBLE!_

On the left side of the field, a muscular girl stomped her foot on the ground. A pillar of earth and rock emerges from it, trapping Tetsutetsu inside. She grabs his belt, getting him out. Dang it! (Six left.)

I focus back in front. There's two students in front of me. One of them is Springy Feet while the other is Denkai. She runs towards Awase while Springy Feet bends his knees, ready to jump! Tsuburaba is right besides me. Time for a tag team move! I yell at him, "Tsuburaba! Airwalk!"

Tsuburaba smiles and nods, blowing a circular Solid Air, flat and floating. I immediately jump on at the same time when Springy Feet launches himself into the air towards me, flying at me face-first like a torpedo. Tsubaraba blows another circle of Solid Air, letting me hop on that with my left foot. Springy Feet taunts, "Too easy!"

Sorry, but he's too easy. Tsuburaba blows one last Solid Air. I jump on with my right before soaring with my left foot back-!

_SLAM!_

I spun in the air to deliver a left kick to Springy Feet's head. He crashes to the ground as I land. I roll, softening my fall and turning to see Awase welding Denkai to the ground. He does the same to Springy Feet. (Seventeen.)

Tsuburaba gives a thumbs up to Awase. "Nice job, Weldman! Come on, we're about a quarter the way the-" Pink petals appear behind Tsuburaba before suddenly transforming into a pink-haired girl with a green streak through it. Within an instant, she takes Tsuburaba's belt. (Five left. She can transform into Sakura Petals?!)

"Better watch your back, handsome," Sakura Petals says in a seductive voice, winking to Tsuburaba and tossing his belt back. ("Damn it," Tsuburaba swears, walking away to Jail.) She looks over to Awase and I, having her eye on me. "Why, Inochi right? You're an adorable man… I can't wait until I get my hands on you…"

(Awase is looking at me, practically saying, _This girl is crazy! _Yeah, she is… To be honest, I thought she would be his type. Wait a second, she was one of the four who was following Suzuki!)

She transforms into petals, flying right towards us! If she's petals, then a nice explosion should knock her away! I aim my right hand at the ground in front of Awase and I, yelling, "Step back!" My crossbow activates as it loosens an explosive bolt.

_BOOM!_

(Four bolts left!)

Awase and I are blown back, deeper into 1-D. I didn't see Sakura Petals being blown back, but I know for sure that she was. She can't defy physics. Quirks are still held by the laws of the world, unless they were made to break them, which makes my case void. Anyway! Awase helps me off of the ground, dusting me off. I look behind him, seeing Kaibara knocking an unknown student to the ground. Suzuki appears from behind, wearing two tails, and takes his belt. (Four left. Sixteen students. I hope those welded can't get out.)

I run towards the right side with Awase behind me, heading towards another ruined building. I gesture for him to follow, diving through an open window, rolling onto my feet. "Stupid," a guy's voice suddenly-!

_BAM!_

A fist connects with my left cheek. I slam against the ground, my back hitting a wall. A bald man (his head is really shiny) is in front of me, slamming his fists together. (He's one of the four that was following Suzuki!) Above me, another guy walks down the stairs and moves besides Shiny Head. He's wearing an eyepatch? Okay, I'm calling him Pirate. (Another man who was following Suzuki!) Both of them are towering over me, and I'm pretty tall for a Japanese guy!

(Where's Awase?!)

Shiny Head and Pirate look at each other before grinning. Pirate says, "You're trapped now, Quirkless boy." Shiny Head nods, taking a step closer with his fist clenched. Crap... Does none of them see that I literally have a katana?! It would make sense for them to stay away, but they aren't doing that! Suzuki's taking advantage of me holding back…

"Like hell he is!" Awase suddenly runs through an open hole, tackling both of them against a wall. He welds himself to them and to the wall, trapping all three of them. " I'll handle Baldy and One Eye! Make us look good, Inochi!"

"I will, Awase!" I thank him, running out of the building. (Fourteen students, three of us left. Manga, Kendo, and I.) Alright, I'm about halfway in 1-D's territory. There's a few buildings around me, multiple points for my grappling hook, no one is guarding the flag, and there's an open path directly to it. What about the fourteen students? Four of them are trying to get my flag, but Shiozaki's there. (Ten students.) The rest?

_KABOOM!_

Across the gym, Manga is defending himself from three students, two of them being Suzuki and the girl who took out Tetsutetsu. Good luck, Manga! I'm going in! I run towards the flag with no one in sig-?!

_Pew pew pew!_

Ghrk!

From out of nowhere, a purple-haired girl with holes in her fingers shot purple energy bolts at me! They hit my shoulder and chest, stinging, burning my skin and tearing holes in my gym uniform. Finger Blaster here with an emotionless look on her face. Well, two can play at that game!

_Shiiing!_

I draw my katana. Never deflected energy bolts, but there's a first time for everything! (These things are fast, but not bullet-fast.)

_Pew pew pew!_

She fires a barrage that are way too close together! Can't deflect all of them! I twist flip backwards, dodging some of the bolts. They go above and below me, searing my shirt a little.

_Ping ping ping!_

A few of them bounce off of my blade, ricocheting elsewhere. I land back on my feet, getting hit by a couple more bolts. They burn and sting, tearing small holes in my uniform. This is nothing compared to the other injuries I got. I take a few steps back, ready to deflect mo-

_Thud!_

My back hits someone. I turn around and see Kendo! Her fists are nicely enlarged. We exchange a brief smile before eight students surround us. Finger Blaster, Earth Muscle Girl, Glowing Heart, Suzuki, Rose Petals, and three more. Two more students are guarding the Jail, ready to come in if necessary. Manga must have gotten out.

"You're surrounded, you two! There's no way you're getting out of this." Suzuki shouts, not ordering everyone to come in yet. He starts talking about how hopeless this is, going on about something. To be honest, I'm not listening to him.

I casually sheathe my katana, not needing it. I lean against Kendo's back with my fists raised, whispering, "So, Battle Fist, how are we dealing with this? There's eight around us." I can't use my crossbow, since we're way too close together. I can use my grappling hook though, but I'm not leaving Kendo alone.

She whispers back, "Well, my trusty Armory, what do you think? All of them have to come in close, maybe except with that girl with holes in her fingers. No one in 1-D has a Quirk like Shiozaki, where they can take our belts from afar."

(Suzuki berates us, getting red in the face, "Why are you two whispering?! Are you purposely ignoring me?!" Yes, yes we are.)

"Well, Finger Blaster doesn't know the meaning of 'line of fire'. If we move out of it, she'll shoot her friends. It gives us less heat, what do you say?" I offer a plan, which she instantly nods to, agreeing with it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pirate and Shiny Head coming! Guess we have to do it now!

"Damn you, Inochi!" Suzuki growls, growing a third tail. "I'll make you regr-"

"Now!" I yell, rolling to my left with heading towards the right. Finger Blaster immediately fires, hitting Earth Muscle Girl, Glowing Heart, and one of the unknown Quirks! The rest of them close in on us. An unknown Quirk is running up to me while I'm on one knee.

_Sweep!_

_Thud!_

With my other leg, I sweep his feet off of the ground. Suzuki suddenly dashes up and quickly tries to kick me in my chin (not as fast as Kamakiri). I flip backwards, dodging his kick and using my left arm to propel myself back onto my feet. Suzuki lunges forward with a right hook (dodged), left turning kick (dodged), following up with a spinning right hook kick (dodged). He puffs his chest, widening his eyes in complete anger. "Damn you, Inochi!" (He said that already.)

"Switch, duck left!" Kendo yells behind me. What does she mea-Oh, she's telling me to switch targets with her and duck to my left! Following her orders, I spin to the left, ducking my head right underneath her punch. I follow her lead, punching forward with my right.

_BAM BAM!_

My fist connects to Sakura Petals, whose eyes say that she didn't anticipate the target switch. On Kendo's side, she must have hit Suzuki. (I'd imagine she's super happy inside.) Sakura Petals fall to the ground. I jump over her, meeting with Glowing Heart next.

("Heya big fists!" Earth Muscle taunts Kendo. Guess she's dealing with her now!)

Glowing Heart does a side left kick, which I promptly block and tuck his foot underneath my right armpit. I elbow the side of his knee, bending his leg in the wrong way slightly. (It's not broken, but it'll hurt a lot.) He lets out a pained cry as his entire body tenses up. Using his trapped leg, I pull him closer to me and use the same elbow to strike his left temple. He yelps in pain, getting dazed. With that, I grab his collar, lifting him up slightly and slamming him to the ground.

("Sorry," I mutter underneath my breath.)

_Shuffle _

An Unknown Quirk, with his fists shakily raised, is standing to my right. To be honest, he looks kinda afraid. That's why he hasn't attacked me. I kinda feel bad for him.

_Click click_

I snap forward where Finger Blaster is at. Crap, she's about to fire! (Now, I'm going to feel really bad!) I jump behind Unknown Quirk, quickly restraining his arms behind his back and pushing him forward. He exclaims, "Woah! Wait wait wai-!"

_Pew pew pew pew!_

Using him as a human shield, he takes Finger Blaster's bolts for me. He whimpers each time she shoots him, feeling the same burns as I did. She stops and says, "My apologies." (She sounds like a robot!) We take a few steps forward, getting a bit closer to Finger Blaster. Unknown Quirk's body though, it goes a bit limp. Can't carry him anymore.

I throw him to the ground, hearing Finger Blaster cocking her fingers again. To get out of her line of fire, I roll forward, letting her bolts hit the ground behind me with a _thud thud thud_. My leg sweeps her legs out from under. To make sure that she stays on the floor, I punch her gut, knocking the wind outta her. Finger Blaster groans, writhing in pain. Out of the corner of my eye, Pirate and Shiny Head are running (finally) into the scene.

("Sorry," I mutter at Finger Blaster and Unknown Quirk.)

I hop onto my feet, raising my fists. They're coming in hot, so I should meet them! We run towards each other. Like twins, they have a sinister smile on their faces, baring their teeth. They shout something vulgar at me, but I didn't bother to pay attention. When we're about to meet, I jump forward towards Pirate. My left foot strikes him in his chest following up by my right. Using him as a platform, I jump off and give Shiny Head a nasty punch to the temple. I land next to him, seeing as they're both dazed, but not out. (Figured.)

Quickly, I kick Shiny Head's right knee out. He yelps in pain, going down on it. I spin around on my left foot, performing a spinning right snap kick to his nose. My foot goes in slightly, feeling blood gushing out of him. Shiny Head falls to the ground, holding his broken nose. "You son of a bitch!" Pirate yells, putting his left foot back. He's smart though, preparing to punch me with his right.

Pirate charges forward and tries to punch me, but I pivot to his left. Grabbing his arm, I palm strike his chest, causing him to lose his breath. I lift him off of the ground, slamming him over me and onto Shiny Head. They groan in unison, and groan again, only louder this time from my heel connecting with Pirate's chest. I must have cracked one of his ribs.

("Sorry," I mutter again.)

There's no one after me, but Kendo still needs help. I'm not going to leave her, and the plan was going to lead to this anyway, so I throw my left bracer into 1-D's square. Just gotta buy some time!

_CRACK!_

Behind me, Kendo threw an Unknown Quirk through a wall made by Earth Muscle, hitting her on the other side. That's it for her end! I quickly run up to her, getting back-to-back again. One by one, 1-D students slowly get back up and surround us. Huh, I count sixteen total. The ones who Awase welded must have got out and the ones who were guarding the Jail decided to come in. They're really going all out here, just for Kendo and I. "Tired, Battle Fist?" I ask her, smirking slightly.

She laughs, shaking her head. "Of course not! They need a lot more than sixteen people just to take us two out. Oh, how's the package?" Kendo looks over her shoulder, noticing my missing left bracer.

"He's ready. We can distract 1-D for him," I report, looking around at the newcomers. Glowing Heart, Earth Muscle, Pirate, Shiny Head, and a couple of others look pretty injured. They won't be able to fight their best. They seem to forget that they were supposed to take our belts. We're just brawling at this point.

Suzuki suddenly yells, "What are you standing around for?! Get them!" He yells on Kendo's side. I glance over, seeing that he's aggressively pointing his finger at us. His left cheek is black and blue. He's not bothering to go in. None of them are going in. They're not even trying to fight us!

Glowing Heart limps forward, calmly saying, "Suzuki, stop. None of us were able to land a hit on them other than Yubiju." Some of his classmates nod, with their faith and confidence in Suzuki wavering. (Yubiju must be Finger Blaster.)

Earth Muscle takes a step forward, cracking her knuckles. "Look, I'm pretty strong, but _fuck_. Kendo is stronger. There's not a snowball's chance in hell that we can take her, an' black'n'white, on." She's surprisingly a bit humble despite all those muscles and a rough appearance.

Sakura Petals bites her thumb, glaring at Earth Muscle and Glowing Heart. "You two, be grateful for once! He was able to convince Vlad King and Miss Rose to have this competition! Stop complaining and do what he says!" Somehow, I expected her to defend Suzuki.

"Kazeha," Glowing Heart continues to argue, moving the black bangs that're covering his eyes, "we should admit that they're more skilled than u-."

"Like _hell_ I'll admit that!" Suzuki snaps at Glowing Heart, his tails viciously batting back and forth. "Do you think I worked all this much for nothing?! We still have a chance to win this match! Why don't you all-?!"

_FWEEEEET!_

A whistle is blown. We turn to Miss Kojoseicho, who has a disappointed look on her face. "Shihai Kuroiro of 1-B has delivered 1-D's flag to his base! 1-B has earned a point!" Kendo and I smile widely, finally relaxing our bodies. She shrinks her fists back to regular size, patting me on the back.

Glowing Heart laughs in pain, sitting on the ground with Earth Muscle. "That's why Inochi threw away his bracer. Kuroiro was hiding inside it. While we were all focused on those two, he was able to slip by without anyone noticing him."

I turn to Suzuki, whose mouth is wide open from shock. He stomps over to Glowing Heart, his shadow towering over him. I didn't bother to listen to his tirade as Kendo drags me back to our class. We meet up with Awase, Tsuburaba, Tetsutetsu, and Manga who was stuck in 1-D's Jail along with everyone else. They give Kendo and I high-fives and hugs, celebrating our first victory.

"So," I put my hands in my pockets, looking around at everyone, "why didn't you guys come in? We were stuck with 1-D!"

Tokage clears her throat, raising her finger. "Correction: 1-D was stuck with you two. Once we saw a scene ripped from an action movie, we decided that, You know, Kendo and Inochi can handle it!'" Honenuki nods, snickering to himself with his teeth clacking. Heh, I'm not _that_ good at martial arts… Still got my butt kicked by Kendo.

"Yeah! I wished I had popcorn…" he comments off to the side. Tetsutetsu brings an arm around me with his fist out. I bump it with my own, laughing a little. I'm a bit upset that Honenuki didn't have his time to shine. It was really unlucky to have a direct counter to his Quirk, but there'll be another time for him. (I look at Kendo, who has the girls commenting on how great she is. Well, everyone except for Kodai. She's just nodding. Heh, I need to tell her how awesome she is myself...)

Awase exclaims, "That was _badass_. I saw the way you took out Baldy and One-Eye! You gotta teach me that!"

"Indeed. Quirkless or not, you are the best of us. Oh, here's your bracer," Kuroiro says, handing me my bracer back. I thank him, strapping it back on my left arm. "Maybe we should adopt your training regime."

My eyes go wide. That's… That's an awful idea! They can't handle the constant training! "Woah! I _have_ to train a lot more because I'm basically Quirkless. You guys, you don't have to do that. Training in U.A. is enough, trust me." I try to convince them, shaking my hands for an added gesture.

"I wasn't planning to anyway… I wouldn't be able to handle it," Manga comments, rubbing his arms. "Look at my arms, it's so skinny like a stick…"

"Don't worry, you'll get stronger, Manga," Rin encourages, crossing his arms and nodding. Us boys talk a bit more before Tokage whistles, getting everyone over. It looks like she's taking care of the next match (while some of the workers are resetting the battlefield back to normal).

With a single finger, she points to everyone and spins around in a circle, stopping at Shiozaki. "Shiozaki, it's judgement day. You're going to be the judge, jury, and executioner for 1-D."

Oh. 1-D is dead.

In unison, we gulp.

* * *

"Glowing Heart, I'm sorry," I apologize, cutting him free from Shiozaki's vines, sheathing my katana afterwards. He falls to his feet with a slight groan, stretching his limbs out. He doesn't seem to care that Shiozaki… That Shiozaki kinda captured everyone within ten seconds. If he doesn't care about that, then he must be a carefree kind of guy.

"It's fine. Oh, my name's Mantora. Shinzo Mantora," he tells me his name. We shake hands, but my eyes wander towards his Glowing Heart. His leg doesn't seem to be injured anymore… Maybe that's his Quirk, being able to heal himself.

"You can heal yourself? You don't seem to be hurt after I… Kinda almost broke your leg," I ask him, focusing on his heart. It has a yellowish-orange glow to it, like a lamp. It must be really hard to sleep at night. How _does_ he sleep anyway?

"Yup. I can transfer the glow to other people too, healing their wounds. And I can transfer it to any part of my body, using it as an extra power boost. All of it takes a lot of energy though, in the form of a Glowing Heart," Mantora explains his Quirk to me. Huh, it's an Accumulation-type too. It read that those types of Quirks are the rarest ones out there, and usually the most powerful. Mantora (and Suzuki) are no exceptions from the looks of it. (Maybe my Quirk is pretty powerful…)

Wait, he didn't use it during our fight. "Wait, you didn't use your Quirk when you were fighting with me. Was it be-"

He interrupts me, "I was afraid that I would blow you up. You seem like a decent guy though, I'd hate to kill you."

I chuckle, scratching the back of my head. "_You_ seem like a decent guy, I'd hate to die." We turn back to 1-D's side of the gym. My classmates are helping 1-D out, but a lot of them don't show the same kindness.

Mantora stands beside me, asking, "Hey Inochi, didn't you blow Kazeha up?" Kazeha? Oh, he's talking about Sakura Petals. She's a really flirtatious (and a bit perverted) person like Tokage, but cranked up to eleven. Twelve, if I'm being stingy.

"He sure did." Kazeha appears in front of us, transforming from her leaves. She winks at me, with her eyes drifting downwards to I-don't-want-to-know-where. "Mmm, I would _love_ to blow him back." Okay, that's not even an innuendo! She literally wants to sleep with me. Why would she even say that?!

"Aw, you're blushing! Still so innocent~!" Kazha comments in a sultry voice, winking and blowing a kiss to me. What… Why is she doing this?! How did she get into U.A. in the first place?! Don't tell me sh-

"Okay, Kazeha right?" Kendo shows up, turning Kazeha around. Mantora and I give each other a glance, with my eyes just… It's pretty much, _What is wrong with this girl? _He replies, _She's like this everyday. _"Leave him alone, and please, don't say things like that," she reprimands her, but Kazeha smirks, biting her thumb.

"Ah, I get it. You're reserving his cock all for yourself." All of us go speechless. "I'm jealous! Not only you have bigger tits, but you get to have _him_. Nice men like him are the biggest monsters in bed. Not to mention he has the look of a maso-"

_Chop!_

Oh my God! Mantora just karate chopped Kazeha's neck! She's completely out! He slings her over his shoulder with an indifferent look on his face. "Sorry about this. Good luck you two." He just… He just walks away like nothing happened! What's with 1-D?! What's with 1-A?! What's with the rest of the whole freaking world?!

Kendo looks at me with her mouth wide open, completely red. I'm pretty sure I'm red too. Just… What the heck was that?! "Inochi… Let's go back to our side and ignore whatever… Kazeha was."

"Y-Yeah… Agreed…" I say under my breath, walking back with Kendo. In the background, I hear Suzuki yelling about how much he needs to beat me… At this point, I almost feel pity for him. I told him to move on, but he hasn't. (Four tails… He's getting angrier… Not yet though, he's not at the point of no return,)

All twenty of us gather in a circle again, planning on what to do for our third, and hopefully final, match. Tokage throws her arms up in the air, groaning. "Okay, Inochi and Kendo got their time in the spotlight. Shiozaki too… Who wants to plan the next match out?"

Monoma immediately raises his hand, faster than Tetsutetsu. "Oh, Tetsutetsu! You go first," Monoma says, letting him go first. Tetsutetsu nods, bringing his fist to his chest.

"We oughta use Pony's horns! She can take us to 1-D's flag and back!" he suggests, looking over to Pony. She looks up at her horns, tapping them. Monoma laughs in his own, Monoma way.

"That's what I was thinking! Why attack from the ground when we could take to the skies? How about Tetsutetsu and Kaibara be the ones to take the flag in? They are more than capable of fighting 1-D," Monoma inputs his opinion, which everyone agrees with, especially me. They're two great fighters, so there's no reason for them to not be the lead.

"Alright Monoma, I'm fine with it," Kaibara says, walking besides Tetsutetsu, who's tearing up for some reason.

"Th-Thank you! I'll give them a taste of real steel! I won't let you down!" He puts an arm around Kaibara, who doesn't seem amused in the slightest. Tetsutetsu's always been a fluffy guy. Let's be honest, he's a puppy. A very good boy, deserving praise everyday.

Monoma grins, stepping into the circle with Kendo and Tokage. He begins to tell us our instructions.

* * *

"You know, Pony's been worried about Kamakiri. She keeps talking to me in English," Honenuki tells me, as we're standing in the middle of our zone. Monoma assigned Honenuki and I to defense as Kaibara and Tetsutetsu will take to the skies. I don't mind, since I already got my fill of the action.

About Pony and Kamakiri? I suspected that Pony would still be upset over him. When Kendo and I tell her about _Operation Jack Mantis_, she'll join without a second thought. What's Kendo's plan though? Maybe it's the good ol' fashion of talking-to-Kamakiri-and-hoping-we'll-convince-him-and-stuff. So in other words, the power of friendship.

I swear, Manga's been telling me about friendship power. It's commonly in... Uhm… That type of manga… Sho… Shonen? He said that, I hope it's called "shonens", are for male readers in our age range. His favorite is the one with ninjas doing weird hand movements. He also told me that Shojo called him "the gag character" and "the comic relief" if he was put into one.

…

I mean, she isn't wro-

"Inochi, are you listening?" Honenuki takes me out of my thoughts. Crap, he's giving me a weird look!

I try to restate what Honenuki said, "Uhm, something about Pony and Kamakiri. What about them?" Honenuki cackles, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, think Pony has a crush on him? It's the classic good girl bad guy romance!" he asks me as we glance over to Pony. She's talking to Kendo and Kodai, hopping up and down. Her and Kamakiri? Together? I can kinda see it, but I never took Honenuki as a romantic.

"Maybe, what does Honenuki the Romantic say about it? Will they or won't they? That is the question," I ask him back. He shrugs, sayin-

_FWEEEEET_

Never mind, he doesn't say anything. Miss Kojoseicho blew the whistle, starting the third match. Honenuki and I get ready, watching the battle unfold. Pony sends Kaibara and Tetsutetsu, who has two horns tucked underneath their armpits, into 1-D's territory from the air. Awase, Shishida, Shoda, and Rin are going in from the ground, acting as bait. Yibiju fires at Kaibara and Tetsutetsu, but Pony weaves them away from her projectiles.

On the ground, Kazeha and Suzuki are focusing on taking the bait out. Even though Kazeha can transform into petals and Suzuki has five tails, Shishida is acting as a human shield for all of them in his Beast form. Wait, someone else is in the air… Mantora. His fist is glowi-?!

_BOOOM!_

_WHOOOOSH!_

Holy crap! Mantora just punched the ground! A massive shockwave was generated from his fist, cracking the ground! (Honenuki and I are not even close to him and he's _that_ powerful!) Wind followed suit, hitting all of us like a truck. Okay, now I know why he didn't use his Quirk! He would have actually killed me! I thought he was joking!

From the shockwave, Suzuki and Kazeha quickly tore the belts off of the bait, who were knocked on the ground. Kaibara and Tetsutetsu fell from the sky, getting out as well. That's not good… Monoma's plan failed. Honenuki and I worryingly look at each other. "Well, looks like Glowing Heart is stupid powerful."

"Yeah, looks like we'll be on the defensive this ti-?!"

I get interrupted with Suzuki letting out a vicious battle cry, going into our zone by himself. Honenuki and I stare as Yanagi and Kuroiro try to get him out. Yanagi telepathically took his belt off of him using her Quirk, but it doesn't stop him. Suzuki lunges forward, taking her by the arm and slamming her into the ground. A small crater is left from the impact...

Oh God… Damn it! Is he actually-?!

He staggers Kuroiro by punching his chest. Suzuki lifts a nearby concrete barrier up and hits Kuroiro with it like a bat. The barrier shatters from the impact as… As Kuroiro goes completely unconscious meters away. Six tails... Honenuki… Honenuki says with utter fear in his voice, "Ino… Inochi…"

_WHOOSH!_

_CRASH!_

Tsuburaba flew right by us. We helplessly watch as he crashes into a ruined building. The support crumbles, falling on top of him. Oh my God… With a force like that… Damn it, I need to snap myself out of this! I take a step forward, yelling at Honenuki, "Get Tsuburaba! I'm getting Kendo!" He nods, running over to him.

I turn my focus to the battlefield, frantically looking around for Kendo. Damn it! I don't see her! Where is she?! Where's Pony and Kodai?! I glance to 1-D, who are standing in complete shock, still like statues. Crap, they won't help us! I don't think the Pro Heroes are noticing that Suzuki has gone off the deep end!

_CRASH!_

Oh my God, Manga! I run over to him, checking his body for any broken bones or wounds… Nothing… Okay, he's just unconscious… Just unconscious… To think that Suzuki would hurt him… Manga doesn't deserve this!

"LET GO OF HER!" Tokage yells, grabbing my attention. Suzuki lifts Shiozaki by her neck with one hand. Tokage prepares to split her body, but it was too late. Suzuki throws Shiozaki at her. They're knocked back with a brief circle of wind surrounding them. I can't see where they landed…

Shiozaki… Tokage…

I can hear Suzuki laughing like an insane man. He's enjoying this… Can I even assume it's him anymore? His eyes, they aren't human. They're like a rabid dog out for blood, not caring whose it is, only caring that it's spilled.

Out of the corner of my eye, to my left, I see Kodai and Pony running to the back. Then… Thank God, Kendo's there! "YOU BASTARD!" Damn it, never mind! She's charging in by herself! I leave Manga behind, sprinting after Kendo. Suzuki turns to her, laughing, cackling even louder. He flashes his hand, showing his claw-like nails.

Oh God, Kendo will get herself killed!

"KENDO!" I yell at her, but she doesn't turn back. I yell again, running faster than I could ever imagine. Kendo stops a few meters away from him, enlarging her fists. Oh God, please don't! I was afraid of this, but it's even worse! Doesn't she remember our promise?! Come on, Kendo!

Wait, what the _fuck_ are the Pro Heroes doing?! What is anyone doing?! Why is no one stopping this?! Does anyone see that Suzuki is going to kill Kendo?! Anyone?!

"You shouldn't have hurt my friends!" Kendo threatens Suzuki, raising her fists. I can only see her back, but I feel her anger where I'm at! She's thinking on her emotions! Suzuki… He takes a step forward with his claws back. Oh God, no!

With his tails batting. (Not yet!)

With his eyes blood red. (I won't let him-!)

He strikes. (Hurt her!)

_SLASH!_

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

_THUD!_

Like lightning, Suzuki struck. The flicker of his tails was the only thing I saw before I felt something heavy tackling me to the ground. I instinctively closed my eyes, hearing the clean sound of his claws swiping something before a scream. I open my eyes, seeing a flash of blood flying through the air. Thick blood that covers Suzuki's gym uniform.

It's not my blood.

"Get up, Kendo!" Inochi gets off of me, lifting me back up. Oh my God… His back… It's torn open on his right shoulder blade. He winces in pain, barely able to hold himself up. I shrink my hands, supporting Inochi up. We look at Suzuki, who's standing there menacingly. He has his bloody hand to his face, painting his cheeks with Inochi's blood.

"I should have done that a long time ago, Inochi. I'll show you true pain by tearing your limbs. _Just watch,_" he threatens us. Suzuki takes a step back, letting his tails turn from six to nine. Nine tails?! That's the maximum isn't it?!

Inochi told me that he has a chance of going berserk, but I think he's wrong. Each tail doesn't increase the chance of making him jump from nice to angry… Each tail makes him angrier and angrier, stacking his anger onto each other! That's why he was yelling at 1-D so much! I should have...

"_If Suzuki starts to get angry, so angry that the word isn't fit to describe him, then promise me: Call the game off, and get any and all Pro Heroes to restrain him. Please." _

I should have listened to Inochi...

His laughter, that insane laughter becomes an animal howling. He falls to his hands and knees, his joyful howling turning into a pained scream. The clothes on his body are torn into shreds, exposing his nude body to us. We helplessly watch as his nine tails turn from a light red to white. His skin gets paler, sprouting white fur all over his body. He slowly grows, starting to be something that's far from human. Hands and feet turning to paws with black, sharp claws. His face… It's like what he is: A fox.

Nine Tails. This is the true nature of Nine Tails. It's the transformation of a rabid, massive beast. So much like a Villain. That's what Suzuki is. It's what he is for hurting my best friend.

Inochi yells at me to run away, but I was already doing it. He moans in pain, getting limper with each second. We manage to run to the exit without Suzuki running after us. Mister Kan is there, having the door open. There's countless students running out while, I hope, the Pro Heroes are staying back. I see members of my class and 1-D are carrying the unconscious out. (I'm sorry, everyone...) We escape Gym Gamma, letting the sun hit my face. It blinds me for a second, but everything comes back to me. On the nearest bench, I put Inochi down on his belly.

"T-Tell me, doc… How bad is it?" Inochi asks me, trying to laugh despite his wounds, but he groans in pain. I couldn't help but to laugh with him though. He would say something like this… I would yell at him for acting like an idiot, but I don't have the energy to. He's in a bad shape...

I assure him, "Y-You'll be fine… Help is coming." I really hope Recovery Girl is nearby. If she isn't, then I'm afraid that Inochi… No, I can't think about that! Inochi has to make it! He has too… Please.

"I got him." I turn around to see Mantora. Wait, I think I overheard that his Quirk can heal people! He can save Inochi! He hovers his hands over Inochi's wounded shoulder, getting ready to heal him. Mantora tell us, "This will hurt, _a lot_. Kendo, hold him down and give him a stick to bite."

"F-Figured," Inochi groans, shifting around underneath Mantora. I grab a stick, putting it in his mouth. I push my hands against Inochi's back, pressing it down. He whimpers in pain as Mantora lets out a deep breath. Then… Then he puts his hands on his torn shoulder. (Come on Inochi, you can handle this.)

Immediately, he groans in agony, shifting violently. Mantora grits his teeth, letting the glow of his Quirk spread to his arms, illuminating his vines with a yellowish-orange glow. It reaches his hands, transferring it to Inochi's shoulder, which lights up too. The glow reaches his cut and starts to… It starts to forcibly pull his torn flesh together. Inochi practically screams at this point, struggling hard to get free. (I'm sorry…) I push my hands down harder, keeping him still. I watch as his wound is closed shut, glowing. It glows brighter for a few seconds before it dims, disappearing altogether. Mantora suddenly lets go and falls to his knees, breathing heavily. His Glowing Heart is almost completely gone at this point.

Inochi's body goes limp. The stick falls out of his mouth. Oh, please tell me it worked! I run over his head, checking for a pulse in his neck… Thank God, I feel it beating… He must have gone unconscious from the pain… Just the thought of flesh getting pulled together… It must be complete suffering...

I turn to Mantora, smiling sadly. "Mantora… You saved him. Thank you," I thank him, wiping the sweat (and maybe tears) off of my face. Mister Kan runs up to the three of us, sighing in relief. He forces Mantora to sit against the bench, giving him some water. I sit on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Mantora, Kendo… I'm sorry for letting Suzuki convince me. If I knew he would hurt all of you like this, then I would have him be charged as a Villain," Mister Kan tells us, sighing at the sight of Inochi. Mantora simply nods, not saying anything. I nod too, not having the energy to move my body.

Ugh, everything happened so fast… One moment, I was talking to Pony and Yui about _Operation Jack Mantis_, and the next… I saw Yanagi being beaten to the ground. I felt so angry and went after Suzuki myself. Then… Then Inochi came in and saved me. I might have _died_ if it wasn't for him. Is this why Inochi didn't want this competition? Because Suzuki would hurt our friends? I should have listened to him… None of this would have happened if I had listened to him. Heh, if he was conscious, he would-

_CRASH!_

What the hell?! I jump back up to my feet, looking at what just happened! From the side of Gym Gamma, Suzuki crashed through it, getting knocked back with a mound of dirt piling at his hindlegs. He comes out with… Midoriya?! His right arm is black and blue, it looks like it's broken! More 1-A students are coming through the hole! Right, they were watching our match! Are they really fighting Suzuki?!

"GO TO HELL, FOX BASTARD!" Bakugo yells, using his explosions to guide him through the air, grabbing onto Suzuki's nose. He forces his hands against Suzuki's snout, pushing an explosion through. The smoke cloud covers his entire head. Suzuki howls in pain, managing to bat Bakugo off of him.

"Here!" Yaoyorozu says, creates a net from her belly. Ashido and Jirou stretch it out to full surface area. Bakugo lands in the middle, making the net bounce slightly. He yells at them that he could have landed safely. In spite, they let go of net, tangling Bakugo in it.

"DARK SHADOW!" Tokoyami yells. Dark Shadow, his Quirk, appears from his body and starts to attack Suzuki, who tries to swipe him away, but it's too fast. "Sorry, too fast for ya, Foxy!" Dark Shadow taunts, sticking his tongue out.

"Move back, Tokoyami," Todoroki orders. Tokoyami does so, drawing Dark Shadow away. Right after, Todoroki slams his right foot on the ground. A wave of ice emerges from it, running through the ground. It hits Suzuki, encasing everything but his head in ice. That's a genius move! Suzuki would be able to break out, but it gives everyone enough time to attack!

"Deku! Get him!" Uraraka exclaims, raising her fist in the air. Midoriya nods, clenching his left fist. He dashes up Todoroki's ice like a ramp with the rest of 1-A watching him. Suzuki growls, trying to break free. The ice behind Midoriya cracks, moving faster than he is.

_CRACK!_

The ice breaks completely. Midoriya jumps as Suzuki roars, his mouth opened wide, showing his array of sharp fangs. Midoriya pulls his left fist back, gritting his teeth. His green hair flies back in the wind as his shirt tears off of his chest.

He yells in his heart, "SMAAAAAAASH!"

_SMASH!_

_WHOOSH!_

He uppercuts Suzuki, imitating All Might's famous punch. A massive vortex of wind is sent upwards, lifting Suzuki about fifty meters in the air. When he lands, he lands hard. A big cloud of smoke and dust almost covers us before it settles. What's left of Suzuki is him, completely naked in his human form. Inside a crater that must be as big as his Nine Tails Form.

Midoriya lands in another net made by Yaoyorozu. All of 1-A surround him (with Bakugo throwing his own net away). Well, it's a well deserved victory. Finally, that asshole gets what's coming to him. He deserved every punch he got, especially from almost killing Inochi. But _man_, Midoriya has some real power to him. It's a lot like All Might, down to his catchphrase. If I didn't know any better, Midoriya is his protege.

All the Pro Heroes, out of Gym Gamma and the outside stalls, swarm 1-A and Suzuki. I hear them asking for their names and things like that. Except for a few, like Grandmaster and The Count, who're checking up Tokage and Manga. For the rest of the Heroes? It's like they forgot that competition existed, along with 1-B and 1-D.

"So it seems 1-A had upstaged us from our own game. Such arrogant people, stealing the show from others," Monoma appears besides me, glaring at Midoriya. His voice gets a bit more sinister than usual, but that's Monoma. It's dramatic and boastful Monoma.

"You could say that, but I'm happy that Suzuki is defeated," I tell him, looking over to Inochi. He's still unconscious… Monoma sighs, letting his eyes go sad for a brief second before going back to his usual look.

(I hear Bakugo screaming, "IF I WASN'T TANGLED IN THIS FUCKING NET!")

"Mhm, Inochi is a strong man. But I insist that 1-A is such a prideful class, especially after this! Defeating a giant beast akin to a fantasy epic? The news will be broadcasting this everyday for the next week! They'll forget about the extraordinary martial arts that you and Inochi displayed and Shiozaki's raw Quirk power! If 1-A's so great, why don't the-"

I interrupt his nonsensical tirade, "Be quiet."

_CHOP!_

"Ghrk!" Monoma grunts, falling on the ground. I hold him up by his sleeve, staring at Mantora and Mister Kan, who're staring right back. A few awkward seconds go by. Then a few more… And then another few more.

Mantora finally comments, "...At least it isn't Kazeha."

Yup, Monoma's much better than her.

"You want us, all twenty-one of _us_, to stop Kamakiri?" Tsuburaba asks me with an shocked (and personally, a bit of a stupid) look on his face. Unlike Suzuki, Kamakiri actually deserves to be at U.A. Thank goodness that everyone is okay though, especially Inochi. Too bad he's stuck in Principal Nezu's office with Mister Kan.

"Of course! He shouldn't waste this opportunity of a lifetime! Don't you agree, Tsuburaba?" I ask him, watching his face closely. He looks pretty scared. He never talked to Kamakiri much, if not at all. He's the kind of guy who would stay away from Kamakiri just from rumors alone. I don't blame him.

"Uhm… You tried to punch him yesterday. What changed?" Shoda raises his voice, perking his head up from his desk. For Shoda, he's a shy man. His Quirk is amazing though! He's a direct counter to people like me.

"Well-"

Yanagi interrupts me, "Inochi spoke to you, didn't he? He did prevent you from harming him and wished to speak to you, correct?" With that question, most of the class go "ahh" in unison. (I don't understand _why_ though.) The only ones who didn't are Awase, Tokage, Yui, and Pony since they're already on board. We're standing in front of the class with everyone else seated.

"Yeah, and he's completely right. We all know that Inochi's been bullied for being basically Quirkless, especially from Suzuki, but what about Kamakiri? Being a Villain's son is much worse than that! Imagine what he went through," I try to convince everyone. I kinda wish that Inochi was here to help me, but I got this. If I let their imagination go wild (especially after what happened with Suzuki), they'll be lining up to help.

"Well, I don't wanna fight another Suzuki I'm in, Kendo!" Manga stands up, joining me with Awase, Tokage, Yui, and Pony. (I always knew I could count on him!) Honenuki and Bondo stand up too.

"Agreed. That, and Kamakiri doesn't seem _too_ bad. He's like that… That tsun thing in Manga's animes," Honenuki stands besides Awase, cackling slightly to himself. ("It's tsundere…" Manga mutters under his breath. I don't know what that is. Manga's such a dorky nerd.) Bondo timidly nods, having his hands folded together. He squeezes himself between Manga and Tokage.

Monoma is the next to stand up. "Kamakiri is a man full of potential! He was chosen to be in our class for a reason! And we need as much power as we can get to outclass 1-A!" Tetsutetsu and Kaibara gets out of their chairs as well.

"Mhm! To be honest, I'm kinda afraid of the guy, but he's a bro! Bro gotta help bros out, you know?" Tetsutetsu makes his case, patting his chest. Awase does the same thing while Kaibara just shrugs.

He says, "I'm with Monoma with this one, not about the 1-A thing. If you all can't see that Kamakiri has potential, then why are you at U.A. in the first place?" His eyes glance over to Shiozaki before the three of them move themselves at the end of the line.

Komori raises her hand, shaking slightly. "K-Kendo… Are you sure that Kamakiri won't be angry with us?"

"I guarantee it. Trust me, Komori." I bring my hand to my chest, smiling brightly at her. A second or two goes by before she stands up. Smiling cutely, she walks over with Kuroiro behind her. He only nods at me (probably helping because of Komori) as they squeeze into the line. Yanagi, like a zombie, quietly walks to the end of the line without a word. I briefly exchange a grateful glance with her before she leaves my line of sight.

Shoda sighs and stands up. "I-I'll do it. It's the only thing I can do!"

Rin does too with a slight grin on his face. "Mhm. 'A man's heart is indiscernible from his chest.' That's a Chinese proverb that my parents taught me. Even though Kamakiri may seem like an evil guy, I have a feeling that he's a caring man."

From what Rin said, Shishida stands up as well, pushing his glasses up. "That is a wise thing to say, Mister Rin. You have convinced me." The three of them join us. That's almost everyone! Tsuburaba and Shiozaki are the only ones that left.

"Ah, you know what? To hel-" Tsubaraba says, but stops when he looks at Shiozaki. "To _heck_, with it. I'm in." He moves besides Awase, muttering something to him. Last (and the hardest to convince) is Shiozaki. Ever since she had gotten punished, she's been quiet. When Tokage wanted her to take down 1-D, she did it reluctantly.

"I don't deserve the right to help Kamakiri," Shiozaki quietly admits. She runs her fingers through a few strands of her thorny hair. Ah, that's why… Shiozaki's mainly a pacifist, and she went against her beliefs.

Tokage takes a step forward, going to cheer up her crush. "Please Shiozaki! We need you! Why do you think that anyway?" Shiozaki looks down at her desk. A single tear trickle down her cheek. She wipes it away, sniffling.

She argues, "I-I harmed Kamakiri, told him that he doesn't belong here. How will he find forgiveness in his heart? I'm a hypocrite, judging him for his sins and not my own…" Aw, Shiozaki, she's trying to be a good person. I feel terrible for thinking that Shiozaki would still have a grudge against Kamakiri. It's the exact opposite. Shiozaki bares the complete guilt of him dropping out. She isn't the only one...

I watch Tokage. She takes a deep breath in, exhaling. "You believe that every person deserves forgiveness, right? That especially applies to you. If Kamakiri sees you there, forgiving him, then he'll surely forgive you in return."

I add on, "And you aren't the only one who feels guilty. Did you forget that I almost knocked him out?" I laugh a little at my own comment, trying to brighten the mood. Shiozaki looks up at her desk, staring at Tokage and I. A few seconds pass before she happily sighs, standing up.

"Very well. I'll do everything it takes to convince Kamakiri. I promise you," Shiozaki says, walking to the front of the room with Tokage. Heh, she promises us… I'm sure she'll keep it.

"_Can you promise me something?"_

I need to apologize to Inochi…

"Well, it seems like you gotten everything taken care of." Speaking of the devil. Inochi walks into class with Mister Kan. There's a bright smile on his face, lighting the entire room up. I can faintly see the outlines of bandages underneath his U.A. uniform. Mister Kan looks at all of us with a tired look on his face.

"Inochi told me about this… _Operation Jack Mantis_. I personally fought for Kamakiri to be accepted into U.A. So, Kendo, how are you going to convince him?" Mister Kan asks me as I step out of the line, facing everyone. Their attention is on me, listening intently. Well, I _am_ the Class Representative.

"Alright, we're going to…"

I tell them the plan.

Inochi sighs in relief, opening his arms and letting the wind hit him. He winces in pain a little, but he's still smiling. "Today was such a long day! Tomorrow's gonna be longer too, with _Operation Jack Mantis _and everything. I'm ready for it!"

We start to walk back home, taking our usual route. The wind gently breezes by as some cars past us. Inochi's still smiling. He's so energetic even after what happened today. It's like he forgot that Suzuki tore his shoulder open or felt immense pain. And forgot that I-

"You know, looking at me and frowning isn't the best way to talk. What's up?" Inochi asks me. He puts his hands in his pockets with a concerned look over me. I told myself that I need to apologize to him, so…

I open my mouth and say, "I'm-"

"I forgive you," he interrupts me, knowing what I was going to say. At this point, it doesn't surprise me. We know each other that well, but I'd thought he would be a tiny bit upset like earlier. Though, I don't think he has it in his heart to be mad at me.

"Heh," I weakly laugh, partly looking over at him, "even though your shoulder got all torn up, you're still not mad at me. I mean, I broke our promise, so why _aren't_ you mad?" Inochi hums, processing what I said. It's sarcastic though, so he already has his answer.

"I admit, I was hoping you would remember during it," he tells me, moving his right shoulder slightly. There's going to be a "but" after this. "But, fighting Suzuki to buy time for Kodai and Pony? That's something a Pro Hero would do."

"A Pro Hero?" I find myself saying. That thought never came across my mind… I only wanted Yui and Pony to escape. To be honest, Inochi was like a Pro Hero too when he tackled me on the ground…

Inochi suddenly laughs, taking his hands out of his pockets. "That's it, Kendo! You didn't think about being a Hero, you only thought about protecting others! That mindset is exactly like one!" There he goes again, complimenting me.

"Well, you're the guy who took a claw for me, Mister Hero. You're as much of one as me." I nudge his arm playfully. Wait, Inochi never told me what happened in Principal Nezu's office. "Oh, while we're on the topic, why did Principal Nezu want to talk to you?"

Inochi's smile falls from his face and lets out a breath. "Him, and the first-year board, asked me about my past with Suzuki and what led up to his attack. I told them that he was a bully back in middle school and had an extreme rivalry with me. Then, Principal Nezu asked me a really nerve-wracking question: 'Do you think Karisuma Suzuki should remain at U.A.?'"

We stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Did they really ask Inochi that?! They might have wanted to ask him if they're at an impasse or needed his opinion. I wished they asked me though, because I would have expelled him without a single doubt. But Inochi? Asking him? I already know what he said.

So, I turn to him. He's looking up at the clouds with his hair swaying slightly in the wind. There's a soft smile on his face, like he's at peace. "I told Principal Nezu that he should. Suzuki is a victim of his Quirk who doesn't need punishment, but proper teaching," he explains. He stops staring at the clouds, looking at me with his kind, gentle eyes.

He asks me, "He's staying in U.A. You know, being in this school is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It shouldn't be wasted, right Kendo?"

…

This man… This stupid, goofy man… It's only been a week and he's already too much for me. What am I going to do with a man like him?

I simply nod, copying his smile. "Right."


	11. Jack Mantis

**Day 3. That's cool. Chapters 11-14 finishes off the Golden Week Arc and the U.S.J. Arc. Most of it is just set-up for future plot points honestly. It's nothing special. Just character development. Namely for: Togaru Kamakiri, Sasaki Kendo (Master Kendo), and Sanji himself. With tomorrow's batch of chapters, that will complete the Sports Festival Arc. That's it pretty much. Gotta say though: The beginning of this fanfic isn't the strongest. **

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

_"Hey, wake up sleepy head!"_

I opened my eyes. A blurry man, a young-looking man, with frizzy white hair stood above me. There was a warm smile on his face. It was morning though, so I groaned and stuck my tongue out at him. I threw my blanket over myself, trying to hide from him.

_"Don't be like that-"_

"...Inochi," Awase calls my name. Crap, I spaced out again. What's happening again? Oh, that's right! We're getting food from Shojo. Manga told us that she's a great cook. Since she's a shut-in, it makes sense for her to be a great cook and all. That's why she's making the best for Operation Jack Mantis. Awase and I are picking it up, also picking Manga up too, then heading towards Shiozaki's.

"You in there, Inochi? You've been staring out into space for a minute, dude," Awase reminds me of my own absent mindedness. Okay, I need to remind myself where we are for a second. We're standing in the middle of a sidewalk. I think we're almost at Manga's house too. Alright, that solves that problem. I should probably respond to Awase. He's looking at me like I'm a freak (which I am).

"Yeah! Yeah, sorry…" I apologize, scratching the back of my head. About that memory, it popped in my head yesterday, after I woke up in Recovery Girl's office. I don't know what it's about though. That guy doesn't look like Dad, but has white hair like we do. It's best to not dwell on this. My family can show up when I'm dying and somehow save me from death because I'm related to a legendary Pro Hero or something. ("That's how shonens work," Manga always says even though I don't get his nerdy references.)

"Alright man," Awase says, turning to look at a house ahead of us, "I think that's Manga's house. Think Shojo have Manga's, you know, head?" We start walking our final steps towards their house. It's pretty average. Exactly what one would imagine an average house.

I shrug my shoulders as a response to Awase. "I'm sure we're in for a shock one way or another," I say, staring at the door. Awase watches the door before looking at me, gesturing with his hands. Well, guess he wants me to ring the doorbell. I step up and press the brass butto-

_Do do do do do do do wa!_

Uhm that's interesting. Some kind of anime music is playing. I hear guitar, some bass, and that's about it because I'm not an expert on music. ("This is definitely Manga's house," Awase comments to himself.) Did Manga and/or Shojo really program their doorbell to play anime music? I mean, I don't hate the song… Anyway, Awase quietly moves besides me as we wait fo-

_THUD!_

Someone fell. It must be Manga considering how clumsy he is. We hear his footsteps coming closer to the door. The brass doorknob turns and... "Hey guys," Manga quietly greets us, rubbing his head. He's wearing pretty laid-back clothing considering today. To be honest, I'm surprised he isn't wearing anything anime-related.

"What's with the doorbell?" Awase asks, letting himself in. I go inside too and immediately, the smell of egg rolls hits my nose. Holy crap, that smells amazing. I haven't eaten a homemade egg roll in years. Manga's right, his sister is a great cook from smells alone.

"Ask Shojo. She doesn't have a single bone of shame in her body," Manga answers, pointing his thumb to the kitchen. Sounds of sizzling and clapping of tongs come from it. Awase looks over with a curious look on his face. Manga grabs his shirt, trying to pull him back, but he isn't strong enough. The sizzling slowly gets quieter though before stopping completely.

Shojo exclaims, "Manga, I'm done!" She comes out with… Uhm, a welding mask… Why… Why does she need a welding mask? I mean, she has a cute pink cooking apron on, but a welding mask? Speaking of faces, I can't see if Shojo has Manga's "features" or not. Awase steps back to me as Shojo quietly says, "Oh… There's people here." And with that, Shojo freezes up.

Manga loudly groans and shakes his head. He introduces us, "Shojo, these people are my friends. Sanji Inochi and Yosetsu Awase." Shojo makes a weird confirmation sound, still standing still like a deer caught in headlights. Awase and I stare at her for a second or two before her shoulders jerk up.

"Eek! I'm so sorry! We're supposed to shake hands right?! Uhm, hand!" she panics as she sticks her, nervously shaking, hand at us. I step forward and gladly give her a firm shake. Her hand is a bit sweaty though, but she is Manga's twin sister. Shojo nervously whimpers before letting go, turning to Awase. He shakes her hand too with a gleaming smile.

"Thanks you for doing this, Shojo," I thank her with a smile of my own, putting my hand to my chest. Shojo stares at me for a second or two before shrieking, stepping back into a wall. Oh jeez… She must be so nervous.

"Ehhh?! First names already?! Wait, I know why!" Shojo exclaims, pointing her finger furiously at me like I'm on trial, "Your name is Sanji! You flirt with every woman you see don't you?!" Uhm, I'm not sure if I should be offended or happy! Is this another reference that I don't get? Manga and Shojo really are siblings!

I apologize, "S-Sorry! I thought since Manga lets us call him by his first name, it's the same with you! I-I'll just-" Fukidashi interrupts me by sticking one of her fingers up.

She commands me, "Don't back out! Shojo's acceptable." I stand up with my arms straight, rested at my side, nodding. I won't argue with her. Awase laughs, putting an elbow on my shoulder while Manga does the equivalent of rolling his eyes.

"Inochi's a real ladies man," Awase says, not helping my case whatsoever. Shojo huffs and crosses her arms, propping her small breasts up. She has a small and petite frame, but it's not unusual for a girl. Manga sighs and walks up to Shojo, tapping on her welding mask.

He asks her, "Why do you have a welding mask? It's way too big for you. Don't be a weirdo and take it off already."

She shakes her head, saying, "Manga, you need to understand that if I take this mask off, then my true form will be revealed. No one can hand-Wha?! Hey!" And Manga yanks it right off of her face. Shojo's true form is revealed to Awase and I and… Huh, she doesn't look like Manga. Shojo's an attractive woman, even more so if someone's into nerdy girls. Her hair is auburn, tied back into a ponytail. She wears black-framed glasses that comfortably sits at the bridge of her nose. I catch a glimpse of her eyes, which are pinkish-red. If Manga and Shojo were put together though, no one would be able to tell that they're twins.

Shojo shrieks, louder than before. Her face immediately gets red and turns away from us, rolling into a ball. Manga fumes and couches down, talking to her. Awase whispers in my ear, "Dude, Shojo's really damn cute." (Speaking of guys into nerdy girls.)

"Interested in girls like her?" I ask, quietly listening in on Shojo and Manga's conversation. Well, I can't really hear it. They're on the edge of barely audible, and even then, I can only make out a few words.

Awase beams (quietly), "Hell yeah. Nerdy girls are cute, dorky, and passionate. Think Manga would mind?" Oh my God, please don't. I'm not sure if Manga would appreciate having a new brother-in-law, especially if it's Awase. No offense to him, but Awase should learn to keep his thoughts to himself. (Like how I do.)

I answer, "Not at all. I'm pretty sure Manga would kill you." Awase nods and hums, acknowledging that I'm right. Speaking of Manga, he stands up with Shojo. Shojo pushes her glasses up and looks over to the kitchen with her hands meekly together. I glance at Awase, who's blushing slightly. Let's hope they don't see it.

"Y-You can get the egg rolls now. We just need to pack them," Shojo leads the three of us into the kitchen. There's about two or three tupperware containers and one big basket of egg rolls. They look delicious, but I have to satisfy my hunger later. Shojo messes around with her phone, putting some music on while we package these things.

Man, Manga and Shojo seem like great siblings… Oh right, I asked about Shojo yesterday didn't I? Which reminds me… Grandmaster and The Count both perked their heads up when I said her name. Not only that, Grandmaster had a specific way to refer to people. Tokage as "miss" and Suzuki as "mister", but he didn't call Manga "mister". From their body language and speaking manners, do these four already know each other?

"And that's it!" Shojo exclaims, looking proud at the sight of her egg rolls neatly together. Awase and I both take a tub each, going back to the other room with Manga and Shojo behind. Ah… They smell so good… I feel like I could eat a tub of this within ten minutes. Good thing I know self-control, but these things challenge it so hard... "Also, here's this!" She hands a slip of paper to Awase and I. Oh, it has her number on it. (Awase makes a little gesture to himself once he sees it.)

"I'm interrogating both of you on your fight with this Suzuki guy. Apparently, U.A. isn't expelling him," she tells us, which I already know. Awase and Manga though? They look pretty shocked. Yeah, I figured… Because...

"Do you think Karisuma Suzuki should remain at U.A.?"

The second after Principal Nezu asked me that, I immediately answered him. I said, "Without a doubt. Suzuki is at the mercy of his own Quirk, added on from my presence, got out of hand. He needs proper training and discipline, not to be chastised and punished. If anything, I should be at fault for what happened today. I knew the dangers of his Quirk, but never bothered to bring it up with any of the staff here."

The first-year board exchanged a glance with one another. Mister Kan looked like he was shocked with my answer. In fact, a lot of the teachers were. All Might… He had a proud look on my face, as if he was saying, You're saving Young Suzuki, aren't you? The others, they nodded and smiled, agreeing with what I said. Principal Nezu jumped on the table with his hands behind his back.

"That settles it! From the looks of everyone here, Karisuma Suzuki shall remain at U.A.! Thank you for your opinion, Mister Inochi! You won't be punished for what happened, as you did nothing worth deeming punishment. You may leave." Principal Nezu told me, giving me his hand to shake. I shook it with a soft smile on my face. When the meeting ended, All Might ushered me aside for a few moments.

"Young Inochi, your answer was extraordinary. I believe that, if Young Suzuki was expelled, then he would have become a Villain. You've saved futures, including his." All Might said with his famous smile. I smiled back, thanking him for his kind words. Mister Kan came into the conversation though, wanting me back in class. So, I thanked All Might again before going back. What he said, it's something I wouldn't forget.

"Sanji," Shojo gets my attention (guess she's calling me by my first name). She snaps her fingers as I instinctively jump back. I can feel Awase and Manga's disappointment again. Oh crap, not again!

"Sorry about that! We gotta get going, guys! Thank you for everything Shojo, you're great!" I exclaim, already heading out the door with Awase and Manga already there. Awase waves goodbye while Manga mumbles something.

"Yeah, see you Pro Heroes-in-training later," she says, waving goodbye as we all head out the door. Well, that's one step of Operation Jack Mantis done. The next is heading to Shiozaki's house and setting up the party. Too bad I had to cancel the church thing with her, but this is better. I don't know how long church lasts, but hopefully Shiozaki and her family will be there. I know Kendo's already there with Kodai and a few others. Tokage and Shishida, mainly Tokage, are bringing "something special", Komori is making a bunch of dishes with mushrooms, and Mister Kan is being vague about what he'll do. Everyone else? They probably aren't bringing anything because of Tokage.

This should go great.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" I let myself in through the open door. Kendo's the first person I see, who rolls her eyes at my goofiness. She takes the tub from my hands, placing it on a long, wooden table in the dining room. Awase does the same, going over to Tsuburaba and chatting with him. Manga decides to roam by himself. Huh… When I look around Shiozaki's house… It's exactly what I would expect. It's in the upper-middle class area, spacious rooms with cozy lightning and decorations, and has a comforting feeling to it.

When I walked in, I was greeted with the smell of flowers from scented candles. The wooden floor is shiny without a spec of dirt. There's paintings on the walls, which I'm assuming they have something to do with Catholicism. One of them is a painting of a beautiful blonde lady. Or maybe that's a picture. Anyway, there's the dining room from earlier. A long wooden table surrounded by chairs is the main attraction. There's a skinny, white table mat that stretches the entire length with vases in the middle. The vases has an assortment of beautiful flowers. From where I'm standing, I can't tell if it's real or artificial.

_Clack clack_

Oh, someone's walking down. I look over and see an absolutely stunning young woman. She has braided green hair slung over her right shoulder. From first glance, she looks soft-spoken, but not afraid to speak her mind. I wouldn't be shocked if she's an idol or something. She doesn't look old enough to be a mother though, so this must be Shiozaki's sister. She walks up to me with a smile, having a hand rested on her chest.

"You must be Inochi. Ibara told me about you. I'm her sister, Soruka, so please, call me that," Soruka introduces herself to me and... Oh my God, any man would fall in love with her voice. It's so soft and sweet, like an angel is actually talking to me. I shake her hand (it's super soft!), which I notice has an engagement ring on it. Whoever she's engaged to is a lucky man. (In the background, I see Tsuburuba and Awase are both blushing like crazy, while Kendo is shaking her head at them in utter disappointment. She can't deny that she has a blush herself though. I swear, Soruka can make any man or woman be head-over-heels for her.)

"It's great to meet you! If I can ask, what did Shiozaki say about me?" I gently pry her for some information. I don't exactly know why Shiozaki has an interest in me compared to everyone else. It's not a crush though, well, I don't think it's a crush. If so, then Tokage is gonna kill me. Anyway, yeah! Shiozaki is strange like that.

"Well-Oh my," Soruka interrupts herself, putting a hand to her mouth. She looks behind me with a shocked expression on her face. What's going o-Oh. Oh my. That's a lot of people with a lot of food. This reeks of Tokage, and Shishida too, to an extent. These workers, caterers most likely, are carrying in Japanese cuisine of all kinds! A lot of them are things that I have never tasted before, let alone knowing the names of them. Yeah, this is way too rich for me.

"Dodododoooo! Setsuna Tokage and Jurota Shishida have arrived!" Tokage emerges from the door in a spectacular and fabulous pose. She's wearing a fashionable green dress that's a bit tight to the skin. A pearl necklace (probably real, actual pearls) is hung around her neck. Shishida walks in like he isn't associated with her. He's wearing a modest suit that isn't too formal. Tokage looks at Soruka and immediately turns red like a tomato.

"Ah, Shishida and Tokage! Welcome!" Soruka giggles at Tokage's display. Shishida simply nods, hiding his own blush underneath his glasses. He goes into the dining room, helping the caterers set up the food. Meanwhile, Tokage is still as a statue, stuck in her pose. Yeah, I need to bail her out before Soruka gets the wrong, not necessarily false, idea.

"Hey Tokage, I need to talk to you about something," I excuse myself from Soruka, taking Tokage's hand and going into, what I assume to be, the living room. Soruka nods and helps the caterers in. In the living room, Kendo and Kodai are there too. They're looking at Tokage, who's a bumbling mess at the moment. (Awase and Tsuburaba must have left.)

I sigh, asking, "Hey guys, do you know how to fix my Tokage? We might need a new one." I gesture to her, who's now hugging my arm and mumbling something. Aw, she's so cute when she's trying to hide her face. Soruka really did a number on her.

Kodai shrugs as if she's saying, Tokage is a lost cause, Inochi. Well, I can't argue with her. Kendo shakes her head and pokes Tokage's shoulder. She's not responding. What if I mention Shiozaki to her? Will that change anything? Kendo decides to ask her, "Hey Tokage, what about your goddess?" Hehe, Kendo was thinking exactly what I was thinking.

"Uhm-"

"Is everything okay?" Speaking of the angel, she's here. Oh, Shiozaki looks just as amazing as her sister! She's wearing a light green robe with blue outlining it. A thin, white jacket covers the top half of her, which is only held together by a pin. She's wearing black boots too like her hero costume. Tokage perks her head up and sees Shiozaki. She gets even redder than before, burying her face in my back.

"Yeah, Tokage feels a bit tired from waking up early," Kendo quickly makes an excuse for her. Kodai and I nod with her, going along with the cover. Shiozaki smiles, having her hands gently folded at her waist. She looks over to the other room, probably the dining room where all the food's at. There's a lot here. So many different smells that I don't know, and all of them are equally appetizing. I hope, I pray, that Shiozaki lets us indulge and stuff our bellies to the brim.

"I see that Tokage doesn't know the meaning of the word 'modest'," Shiozaki jokes, laughing to herself. Huh… I never heard her laugh before, yet alone making a joke. She seems so relaxed too, so different compared to her at school. Maybe I was a bit wrong about her, but I'm glad I am. I laugh at her joke with Kendo joining me. Kodai doesn't laugh, like usual, but her face has a slight smile. Meanwhile, Tokage is cutting off circulation to my arm.

"That's Tokage for you. She puts plus ultra into everything and goes beyond that," I comment, shaking my now-tingling arm. Crap, this isn't the most pleasant sensation. Kendo notices me struggling and whispers for Tokage to let go. Surprisingly, she does. My blood rushes back throughout my arm with a warm sensation. Once free, Tokage shyly waves at Shiozaki, hiding her face. Shiozaki waves back, approaching the three of us.

Instinctively, Tokage backs up saying, "H-Hey Shiozak-Woah!" And... she trips on a rug. Before she falls to her doom, I grab the collar of her dress and pull her back on her feet. Here's another example of my training paying off. A few years ago, I wouldn't be able to realize that she fell until after the fact. Kendo is practically facepalming at this point.

"Hey Kendo, I'm gonna help set the party up with Tokage," I tell her, glancing over to Tokage a couple of times. Kendo sighs in relief, giving me that look of, Please deal with her. And with that, I take Tokage's arm and walk over to the dining room. Kuroiro, Komori, Pony, Shishida, Monoma, and Rin are all there. That's fourteen so far. Eight more: Kaibara, Shoda, Tetsutetsu, Honenuki, Bondo, Yanagi, Mister Kan, and last but certainly not least, Kamakiri.

Mister Kan made sure that Kamakiri's mom was notified of the party. Her job is to convince Kamakiri to go to this party at any cost. I'm sure she can handle it. She has the ultimate Quirk: Mom Power. Much like Hayami, she has the power to just be an awesome mom.

Speaking about her, Kendo and I talked about Operation Jack Mantis with her, and Master Kendo too. He laughed, telling us that we're "crazy young kids". There was a nostalgic smile on his face. I figure it's the old man in him reminiscing about his youth, but that smile soon turned into a frown. Hayami saw and changed the conversation. It must have been something personal, but it's not right for me to pry. Wait, why am I thinking about this? Gotta be focused…

"Come on, Tokage, let's take your mind off of women," I whisper to her. She growls slightly, but we walk up to one part of the table, setting it up. Let's see… This one has a lot of sushi in it with a lot of different kinds. I don't know the names of any of these unfortunately, but it'll taste great either way.

"Inochi… I'm a mess," she admits, hiding her eyes underneath her hair in shame.

"I'm glad you finally admitted that, my queen," I tease her, smiling innocently. Tokage gives me a frown, slamming a stack of plastic plates on the table.

"I can always count on you for emotional support," she sarcastically says, punching me in my bad shoulder. It still stings from what Suzuki did to me. I wince in pain slightly, seeing Tokage smiling in satisfaction.

"Tokage! Inochi!" Monoma exclaims from across the table. In the back, Rin sighs in relief and walks away. Wait, did he make Monoma talk to us? "As two of the best students in the class, we need a plan to put 1-B in the spotlight! 1-A stole the glory of Suzuki's defeat from Inochi's hands! It was supposed to be the classic story of the bullied overcoming the bully, but alas, it became a different tale!"

("It was supposed to be?" I ask him to elaborate further, but he pretty much ignores me. Tokage is humming along and nodding. Oh come on, she's going along with this?)

Tokage inquires, "What do you propose, Monoma? We still have the Sports Festival coming up. That, and I do wanna prove to Yaomomo that I am the superior heiress!" Yaomomo? Oh, Yaoyorozu. That's right, her, Shishida, and Tokage are the wealthy students in U.A. It's no surprise that they know each other.

Monoma agrees, elaborating, "Exactly that! I know that we will have a training class with 1-A as well! We have many moments where we will prove our superior skill! Especially with Inochi, being the Quirkless underdog of the story!" Why is it me, being basically Quirkless, be the only thing that matters?

"Monoma," I butt into the conversation, unwrapping a tray of more sushi, "as much as you like the sound of me being a 'Quirkless underdog', it isn't true. I've been passively using my Quirk. I'm as good as a fighter as any of you here, besides the fact that I'm legally considered to be Quirkless."

He just laughs, adjusting his buttoned-up shirt. "I wish I had a pure of heart as you, Inochi! Quirkless or not, you need to admit that you are a great combatant. Yes, your Quirk passively enhances you, but you use it to the fullest. That's why you have one thing that most yearn for: Skill. If you allow a little selfishness in your heart, admit at least that." Monoma went another one of his monologues, putting his own spin on things. He didn't addressed my point though, but it's no reason to get fussy.

"Anyway, did you two hear about Suzuki? My dad, being one of the big investors in U.A. and all, told me that he isn't expelled," Tokage switches the topic, mentioning her father again… Mister Tokage… How could I forget?

…

…

…

I feel someone trying to push me. Real life hits my head like a truck. Aw crap, how many times am I going to space out today? I glance over to Tokage, who groans loudly. "Inochi! Did you hear what any of us said?" She gestures towards everyone in the room. Everyone is staring at me. What did Tokage say again? Something about Suzuki not being expelled… Ah, she must have told everyone about my decision.

"Yeah! Sorry, I hear you loud and clear," I nervously say, laughing. "Anyway, yeah, I chose Suzuki to not be expelled. I know he hurt all of you, and that's more than enough to expel him-"

"So, why didn't you bring the sword of justice down upon him?" Kuroiro interrupts me by asking. He has a bit of a sour face.

"He threw Tsuburaba through a building!" Pony reminds me of that.

"And knocked me out." Manga too.

"Don't forget he tore your shoulder open." Thanks Rin.

And then everyone else bombards me with questions… This isn't good… I don't have a chance to explain myself with all these voices. But, I hear heavy footsteps approaching us. It's Mister Kan. "Everyone, would you please don't bother Inochi about his decision?" He comes into the room with Honenuki, Yanagi, and Kaibara. (Five more.) He has a tray of crepes in his hands, which looks amazing by the way. The questions stop with a nod in unison. Mister Kan puts the tray down on an empty spot on the table.

"Let's not focus on what already happened. Suzuki's in U.A., end of story. What we need to focus on is this weird operation of yours," he tells all of us. From out of nowhere, Kendo appears behind him, humming. She tells all of us our new orders. I'm assigned to help set things up outside with Rin and Bondo. The three of us go into Shiozaki's backyard. There's folded plastic tables and chairs. Guess we'll eat here.

We start to unfold them. Rin and Bondo aren't talkative men, so it's pretty much silent other than the sound of birds chirping. I hear more and more people coming in, so it's safe to assume that everyone but Kamakiri is here. I, frankly, got nothing to think about at this point. What I can do is look around in Shiozaki's backyard. There's a greenhouse, growing fresh vegetables. There's also a big Japanese maple tree. The backyard has a wooden fence. Yeah, this isn't the most eventful task. It must have been twenty minutes or so until the three of us got everything set up. Rin looks around, not knowing what to do next. Bondo too. I guess we can go inside no-

A voice suddenly says, "Rin, Bondo, you two are needed inside." I turn to see who it is. It's a blue-haired, middle-aged man wearing glasses. He seems like a nice man, which means he's Shiozaki's father. That and he's wearing a necklace with a cross on it. Rin and Bondo do what he says and goes inside, leaving us two alone.

I greet him, "Mister Shiozak-"

"Tohru is fine. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Inochi." He shakes my hand, motioning me towards the greenhouse. "I need your help to move some fertilizer around. Careful, these bags are heavy," he warns me as we're picking up the first bag. We lift it up and place it in a nearby wheelbarrow.

"Tohru," I grunt, picking up another bag with him, "I have to ask: Why does Shiozaki talk about me? I don't really know how I'm different than anyone else." We put another bag in the wheelbarrow. He slightly laughs, pushing his glasses up.

"Well, she believes that you are the most sinless out of her class," he explains as we work on another bag. That's kinda what I was expecting honestly. She speaks to me a bit less vindictive than everyone else. At least she knows that I'm not completely sinless, or else that'll be a problem.

"Ah, I'm not worthy of her compliments," I say, laughing at my own joke. Tohru laughs too, putting the last bag in the wheelbarrow. He smacks the dirt off of his hands before wiping it off with a cloth. We hear Tokage inside the house, talking about "how freaking awesome" this party will be.

Tohru smiles from her enthusiasm. "If I can ask, is Tokage a lesbian?" Ehhh?! Oh crap, he knows the answer doesn't he?! This isn't goo- And he starts laughing, patting my shoulder. "Don't worry, Inochi. Her secret is safe. You know, this reminds me of my wife. Do you want to hear?"

I nod. (Thank goodness that Tohru isn't that kind of Catholic…)

"Good," he says, bringing us over to the maple tree from earlier.

"I believe it was spring, about twelve or so years ago. One of our neighbors was yelling at the top of her lungs. This neighbor, she was Catholic, but only more extreme. Hanako never heard her yelling so loudly, so she marched outside while I was looking through a window with Soruka and Ibara. That's when I saw two men, two gay men on the sidewalk.

Our neighbor was yelling such hurtful things to them. Things so awful that I had to cover Soruka and Ibara's ears. Hanako was shocked at what she was hearing. I distinctly remember our neighbor saying, 'Hanako, these two men are committing an act against God!' That's when my wife snapped.

She berated her, telling her that she's shrouded by hate and prejudice. It has gotten so loud that our other neighbors took notice and came to her side. There was one thing Hanako said, which defeated that woman, 'If God hates love, then He hates everything good about this world.' After that, our neighbor went inside her home and never spoke about it again."

Tohru touches the tree, sighing. "A few months afterwards, she found a lump in her breast. Then, she left to join one of the countless stars in the sky. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about her." Hanako seemed like a wonderful woman to be around. Still, even with Quirks and the technology we have today, cancer can't be cured. I guess it's the one thing reminding us that we're still human.

"I'm sorry," I quietly say, staring at the maple tree with Tohru. He laughs again, turning back to me. He holds his necklace with his right hand, twirling the cross around his fingers.

"Thank you. I'm sorry if I rambled too much," he apologizes, but I shake my head, telling him that it's fine. Tohru looks at the tree again, staring off into it. "If Tokage worries me or Ibara, you can tell her what I believe."

"I will, Tohru. Thank yo-"

A roar of cheering comes from the house. I hear Kamakiri's name. He's here… I look at Tohru, asking with my eyes if I can go. He nods, so I rush inside. I move past my friends until I see a flash of light green hair. "Jeez, can you guys be any louder?!" Heh, that's Kamakiri alright. I emerge from the crowd with a smile on my face.

"Welcome to your party, Kamakiri!"

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

"_Young Kamakiri, are you really leaving?"_

_"Yea, what's it to ya?"_

_"Please reconsider. U.A. is a place to leave your past behind and embrace a new life."_

_"Tell that to the kids here. Ya might think that, but they ain't sharin' the same thought, All Might. Ya obviously never mean-"_

_"No, I'm talking to you. You can't let your past dictate your life. Leave it behind and go beyond that. Go beyond-"_

_"Don't give me that 'plus ultra' crap. I made my decision. You, of all people, ain't changin' that."_

_"I won't give up on you. You have so much potential. Underneath that wall of yours, you are a great man. A man who embodies the meaning of a Hero. That's why you're here, correct? It's your dream."_

_"Not anymore. You're confusin' that man for someone else that ain't me. So, do me a favor and keep that smile to yourself, All Might, 'cause I won't be smilin' any time soon."_

_"Young Kamakiri…. Don't let your dream go, especially when you're so close."_

"Togaru, stop reading that thing," Ma yells at me, slammin' my newspaper on the ground like it ain't anyone's business. Damn, I was readin' that too. My class got into a fuckin' fight with a guy that can transform into a giant fox? When I thought life couldn't get even stranger, it threw a damn curveball. Apparently, Suzuki, the insane fox guy, is connected to one of my, soon-to-be-former, classmates. (If I had to guess, it'll either be Kendo, Inochi, or Tokage.) What's funny is 1-A had to clean up their mess. Now, this Midoriya guy is plastered on the front page. Suzuki is not even expelled too. What the hell is wrong with U.A.? I thought I was bad, but fuck, Suzuki went savage. The whole damn media is fussin' about 'em.

"Is U.A. letting a possible Villain in?" as the journalist, Chitose Kizuki, so eloquently put in her article. It's all anti-U.A. rhetoric that doesn't make any damn sense. I think it was Monday when she fuckin' called Ma, askin' I could come on the phone. She hung her up faster than my sprint.

"What is it, Ma?" I ask her, leanin' back in my chair an' tossin' a baseball to myself. She shakes her head an' frowns. Must be disappointed in me again, not surprised. Since she found out that I'm droppin' U.A., she's been givin' me that sad an' disappointed look in her face. It's super damn annoyin' too. She never scolded me or anythin'. She's just there with her arms crossed. This time, Ma has a sour look on her face.

Ma explains, "Your friends are throwing you a party. It's at Shiozaki's house. I have her address, so you can take the train there."

…

Eh?! They're throwin' me a fuckin' party? What the fuck?! They dealt with a fox yesterday an' decided, "Hey, let's throw a party!" Let's not forget it's for me! This stinks of a fuckin' prank or somethin'. It's at Shiozaki's house too. That bitch threw me against a wall. Did everyone get a change of heart in the past two days? It has to be those three again. There's no other explanation for it.

"They're not my friends, an' that's assumin' that I wanna go in the first place. Why the hell would I want to go to their party?" I huff, keepin' my ball wrapped in my hands. Ma sits across from me with a sad look again. Not half-sad, half-annoyin'. Just one hundred percent sadness. She's tryin' to get sympathy from me.

"Togaru, don't you think it's a bit unfair for you to stay here while they enjoy your party without you?" she tries to convince me, but it ain't workin'. It's more unfair of them tryin' to punch the shit outta me, than me not goin' to this party. They must have some kind of damn hero complex or somethin'. To them, I need to be saved from myself. That's all they see in me: An object that proves their worth as a Pro Hero.

"I didn't ask for it," I grumble. I get out of my chair, tossin' my baseball in a basket. "They don't care about me, Ma. They only cared when they figured out that I'm leavin'. I became an opportunity to them. An opportunity to prove that they're real Pro Heroes and ain't bad people. If I get wrapped into this, then they can brag about how they saved me."

"Togaru, they're helping you out of the kindness in their hearts. To them, you're their friend and classmate, not some helpless man. They know that you have the potential to be a great Pro Hero, which is exactly why they threw this party," she tries to tell me otherwise, standin' up too.. Hmph, she's givin' me that sympathetic look now. Ma's pullin' out all the stops. She really wants me to go to this thing.

"I-"

Ma picks up somethin' from the table. Oh damn it, it's the wrapped box. "If you truly believed what you said, then why did you buy Pony this?" Of all things to bring up, of course it had to be fuckin' that.

"Well, I pushed her. I'm an asshole for doin' that, so I might as well get something she likes. What's the point of bringin' that up?" I snarl, tryin' to not look at the damn thing. It costed a lotta Yen, but it's the least I could do. It was Pony's birthday too, a couple of weeks back. Nothing says, "I'm sorry" than a late birthday present.

Ma sighs, puttin' it down. "Look, you probably hate everyone but her. Since you're going to give Pony her present anyway, then you might as well go. You can leave right after and go straight back home! Is that too much to ask?"

Ugh. damn it, she makes a good point. I would mail the box to Pony, but I have no idea where she lives. All I know is she lives with Honenuki. Goin' to the party is an easy way to get it to her, and Ma's lettin' me leave right after. God damn it, I might gonna regret this later, but it's the only option I got.

"Fine, fine, I'll do what ya say, but I ain't spendin' anythin' more than ten minutes in there," I grumble, takin' my jacket out of the closet. Ma hands me my things, the box, and a slip of paper with Shiozaki's address. The box goes inside one of my inner jacket pockets. It's gonna be a bit hot from wearin' this black and bulky thing, but I'll be fine. Ma kisses me on my cheek, tellin' me to have a safe trip.

Hmph, she's so damn annoyin'.

* * *

A good walk, a train ride, and another good walk later, I'm in the neighborhood. It's the suburbs, just outside Musutafu. Without lookin' at the piece of paper, I can already tell which house is Shiozaki's. It's the one where the door is open. That and Tokage is literally starin' out the window. What the fuck is she doin'? You don't stare out of a window like a damn stalker! Ugh, what the hell is wrong with her? Aw shit, we're lookin' at each other now. She sticks her tongue out, gesturin' to come closer. I start walkin' closer with my hands in my pockets.

Ugh, I swear if she starts teasin' me, I'm gonna lose it. I should keep my swearin' down though, 'cause Shiozaki's in there. If she's a mega-Catholic, then what the hell will her parents be like? Shit, everyone from school is here aren't they? I see a lot more people through the window. This won't be fun…

_Knock knock_

I knock on the open door, but it doesn't do anythin'. Everyone is already there, waitin' for me. They start cheerin', hittin' me with friendly question while being really fuckin' loud. Damn, it's like they forgot that Friday happened. Especially Kendo an' Shiozaki. They have smiles on their faces, completely different than before. "Jeez, can you guys get any louder?!"

My voice shuts everyone up before they start apologizin' in unison. Squeezin' through Kaibara and Komori though, is Inochi. He has a bright smile on his face. It reminds me of Dad before the police caught him. Back when he was a normal dad. "Welcome to your party, Kamakiri!"

"..."

An awkward silence decides to make itself at home. Kendo clears her throat, gettin' everyone's attention. "Well, since Kamakiri's here, we can finally eat! Let's enjoy what Tokage and Shishida brought for us!" Like a bunch of fuckin' animals, they charge into the dining room with a ton of aluminium trays. I see Pony runnin' in with them, but I grab her arm, stoppin' her from goin' in.

She shouts, "Hey! Why are you stopping me?!" I let go of her arm, seein' her turn around an' pout. (Damn it, her pouts are cuter than annoyed.) My face gets a little warm, but I shake it out of me. I point towards the savages.

"Hey! Don't take all the crepes!"

"Woah! Keep your hands to yourself!"  
"I-I'm sorry!"

"This is a chaotic situation. Perhaps we should have been more orderly."

"That. Please."

"Guys! Let's try to be somewhat civil her-Ack!"

"Sorry Inochi, didn't mean for that to slip out of my hand."

"I liked this shirt…"

"Where's the steak?!"

"It's right-! AHHHHH! Don't step on my toes, Tetsutetsu!"

"Sorry 'bout that! You're pretty tiny, Manga!"

"..."

"All of you need to practice patience."  
"Sorry, Shiozaki."

"That. Your friends are monsters, Pony. It'll be rough bein' in the middle of them, especially with rowdy guys like Tetsutetsu," I explain to her. ("Tetsutetsu! You're gonna run over me!") Pony stops poutin' an' nods, walkin' over to my side. Damn it, why is she gettin' close all of the sudden?

"So… You came. I thought you didn't like us," Pony quietly says. Somehow, I can hear her despite the fuckin' circus.

I shrug my shoulders, answerin', "Eh, only came to make it up to ya. I g-"

She interrupts me, "You can make it up to me by staying for an hour. If you don't, I'm not gonna forgive you until the day I die." What?! God damn it, of course she would make this harder… Motherfucker, guess I don't have a choice. For an innocent woman, she's really damn manipulative.

"Fine," I grumbl-

"Oh crap, sorry Inochi!"

"Not you too, Kendo…"

"I think I lost my pearl necklace!"

"It's in the soup."

"Aw man! I have to fish it out now… Here goes no-! Shi-Crap! I'm sorry!"

"Tokage… Even you?"

"I-I'm way too big! I'm s-so sorry everyone!"

"Don't cry, Bondo!"

(Okay, what the hell are they doin' in there?! It's absolute anarchy!)

I hear two sets of footsteps behind me. One of them is heavy while the other is pretty light. The heavy one's Mister Kan. "Well, looks like staying back is a good decision… Tsuburaba and Rin are fighting over the last crepe, Inochi is covered in food, and Shishida lost his glasses. You kids will be the death of me."

Air blows out of my nose. "Yeah, the class is a mess, Mister Kan," I tell him, turnin' around and- Holy shit! Who's the woman?! She's fuckin' gorgeous! My entire face is heatin' up just from lookin' at her! Must be Shiozaki's sister or somethin'... But holy hell… I need to stop starin' or else I'll be like Awase and Tsuburaba. (I hear Pony gigglin'. What is she gigglin' at?)

"Anyway, I'm glad you're here, Kamakiri." Mister Kan whispers to the lady. She goes into the dinin' room. I hear her soft voice, gettin' the entire room quiet in an instant. Jeez, I'm sure everyone in this house is in love with her. Well, 'cept Shiozaki and their parents for obvious reasons. "That's Soruka, Shiozaki's sister. Her father is here somewhere, but at least the dining room is all settled. You two can go in now."

Pony cheers. She yanks me inside the room without askin'. She starts to go on about what she'll get, but shit… This is a lot of food. It all looks like rich people food too. This is what Tokage and Shishida brought, eh? Givin' us a taste of the rich people life. Well, I ain't complainin'. I might as well eat something here.

"Hey Inochi, can you pass me that bread?"

"Some of it dipped in the curry though. Still want it, Tokage?"  
"That's why I asked."

"Oh, sorry! Here you go!"

"Thank you~!"

(Finally, everyone's quiet.)

I grab myself a plate, gettin' some chicken, rice, egg rolls (these look homemade), some sushi, dango for dessert, and a can of lime soda. Pony stocks up on just desserts though… Jeez, she's gonna give herself a sugar high, but I ain't gonna stop her. She's practically droolin' all over her food too. I put a napkin to her mouth, draggin' Pony outside. We sit down at a random table, near a greenhouse. As soon as we sit, she starts chompin' down.

Well, as she's focusin' on that, I take a good look around. Almost everyone is outside in their own little groups, like Awase, Tsuburaba, Rin, and Manga. I hear them talkin' about Manga's twin sister, Shojo. (Apparently, she doesn't have Manga's head. Don't know what the hell her Quirk is though.)

That's just one of the conversations. Everyone else is chattin' about random shit 'cept for Pony and I. For a good reason too, 'cause Pony is really goin' down. She already cleared half her damn plate! "Pony! Slow down! You're gonna give yourself a stomach ache!" I try to warn her, but she ain't listenin'. (Just gotta be here for an hour.)

Tokage decides to comment, "Having trouble with your girlfriend?" Oh my fuckin' god, I'm gonna kill her. (This will be a long fuckin' hour.)

I stand up, yellin' at her, "Ey! Would ya cut shi- crap out?!" Tokage just laughs at me. Inochi whispers something and shakes his head, makin' Tokage apologize. Ugh… I sit down. I ain't in the mood for her teasin'.

_Gulp!_

Behind me, Pony finishes her plate. She flashes an innocent smile before her face suddenly lights up. "Oh! Kamakiri Kamakiri! Did ya hear about the big fight yesterday?! It was so awesome!" Bein' almost killed by a giant fox is considered "awesome" in her mind?

"Uhh… The part with Kendo and Inochi right? Not Suzuki?" Tsuburaba butts into our conversation.

Pony gets in the middle of the backyard, startin' to punch an' kick the air. "Mhm! That one! It was so freaking cool, Kamakiri! You shoulda seen it! Kendo knocked the lights out of Suzuki, threw a girl into another girl, punched Suzuki again, and threw a guy through a rock wall!" Kendo makes Kodai high-five her for some damn reason.

"Then, there was this girl who can shoot bolts from her fingers! Inochi used a guy as a human shield to stop her! He also broke a big, bald guy's nose!" she recounts, doin' a side kick. Inochi winces, but does his best to smile.

(Everyone else, they're givin' Kendo and Inochi a scared look.)

"I didn't hear 'bout any of that. The news were yappin' about Midoriya and Suzuki," I comment, finishin' up my can of soda an' throwin' it in a bin. Monoma suddenly stands up with his arms out. Aw shit…

He starts to monologue, "I knew this would happen! 1-A stole the glory right from our fingertips! When the Sports Festival finally comes, we all need to vow to shall tear the spotlight from them! We must prove to the world that we are the greater cla-"

"Not now, Monoma. Do all of us a favor and sit down." Kaibara gets out of his seat, tryin' to force Monoma back into his chair.

He argues, "No! We must be motivated and prepared! You won't silence me, Kaibara! I will do whatever it takes!" Why does everyone in this class have issues? I thought I was bad…

"And I'm doing whatever it takes to sit you down," Kaibara snaps, finally puttin' Monoma in a seat. He tries to get up again, but Kaibara puts a hand on his leg, not lettin' him get up. I hear Kendo an' Inochi laughin'. Pony too. She sits next to me again, layin' back in her chair.

"Your class is very lively, Ibara," Shiozaki's dad comments (huh, thought he'll have green hair), loud enough that everyone can hear. Shiozaki smiles an' nods, puttin' a hand to her chest. My eyes drift a little to Soruka, but I put it back on the dad. Can't be pervin'...

"That's one way of putting it! Have you seen Manga?" Tokage gestures towards Manga, who's stuffin' an egg roll down… I ain't got a clue where he's stuffin' that thing. I have no fuckin' idea how his head works.

"Screwb bu!" Manga talks with his mouth (probably his mouth) full. Rin looks at him, sayin' that he shouldn't talk with his mouth full. He gulps the egg roll, lettin' the equivalent of his neck stretch an' expand a little. "Screw you!" Oh, that's what he was sayin'.

"Remember your Battle Trial, Manga?" Tokage starts retellin' the story to everyone, even though it was only two days ago. I check my phone. I got forty minutes left, so Pony and I kick back and listen to Tokage.

* * *

Everyone told a lotta different stories. Embarrassing, funny, excitin', hittin' all the genres. It's only been a week, but they already got stories for a lifetime. Inochi had a story about how Kendo made his entire middle school think he was a delinquent. Kendo was embarrassed as hell, apologizin' a lot to him. Inochi just laughs it off.

Then there was Tokage again, who mentioned the fact that the same middle school had a fanclub for herself, Kendo, an' Kodai. Kendo an' Inochi were oblivious to the fact. Inochi muttered, "So that's why everyone was jealous of me…" Kendo decided to tell everyone that she'll punch one of her old classmates. I gave her a good look, remindin' her of me, which made her sit down without a word. Heh, that was pretty funny. What made this even better was Tokage sayin' she'd join Kodai's fanclub. Kodai simply said, "Pervert." Everyone fuckin' erupted in laughter, includin' me. Tokage was so damn red that she hid her face in Inochi's stained shirt.

Honenuki went on about something from his middle school. Apparently, there was a teenage idol in his class. (Komori started to listen in closely once he mentioned that.) The idol had a really large pack of fans to the point where she needed a huddle of bodyguards. Honenuki though, managed to bring her to the dance. He got high-fives from the boys. If I'm bein' honest, he's probably lyin', but who the hell knows?

Awase went next, talkin' about his first encounter with Shojo. He went on about how much of a dorky nerd she is. No one was shocked though, since she's Manga's sister. I'd be really damn shocked if she wasn't a nerd like him. After the story, Manga almost attacked him if it wasn't for Inochi stoppin' him. (Mister Kan looked more an' more hopeless with each story.)

Pony told one of her own. During her time with Honenuki, she told us about times she misspoke. I laughed at all of them, but my favorite was the dinner one. After she ate dinner, she patted her stomach and accidentally said that she's pregnant. Pony actually wanted to say that she's full. It was really damn adorable of her. After that story, I spoke to her in English. She looked happily surprised that I can speak English. I just said, "I picked up English by watchin' TV." (It's the truth. I watched a lot of American baseball.)

"Mnn…" Pony makes some cute nappin' noises besides me. She must be a bit cold from havin' her belly showin', so I put my jacket over her. Ya know, we all got stories. All of… us… Us… I check my phone again, seein' the smile on my face. The clock shows up and-?! It's been four fuckin' hours?! The hell?! I've been here for that long?!

I hear everyone laughin' again. Eh?! Why the hell are they laughin'?! It's at me, isn't it?! I fuckin' fell for their trap, didn't I?! Shiozaki and Kendo, they're laughin' too the hardest. I always knew! All of them are assholes! God damn it, I gotta get out of here. There's no way in hell there's an "us" here.

I put my phone back in my pocket, gettin' out of my chair. Without a word, I go inside the house. I hear some of my "friends" askin' me something, but I ignore them. To hell with them. Actin' all nice, like they care about me… It can't be true. No one in their right mind would act like that around me!

I finally reach the door an-

"Kamakiri, don't leave," Kendo tells me. I turn around to face her an' Shiozaki. Of course it had to be these two. Two who were willin' to beat the hell outta me! Damn it, what the fuck do they want with me now?!

"Why?" I growl, facin' away from them.

"Kamakiri, we know we hurt you, and we are extremely sorry. What could we do to make you stay?" she pleads with me, but I ain't havin' it. I'm not gonna waste my time talkin' to them. It's useless, so I walk out the door. Kendo tries to stop me, but Shiozaki stops her instead. Good… Good. I'm goin' back home. Ma'll be disappointed, but it'll be nothin' new.

I take the same route. It's a long walk, then the train, then a walk back home. It's a bit darker than before, but it's still bright out. A wind hits my body, makin' me feel a bit cold. So, I put my hands in my pock-

…

Where the hell is my jacket?! Wait… Fuck, I left it with Pony didn't I?! I must been walkin' for twenty or thirty minutes! God damn it, I wasted a lot of fuckin' time! Ugh, I'm at a random park now. I walk over to a bench and sit my sorry ass down. Yeah, might as well sit here and think about how much of a fuckin' idiot I am. Can't believe I forgot my jacket... What the hell is wrong with me?

If it's a consolation prize, I left the box in it, so Pony will be happy with it. The big problem is: How do I get my jacket back? There's no way that I'm goin' back there, so that's out of the question. Maybe I'll just go home. Mister Kan will drop it off at my house without a word. Him or someone else. They're decent enough to send a jacket back. Yeah, I'll just do th- Never fuckin' mind, my wallet's stuck in my jacket. Fuck me! I can't take the train because my card is in there! Shit, how can I be so damn stupid? The only thing I got is my phone. Damn it a-

"You forgot something." Eh?!

Pony's standin' in front of me, holdin' my jacket and the box. How the hell did she find me? Ugh, it doesn't matter. I guess it's her turn to try to convince me. Everyone else fuckin' failed miserably. "Whaddya want?!" I bark at her, turnin' my head away.

Without fear, she sits herself down next to me, puttin' my jacket in my hands. I feel my wallet inside, so that's one problem done. But, Pony's here an' she's a problem on its own. She's a stubborn woman too, so I can't just get up and leave 'cause she'll follow me or somethin' like that. An' she's playin' around with the box like there's a toy inside. (Don't do that!) She says one word, "So..."

I grumble, "So what?"

"So… You really hate all of us..." Pony assumes. I feel her misery from where I'm sittin'. Hmph, it ain't all wrong, but I want nothin' to do with people who hate me. I'll be a piece of shit if I tell that to Pony, so I stay quiet. She lets out a deep breath like she's disappointed.

Pony turns where she's facin' me, while I'm just lookin' straight at the park. There's a bunch of trees here with a playground. It's a nice day out, but there's no one here besides us. "Kamakiri… Are you scared? Scared of… Uhm, being our friend? It's okay to be scared, you know!" she tries to assure me, raisin' her voice like it'll help or something.

"..."

Pony droops her head down a little. "I don't wanna bring this up, but you were bullied right? Like Inochi? It musta been bad… Being alone like that with no friends… It'll be hard to trust anyone being in your position."

"..."

She goes on, "You had to sit alone at lunch, hearing people laughing at you, calling you names… They believed that you won't be a Pro Hero. They thought you weren't going to amount to anything good…"

"..."

She keeps talkin', "I never told anyone this, not even Juzo, but I was like you! In America, all kinds of people bullied me because I looked like a silly horse. They made fun of my name, trying to ride me even though I never wanted it." What?! Who the fuck would bully someone like Pony?!

I look at her. There's a depressin' smile on her face, lookin' out at the park. "Pony."

She doesn't stop talkin', "When I came to Japan, I couldn't trust anyone, including Juzo. But then, I got into U.A. and everything changed. Everything changed!" Pony jumps off of the bench with her arms out, spinnin' around. There ain't a sad smile on her. It's a gleeful one.

"Once I stepped foot into our classroom, everyone wanted to be my friend! Kendo, Yanagi, Manga, Awase, everyone! I'm not alone anymore! That's when I knew why I want to be a Pro Hero! Everyone should have a friend to count on, because no one deserves to be alone! Especially… Especially you, Kamakiri." Pony spins around to face me. My mouth is wide open from this crazy girl. I feel warm… Was her smile always this warm?

I quietly repeat, "No one deserves to be alone..." My voice is so quiet. It's frustratin', but what the hell is wrong with Pony? I thought she was a shy girl, but she's spinnin' around like the world revolves around her. (To be frank, it very well damn should.)

She beams so damn brightly like the sun, "That's right! You shouldn't be alone! So please, come back to U.A. and don't give up on your dream! You're so close, Kamakiri!" My dream...

_"Young Kamakiri…. Don't let your dream go, especially when you're so close."_

My dream… That's right. I wanted- No, I want to be a Pro Hero. I want to be one to prove all those fuckers who think otherwise. To prove that I ain't a Villain's son, that I'll be better than he'll ever be. Instead of killin' people, I'll be savin' them. That's why I want to be a Pro Hero. Okay, All Might? Your voice can stop hauntin' my mind now.

"Pony," I say her name again, lookin' down at the ground, "ya really want me back in U.A.? Even after all the shitty things I did?" Pony nods and hums, sittin' next to me again. She kicks her legs playfully, usin' that smile of hers as a weapon.

I groan, leanin' my head back. "Fine, fine. I'll come back if you quit smili-" She hugs me. Sh-Shit! Why the hell did she think huggin' me is a good idea?! Pony starts thankin' me, bouncin' up and down like a dog. I manage to pull this insane woman off of me and back on the bench. Fuck… My face is really damn hot… Ugh, why the hell does she look innocent?! She's way too damn oblivious for me!

Pony holds up the box, tappin' the cardboard. She asks, "What's inside?" Eh? She hasn't opened it yet? I'd thought she would tear the wrappin' off, or smell what's inside. Did she really want to ask me first? Ugh...

I sigh, feelin' my face goin' back to normal, "Eh, 'posed to be some apology gift and a late birthday present. So, happy late birthday," I tell her, slingin' my jacket over my shoulder. "Ma brought it for you." My mandibles twist a little bit from what I said. Damn things, can't control them.

For some reason, Pony pouts and says, "Really? She told me that you brought it yourself."

"What?! Is she blabbin' all my secrets now?!" I blurt out, glarin' at her. Pony giggles, huggin' the box a little bit. She completely changed her posture! Is she a little witch or somethin'?! Wait no, that title goes to Komori, the wannabe idol.

"Nope! I lied! Now, I know that you brought…" Pony tears the wrappin' off of the present, revealin' four really damn expensive candy apples inside. It's the best of the best. Her eyes light up with a little bit of drool comin' out of her mouth like before. She's actin' like a little girl seein' a new toy. Like an animal, she opens the box an' gets a candy apple out. Her mouth opens, but her eyes turn to me. "Oh sorry! Here, take one!" She gives me it, takin' another one out of the box.

I shake my head, arguin', "Pony, it's your present." I stick my candy apple at her, gesturin' to put it back in the box. Pony huffs, pushin' it back to me.

"We're friends, Kamakiri! We're sharing these together!" She takes a big bite out of her apple, blushin' slightly.

…

Friends? Jeez… Pony is really damn annoyin'.

_Chomp!_

* * *

**Sasaki Kendo**

"We're home!" Itsuka comes through the door with Sanji trailing behind her. They both have gleaming smiles on their faces. It doesn't take a genius to know that their operation was a success. Hayami smiles too, placing my cup of green tea in front of me. I quietly thank her.

She starts talking to the kids about Operation Jack Mantis while I'm watching the news. Fuyushiro Tokage has a sponsored gala coming up. It's about some mumbo jumbo, fancy new technology that I can't understand for the life of me. The world changed so damn much that I can't keep up with it. Years ago, we didn't have I-Island or researching the DNA of Quirks or something like that. It was only Pro Heroes with raw strength.

"Grandpa, did you hear?" Itsuka jumps on the couch next to me with Sanji calmly sitting down next to her. (The difference between these two are astounding.) In the back, Hayami rolls her eyes at these two miscreants. I laugh slightly, shaking my head. She tells me, "Well, Pony managed to convince Kamakiri to stay in U.A.!"

I give her and Sanji an approving smile, even though I have no idea who those two kids are. (Who names their child, "Pony"?) Isn't Kamakiri the son of someone famous too? Eh, I'll find out one day. These kids is already on the news from what happened yesterday. (I had to calm Hayami down or else she would faint from fear. If Sanji wasn't injured, him and Itsuka would have gotten disciplined)

"Oh," I remind myself of something, turning to Sanji, "Sanji, can you still train tonight? I know you're still wearing those bandages?" He sighs and shakes his head, moving his right shoulder slightly.

"Sorry, Recovery Girl told, well, she yelled at me to don't train for a couple of days or so. I'm going to her office tomorrow," he explains with his eyes being apologetic. I shake my head, assuring him that he's fine. Speaking of injured kids, there's Midoriya. He was on the news yesterday for defeating Suzuki. Why doesn't Chiyo scold him and Toshi?

After all, One For All is a dangerous Quirk.

I saw Midoriya using it in a video clip of him yesterday. That power, that raw power couldn't be anything other than One For All. It's the exact same as when Toshi used it too, so that means Midoriya is Quirkless. You know, I'm pretty upset that Toshi never told me that he picked the next successor, but he assumes that I don't want anything with him… It's not completely false.

I look at my three, equally insane, kids. It's not completely false...

Oh Itsuka, if only she had a chance to meet her grandmother. There's a lot of Tatemi in her. Always protecting others like she's everyone's mother. But then, there's Itsuka punching anyone who she deems fit. She got that from me. I hit her father a lot for being a romantic idiot. I'm overprotective of my beautiful daughter, and my granddaughter too. If Itsuka gets married to someone, I hope that man is prepared to handle her. (As of right now, only one man has that ability.)

Then there's Sanji. Oh jeez, this kid. He's one of the nicest kids a person can meet, but also the scariest. He has such a high level of skill. Really, once he awakens to his Quirk, he'll be unstoppable. From how he acts though, it reminds me of so many people. Yet, there's something off about him… He never talks about his childhood, only focusing on the present. It's like-

I hear Itsuka asking me if I'm listening, but I'm quietly sipping my tea. Sanji tells her that I'm reminiscing again, which makes her groan. Heh, I shouldn't be worried about these two. They'll be great Pro Heroes. I mean, they're already helping their classmates with crazy operations. It reminds me of…

Heh, it reminds me of _her_.

When I was younger, I wouldn't have imagined being apart of the creation of Japan's greatest- No, the world's greatest Hero. Back then, he was simply a young boy who was named Toshinori Yagi.


	12. Motivating Peace

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Smmmaaaas-Egk!"

_THUD!_

"Even with a Quirk like yours, Toshi, it's useless if you can't hit anyone with it," I criticize him. Toshi goes down on one knee, gasping for air. I watch him grit his teeth, shaking his head, doing anything to prepare himself for another attack. He slams his left fist against the ground, cracking my nice, and polished hardwood floor. (He needs to stop tearing up my Dojo.) For a Quirkless boy though, Toshi's awfully resilient. Even with my Quirk, Reversal, he can take many of his own hits before going down. I remember the first time I used it against him. My right arm broke from the sheer recoil of One For All. Luckily, from all this training, Toshi isn't the only one who has gotten stronger.

Toshi gets up, moving his right foot back. Heh, he's too straight-forward. I taunt him, "You're charging right at me?" With only a grunt as a reply, he does exactly that. Toshi charges forward and yells his catchphrase, pulling his left fist back. He's awfully slow for a large man. I close my eyes and tilt my head left, letting Toshi's fist move past and sending a large wind that would rival a small typhoon. I touch his left arm with one of my right fingers, activating Reversal, and elbow him in the gut with my left.

_SLAM!_

_CRASH!_

And Toshi goes through the wall. Guess he needed some fresh air... Damn it all, the wind should have been a dead giveaway that he's using too much. He's way too reckless. Imagine if a small-time Villain taunted him. A couple of buildings would be completely destroyed. At the very least, it wasn't through the roof like last time. Sorahiko barely had enough time to catch him. I keep telling him that we need a new place to train, and it's always "later". Ugh, I go up to the hole. Toshi is laying face-down on the street with wood and glass all over him. Chiyo runs up to Toshi, groaning loudly. She shakes her head disapprovingly at us. "What did I tell you about self-restraint?!"

I defend myself, "I'm not the one who decided to use that much power!" Chiyo clicks her tongue and kisses Toshi's head. His body glows slightly, pushing any glass shards and wooden splinters out of his skin. She has Toshi taken care of… Now, how much money will these repairs cost me? There's the flooring and this hole… A couple hundred thousand yen? I could make Toshi fix it himself too as punishment, but I don't know if-

I hear the door opening.

"Saki..." Oh jeez, I'm in for it now. I turn around and see my wife and daughter standing in the doorway. Hayami has her ears covered while Tatemi looks disappointed in me again, both of them staring at the Toshi-sized hole in the wall. For the love of… I forgot Hayami was here. If she got hurt, All For One wouldn't be the only thing that Toshi is afraid of.

I walk up and smile, assuring them that everything's fine. "Don't worry, you two. Compared to other times, this is pretty tame!" ...They don't look amused in the slightest. Tatemi sighs and pulls me into a side-hug with Hayami hugging my leg. Tatemi doesn't have the heart to scold me again. It happened so many times that I need ten or so hands to count them all.

"How much is this going to cost us?" she asks. I shrug my shoulders, which only made her more annoyed. We hear Chiyo faintly chastising Toshi about the same thing as always. No self-restraint, too emotional, and way too rash. Even with spending almost a year with One For All, we're still dealing with the same problems. He thinks that because he's physically gifted, he could accelerate his training tenfold and become the "Symbol of Peace" he always desired to be. The bigger problem with that is: Toshi doesn't know the full scope of the damage he could cause. How could he be the "Symbol of Peace" if all of Japan is completely destroyed?

I hear another set of footsteps behind us. It matches Sorahiko's. He walks past us with a frustrated look on his face, picking up a broom and a dustpan. "I'll pay for this, Kendo. By the way, you-know-who wants you downstairs." Guess the woman of the hour needs me.

Tatemi says, "I'll help." She grabs a broom as well, cleaning up the room with Sora. Hayami tugs on my pants, making grabbing motions with her hands. Heh, I lift her up into my arms and kiss her cheek. She makes a grossed-out sound, wiping my loving kiss away. At least I have this little rascal as backup.

Hayami waves goodbye to her mother and uncle before we walk downstairs together. She starts explaining about how loud Toshi and I were fighting, even making onomatopoeias as an added measure. To her, it was all "WHOOSH", "BAMMY", and "CRASH". I would want to ask her a lot more, but we had already reached the lobby. Hayami immediately peers around the corner to see if her "favorite person" is there. (I'm still grumpy about it. Everyone doesn't let me hear the end of it.) And what do you know, she is.

She's watching Chiyo and Toshi clean up the street with a disappointed look on her face. She sees us walking in and smiles brightly, like a true Pro Hero. "Hey you two, sorry about the wall," Nana apologizes, approaching us and giving Hayami a little fist bump. "How's this little goof doing?"

"Good! Oh oh! I made something, Auntie Nana!" Hayami points towards a hair clip on a table. It's adorned with spring flowers. Some of the petals are ruffled up and the stems aren't cleanly cut, but it's pretty well-made, for a toddler anyway. She's always been a great little inventor. Nana clips it to her hair, taking Hayami from me and putting her on the ground.

"Thanks a lot, Hayami! Why don't you help Toshinori for us? He needs a big and strong hero to help him out!" Nana asks her, glancing at me in complete contrast with her tone. She wants us to talk in private.

Hayami nods, putting a hand to her chest. "You can count on me!" She runs off outside with Chiyo and Toshi. Heh, the first thing she does is hug Toshi's leg. That's her way of helping everyone, being the cutest daughter in the world. Nana watches her with me. Her smile shifts into a frown, tearing her eyes away. A tear runs down her cheek, being wiped away with a bat of her finger. Nana must be remembering him again… She's being tortured from seeing Hayami everyday, being reminded of the very thing she gave up.

"Gosh… I'm a mess." Nana laughs, trying to cheer herself up. "Jeez, Sasaki, thanks for putting up with Toshinori and helping me with pretty much everything… You and Tatemi. It feels like yesterday that we were only naive kids, and now look at us..."

I smile, joking, "Well, if I heard there was a chance to defeat the world's most powerful Villain, who technically started all of hero society, with a Quirk that was passed down from generation to generation, I would take that chance in a heartbeat. That, and Tatemi would divorce me if I didn't help." We laugh together. I catch a glimpse of Toshi carrying my daughter on his shoulders, being distracted from his task. Oh, Chiyo's berating him again. She's going through hell with Toshi being the one who put her there.

"That's the gist of it. You know…" Nana's voice gets deeper, _darker_. "I never wanted to involve anyone in this." Eh?

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking at her, but she isn't looking back. Nana's staring solemnly at her gloves, like a ghost possessed her.

She starts to explain, "An average person might think receiving One For All is a gift. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, Saki. Once you have this power, you're not only cursing yourself, but all your friends and family as well." She takes out a picture of her family, staring longingly before looking at me. Nana… I never seen her eyes like this before.

"From my own master, he told me that All For One killed many of his friends, and even slaughtered his own master's bloodline just for being related to him," Nana confesses, grasping Hayami's pin. Is… Is she telling me that my family… My family would be killed?

"Nana-"

She takes my hand, her eyes firm and steady. Nana's shaking… She never shakes like this, at least, not in front of me. "Sasaki, this is the curse of One For All. I'm only telling you this because you have a family, a beautiful family. There might be a day where you have to cut us from your lives completely. For your own safety, please _promise me_ that you will, and never look back."

...

"I will. I promise." Nana smiles, letting go of my hand. We look over to Toshi again. She picked him, of all people, to bare One For All. It's ironic… Being a Quirkless man, controlling the most powerful Quirk in the entire world. Even with him being a numbskull, Toshi is a pillar. A pillar that can't be shaken nor cracked. A man who's willing to take the curse without a second thought. If Nana wouldn't be able to take down All For One, then Toshi will. "You know, Nana, you picked a great successor. You won't have to worry about us, because Toshinori will be the one who'll take that bastard down."

Nana slightly bows her head, putting her picture away. "Heh, I hope you're right. It took me double the time to get where Toshi's at. Oh, by the way, don't mention any of this to him. I haven't told him yet, and I hope that I'll never have to." I-

"Tell him what?" Tatemi's voice appears behind us, scaring the hell outta me. She giggles and playfully hits my arm. "Why are both of you so glum? Nana, the only good thing that this idiot is for is cheering people up."

"We're just talking about Toshinori, Tatemi. Oh, did you see what your little girl made for me?" Nana changes the conversation to her hair clip, showing it to Tatemi. Her tone and demeanor changed just like that, like what we spoke about never happened. Tatemi hesitates for a brief second before smiling. (These two are pretty much sisters. Tatemi would notice the sudden change in conversation and demeanor. That, and she's a pretty empathetic woman just like Nana.)

Tatemi hums, "Yup! You shoulda seen the clay coffee mug she made for Saki. We painted so many cute animals and made sure it was perfect. Then-" Oh no, she's going to tell her. I don't need this.

"Please don't tell her what happened," I plead, but it's not going to stop her.

Nana exclaims, "Oh, now she _has _to tell me! Come on, Tatemi! Spill what happened!" Tatemi has that evil look on her face again… God damn it, this is another thing that I wouldn't hear the end of. I spent all my life training in martial arts, but of course a little girl would be the one who defeats me.

"Saki broke the dang mug, and Hayami saw it all happen. So she, being my daughter and all, threatened to cry if he didn't buy a box of mochi just for her. Guess who won?" Tatemi giggles, linking arms with me. I'm not even looking at her. I can't deal with these women's gloating looks. Oh God, I can hear them laughing at me. Nana's saying something, but it's more taunts. I swear if Sora finds out abou-

"Defeated by a little girl, eh? Bringing shame to the Kendo family once again… Such a disappointment." And he's here. You have to be kidding me. Why does this always happen?! And what he said doesn't make sense!

I snap back, "She's a Kendo too! And I don't see you having a wife and kid, Sora. Why is that? Oh right, you only have a handsome mug and nothing else. Might as well call you the 'Bachelor Hero'." I look at Nana and Tatemi for back up, but they're off to the side, talking about random things.

Sora rolls his eyes and leans against a wall like an angsty teenager. "I don't scare kids. Give me an example where I scare one?" Pfft, he wants an example? We have an example right outside. I open the door loud enough where the three musketeers are staring at me. (It hasn't been fifteen minutes and Hayami already stained her clothes.)

"Toshinori! Gran Torino needs to _talk_ to you," I insinuate that Sora's angry. And with that, Toshi shrinks down to his skinny-self and runs inside, getting on his knees. Sorahiko looks at him, then at me, then back to him. Hehe...

Toshi begs, "I'm-"

"Shut up and get up," Sora stops him from begging, burying his face in his hands. "Go clean the rest of the street and you'll help fix the damages you caused, got it?" He pulls Toshi up on his feet. There's so much fear in Toshi's eyes that it's kinda hilarious. Stumbling a bit, he goes back outside with Chiyo and Hayami.

"Sorahiko, I question your methods sometimes," Nana comments, watching her successor scurry away. Sorahiko huffs and crosses his arms, looking away. Tatemi approaches me and whispers that I need to grow up. I laugh, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Shimura, he needs to learn restraint. Every time I assign a training exercise, my class is utterly afraid of what Toshi could do. You don't know how many times my students come up to me with their worries," Sora rants and walks up to Nana. Oh hell, here we go again. Sorahiko'll criticize Nana for how she teaches Toshi.

She sighs, putting her hands on Sora's shoulders. "I understand, but he has to learn how to be a proper Pro first. Just because he's the best at combat, doesn't mean he's the best in spirit. Toshi definitely has the heart, but I need to make sure he doesn't lose it."

He breaks away from Nana's grasp, arguing, "You're only encouraging him to be emotional. What happens when he sees something horrible? How will he hold back?" This will go on all day… We got the classic optimist and pessimist conflict. Tatemi tugs on my arm, signaling that we should leave them be. I nod, letting her take me outside with everyone else. Chiyo and Hayami are sitting on Toshi's back while he does push-ups for some reason.

Tatemi picks our daughter up, bouncing her up and down in her arms, hearing her laugh. Chiyo scoffs and pretends to ignore us by reading a magazine about the latest gossip, but there's a smile behind the cover. Toshi quietly counts how many push-ups he's at (one hundred fifty-one so far), his eyes wandering and smiling at the two most important women in my life.

All For One… The man who ruled from the shadows, might still be ruling now. If everything Nana said is true, and it probably is, then all of us have targets painted on our backs. He could kill us at any moment, but I don't know what's stopping him. The anticipation and wait would kill a man, but it won't stop me. Whatever he could bring, all of us can stop him. All of us can, after all, this whole situation sounds like an anime. The villain always loses in the end, and the heroes get to live happily ever after.

So, I embrace my happily ever after. No matter what, I'm going to protect these two from that monster. Whatever it takes.

* * *

"I don't see anything… Of course today had to be boring," Tatemi complains, resting her head against the ledge. A bored groan leaves her mouth. Ah, she's having a craving to beat a criminal's head in. She only gets like this whenever she's in a bad mood. I'm lucky that Tatemi doesn't unleash it on her great husband.

One part of being a great husband is bringing their significant other close, and asking, "What's wrong? Is patrolling on the rooftops not romantic enough?" Tatemi groans even louder, leaning into me. She picks her head up and watches the little people and cars. There's nothing villainy yet, and considering how today's been going, it might be another eventless day.

(I think I imagined a shadow jumping around out of the corner of my eye.)

"Apparently, Toshi accidentally injured Todoroki during a training exercise. He ranted about how Toshi will end up killing everyone and how he won't be a Pro Hero. As we speak, he's sulking in Chiyo's office on the verge of tears," she tells me and honestly, I'm not shocked. Something like this was bound to happen sometime. Even though it's awful, awful events are what makes wake people up from their shortcomings. But, I'm not here to talk about this is good or not.

I ask, hugging her close, "How are we cheering Toshi up then? And no, don't conspire with Nana to make another operation. We had too many of those, and most of them went horribly wrong."

Tatemi pouts and huffs (too cute), breaking away from my grasp. "Nana had a name and everything! I was planning for Hayami to make a special present for him. I mean, who wouldn't be cheered up by an adorable girl?" ...She has a point, but these damn things do way too much. What was it… _Operation Sakura_ right? Nana tried getting Sora to hook up with Kazeha back in our second-year in U.A. It pretty much ended up with her almost choking on her own petals. We still haven't apologized...

"Honey," I say, putting my hands on her cheeks (so warm), "I can't count how many times I almost died from our operations. I'm getting way too old for this." A flash of disappointment goes through her face. Her eyebrows curl down, her eyes frowning… Oh no, she's giving me the sad look. Damn it, why can't we talk about this like normal adults? Ugh, she's staring right into my soul! I can't take her eyes pitying me, on the verge of complete tears.

"Ugh, fine! Fine! I'm helping, I'm helping… Just… Just tell me what to do," I let go of her cheeks, sitting on the ledge. She hops up with a completely different face, the one that's excited to tell me the plan. Tatemi kisses my cheek, thanking me for being such a good husband… Yeah, there's nothing like a wife giving a husband puppy eyes...

Tatemi explains _Operation Hopes Up _to me. To be honest, I'm not paying attention to what she's saying. From what I do manage to catch is that we'll make Todoroki apologize to him? Or throw a small party and celebration? It might be both, or it might be none of them. I know that Toshi's class is involved.

If I'm being frank, this Todoroki kid doesn't seem like a good man. Sorahiko complains about him a lot. He says that him and Toshi are utter rivals, even though Toshi isn't invested in it. He recounted a story where Todoroki burned a U.A. training dummy to ashes. I heard these dummies are nearly indestructible, and he _burned it to ashes. _God… At least he "exudes a lot of confidence in his abilities" as said by Sora. As proof, during their Provisional License Exam, Todoroki and Toshi are the only ones who received perfect scores. And I thought One For All is a strong Quirk…

"Saki! Are you even listening?!" Tatemi snaps her fingers in front of my class. I instinctively lean backwa- Ah shit! Almost fell off! God damn it, that's not how I want to die. Tatemi holds me still, making sure that I'm okay. "I'm so sorry!" Her hands go to my chest. We both feel my rapidly beating heart. It slows down after a few seconds… Jeez, I guess there's my daily dose of adrenaline.

"Heh... Well, to answer your question: I w-" Behind Tatemi, I see a white truck… Is… Is it me or is that thing going kinda fast? "Tatemi… I might be hallucinating, but isn't that truck going a bit _too_ fast?"

I gesture towards the truck. She turns around and watches it with me. We hear its engine roaring louder and louder as it goes down the street. Oh shit, that thing is going even faster! This isn't a normal truck! I stand up on the ledge, getting my bo staff out. I yell, "Tatemi! Jump down and stop the damn thing!"

"Got it!" Tatemi pulls out an ingot of pure iron and jumps off the roof. In mid-air, she activates Transmutation, transforming her clear and fair skin into a sharp grey tone, becoming iron. I press a button on my staff. Segments pull apart from one another and bend inwards as string shoots down from the top of the staff, connecting with the other end. I flick it, making sure it's nice and tight. There we go, my bow's ready. If there's only an insane and reckless driver in there, it'll stop before it hits Tatemi… If not… God, I hope it's not, then I have to be ready. I pull a taser arrow out of my quiver, nocking it.

_SLAM!_

Tatemi lands. From the impact, the asphalt cracks and breaks underneath her feet, ruining the orderly solid yellow lines. Everyone in the area panics, screaming, running into any nearby buildings for safety. They're yelling that a Villain is coming, a Villain is coming. All eyes are on her and the reckless truck. Tatemi puts the ingot away and holds her arms up, ready to stop that thing. It's not speeding down. It's not going to stop. Damn it! Please be safe, Tatemi!

Three!

_VROOOOOOM!_

Two!

"Come on!"

One!

_CRASH!_

Like an unstoppable barrier, Tatemi stopped the truck without a scratch. The front of the vehicle wraps around her like a metal blanket. Broken and jagged shards explode outwards onto the street, lining the roads with the truck's innards. Traffic comes to a complete halt as scared civilians stay in their cars, waiting to see what'll happen next. Inside the truck, the driver was saved by the safety features inside. (Thank God that us Japanese don't make shoddy cars.) The only injury I see is a cut on his forehead, letting blood stain his blue hair. He quickly shakes his head and looks around before meeting eyes with my strong wife. Tatemi yells for him to come out, removing herself from her metal blanket. The driver quickly punches open his glove compartment, revealing a gun. Oh pal, that's not going to help you.

_THWHISH!_

My taser arrow: The arrowhead is flat with two sharp prongs capable of delivering about 50,000 volts. It won't kill the driver, but it'll surely hurt like hell. As regulation, I had to get shot by one of these. It wasn't the most pleasant experience, especially since Tatemi filmed the entire thing.

My arrow flies through the front passenger window, hitting him right in his neck. I hear him screaming in pain as his muscles seizes up. Thank goodness that he didn't grab his gun. If the arrow stuck him after he grabbed it, then he would have shot randomly. Tatemi flashes a thumbs-up to me as she slowly stomps over to the driver door, tearing it right off. She takes the guy out of his ruined truck and slams him against the ground. Afterwards, she signals me to come down. Alright, I guess we'll have to investigate what exactly is in the truck.

I press a button, putting my bow back into a bo staff. I put it on my back before I hang off the ledge, climbing down using the window ledges as rungs in a ladder. A minute or so later, I'm on the street with Tatemi walking up to me. She's still full-iron. She details, "The driver's practically unconscious. I already alerted the police, so they're coming at any second. Now, we need to check out what's inside. After you, my prince."

I smirk, grabbing my staff again and twirling it around my hands. Tatemi and I go around the back where it's pretty much unharmed. It tells me that there's definitely something big in here. I don't hear any movement inside, so it probably isn't a person in there. For good measure, I whack the back doors. I announce, "Hey! If anyone's inside, come out! You're dealing with Master Kendo and Magnum Opus, the second and fifth-ranking Pro Heroes!"

…

Nothing. I turn to Tatemi and she shrugs. Well, let's open his bad boy up. I signal Tatemi to bust this door open, since I can't tear a steel door off. She nods, grabbing the bottom handl-

_BURST!_

"Kyahahaha!" A skinny man just came out the roof! This guy has massive claws for hands! Well, at least his Quirk is obvious! I jump backwards as Claws lunges down on Tatemi. Within a second, his hands become pale blurs, striking her so many damn times, clashing against her metal skin. I would do something right now if Tatemi was getting hurt, but she's standing there unscathed.

After a few seconds or so, Claws's laughter dies down into a nervous chuckle. He sees that he didn't make a single dent in my wife, and decides to back up slowly. Backing up right into me. Claws's shoulders jump up as he slowly turns his head. "Is there something on my face?" I ask him, but he's staying silent (with that really long tongue of his hanging out of his mouth). Tatemi walks up behind him, tapping his shoulder.

"Well, aren't you gonna answer him?" she adds on. Claws yelps as he looks around practically everywhere. The streets, the civilians, the rooftops, like a guardian angel would come down and save him. I gesture to Tatemi to knock this guy out. "Alright, good night my sweet prince!"

_BAM!_

And Tatemi punched his lights out. Claws crumple backwards onto me. I hold him up by his armpits before laying him next to the driver. It's odd though. Why were they driving a truck? Claws doesn't seem like he was the thing being transported, but rather the bodyguard. Tatemi and I should look at the truck again before the cops get here. "Tatemi, let's check out the truck aga-"

_BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!_

My phone's going off. I pull it ou- What… What the hell?! "ALERT! ALERT! NUMEROUS VILLAIN ATTACKS! LOCATIONS: TAMA, ASAO, SAIWAI, ADACHI, KITA, HOSU, AKI-" There's attacks all over Japan! Damn it! One of them is near U.A.! That's a few blocks down! Toshi and everyone else there is in danger! (Thank God that there isn't anything near Hayami's preschool.)

An organized attack like this doesn't spell out any lowly Villain. There's only one man who can coordinate nationwide attacks like this: All For One. U.A. is his target isn't it? I look at Tatemi, staring at her phone as well. Her mouth is wide open from shock and awe, taking in what's happening. I yell, "Tatemi! We need to head to U.A.! Toshi-!"

_BANG!_

_SNAP!_

_THUD!_

A bullet hits my phone, shattering it into pieces. Sniper! Time slows down. I find myself yelling at everyone to get down as I tackle Tatemi against the totaled truck, using it as cover against our gunman. Two more shots ring out in the street, hitting the unconscious driver and Claws in the chest. I look closely and see darts with blue feathers sticking out. Before I know it, they jolt back awake, jumping onto their feet. The driver exclaims, "Come on, we gotta get to our target! Zabaniya can get the thing on his own!"

(Zabaniya? I feel like I heard it before, but it doesn't matter. This "thing" that the driver was talking about must be in the truck!)

They sprint down the block with scared-out-of-their-mind civilians practically jumping away from them. The two of them turn left, Going that way is where U.A. is at, and Tatemi and I can't do jack shit about it because of whoever Zabaniya is! (Damn it, the side view mirrors are busted! Can't use it!) I ask Tatemi, "Can you get the sniper's location?!" I turn my bo staff back into a bow as she nods, touching the tru-!

_BANG!_

_SNAP!_

Tatemi screams. She falls to her knees, clutching her shoulder. Fuck! She got shot! Zabaniya could tell that where we are?! I sprint over to Tatemi, screaming her name. A bullet snaps near my head, missing me by mere centimeters. Damn it! We have to get inside!

"I got you!" I assure Tatemi, lifting her up and diving into the nearest building. Her blood gushes down her arm and staining my amber costume red. Another shot goes out, hitting a concrete wall besides me. Bits of dust gets onto my face and hair as I crash my back through the door. My foot slams it shut. I look around and… And I'm in a bookstore with a ton of terrified people. "Are any of you certified in first aid?!"

A young man stands up and says, "I'm a doctor-in-training!" I order him to clear a bunch of books off of a table, placing Tatemi down. She groans in pain, shifting around. (That fucker!) The owners, an elderly couple, run out with a first aid kit. (I'm glad these people are prepared!) The student grabs scissors from the kit and cuts her costume just enough to expose her shoulder. He lets out a sigh of relief. "From her blood, the bullet didn't hit an artery! I can take control of things, Master Kendo! We need you to keep us safe!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," I grunt, moving Tatemi's hair back, "I can take the son of the bitch out, Tatemi. Hang on for me." I plant a kiss on her forehead, turning to the owners. They point towards a door that goes up to the rooftops. Quickly, I bash through the door and run up an endless amount of stairs. (It's eerily silent.) I swear underneath my breath at how many flights there are before I make it up top.

Good, the only thing I know about Zabaniya's location is he's across the street. God, I wish today was uneventful, but at least Musutafu won't have a master marksman out on the street. Immediately, I take cover behind a ledge. I take a steel-tipped arrow out and put it against the arrow rest. Okay, Zabaniya must have seen Tatemi and I running into the bookstore. His attention is not specifically on us, but on the truck.

I stand up. My eyes dart around from building to building, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing there. Nothing here. Nothing. I remember seeing a flash of something black earlier though. Tatemi and I were on the building to the left of me, and the flash was to our right. Aha! Found you, you bastard. Looks like we're directly across from each other. Zabaniya huh? Dressed in all black with some bits metal armor. What's important is you have the sniper that shot my wife. Luckily for me, you're turned away. I assume that you're trying to watch out for anyone else, thinking that I'm staying with my wife. That's arrogant of you. _Better say your prayers, Zabaniya._

I pull the string back and let go.

_THWISH!_

My arrow goes through the air, twisting and bending at first release. It flies across the street with the wind pushing it to the right. Closer and closer, this is heading towards your head. I hope he has some armor underneath that hood of his-?! Wha… What the hell?! He just caught my arrow without looking! It was flying faster than a person can blink! How the hell can he catch it?! God damn it, why can't this be an easy day?!

Zabaniya tosses my arrow aside and spins around. He rests his sniper on his knee, firing within a second. I quickly dodge to my side as the air snaps around me. I nock and release another arrow. Missed. It's embedded in an air duct near him. (He didn't flinch. He's used to this.) Before I have the time to react, Zabaniya shoots again. The bullet whizzes past my head, nicking my ear and hitting a fence behind me. A burning sensation erupts in my ear, but that's nothing. It's _nothing_ compared to what I'm going to do to him.

I stand up completely and start running to the other end of the rooftop. Zabaniya does the same running with a sniper like it's weightless. We fire at each other. I missed him, my arrow is going on a journey of its own. He missed me, his bullet going off deeper into the city. Again, we fire. Another miss for the both of us. I stop a few meters away from the ledge, facing him with my bow drawn. He stops too with his sniper aimed steadily.

Right in front of each other, on different buildings, across a street. The sound of cars wailing mixes in with the soft wind, whispering in my ear. Blood trickles down my arm, Tatemi's blood. This fucker shot her. Hurt the woman I love, the mother of my child. I don't care who he is, he's going to pay for what he did.

Zabaniya, is that right? I remember where that name comes from now. Zabaniya: One of the nineteen high-ranking assassins of the Hashashin, a group of Villains that live within the Middle East. The nineteen Zabaniyas are led by a man named Maalik, but he isn't the leader of the Hashashin. That honor goes to the second-most dangerous Villain in the entire world (the first being All For One, which is classified for most of the world): Hassan-i Sabbah. As stated by the United Hero Nations, Hassan-i Sabbah can "kill any mortal man". Luckily, he's imprisoned in Tartarus. Fun fact: The media decided to call the Hashashin as the name found in the history books: Order of Assassins.

The Assassins and All For One are in league with one another.

I draw another steel-tipped arrow. Zabaniya raises his sniper, putting the stock against his right shoulder.

I let go.

He fires.

_THWISH!_

_THUD THUD!_

Huh, there was two things that buzzed past my head. It looked like I just split a bullet in half with an arrow. (Am I good or _am I good_?) Luckily for me, my arrow got itself stuck right in Zabaniya's shoulder, right in between his metal plates. He looks up at me. Even with a mask, I can tell he's shocked. He throws his sniper on the ground and pulls the arrow out of his shoulder. From his back, Zabaniya draws a beautiful Middle Eastern sword that reflects the sunlight. He points towards the street and jumps off the roof, landing safely on the ground rolling a few times. I expected that fall wouldn't have hurt him. Alright, Zabaniya challenged me. Finally, this bastard will get what he deserves.

I spin my bow around my hands and press a button along the way. The string is retracted and the staff is straightened out with a long, sharp blade extruding from one end. Ah, my beautiful naginata. From the ledge, I hang off and quickly climb down to street level. Zabaniya is waiting for me, standing still like a statue with his sword raised. It really is a beautiful piece of thing.

It's a double-edged sword, similar to ones found in the Middle East. It has a faint tint of red at the blunt, getting redder as it crawls to its sharp counterpart. There's a trapezoid-like hole in the middle, near the hilt. There's two more smaller holes like it, getting thinner and thinner. As for the handle and hilt, it's blackened like charcoal with beautiful etchings. The handle has an Arabic saying on it, which I can't translate. The pommel has a stunning red jewel. A ruby perhaps. It feels like I'm blessed by simply looking at this sword.

"Master Kendo," Zabaniya says (so the masked man can speak. In Japanese nonetheless), without a single deviation from his stance, "I am honored to have a fight with a man of similar skill. Let God bless this duel, casting His light upon the victor."

"Whatever," I mutter, taking my naginata with both hands, "honor or not, you made the biggest mistake when you shot my wife. I'll make you regret going into bed with All For One." Zabaniya sighs and twirls his blade around his right hand.

Without another word, we circle each other in the middle of the street. I catch the eyes of hiding civilians, behind cars, in stores looking out through the windows, staring closely at us, not daring to make a noise. The cry of derelict cars, the soft wind, and my pounding heart are the only music accompanying our fight.

My naginata is raised downwards, pointing towards Zabaniya's chest. Zabaniya has his sword ready. He knows that he's at a disadvantage here. No matter the fight, a spear would have the upper hand in any given fight against a sword. It has the greater reach and easier to use overall. Even if I don't use the bladed end, my naginata can double as a blunt weapon with the polearm. Any man, wearing armor or not, can and will be subdued. Since Zabaniya and I are equal in terms of pure skill and combat prowess, it's all up to our weapon of choice to decide who wins. Guess who picked a better weapon?

That's why Zabaniya is staying back, and why I'm kicking this fight off.

"Hyah!" I lunge, pushing my naginata forward with my left hand, my right being still. It thrusts towards Zabaniya's chest, but he weaves to the right. He bats the blade away with his sword and charges closer. Damn, charging right at me, eh?! From the looks of it, he's aiming to cut my head clean off. Reflexively, I spin underneath his strike and sweep his legs out from under him, using the naginata. He falls to the ground, still gripping onto his rosen sword.

"Hyah hyah!" I grunt again, thrusting while he's flat on his back. Zabaniya rolls deeper into the street, dodging two of my thrusts. On the third roll, he flicks his sword up and deflects my naginata again. He jumps onto his feet and pulls his sword back, driving it towards my chest. I regain control of my naginata just in time to parry it upwards, shifting to the right and landing a blunt blow on the back of his head.

_Thwack!_

That's the sound of wood hitting skull. Don't have any armor there, do you? Zabaniya grunts in pain, turning his head towards me. He spins counterclockwise, using the momentum to strike at my left hip. I block with my naginata pointing upwards into the air. He gasps in shock right before I knee him in the groin, kicking him back on the ground. His sword falls out of his hands as he lay on his back again.

"Take this!" I yell, slamming the naginata into his shoulder. Zabaniya groans in pain as I shove it in deeper, gritting my teeth. _This is what Tatemi felt, you bastard!_ He grabs my weapon with both hands. Even though I don't see his eyes, I can feel him staring, glaring at me. "Aren't you going to say anything, you-!"

_SLAM!_

Zabaniya knocked me on the ground with his legs. My vision goes dark before everything comes back with crashing colors and noises. The man… The bastard is standing up besides me, about to run over to his sword. Like hell I'd give you the chance! With my right foot, I kick the back of his left knee. (There's no armor there too!) He trips on the ground, giving me ample time to stand myself up. Zabaniya gets up too, turning around to face me. My naginata is to my left, on the sidewalk. His sword is behind him, laying on top of a car somehow. Tch, we won't have time to get to our weapons...

Zabaniya raises his fists, so do I.

This time, he makes the first move. Zabaniya feints with his right, thinking he'll attack me with his left. I saw it coming and duck underneath his punch, striking his chest with an elbow. And I just elbowed a plate of metal, doing virtually nothing to him. Damn it! Since I'm in this position, I shoulder push him away a meter or two. I can't attack him anywhere with armor. His neck and the side of his head should be good places to hit. The back of his legs too!

"Yah!" I charge forward, feinting with a low left sweeping kick, actually aiming to punch his temple with my right. Zabaniya doesn't move as I run up to him. He's still as a statue, like he's amused at my effort. That son of a bitch! I'll beat him to the point where his own mother couldn't recognize him!

_THUD!_

I punch him. He doesn't react. Damn it! I strike the top of his chest where there isn't any armor. He doesn't react. I throw a left hook at his head. It snaps to the side, but he doesn't react. I open my palm, slamming it where his heart is supposed to be. Nothing. So much for not attacking his armor… "Why don't you go down?!" I roar, delivering a swift uppercut to where his chin is at. Zabaniya cocks his head upwards before slowly looking down at me. He pulls his head back and head-butts me with his metal mask, shattering my nose.

Blood gushes all over my face. I'm dizzy, my head's spinning around like a carousel ride. There's three Zabaniya's in front of me, and I can't tell which one is the real him. All three of them pull their fist back and strike me again in the jaw. I go down on one knee, spitting a tooth out. Is it a tooth? Hell if I know, it's all covered in blood. Heh, it must be really bad if I can't feel the pain from this.

I stumble back up, but the three Zabaniya's turn into one, kicking me in the chest. F-Fuck… I feel my chest cracking from that… I'm on the ground, I think. Can't… Can't lose like this. Using the rest of my strength, I stand myself up once again… Probably for the last time. Zabaniya cocks his head to the side slightly. He says something in Arabic. That better be a compliment…

Zabaniya pulls out a knife from his belt. I didn't have the time to react before he sticks it in my chest. I hear myself screaming in pain, with Zabaniya's arm outstretched, making not a hint of noise. Nothing… He has nothing to say as he's killing me? I… I can't die like this… I have a daughter to get back home to. I can't make her cry… She needs to tell Daddy how much she loves him… And Tatemi…

…

_Tatemi._

"Graaaaah!" I grab Zabaniya's arm and shove his knife in deeper, lodging the blade in between my ribs. I yell even louder, my teeth being stained with blood. My nails dig into his clothes and skin, my hands gripping his arm with all of my strength. Zabaniya is helpless as he watches-

_SNAP!_

As I break his arm. I let go of one of my hands, reaching back to my quiver and grabbing a steel-tipped arrow. It spins around in my fingers before it goes into his neck.

_SHLUNK!_

Zabaniya lets go of his knife, staggering backwards as blood starts to stain his black hood. It has a nice shade of red now. His arm… Everything above his elbow is bent upwards in a horrifying position, but I don't care. The bastard deserves every bit of it. Somehow, I run forward and shove him onto the ground. I pick up his own sword, putting my feet on his chest, and put the blade to his neck.

"You son of a bitch..." I growl, lifting my foot up and slamming it against his chest. A small pool of blood forms under his neck. Heh, I think he's still kicking. He's a tough bastard. "Unlike you Assassins, I won't kill unless I have to! Don't make me add you to the list, Zabaniya!" Zabaniya looks at me for a second, like he's thinking. Asshole, I'll-?!

_WHOOOOOSH!_

A massive gust of wind floods the street behind me. I turn around and see a massive man brawling with… Brawling with Toshi?! No, it's not a damn brawl! Toshi is beating the hell out of him! From up top, on the roofs, Todoroki has a Hellflame spear through a Villain's leg. Good God, if I didn't know any better, that Villain is dead! Todoroki looks down on me with a confused look. "Master Kendo, who are you fighting?!"

"I'm fighting-" I look at Zabaniya, who isn't there anymore. Fuck… He disappeared within a couple of seconds? Damn it, I guess he isn't apart of the Assassins for nothing… I'm still holding his sword though. Heh, he'll have to go back to his superiors though. I bet they aren't happy with his failure. This will be a good story to tell if… Tatemi! "Fuck! Todoroki! Where's Recovery Girl?! Opus has gotten shot!"

Todoroki's eyes go wide. He looks over to Toshi, who's carrying the beaten Villain on his shoulder. "Yagi! Get Recovery Girl! We got two injured Pro Heroes: Master Kendo and Magnum Opus!"

"Right!" Toshi drops the Villain on the ground before running like a madman back to U.A. Oh God… I guess they didn't need us after all… Heh… They got Toshi and Todoroki there, Sorahiko, and I think Nana too? I don't know… Why did I think they needed help in the first place? You know, my body's… My body feels a little relaxed.

I fall to the ground with Todoroki's voice calling out to me.

* * *

"Good news, you idiot. You aren't dead."

"Oh, well geez Chiyo, I totally thought I died for _sure_," I reply to her sarcastically. Tatemi cocks a side-look at me, obviously annoyed that I'm back-talking Chiyo. With her eyes, she's telling me, _Be nice to her. She's the one who saved our lives. _Yeah, yeah. She's right. Without Chiyo, I would be dead and she would be too. "Thanks anyway. You're a literal life-saver."

"Mhm! Without you, I wouldn't be here to take care of this idiot. We both know that he'll be a mess without me," Tatemi comments, nudging my with her good elbow. Ugh, for a woman that got shot earlier, she's awfully happy. I wouldn't have her in any other way. Chiyo scoffs and bats her hand, reading something on her phone.

"Nana and Sora are out in the city, cleaning up the rest of the mess. As for that truck, Saki, the police found some kind of weapon. They say that if it wasn't for you, U.A. would have been completely destroyed," Chiyo details without looking up once from her phone. Well, that's the closest a compliment I can get.

"_There might be a day where you have to cut us from your lives completely."_

Nana's voice suddenly rings out in my head. Right… This attack was perpetrated by All For One. The target was definitely U.A. and Toshi. Thanks to me distracting Zabaniya, he didn't have an opportunity to use it. But, like hell this is the moment where I'm cutting them out. If anything, it shows that All For One failed. He didn't kill any one of us. And especially…

"Chiyo, all of Japan are cheering for a guy named 'All Might' right? I heard he defeated a ton of Villains by himself, despite being a student at U.A.," I ask her, smirking to myself. Tatemi smirks too, getting comfortable in her hospital bed. Chiyo nods and hums, showing us her phone. All of the news outlets are talking about a man named Toshinori Yagi.

"Toshinori 'All Might' Yagi defends U.A. from Villain threat!"

"The next No.1 Pro Hero? All Might!"

"U.A. students, All Might and Endeavour, conquers Villains!"

"Beware criminals! Musutafu has a new, young guardian: All Might!"

Look at that… We didn't need _Operation Hope_ or whatever it was called. Toshi went and instantly became Japan's rising Hero. There'll be all kinds of attention on him now. All of them believing that he'll be the next big thing, and he will. To the public, he already became a Pro Hero. That's what he needed.

Yeah, that smiling face of his. It's the same, smiling picture in all of the articles. Go ahead Japan, admire it. You'll be seeing it a lot from here on out.

Chiyo gets up from her chair. "I'm gonna check up on my other patients. Hayami should be coming here at any moment." And she leaves just like that. Just like that… Ah, I love how uncaring she is. She doesn't want to admit that she was worried sick about Tatemi and I. Speaking of Tatemi, she grabs my hand and holds it tight.

She only says one word, "Hey."

"Hey," I reply back, laughing then groaning a bit. Ah crap, laughing hurts my chest. Tatemi giggles, giving me her sweet smile. She rubs her thumb on the back of my hand, feeling every knuckle and vein. "You scared the hell out of me, you know…" I say, trying not to remember, "our little girl needs the best mom in the world."

"I know. Sometimes, I just… worry that both of us won't come back home. It's the scariest part of the job, Saki…" Tatemi quietly mutters, looking into my eyes. If I wasn't restrained to this bed, I would go over and give her the biggest hug I could muster.

"That's why you have me. We're partners in this, Tatemi. I'll do everything to make sure that the two most important women in my life are safe," I assure her, squeezing her hand tighter. A tear goes down her eye, and I wish I could wipe that away. Wipe it away and kiss her.

Tatemi smiles, laying her head back. "That's why I married you, _Master Kendo_. I can always count on you to defeat an assassin from the Middle East," she jokes, looking at Zabaniya's sword that's laying on the table. (I hope that I get to keep it. Not only I get to boast how I match a Zabaniya, I got proof of the fact. Better get good security though or else someone might steal it.)

"Hey, if the job calls for it, I'll do it. Speaking of jobs, think Nana will sulk once she sees us in this state? Maybe Toshi too? They're practically mother and son now," and I wince at that last part. Should not have mentioned that. Tatemi is nodding her head, agreeing with my thoughts or agreeing with the sulking part. Aw jeez, either way, that's pretty stupid of me. At least Nana isn't in the roo-

The door opens. Out comes an incredibly cute daughter. "Mommy! Daddy!" I let go of Tatemi's hand as Hayami runs up in between us. She starts going on about how her preschool was put on lockdown and how scared she was, but she told her friends that her "totally awesome parents" can defeat the Villains! Hayami gives both of us a big hug. (I should note that Chiyo also walked in the room without a word.) Hayami sits on Tatemi's bed, starting to talk about Toshi. She wants to give him a big hug for saving the day too. Him, Nana, and Sora. Not Todoroki though, because "he's a scary guy". I don't blame her.

Later that day, Nana returns from Tokyo with Sorahiko. They tell us that U.A. wasn't All For One's actual target. The real target was Tartarus. All For One broke some of the world's most dangerous Villains out. One of which was Hassan-i Sabbah. Well, I guess I know why Zabaniya was helping him…

Everything got a little more hectic.

* * *

"Master Kendo, where did you get this sword from?" Sanji asks me, pointing at Zabaniya's sword within its glass display. Ah, I'm still proud of that one. It's been what? Thirty years since I fought him? I matched the skill of an Assassin, which is something that virtually no one had the pleasure of.

Heh, I remember how Tatemi and I almost died because of him… It was all so long ago. A day doesn't go by that I don't think of her and Nana. I guess what Nana said is right though… One For All is a curse. It struck my family, it struck her, and God only knows what happened to the Shimura's. At least… At the very least, Toshi crushed All For One's head years ago, avenging them. In a letter, he told me that he suffered a permanent injury though. I didn't have the heart to write back.

Then, what do you know, a new torchbearer came into light: Izuku Midoriya. Quirkless like Toshi, same heart as Toshi, strong as Toshi. If I didn't know any better, than that boy is his illegitimate son. But, for the love of all that's good, why the hell doesn't he restrain himself from One For All's power? It's like Toshi back then! Only then, Toshi could actually handle the recoil! This boy can't! Midoriya is more of a mess than he is!

He needs some proper training.

"Master Kendo?" Sanji gets my attention, staring at me weirdly, "There you are. No offense, but you're worse than me sometimes." The nerve of this boy!

_Whack!_

I smack the back of his head. He winces in pain, rubbing where I hit him. "Be quiet! Now, shoo shoo! Go work on hand-to-hand combat with Itsuka and Mashirao! I need to make an important phone call," I tell him, pushing him out of my office. Sanji mutters something right before I shove him out the door. I don't give him the time to turn back as I slam the door, locking it. There, he's out of my life for a good few hours. (He has the same heart as Nana, but I swear, he's much more exhausting than she is. Always training, never sleeping. It's like he doesn't care about his body at all! How is he still functioning? Ugh...)

I take out my phone, scrolling down to Toshi's number. Without hesitation, I call him. And immediately, he picks up. "M-Master Kendo?!" he exclaims in a hush voice. ("All Might, who is it?" That sounds like Eraserhead.)

"An old friend!" Toshi tells him as I hear him walking. "I'm so sorry that I don't visit you or Hayami! I figured since after what happened with Tatemi, you don't want anything to do with me! And about Midoriya, you probably know that he's the next holder! I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you! I'm also ensuring that your granddaughter and Young Inochi will be safe under my teaching! I swe-"

I interrupt him, "Okay, shut up. You talk too much, Toshi. And frankly, I don't think they're safe at all since Midoriya thinks his arms are replaceable! What the hell are you teaching him?! Didn't you forget how many times you destroyed my Dojo?! Or the time where your own power broke my arm too?!"

"..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I say, continuing, "Toshi, tomorrow, you will bring Midoriya here. I don't care what you two have planned tomorrow. If you want him to be a great Hero, then bring him here. Do you understand, _All Might_?"

"Yes, Master Kendo," Toshi tells me. After that, I hang up on him. Alright, that settles it. Guess I'm cultivating the next Symbol of Peace. There's no more All For One to worry about, so the boy can continue the era of peace that we're in. Jeez, how am I going to explain this to Sanji and Itsuka? Eh, they'll find out tomorrow. Hayami would be happy seeing Toshi in person too. (When she got married to Kaito, she was upset that Sora and Toshi didn't make it to her wedding. Or when Itsuka was born.)

I sigh, sitting back in my chair. Tatemi, if you could see Hayami now… I hope you're happy up there, with Nana. Don't worry, I'll try my best to whip Midoriya up to shape. He won't have to fight that monster.

I promise.


	13. White Belts

**Sasaki Kendo**

"I am here! In disguise!" Toshi takes off his hat and jacket, tossing it to the ground. (It isn't one minute and he's already making a mess.) He's here with Midoriya, my two dumbos are ready, now we're only waiting for Mashirao. Sanji has his eyes wide open, looking at Toshi, then at me, then back at Toshi. Itsuka's smiling, trying her best to hide her excitement (failing miserably). Midoriya is awkwardly standing besides Toshi with a face that says, _I don't know what to do._

Toshi laughs and ruffles Itsuka's and Sanji's hair. "Young ones! We will have a training lesson with Master Kendo! I also brought Young Midoriya here for that reason. Now, let's keep this a secret between us, shall we? We don't want the news to find out." He puts a finger to his mouth, signaling to keep quiet. Itsuka nods and smiles while Sanji is nodding a lot more violently.

"Y-Yes, Mister All Might!" Sanji exclaims, bringing a hand to his chest. Toshi hums in approval before pushing Midoriya forward to greet him and Itsuka.

"Nice to meet y-you two," Midoriya greets them with a slight stutter, his eyes frantically looking over at me sometimes. "I heard a lot about Master Kendo. I never knew he was close friends with All Might! It's kinda surreal that this is happening…"

"Tell me about it," Itsuka comments, nudging Sanji's arm playfully, "Grandpa didn't tell us that you two would be coming. Oh, thanks for punching that bas-" Sanji clears his throat. Itsuka sighs and continues, "For _stopping_ Suzuki. He really did a number on Inochi."

"Mhm," Sanji hums with a slight smile, "that reminds me… Midoriya, how exactly are you related to All Might? Your Quirks are pretty similar. Are you two father and son? Uncle and nephew? Step- Ghrk!" Itsuka whacks the back of Sanji's head. His body goes limp, but she's there to lift him up by his collar.

"Sorry, don't mind him. He has an overactive imagination," Itsuka apologizes and bows her head to Toshi, Sanji too (barely). Midoriya nervously chuckles, looking a bit more terrified than before. Toshi looks at Itsuka then at me in complete disbelief. Pfft, I don't think he accepted the fact that Itsuka is Hayami's daughter. How will I tell him that Hayami isn't an innocent girl anymore?

After Sanji gets back on his feet, the three of them start talking about their time in U.A. Some of the conversations range from what happened with Suzuki, to Midoriya's Quirk (which is kept a secret for obvious reasons), and Sanji's situation with his own Quirk (which he immediately changes the conversation to something else). I still don't know what his Quirk is, other than his Adoptive Muscle Memory. I have a feeling that he knows more than he let on though.

I walk over to Toshi who has a proud smile on his face. I whisper, "Toshi, did you tell Midoriya about _him_ yet?" The smile on his face turns into a frown. He lets out a sigh, putting an arm around me and walking us to the other side of the lobby. His eyes are darkened, staring down at the floor.

"No, I haven't. I will tell Young Midoriya some day, but not today. Oh, how's Hayami doing nowadays? I'd thought she would be here," Toshi asks me. He looks around for her before laughing, "I remember when I used to carry her on my shoulders. She was so small and tiny, and now she has a… unique daughter."

"You talk like an old man, Toshi," I laugh as well, patting his back. "Anyway, she's upstairs. I haven't told her that you're here yet, so let's make a surprise." Toshinori smiles and nods as the door opens. I look over to see Mashirao, who looks pretty surprised. He stares at Toshi and I before at Midoriya. His tail is wagging slightly like a little puppy.

He asks in disbelief, "All Mi-?"

"Young Ojiro! I'm glad you can make it to this special day of training!" Toshi goes back to his All Might voice. (Why is he being so loud? First, he makes a mess on the floor. It's like he wants all of Japan to know he's here.) He walks over to Mashirao and the kids, chatting about what's going to happen today. I hear Midoriya gulping at his "personal and private assessment" with me.

With the explanation out of the way, Toshi leads everyone upstairs. I follow behind the crowd as Itsuka and Sanji give a tour guide to Midoriya. Itsuka shows him her personal room, filled to the brim with broken punching bags. (Such a mess.) Then, Sanji shows his room, which has enough weapons to supply a small army. Midoriya's face is stuck in between: Being afraid and wanting to nerd out over these weapons. Mashirao is staying quiet while Toshi is complimenting my kids.

Last, but not least, is Hayami's room. Itsuka knocks, telling her, "Mom! Grandpa got guests!" We hear something metal being dropped and a loud groan. Hayami told me that she wanted to make a chakram for some reason.

"I thought there wasn't any lessons today!" Hayami nearly pulls the door off of its hinges. She's wearing a welding mask and carrying a hammer in her other hand, looking around before stopping at Toshi. And she drops the hammer with a loud _clang_. "Toshi?! Is that you?!"

Toshi moves in front and smiles brightly like the sun, exclaiming. "That's right! I am-!"

_WHACK!_

Hayami kicks him in the groin. Itsuka buries her hands in her face while the rest of us take a step back. Sanji and Midoriya both look horrified. Toshi falls to one knee, his soul leaving his body. Hayami berates him, "You don't call! You don't write! The only time I get to see you is on TV! For the longest time, I thought you forgot all about Dad and I!"

Toshi gasps out an apology, "I-I'm sorr-"

Like how she always is, Hayami takes off her mask and hugs Toshi. Toshi hugs back, taking care to not crush her with his incredible strength. "Jeez… Sorry… It's nice to finally see you, in _person_, Toshi."

Heh, he doesn't know how much Hayami had missed him. She doesn't talk about him to Itsuka and Sanji, only me sometimes. It was hard for her, when Tatemi died. Even more so with Toshinori and everyone else being cut off from our lives. It took a long time to get back my smiling daughter. In fact, the first time when she had a genuine smile was when she met Kaito. Then, when he went missing, it killed her. Yet, she kept fighting to make Itsuka happy. When Sanji came along, Hayami thought he was going to be a pain, but he turned out to be the opposite. Now, she took him in as one of her own, smiling again. (If I was a better father, _a better Hero, _then I could have stopped Hayami from going through all of this pain...)

I hear Hayami talking. She's telling stories about Toshi during his U.A. days. It's embarrassing stories, things that would ruin the good Symbol of Peace's name. Midoriya is literally plugging his ears because he doesn't want to hear them. Poor kid. I let out a hearty laugh, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Toshinori, why don't you start your lesson?" Midoriya's eyes go wide as he realizes that, yes, it's time.

Toshi gives me a thumbs up and heads into an empty room. "Everyone! Let's train! Let's leave Young Midoriya with Master Kendo!" They pile into the room, including Hayami. She closes the door and leaves Midoriya and I alone in the hallway.

"Come on, Midoriya," I say, leading him to my room. We go inside, and I make sure that the door is shut, so no one can hear us. Midoriya stands in the middle of my bamboo mat with his arms awkwardly at his side. Now, let's see how Toshi trained him. "Before we get started, I need to know: How did Toshi train you?"

"Uhm, by cleaning Dagobah Beach Park in ten months. I did it hours before the Entrance Exam, Master Kendo," Midoriya answers me. I put on an emotionless face, because I'm screaming in the inside. This boy cleaned that filthy park up?! Really?! Well, that's one way of training his body to handle One For All's power, which brings me to my next question.

I ask him, "So, when did you get the Quirk?" Midoriya panics slightly, rubbing the back of his head and looking down slightly.

He admits, "A… A few weeks ago…" Oh my goodness, that explains why his arms break so much. It's not even been a month yet! All of this is still new to him! Damn it Toshi, what kind of kid did you bring here? I can't teach him restraint because he doesn't know how to restrain his power in the first place! At least, he won't go willy-nilly with it…

"That's great," I sarcastically comment, going over to the side and pulling out a U.A. training dummy. "I know where you stand now in terms of training. But, where's your mind at, Midoriya? Why do you want to be a Pro Hero?"

Instantly, he answers, "To be like All Might! I want to save people just like him! And now, it feels like a dream come true..." Huh, I don't know if it's arrogant that Toshi picked his number one fan to be the next holder or not. Still, it's a good thing he picked Midoriya. I pecked him out to be a nerd the first moment I saw him. A determined nerd though. Fearless, willing to put his body through such pain. All qualities perfect for an up and coming Pro, but typical for someone as young as him.

"I'd bet," I remark, throwing a couple of hardwood staffs on the floor, "you're like every idealistic kid in U.A. If I was a teacher there, I would bring a hammer called 'reality' and whack everyone over the head with it." Midoriya turns to me with a confused look.

"What do you mean, Master Kendo?" I toss him a bo staff and he catches it. (Good, he can catch something.) He holds it in his hands. Ah, I know those eyes. He's analyzing how much it weighs and how to properly use it. Smart kid. Chances are: He doesn't know how to properly use it, so he's doing the best with the information he got.

I sigh, telling him, "Look, Midoriya, you have been given an amazing Quirk by an even more amazing man. You have the power to maintain this era of peace that Toshi brought us, but you have to be ready when the glamorous lifestyle of a Pro Hero becomes not-so-glamorous." I pick up my own staff, walking up to Midoriya with sincere eyes. He watches me intently, simply nodding and looking at his hands.

"You'll have to sacrifice parts of your body and mind. It's what the job costs us. The worst part is: No one is ready when it happens. No one..." My voice trails off at the end as I stare at the ground. Jeez, why am I telling this to him? He's only a kid, but he's getting himself into a dangerous job. He-

Midoriya grips his staff tightly, nodding firmly. "I'll push on despite it, Master Kendo! You can count on me!" They all say that. His face is the definition of "naive", but he seems strong-willed, like Toshi. We all know how he turned out to be. "If I may ask… Why are you helping me? All Might said that you stopped being involved with him."

And of course he had to bring that up, but I don't blame him. "Eh, I gotten bored of sitting around and doing nothing. So, I figured I'd help train the next 'Symbol of Peace'. After all, that's what you want, right kid?"

Midoriya nods with his resolve still going strong. "Right! Please train me, Master Kendo!" He tries to spin the staff around his hand, but it slips and bonks him right in the head. A soft whimper comes out. Aw, he looks embarrassed too. There's a long road ahead of him, that's for sure. And… And I'm helping him.

Jeez, this only happened from the spur of the moment. I still feel so damn guilty from Tatemi's death. I can't change what happened, not sure if I'd ever forgive myself. The only good thing I can do is help Toshi and this kid. I'm not doing it for myself, not for redemption, but for them. It won't be fair if I stay a couch log, or only focus on my own kin. It's what us Pro Heroes do… helping people. Helping everyone, but ourselves. Anyway, it's time to stop thinking to myself and train this boy.

"Okay, Midoriya. I hope you're flexible, because if you're not, then prepare for a whole lot of pain."

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Should I apologize to Midoriya? I mean, the spar between us was nasty. He improved a lot since last week, but that's besides the point," I ask Kendo, walking our usual path to school. She makes an indifferent hum, texting Kodai. My eyes glances over her screen and… Uhm, Kodai said that there's a horde of reporters in front of the school. Crap… But, it's a bit amusing to imagine Kodai staring out of the window with the news below her. She would make the perfect idol. (But still, the news!)

Kendo sighs, putting her phone in her bag. "Eh, it doesn't matter. Midoriya isn't treating it like he's emotionally hurt. Anyway, you saw Yui's text right? Think you can make it through a crowd of nosy people?"

I gulp, shaking my head. The news is everything I'm not fond of. The attention, the amount of personal questions, it's all way too much for me! I feel my heart pounding a lot more just from thinking about it! My breath is getting short, and I don't feel like walking… Crap, let's hope that Kendo can carry me the rest of the way…

"Why are you acting introverted all of the sudden?" Kendo complains, taking me by the arm and moving us along. I bow my head in shame, watching the sidewalk go by. The sound of cameras clicking and questions are faintly in the distance… I can't handle those people… Too nosy and noisy. Oh jeez, they'll be after us, right? Kendo is the granddaughter of a famous Pro Hero, so they'll surely pull us aside for questions! We won't be able to get in! Imagine all the questions prodding away at my soul!

I only mumble something in response. Kendo groans as she takes us closer to that cursed school… I see it now. I can hear it. A rabid army of men and women, carrying microphones as their bows, questions as arrows. All for them universally shouting, obsessively chanting about All Might. They smell the scent of any helpless students that walk by, shooting them with their arrows. So, these students fell, being swallowed by the endless horde. Ah… I think I see Bondo in there... Rest in peace...

"Don't worry, Inochi, I'll protect you from the evil reporters," Kendo promises and lets go of my arm. She looks at the crowd, watching how they act. Knowing her, she's thinking of the best way to get inside without being killed. Man, this is so much worse than getting my shoulder pushed back together. It's-!

"Itsuka Kendo and Sanji Inochi!"

"Oh God, one of them found us!" I exclaim, jumping behind Kendo with my hands on her shoulders. (She's looking at me like I'm a lost cause…) I peer over her and get a look at which reporter had sniffed us out. It's a woman with eyes like Ashido's… Pale hair too… Oh no, it's Chitose Kizuki! She's the executive director of Shoowaysha Publishing! I heard stories about her! Stories of how ravenous she is when it comes to finding a good story!

"I have some questions for you, Miss Kendo! Is true that your grandfather was once close allies with All Might? Does he know what his Quirk is? Was All Might at his Dojo the other day? As for you, Mister Inochi, how does it feel to be a legally Quirkless student in one of the most prestigious schools in Japan? Do you have any words for Karisuma Suzuki? Do you know what your Quirk is?"

This woman is talking way too fast! She's got even more questions too! When will this end?! My body is becoming a pincushion from her vastly inexhaustible questions! Kendo suddenly takes a step forward and clenches her fists. Please don't tell me that she's going to punch her! That's a crime that she can't come back from! "Buzz off, would you?! We're trying to go to school!"

"Not only that, but you're bothering this adorable man!" Tokage appears, linking arms with me. She flashes a smirk to Miss Kizuki, who's staring at Tokage like she's the devil. "After all… My father would be upset if-"

"You don't have to say anything else," Miss Kizuki grunts, her voice gets deeper as she stomps away with a cameraman behind her. Kendo sighs in relief, turning around to the two of us. Man, I'm glad that Tokage's dad can influence basically anyone. If any reporter dare to harass her, then they're royally screwed! She's our safe passage into U.A.!

Kendo asks her, "Thanks, Tokage. Can you get us inside?" Tokage hums and nods, getting a bit closer to me. She motions for Kendo to get behind her before we start walking towards the bloodthirsty monsters. Slowly, but surely, we're about to go into the dragon's den. Okay… Okay… I just need to say nothing and let Tokage guide me home. Only that… Only that…

Tokage giggles, noticing the panic and anxiety making waves throughout my face. She whispers something about me being a mess, which must be payback for what I said during _Operation Jack Mantis_. Kendo adds on, having a nice little conversation with her. I'm not listening though. I can't listen. The only thing I hear is my heart pounding like a drum. It's louder than I remembered… I haven't gotten this nervous in a long time…

Suddenly, like a predator smelling fresh blood, all the nearby reporters turn their attention to us before going eerily silent once they see Tokage. We go silent too. I hear some of them whispering to one another, asking who I am. A few hidden pictures are taken, getting all three of us into frame. I can imagine the headlines now… "Mysterious new boyfriend?" God, the thought of it makes me have butterflies in my stomach.

But, it worked.

The three of us are on the other side of the U.A. Barrier, safe and sound. I let out a deep breath, unlinking my arm from Tokage. My hands go on my knees and frankly, I thought I would die from that! Crap, that was so nerve-wracking! Big groups with the attention on me? I might as well shut down like a computer. Tokage giggles again and spins on her foot. "So, the media will go wild from this juicy gossip! How does it feel being in love with an heiress?"

My heart stops pounding, going back to the way I like it. I smile and laugh, putting my arm around my heiress. "I'm honored to have this relationship, my queen." We stare into each other's eyes, like starstruck lovers. There will be noth- Kendo clears her throat. She looks one hundred percent unamused. Heh, I almost forgot that she was here for a second. Love can do crazy things to people.

"Let's get to class, you lovebirds. There, you two can be the envy of all the school," Kendo tells us and leads the way inside. ("She's jealous," Tokage comments, but I roll my eyes in response. Still doesn't get that we're best friends.) Tokage and I separate, following her inside the building. The white lights blind me for a brief second before my eyes regulate itself back together, the breeze sending chills down my spine. We walk the familiar halls, go by the familiar doors, by 1-A's door (waving at Ojiro and Midoriya), and we're inside 1-B!

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Yup, Manga screaming is definitely a sign that we're in the right room. He's pressed against the wall with Komori having a spider on her hand, smiling innocently. It's not too big, but big enough to make Manga go ballistic.

"Show some mercy," Kuroiro pleads with Komori. She shakes her head and edges her hand closer to Manga's chest, which makes him slide over into a corner. He sees me with his head going, "HELP ME!" (Without a word, Kendo leaves to talk to Kodai, who's watching the crowd outside the window. Tokage goes over to her true love, leaving me behind. Ah, love is a fickle thing!)

"For the love of… Give me that thing," Kamakiri orders, getting up from his desk and going up to Komori. Immediately, the spider jumps on Kamakiri's left palm! He's like an insect-tamer or something! Doing something nice for us though… For Manga. It's like he doesn't hate his classmates. (Tokage and Honenuki been chatting about him and Pony. "The perfect couple," they said.) Speaking of Pony, I don't see her. Must not be here yet. "I'll take this little thing outside."

"I'll come with," I tell him, putting my bookbag underneath my desk. Kamakiri shoots me an odd look before sighing, knowing that he doesn't have a choice in it. Manga sighs in relief too before falling to his knees. As Kamakiri and I leave, I put a hand on his shoulder and say, "You lived. Take this victory and cherish it." Manga gives me a weak thumbs up and decides to nap on the floor. Or faint… Anyway, let's go with Kamakiri!

We head towards the courtyard. Well, I assume we are since I'm following him. Let's hope that Manga's okay. Maybe I should text this to Shojo, I'm sure she'll love it. (I'm never forgetting the three hour long phone call with her… She pried me so much about what happened with my fight with Suzuki that I'd thought she'll write a book about it. When I asked her, she only said, "You'll see soon." I asked Manga, and he said that I don't want to know. Awase was just as clueless as I am.)

Kamakiri suddenly complains, "Inochi, are ya gonna go on about how I helped Manga? Or are ya keep starin' off into space?" Oh crap, right! I'm here exactly for that reason! But… I guess that mood got ruined. What do I say now? Either way, Kamakiri will be sarcastic with me, so it doesn't matter _that _much.

"Heh, sorry about that! But yup, we both know that he would have died if you didn't help him _and_ this spider. You're a good man," I compliment him, putting my arms over my head playfully. He rolls his eyes and looks ahead. Yup, we're heading towards the courtyard. Kamakiri pushes the door open with one hand, gently putting the spider down. It crawls away into a bush of white flowers. You're free, little guy. "You saved yet another person today, Kamakiri. There'll be generations of spiders because of what you did."

"Can ya knock it off? It's annoyin'." Kamakiri adjusts his blazer, turning around. Heh, he won't even address what I said. He hates being complimented, but Pony and I are his classmates. I'll make it my mission to say how good he is. "Look, can we act like normal people for o-"

We hear a voice. High, cheerful, all traits matching Pony's. There's other voices too. Kamakiri and I step out into an intersection, spotting her. She's down the hall to our left and… And, there's three guys surrounding her. I don't recognize them. If they're trying to ask Pony out, or thinking of trying anything, then-

"Those bastards," Kamakiri growls, stomping towards them. Yup, that would happen. They'll have to deal with an angry mantis. I hurriedly follow him to make sure he doesn't eviscerate them. I get to hear more of their conversation though.

"Come on, why don't you hang out with us?"

"We're nice guys. We'll make sure that you're _well_ taken care of."

"Why don't you show us your cute smile?"

...I now know how Kendo feels. Alright, not to sound rude, but I'm not as punch-happy as she is. Come on, Sanji, resist the urge to punch these guys out the window, break their legs, and make them swear that they'll never bother Pony again. Well, if Kamakiri doesn't chop them up first. He would kill them if Pony and I weren't here, and I wouldn't blame him.

"Hey assholes, step off!" Kamakiri yells, getting their attention. Pony smiles brightly once she sees us. The three jerks laugh like they're the hottest thing of the week. They turn to us, their eyes turning from relaxed to realization. Yeah, they definitely recognized us. After all, I'm probably the only legally Quirkless kid in the school, and Kamakiri's the son of the Executioner Wasp. What will these hotshots do?

(Hmm, upon closer look, all three of them look like average students. I can see one of their IDs too. They're second-years in the General Department. Black hair, blue hair, and blonde. As far as I can see, they don't have Mutant-type Quirks. From how bold they are, they think that their Quirks are pretty good, so we oughta be careful. It's either that, or they have an overblown amount of self-worth.)

Blonde steps up (slight limp, left leg) and taunts, "What would a Quirkless guy and a Villain do anyway? So, how about you step off and leave us alone?" Using this as a distraction, Pony squeezes her way through Black and Blue, running over to Kamakiri. We exchange a brief smile before Kamakiri clenches his fists. Calling Kamakiri a 'Villain' is one of the worst things a person can say to him...

"I'm sorry, is a corpse talkin' to me? I swore I heard a dead man speakin'," Kamakiri threatens him with his right arm horizontal at his chest. Crap, he's itching to get one of his blades out. Pony notices this and tugs on his sleeve. Her and Kamakiri share a look that holds a conversation, without saying a single word.

Black gets in front of Blonde, but Blue holds him back. He exclaims, "Dude! If Kamakiri is anything like his dad, he can kill us! And Inochi took on half of 1-D by himself! We're dead meat if we try to fight them!" Black grunts and pulls his blazer up. He walks away with Blonde and Blue following him. Blonde mutters that we'll "get what's coming" before leaving us alone. (How dramatic.) That's a fight avoided at least.

Kamakiri grunts, relaxing his fists. He mutters that he was looking for an excuse to punch these guys' faces in. Heh, fame and attention did something good for once. From what Blue said, our images in U.A. are changing. People are recognizing that we are more than what we seem. That's great! This should put a damper on bullying, but this is Japan after all. We have the lowest crime rate in the world, but we're fifth in bullying and sui… Let's not think about that.

"You saved me, Kamakiri!" Pony exclaims, going in for a big hug, but Kamakiri pushes his hand against her forehead and holds her back. Heh, I needed to see this today. She has her arms out, struggling for a good two seconds before letting her arms go limp. "Hmph! Inochi, hug him for me!" He looks at me, shaking his head. I'm sorry, Kamakiri, but Pony's command is absolute.

"I'm goin' back to class, you freaks!" Kamakiri expresses his (extreme) discomfort, going underneath my arms with unrivaled speed. He spins on his feet and quickly walks away from us. (I'm pretty sure his fast walk is just as fast as my jogging speed. I need to ask how he became so fast one of these days.) Pony immediately runs after him on all fours. Kamakiri's speeding up! Okay, I guess I'm running now!

I'm running, and I can no longer see them! They're completely disappeared! Now I have to remember how to get to class! It's down the hall, take a right, then a left, and there it should be there with a big sign. For some reason, I'm still running. There's no teachers around, so I should be good! Just turn the corner and-!

"Woah!" I exclaim, rolling over Monoma's back. (Of course I had to literally run into someone today!) Monoma yelps and trips on himself, falling backwards. Just in time, I put my arm around his neck and grasp his hand with my own, barely catching him. "Sorry about that, Monoma! Didn't mean to run over you!"

Monoma laughs in this slightly precarious position. "It's okay, Inochi! I'm glad that I've fallen for you." Fallen? Heh, too many people in my class are romantics. I laugh with him, pulling him back up.

"Very funny. Now, let's get to class," I tell him with my arms crossed. He snickers to himself, pulling out his phone and scrolling through something. His face goes through plenty of emotions: Shocked, worried, disappointment, then back to shocked. (Must be catching up on what's happening outside.)

"Inochi, the media caught wind of you and Tokage dating. I thought she preferred something other than men, but then again, you are a special man," Monoma says, looking up from his phone. I nervously chuckle, scratching the back of my head. Man, Tokage is being really obvious, or Monoma is observant. (I'm going with the former.)

"Thanks Monoma, and she does. Tokage and I are pretending to be dating to mess with the news. I'm sure it'll blow over from a Villain attack or something about All Might," I inform him. We can hear our classmates talking in the distance. Loudly, if we can hear them from over where we're at.

"I'm sure you're right. Speaking about Heroes, are you ready for U.S.J. on Thursday? I know you aren't suited for rescuing," Monoma reminds me of our lesson with Thirteen. And ugh, I'm not looking forward to it. Out of everyone, I'm the worst student for the job. My katana is not equipped to save people. It kills the Villains, so I can save said people.

I sigh, letting my eyes drift to the shiny white floor. "Not at all. That's one of the reasons why I have a grappling hook, so I can move around easily, but that won't be enough. Watch, I'll get the lowest score."

"Don't act like that!" Monoma encourages me, patting my back. "All Heroes specializes in an area! Like Grandmaster in detective work or Lunch Rush with cooking! You're practically a master in your specialty already! Be proud of that." We turn left. Our classmates' voices get louder as we see our class sign in all of its glory.

I nod, agreeing, "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, let's see who died this time." I go in front of Monoma, stepping into the room and… no one died! That's great! Manga's awake and at his desk, currently talking to Tetsutetsu and Rin. About anime probably, from how excited Manga looks. Monoma smiles and walks inside, talking with Kaibara.

(...Can anyone explain to me why Awase welded Tsuburaba to the ceiling? And why Honenuki and Tokage are putting sticky notes on him?)

"Excuse me!" Shoda goes underneath my arm, rushing to his desk and sighing in relief. Heh, I guess he was caught up with the reporters. Someone snaps, getting my attention. I look over and see Kendo at her desk with Kodai. (I left for five minutes and this is what everyone did.)

"Congrats," Kodai simply says, blessing me with a slight smile. Tokage must have told her about our romance. I smile back and sit down at my desk. (Kodai gives me that look of, _Don't ask what happened._)

"So, Kamakiri almost killed a guy?" Kendo asks me, eyeing Kamakiri and Pony. They're talking about the "annoying people outside". (I swear that Tsuburaba is going to fall down at any second!)

"Yeah, it was three guys trying to flirt with Pony. We scared them off," I explain, taking some of my things out for class. From the clock, class is about to start in five minutes, but Mister Kan isn't here. Must be dealing with the crowd. (There's so many sticky notes on him! I swear, the weight of it alone will cause him to drop like a rock!)

Kendo rolls her eyes. "Jeez, guys can be such perverts. Ojiro told me about Mineta and his 'pervy antics'. I'm glad he isn't in our class." Kodai nods and hums, looking up at Tsuburaba. (He's hanging in there! Literally, hanging in there! Can someone get him down? Anyone? Yes! Shiozaki's talking to them! A voice of reason is finally here!)

"Mhm! Oh, speaking of perverts, a few girls asked to 'jump down' on me the other day. Naturally... I walked away and never looked back," I recount that awkward story. Kendo makes an audible groan, resting her head on top of her arms. Kodai decides to tap her arm, whispering something. Something that turns Kendo bright red…? Holy crap, she's really red! What did Kodai whisper to her?!

Kendo picks her head up and tries to cover her blush, but it's pretty hard to cover her entire face. "W-Why in the world would you say that, Yui?! Inochi's right here! He could have heard it!" She points at poor, confused, and frankly, amused me.

"Heard… wha-?"

_Click clack!_

"It's Mister Kan!" Tokage yells, quickly putting herself back together and stands on top of her desk. Honenuki panics and-!

_CRASH!  
THUD!_

…

So… I would be shocked that in a span of a second, Honenuki slipped on his sticky notes, fell on top of Tokage, tipped over a couple of desks, and hit the ground head-first with Tokage, but I given up at this point. Then after that, Tsuburaba fell from the ceiling with bits of it coming off with him, and fell on Awase, who also landed on top of Tokage and Honenuki. So, a pile of dead students covered in sticky notes are… I… Oh God, I don't know what to do.

Mister Kan runs into the room and sees this mess. He has a blank look on his face like he's contemplating his life. Without a word, Mister Kan goes to the front of the room and quietly waits for the four of them to clean up. After that's over, he lets out a long sigh, taking a notebook out, and putting a finger on a page. "Okay… I almost forgot, but we need a Vice Class Representative. Kendo, do you want to choose one or let the class vote?"

"It's gotta be Inochi," Tetsutetsu comments, pounding his chest like a true friend. A few more voices pop up, agreeing with what Tetsutetsu said. It seems like everyone voted already, and it's unanimous! Kendo, who's still a little red, nods and hums.

Mister Kan smiles. "Good, that's one thing done. By the way, Inochi and Tokage, why did I see you two in an article?" he asks us. Tokage giggles, relaxing in her chair without a single care that she died earlier.

"I'm making the news go nuts. They can't resist a story about a rich heiress dating a 'nobody', no offense, Inochi." Tokage just called me a 'nobody'. Even though she said 'no offense', I feel mighty offended right now. I thought she loved me, but now I see that she played me like a fiddle. (I have no idea what a fiddle is.)

Awase turns around in his seat and laughs. "Inochi's pouting!" My cheeks get a bit warmer as everyone draws their eyes on me. Hmph, I would be hiding my face right now if I wasn't so offended. I'll let Tokage remember my look, so it'll haunt her mind for the rest of her days.

_Click!_

What the?! I yell at Tokage, "Why did you take a picture?!" She giggles, spinning her phone on one finger and shrugging.

"Blackmail. Sweet, sweet blackmail," she says, but it doesn't make any sense! How can she use that for blackmail?!

(Mister Kan mutters, "I don't get paid enough for this.")

* * *

…

_CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP!_

…

"You okay there, Tetsutetsu?" Manga asks Tetsutetsu, who currently eating a whole steak like a wolf. I mean, he's holding it firmly in his hands and going to town with it. Tsuburaba swipes a piece of it off of his cheek. Awase isn't touching his food at all. Tetsutetsu's saliva got all over it. I'm so glad that he's the furthest one away from me.

Tetsutetsu gulps down his last piece of steak and downs it with a protein shake. He pats his chest and burps loudly, chuckling. "Sorry 'bout that! Hey Awase, are you gonna eat that?" (I think he forgot Manga's question.) Awase silently slides his plate over to Tetsutetsu. "Thanks man! You're the best!"

And he starts to devour Awase's lunch. I'd ask him why he's so hungry, but I don't want to know. It's best to leave him be-?!

_Splash!_

...Someone spilled their juice all over me… It's strawberry mango. I didn't know that Lunch Rush served it here. They didn't serve that in my middle school, in Musutafu, but they did serve it in… Kibo. Today of all days… I sigh, not turning around to face him. "It's nice to see you again, Suzuki." Everyone at the table (Manga, Tsuburaba, Awase, and Tetsutetsu) immediately stops what they're doing and glare holes in him.

Suzuki chuckles. It's not his charming one, well it is, but with a mix of slyness and hostile intent. "You too, Inochi. Congrats on your relationship with the heiress. It's straight out of a romance novel, isn't it? A rich woman born from a Quirk Marriage falls in love with a Quirkless man." (Tokage is a result of a Quirk Marriage?!)

Tetsutetsu stands up, slamming his fist on the table. "What's your point? Don't make me break your face in." The rest of my friends stand up too. Crap, they're preparing for a fight, aren't they? I can't let this go south!

I turn around, looking up at Suzuki. There's a cocked smirk with a shiny fang showing, gleaming like he's about to come down at my neck. "My point is: Enjoy your life while you still have it, Inochi-"

"Are you threatening him, asshole?!" Awase interrupts him, on the brink of yelling. The students near our table take notice and move back. Tetsutetsu takes a step closer, but Tsuburaba holds him back. I stand up too, getting face-to-face with Suzuki. My back feels really cold, so does my arms, but I don't really mind. It's the type of cold that reminds you that you're still alive.

(Suzuki doesn't have a tail out.)

He taunts me, ignoring Awase, "You have upstanding friends, Inochi. Look at you, becoming a perfect man that no one can hate. No flaws, no shortcomings, nothing. Your friends praise you, worship you like a Quirkless messiah." Suzuki puts his tray down and takes me by the collar. I had time to react, but I didn't feel like moving.

My… My friends, they were about to charge in, but I put my palm out. They stop, shooting me worried looks. With my eyes, I tell them that I'll be fine. He wouldn't hurt me here. Suzuki laughs and whispers in my ear, "Underneath that perfect shell of yours, is a hollow man."

"Hey, why don't you let him go, huh?!" Kirishima, from 1-A, comes into the scene. Suzuki lets go and turns around. His posture shifts slightly, recognizing Kirishima. He probably remembered that 1-A defeated him in his Nine Tails Form. Without another word, Suzuki leaves with his tray.

Behind Kirishima is Bakugo, who's watching us from a distance. He mutters loud enough, "Shittier version of Deku…" Deku? Oh, Midoriya. I'm pretty sure he isn't Quirkless. But, thanks for the compliment, Bakugo. If I'm a lesser version of him, then I'm still pretty dang strong.

I hear Kirishima checking up on me, but I don't know exactly what he said. Simply, I nod my head give him a basic answer. It's good enough that he leaves. (I need to thank him fully, later.) Manga gives me a towel to dry myself off. We sit back down, the tension cooling slightly. We… Well, _they_ talk about how much of a jerk Suzuki is. From Tsuburaba, he's being trained by Hound Dog to control his anger and his Quirk. That's good… I don't expect him to turn around within a week though. It'll take a lot of time for Suzuki to change.

_RIIIIIIING!_

"SECURITY BREACH! STUDENTS! PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!"

What the?! I thought this school doesn't get those! How the heck did someone get in with all of these Pro Heroes?! My day is getting really bad now!

Like a mob, all of the students rush towards the nearest exit, screaming and yelling. I didn't hear what my friends had to say before the students practically runs over us. I didn't have time to react. My body is pushed along with everyone else, but I feel a hand on my wrist and someone yelling my name. I close my eyes and let my savior pull me. Through bodies and tables, they seem endless, I feel the freedom of open space and the sound of our sole footsteps. My eyes slowly open and see Tetsutetsu there. We're out of the cafeteria and in a random hallway. It's the second-year wing.

"Thanks, Tetsutetsu," I say, smiling and looking around. Bad news: I am completely lost. The only place I can navigate is the first-year wing. However, if the design planners aren't sadists, the wing layout should be similar. Knowing U.A. though, it'll be even more confusing for no apparent reason. "So, where do we go?"

Tetsutetsu shrugs and looks around. "Hell if I know. Think we get lucky enough to run into an actual Villain? That's what happened right? A Villain got in?" We start to walk in a random direction, hoping we'll find an exit.

"Maybe, but I hope not," I confess, which makes Tetsutetsu frown a little, "we're not trained to fight an actual Villain. That, and it's illegal to use our Quirks outside of school." (Then again, that law doesn't apply to me. I could fight and worry only about an assault charge, not reckless use of a Quirk.)

He sighs and looks at his fist. "I know man, I know, but that law is stupid! Don't you have an itch to beat a Villain's face in?" ...I don't, but I'm glad that Tetsutetsu is saving his enthusiasm for that, even though it's kinda violent. Aw, who am I kidding? Bakugo's in this school. He's the most violent on here.

(I think we're coming up on the first-year wing.)

"Not really. You should save that energy for U.S.J. and Thirteen," I advise him, but Tetsutetsu shakes his head and slams his knuckles together. Well, that advice fell on deaf ears. (We're in the teachers' hallway actually. It's close to the first-year wing, so we're getting there.)

He shouts (for no reason), "Nah, man! I need to punch something! All this talk about Villains and Hero stuff makes me wanna fight! You know what I mean?!" Hmm, how can unleash Tetsutetsu's energy? If I don't, then he could hurt himself and possibly others. Maybe I could take him to the Dojo and play it by ear. Yeah, that seems like a good idea. Master Kendo wouldn't mind.

"Tetsu-?" Where did he go? He was right in front of me! I turned my head for a brief second, turned back, and he's gone! Aw crap, now I have to find a lost Tetsutetsu. If I know him, he'll be shouting or stomping through the halls.

Plan A: I look back and forth and nope. Tetsutetsu isn't there. Plan B: I walk in the direction of my class. I don't hear any footsteps or voices. It's eerily quiet. The teachers aren't here for some reason. I'd thought at least one would stay behin-

A flash of grey hair appears out of the corner of my eye. It's through the window… inside the teacher's lounge... What is Tetsutetsu doing in there, sneaking around like that? "Tetsutetsu? Why are you in there? You'll get in trouble." I take a step closer to the door and-

_Flush!_

"Sorry 'bout that! Had to wash my hands!" Tetsutetsu appears from the corner, wiping his wet hands on his grey blazer. He… isn't in the teacher's lounge? Then, who the heck is in there?! I peer through the window, but I don't see any flicker of grey hair. Ugh, I must be imagining things. That strawberry mango juice did something to me, I swear. "You okay, Inochi?"

"Yeah, yeah.I thought I saw something… Anyway, back to what I was saying. Why don't you come to the Dojo with me? You'll get a fight," I offer him. He… He looks at me for a second or two with blank eyes. What-? Oh, a tear is running down his cheek. Did I do something? Why is he cryin-?!

Tetsutetsu pulls me into a bear hug, shoving his face in my chest. "Thank you, Inochi! I'll give you the best spar ever!" I… I can't breathe… Can't move my body… He gotten a lot… stronger than before...

I manage to say, "C-Can't… breathe…" Tetsutetsu lets go of me, and I can breathe again. He gives me an apologetic look accompanied with an innocent smile. "Heh, how about we invite the others? They need the training too." He hums-

_RIIIIIIING!_

"ALL STUDENTS MAY RETURN TO CLASS AT THIS TIME!"

Well, luckily for us, we're already near our class. Tetsutetsu and I walk back to class, talking about what we'll do at the Dojo. He seems pretty excited. I'm not sure if he's looking forward to fighting or Master Kendo, maybe even both! Heh, he's a pretty straightforward guy though. It has its upsides, and most definitely has its downsides.

We're the first two. The door's unlocked, so we let ourselves inside. One by one, our classmates come back from wherever they were, talking about what happened. There's a rumor going around that the U.A. Barrier is completely disintegrated, but that can't be possible. It's the toughest wall in the world. Only a specialized Quirk could destroy it, and it happened to be in the hands of a Villain.

Nevertheless though, the rest of the day goes on.

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Welcome to my humble abode! Make yourselves at home!" Tokage leads us through her house, and into a large study. Jeez, these bookshelves are really tall! I get that Tokage is rich, but did she really need something that's ten times as tall as her? I mean, there's mini-elevators in this place! It's ridiculous, even for Tokage.

Well, the red carpet here feels soft even with shoes on. They sink right in. What else about this room? There's tables. They aren't large, but not small either. It's modest, for a rich person at least. In the middle of each table is a vase of flowers, books, and a tray of treats of all kinds. Most of these are foreign.

When Tokage asked if she wanted a study session with us, this isn't what I had in mind. The atmosphere is cozy though, despite the size of the room. Heh, to think that Inochi is fighting all of the boys back at the Dojo. "_I'll fight them blindfolded. It'll be a good training exercise." _Right now, I'm expecting a video of him either winning spectacularly or losing horribly. I'm betting on the latter, considering that there's too many weapons, too many people, and Tetsutetsu-

"Everything's so big!"

_Thud!_

"Komori has fallen," Yanagi tells us, not sounded worried about our poor mushroom girl! ! I rush over to Komori with stars practically spinning around her head. I can barely see her eyes… They're spinning around too! Ugh, the size of the room made her dizzy…

"Yeah, getting dizzy happens sometimes," Tokage comments behind me. I gently lift Komori and lay her down on… this red velvet couch! I let her down slowly- She's snoring. Well, this couch is way softer than my bed. It's probably best to let her nap. Today is a crazy day due to the reporters and the false (supposedly) security breach.

"Hey Tokage, can I have some of those candies? Please please?" Pony asks, staring at a tray of candy with drool coming out of her mouth. Tokage nods, tossing one to her. It's wrapped in foil. Both of the ends are silver while the center piece, the sphere, is purple with a gold oval. There's western letters in the middle that spells out a brand. "Thank you thank you!" Pony excitedly says in English, unwrapping and eating it whole.

Shiozaki walks up to Tokage with elegance. Her every step is smooth and thoughtful. The way she moves is like a calm river or a gentle wind, flowing to one place or another. Tokage, being herself, can't tear her eyes away. "You have a wonderful home, Tokage. I'm sure this room has books or knowledge that most don't even know it exists."

"...Yeah," Tokage meekly says, getting red. And with that, she's in a trance. I clear my throat, loud enough so they can hear me. "Huh? Oh right! We're here for a reason, aren't we? I… I… Uhm…" Pfft, Tokage forgot, didn't she? A little walk can turn this prodigy into a still statue.

I try to stifle a laugh, but it comes out. Tokage shrinks her head a little from shame and embarrassment. "We're here to study for our Hero History test, right Tokage? Don't you have a textbook about it, somewhere in here?"

"When is it? Thursday?" Yui quietly asks, taking a piece of chocolate from a tray. From my backpack, I pull out my agenda and turn it to the test... It's on Friday, not Thursday. I show it to Yui and she nods, eating her chocolate. Heh, her eyes are slightly larger. She must be enjoying it.

Eventually, all of us sit down (including Komori, who woke up from Yanagi) at a table and go over our notes.

I need to remind myself of what we learned. There's three different eras. Vigilantes, the beginning. It was chaos when Quirks came about. Vigilantes became the norm for a long time, until the Rhode Island New State Statue. Pro Heroes were officially created with this law. As a result, vigilantism became illegal and a punishable offense.

After that is the United Hero Nations, or UHM. After the success in America, the United Nations proposed to add "Hero" to their name, copying what happened in America throughout all of its members/nations. It was mostly successful. Mostly. Some Middle-Eastern countries, and a few others not in the Middle East, rejected this notion. They decided to create their own system, where "Pro Heroes" protected the government. By "protected", they became a brutal secret police. Obviously, this led to war in the Middle East. It's how the Order of Assassins were recreated. They ended the war by killing everyone important and letting who they deemed fit to govern the war-torn countries.

Lastly, it's the era that we are in. It's simply referred to as: Pax Heros, or Hero Peace. After the wars (there were multiple wars, not just in the Middle East), the chaos died down. The rise of strong Quirks with strong Pro Heroes became more plentiful. The scholars agree that the start of All Might is the beginning of Pax Heros.

There's a lot more to these eras though, and I can barely recall them. Oh jeez, I feel bad for the boys. Most of them won't do so hot if I'm struggling.

Anyway, I need to remember the key figures and key Pro Heroes. So far, I can only remember three names. All Might, Hassan-i Sabbah, the world's second most dangerous Villain (Grandpa fought one of the Zabaniyas), and Sieg Spielmann, the current Secretary-General of the UHM. That's three out of… a good twenty or so.

So, for a good couple of hours, all of us go over our notes. We ask each other questions, answer them if we know it, or research it if none of us don't have a clue. Admittedly, it's a lot to go over, especially in such a short amount of time, but this is U.A.! Besides, I can handle this! This is nothing!

"Destro, Chikara Yotsubashi, what was the name of his organization?" Yanagi asks us. Pony stands on top of her chair with an answer. (Thank goodness Yanagi asked that. I forgot the name too.)

Pony exclaims, "Meta Freedom Nation!" I don't think that's the right answer, Pony… I swear though, it's on the tip of my tongue. The answer is in the right direction though, but which synonyms are the right ones?

"It's Meta Liberation Army. Destro published the Meta Liberation War, which he stated that he wants free use of Quirks instead of the government restricting them. He had conclaves of MLA in America, Germany, France, Britain, Russia, and a whole lot of more places," Tokage educates us. Great, that's a couple of names down! ("Close enough!" Pony sits back down, munching another piece of chocolate.)

"Where did the first Quirk show up again? I know it's in China." It's Komori's turn for a question. Luckily for me, I know this one!

"Qingqing. It's the Luminescent Baby. There's a statue of the cute little guy in the city. I think, at night, it lights up in honor of the first Quirk," I explain, quickly flipping back to the beginning of the unit. Yup, I'm right! Go me!

Shiozaki raises her hand. "David Shield is the first one who invented a way of measuring Quirk levels, correct? He's also a close friend of All Might if I believe." We all hum in agreement. David Shield is one of the biggest support scientists in I-Island, where research is currently being funded by numerous companies. One of them being: Tokage Industries.

"Mhm! David is a pretty cool guy. His daughter, Melissa, is just like him," Tokage says. It's not shocking that she knows them personally. In fact, I'd be surprised if she doesn't know them personally. Rich girls like her have a big influence in the world… It's weird though, she went to a public middle school and seems so humble. There must be someone who influenced her. "Anyway, I think we should take a break."

Tokage slams her notebook close and gets up from her chair, stretching her limbs out. Never mind, she's splitting her body up and stretching them that way. I'm not sure how that would be better, but knowing her, she's doing it because Komori and Pony are hiding in their chairs. For the love of everything that's good… I berate, "Tokage, can you stop fooling around and be serious?"

She puts herself back together and pouts. "I'm serious about my fooling around!" ...Really? "Don't give me that look, Kendo! Come on, let's take a break and talk like normal girls!" Whatever look I had on my face disappears. We might as well take a break. We've been studying for hours now.

Yanagi nods and stretches her wrists. "What might you believe the men are doing? From the knowledge of how chaotic and rumbustious they are, do you propose that they are deceased?"

Uhm…

* * *

**Sanji Inochi with the Boys**

"MANGA, PUT THE SWORD DOWN!"

"HE CAN'T HEAR US, HE HAS HEADPHONES IN!"

"WE'RE LITERALLY SCREAMING, HOW CAN'T HE HEAR US?!"

"GOD DAMN IT, WE'RE GONNA FUCKIN' DIE!"

"I'M GOING IN!"

"TETSUTETSU, NO!"

("Mom, can you pick me up?")

* * *

"I'm sure they're fine," I assure her. Inochi's there after all. He's a responsible man! Surely, he can handle a room full of boys, fighting each other. If there's any serious problems, he would have texted or called me by now. Besides, he's the Vice President of 1-B as of today. The class (and technically me, as well) chose him for a reason.

"I hope so… There's a lot more boys than there are girls," Komori comments, pressing her index finger tips together. "I don't know Inochi that well, but he seems really capable of handling them, despite being Quirkless and everything." (Ugh, it reminds me with Inochi's encounter with Suzuki earlier. He had to stop me from going over to 1-D. When will Suzuki grow up and move on already?)

Shiozaki adds, "He's a good man. His body is strong and has a pure heart. I do believe that he's a bit naive, considering he didn't choose to expel Suzuki." Naive? Well, I wouldn't say that. He's pretty mature, even though he's a goofy man. Since he's a foster child, he probably dealt with a lot of stuff. I can only imagine though, since Inochi never told me anything about his past.

Pony huffs, crossing her arms. "Suzuki is a big jerk! If I ever see him again, Kamakiri will have to stop me from ramming his chest in!" Hehe, at least she shares the same feeling. To be honest, Kamakiri wouldn't stop her. Instead, he would join in on beating Suzuki to a pulp. Everyone would, all except for Inochi.

Tokage laughs and kicks her feet up. "Back to Inochi… Kendo, got anything to say about him? Come on, you know him the most, what do ya got?" Everyone's eyes are on me now. Damn it, Tokage, she really had to put me in this situation. From what's already been said covers most of his character… except…

"Fine… You guys talk about how great Inochi is, don't get me wrong, he's one of the best guys I know, but he's reckless. I think you know that he barely gets any sleep, one or two hours a night. After that, he trains and exercises like his life depends on it. Every morning, I see him coming through the door sweaty and wincing under any little touch…" I close my eyes and sigh, remembering the past five or six months together. Inochi grew so much, gotten stronger, came out of his shell, but he's still doing this.

Yui nods, backing me up. Yanagi speaks up, "You are worried about him, are you not? From the tone of your voice and the facial expression, it conveys much worry and concern." Yeah, yeah, she's right…

I open my eyes, staring at nothing in particular. "More than you know. With him, it's like day and night. So cheerful and goofy at school, around the house… But, at night, he's determined and narrow-minded…" My eyes drift around the table. Everyone doesn't look too happy… Jeez, I really brought the mood down, huh? "Anyway, we shouldn't gossip more about Inochi. What else do you guys wanna talk about?"

With that, we have a nice conversation about a lot of things, like the current Pro Heroes and stuff going on in other countries. Throughout it though, I couldn't help but feel that something bad will happen. It's probably about my test though. It's nothing to worry about it.


	14. The Day

**Sanji Inochi**

"Hyah!"

I cross my arms, blocking Midoriya's punch. He was fairly obvious with it. In a practical situation, he would have used his Quirk and I would be a bloody mist. But, this isn't Quirk training, isn't it? Gripping his arm with my right, I lift him over my shoulder and slam him on his back. A pained cry leaves him, rustling on the ground hurt and dazed. Looks like the winner is Sanji Inochi, once again. I bend over slightly and extend my hand out. His eyes flutter open like he's been asleep for over one hundred years. The sleeping prince clasps my arm, picking himself back up from his slumber (and defeat).

I pat his shoulder, criticizing, "A small… Well, it's not small. I would be lying if I said that. It's a big critique: Your attacks are too obvious. Try to mix things up. Add some kicks, maybe some grapples, anything to catch your opponent off guard. I know your Quirk can end fights with one punch, but that's if you're facing only one person."

"I'll keep the advice in mind! Thank you, Inochi! I still got a long way to go before I reach your skill, but I'll train everyday to reach it!" Heh, he talks like an up and coming Pro. Frankly though, he shouldn't reach _my_ skill. It should be Master Kendo's, or Kendo's, maybe even Ojiro's. They're leagues higher than I am, since they've been training for many more years than I have.

I laugh at his heroic enthusiasm, saying, "You definitely will with talk like that. If you keep at it, you can beat up an entire class by yourself." Midoriya laughs too, scratching his arm a little bit. You know, I'm shocked that U.A. doesn't have any martial arts classes. It should be mandatory for all Hero Course students. Take yesterday as an example, I nearly defeated all my friends blindfolded due to their lack of hand-to-hand fighting experience. (The only reason I lost is someone accidentally kicked me in the groin.)

"By the way," Midoriya gets my attention after we stop laughing, looking slightly serious, "Inochi, can I ask you something? It's a personal question, and I'm sorry if this sounds rude or anything, but how are you in U.A.? You're legally Quirkless, even with your Adoptive Muscle Memory." Heh, it's always about my Quirk isn't it?

Ah, my Quirk... It's been a long time since I went into my Mindscape. Let's remind myself about what exactly my Quirk is.

My Quirk is called: Dreams. From researching stuff about Quirks on my own time (a week or two ago), it's a Mental and Accumulation-type. Mental-type Quirks are rare on its own, but paired with Accumulation is even rarer. Yet though, the thing with Accumulation-types, it's a condition for the Quirk to function properly. Like Suzuki, he needs his tails or else his Quirk can't work. In my case, the Dreams I gather are my power. What's the true purpose though? The true function? That, I can't activate.

So, I'm stuck here reaping off the passive effects. My Adoptive Muscle Memory is one (could be the only one, it could be one of many). Mister Tokage said that it's not good enough to be a Quirk on its own, since, like I said, it's a passive effect. As an example, Shishida's Quirk passively boosts his strength and size, but that in itself is not a Quirk. The transformation is.

However, there's one thing I can activate: My Mindscape. The last time I went into it is weeks ago. My Mindscape lets me go into my own mind. Inside it, my Dreams (that I've been accumulating) are stored there in the form of two opaque, thin white walls that are bent inwards. I call them: Dream Mirrors. Basically, they're flat TV screens that flicker through a person's memories and life, but each memory lasts than a quarter of a second.

From the last time I entered my Mindscape, I have around 17,000 Dreams. If I'm close to a person in real life, then their Mirror is closer to me as a result. I can't really walk around in my own mind though. Around me is an invisible box, trapping me inside. The only thing I can do there is watch my Dream Mirrors like a reality TV show.

How I get these Dreams in the first place? No idea! It could be from physical contact or some other means, but it'll have to be an easy method. That's one of the many mysteries about my Quirk. Now, I should answer Midoriya because my mind went deeply off-track. (I shouldn't tell him about _that_, though.)

"Well," I begin, scratching the back of my head, "training hard, of course! Even though I didn't take out much robots, I saved a couple of people, Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu, if you believe it or not. From that zero-pointer you took down, it made a building collapse on us-"

Midoriya suddenly shouts, "What?! I almost killed you?!" He's panicking. Heh, he should realize that he's the reason why I passed that exam. Without that building, I would have failed. But uh, I don't think he would stop panicking though...

"Uhm, back on topic! I trained since seventh grade to get where I am today. But, it wasn't since around the middle of eighth grade where Master Kendo properly taught me," I say, calming his nerves.

"But," Midoriya mutters, holding on his shoulder, "even with your power, you didn't consider that being a Quirkless Hero is impossible? Even with everyone telling you that you needed to face reality, that you couldn't, you never believed them?"

Midoriya… You should like someone speaking from experience.

I stop scratching my head, crossing my arms together. I look at Midoriya, who's looking back at me. His mouth is open, shocked, like I'm something that shouldn't exist. "That's right… I never believed them. I told myself to ignore what they said, telling myself that _I will _be a Pro Hero. That's why I train every night, to the limit, to be one."

"Really? You're… You're a really strong man, Inochi." Midoriya compliments me, his voice getting softer. His eyes drift away, staring at everything but me. It's nice that he thinks that, but it's not the case.

I chuckle, looking out the window. "I'm not a strong person, just determined." It's time to change the conversation. I'm interested about Midoriya a little bit, so I think it's time to ask a question of my own. "So, Midoriya… I'm wondering, why does Bakugo call you 'Deku' anyway? Him and Uraraka. It's not a flattering nickname, yet you accept it."

"Huh? Oh! Right… Well, Uraraka told me that it sounds like, 'I can do it' instead of the other way around. So, I kinda accepted it," Midoriya explains, looking at me in the eyes again. It's a good way of putting it, wholesome too! And if Uraraka, a girl, was able to influence Midoriya like that… then…

"So, a girl giving you a hypocorism… You know what that means, right Midoriya?" I smirk, trying to nudge him along. He has a blank look on his face. Does… Does he not get it? Come on, tell me that he gets it.

"I don't understand." Arg! Of course he said that! For a nerd, he's really dense! Whatever, I _do_ want to meet with Uraraka one day. She sounds like a sweetheart if she was able to change the meaning of "deku" like that. Seriously though, come on Midoriya! How do I explain this to him now?

"You'll… I'll… It's…" I look at a clock. It's time to wrap things up. "Hey, would you look at the time! We should really stop things here for today and continue tomorrow!" I pick up Midoriya's back and put it in his arms. He stumbles slightly from me gently pushing him towards the door.

"Have a good time at U.S.J.!" I exclaim right before he leaves. There, that's one explanation avoided. Go me…

God, why did I say that?

* * *

"Take this!" I slam down an action card, Attack, on the table. That deals enough damage to take out Miruko! That's one less Pro to worry about! Tokage winces at her lost, but there must be more cards up her sleeve. (I hope it's not literal!) She looks through her hand, seeing what to play. From her genius-level intellect, she must be going over hundreds of ways to defeat me! But, I have one plan! One, idiot-proof plan to defeat her! She knows exactly what to do, but she doesn't account for the fact that _I have no idea how to play this game!_

Tokage holds onto a card, smirking. "Good move, Inochi. You're pretty good, for a beginner. How can you deal with this?!" She-?! Endeavour?! His passive can deal periodic damage each round! At this rate, the city will be destroyed! I cannot let that happen! The people in this fake city placed their trust in me! How can I call myself a Pro Hero if I fail to protect them?! I won't let any of you down! I swear on my name, that I'll protect you!

"You… You have terrorized this city long enough! I will never back down, especially to you! Throw everything you got at me! I won't lose! You know why, Tokage?" She shakes her head. There's a twisted smile on her face, the smile that thinks she'll win! Well, it's time to change her tune once she sees my trump card!

"Because… He is here!" I exclaim with glory, bringing down All Might into the battlefield. His passive can instantly defeat any opponent's Pro Hero regardless of defense! Say goodbye to Endeavour, his Hellflame is nothing against the Symbol of Peace! Tokage has her mouth wide open in shock, realizing that her easy victory is snatched away! The tide of the battle is on my side! And this isn't my whole turn yet! "Come, All Might! Save the people of Musutafu!"

Let All Might's presence give me a good dice roll! Here it comes! Five dice, rolling I need three civilians, and I can win within two rounds! They clatter against each other, against the table. The faces spin around with the civilian face taunts me. Come on! And… Yes! Four civilians and one attack! I sic All Might to punch the crap out of Yoroi Musha, but he isn't down yet! Luckily for me, I'm close to victory! There's no way that Tokage can win at this rate!

Defeat is in her face. She hides herself behind her cards, whimpering. Wait… It doesn't sound like whimpering… It's… laughter… The demon whose name is Setsuna Tokage reveals herself from her cards. This… This can't be! I was supposed to win! The people were counting on me!

"Inochi, you just activated my trap card! Reveal yourself, Mount Lady! Activate your Titan Cliff!" Mount Lady?! Oh no, her passive! The city takes three damage! That's exactly how much health it has! That means… That means I lost! To think that Tokage has such a card in her hand, knowing she could end me at any moment… How could anyone win against someone as smart as her?! The heartless woman says only two words at my defeat, "I win."

I see now...there's a hollow space where Tokage's heart is supposed to be…

"...Curse you, daughter of Fuyushiro Tokage," I mutter, just loud enough for her to hear. Tokage laughs at my face. That is the laugh of someone who destroyed Musutafu. Shamefully, I put the rest of my cards down and get up from the table. Monoma clicks his tongue with a head shake, disappointed in one of us, probably me.

"You should have been merciful, Tokage. What I just saw is the definition of true despair. The moment when one realizes that their hope is crushed," Monoma tells her. Guess he was pitying me. How embarrassing... I quietly leave these two, letting Monoma take my place. I find myself sitting with Kodai, Manga, and Shiozaki. (To think, Mister Kan gave us free time to do whatever we want outside. And… I fell into despair because of it.)

When I sit down, they stop their conversations, turning to me. Ah, they want to listen to the tales of a defeated man. "Life... Life is nothing but despair and agony."

In front of me, Manga speaks. Ah, he speaks a few words, but they're the truth. "Tokage beat you?"

"Yes," I meagerly reply. My head finds refuge, resting on the table. (It's surprisingly cold considering the sun's out.) Besides me, Kodai puts a hand on my shoulder in support. I could always count on her. My Kodai, silent, but always know what to do, what to say in the perfect moments.

"Inochi," Kodai says my name with her soft voice. I pick my head up and we meet eyes. Hers are just as static as always, but she's going to give me emotional support. She's always good with that.

"You suck at that game."

…

_Thud!_

"He's on the ground…" Shiozaki states, standing up from her seat to check up on me. Not only have I lost to a heartless lizard, I was also insulted by my (former) friend! Just look at her! Staring down at me with a slightly amused face. It's adorable, could make the iciest of hearts melt, but that's besides the point!

Shiozaki goes over to me, crouching down to my level. "Do you need help? You fell pretty hard." She's right, my arm and back is aching. It's probably from training, not the actual fall though. I shake my head before I get back up. She goes back to her seat with Kodai and Manga.

(Kodai is studying for our test while Manga is playing/reading a visual novel. It's about a guy who's fighting a war to get a golden cup. Earlier, he told me that he's going down the route with "the guy that sounds like Satan". No idea what he means by that, and I don't wanna know!)

I sit next to Kodai again, not bothering her. I don't look at particularly anything for a minute or so. Just… ugh… At least Tokage seems happy with her win. (Speaking about her, her dad made her announce that we are, not in fact, dating. She told me it's from "businessman issues", which I don't know how a daughter's dating life fits in with that, but okay.)

"Inochi," Rin calls me from the other tab- Nope, he's not at the other table. He's standing right next to me. Manga sees him too, hiding his face behind his game. I don't think Rin is holding a grudge against him from what happened yesterday. (All the boys of 1-B almost died that day. Some of us didn't make it out all in one piece…)

"Top of the… noon, Rin," I greet him, remembering that it isn't morning anymore. Rin greets me back with a smile and nod. Even with that cut (I think Recovery Girl healed him), I'd say Rin enjoyed the visit more than anyone. Him and Hayami talked all about blacksmithery, he took a good look around my arsenal, and actually knew how to use some of it, unlike someone we know.

"Is it true that Master Kendo has a Zabaniya's sword? Rarely anyone had laid eyes on one, let alone having one!" Rin asks, geeking out a bit. I thought I heard Master Kendo defeating a Zabaniya, but… Oh, it's that sword in his office isn't it? The rosen one. That is one of the most beautiful swords I seen in my entire life. (No offense to Hayami's creations.)

I nod, answering, "Yup. He has it in his office. It's a gorgeous sword. I would love to handle it, but I'm afraid I might dirty it or something. Which reminds me, I need to ask him to tell me that story." Rin's eyes light up. He asks me rapid-fire questions about the exact details, if he can have a picture with it, come to the Dojo again, things like that. It's so fast that I don't have time to answer them!

Manga butts in in our conversation, "Wait, can I-!"

"No!" Rin and I shout at him in unison. We are not having a repeat of yesterday. Manga looks at us with his head forming into a teardrop. He silently plays his game without another word. I'm sorry that I shouted, but it needed to be said.

"Anyway," I pull us back to the conversation at hand, ignoring Manga, "I'll try to convince Master Kendo to let you visit again. We both, well, the three of us know what happened yesterday." Rin gulps and nods.

Kendo comments from another table, "This is why you don't play human jousting." I cringe, trying not to remember that. But, I can still remember it so vividly...

"That was the best game of human jousting! Even though I almost got impaled, it was the best!" Awase argues back with a hand to his chest. He looks at me for support, but I shy my head away. I did not participate in that awful game. I was mainly focusing/panicking that, for some reason, Awase welded a bunch of my weapons together into lances! "Come on, Inochi! Say some-"

Kaibara speaks up, "Awase, did you forget that Inochi beat us up, _blindfolded?_" Awase winces, rubbing his head. I wince too, remembering the fight. I still don't know who kicked me. No one wanted to confess. To be fair though, everyone was pretty hurt from me beating them up, but still! They had the strength to kick me really hard.

"I know, but-"

_DRRRRRRR!_

What was th-?!

_CRASH!_

Holy crap! Iida just crashed into Kuroiro's table! (Him and Komori are fine, thankfully! They barely dodged out of the way.) He looks pretty stressed out, his costume is partly colored in dirt and grime. Heh, was U.S.J. so bad that he had to escape? I thought he was strict on heroics training. Mister Kan runs up to him with his fists clenched. "Iida! Explain yourself!"

Iida falls to his hands and knees, breathing heavily. "V-Villains… They're in U.S.J.!"

?!

That can't be possible! Villains?! This is supposed to be U.A.! This can't be true, right?! Everyone has the same look of shock and disbelief in their faces… If it's true, then 1-A is being attacked by actual Villains… Midoriya, everyone else… We turn to Iida and Mister Kan. Our mouths move, but not our voices.

Iida informs, "My class is trapped.! Thirteen and Mister Aizawa are heavily injured! We need assistance immediately!" Mister Kan nods and turns to all of us. He takes out his key and tosses it to Kendo, then pulling a radio out. He tells her to take everyone back to class. We quickly pack our things up.

Mister Kan turns on his radio and practically shouts, "This is Vlad King! There has been a Level Five security breach! I repeat, a Level Five security breach! Target: Class 1-A! Location: Unforeseen Simulation Joint! Number of Villains: Unknown!" After he reported this, he yells at us to get moving at the top of his lungs.

Kendo runs to the door with all of us following her without a word. Or maybe not. We might be shouting at each other. I don't know. My body is moving, but my mind isn't. Once we get inside, the alarm is sounded. It screeches that there has been a Villain attack. The school is being placed on lockdown. Through the halls, we make our way back to our class. Along the way, terrified students are running to their classrooms, calling their loved ones, shouting that this is how they die.

It's… weird… I think the shock is wearing off on me. I'm starting to see everything clearly again. Like I thought before, it's weird. The students, our schoolmates, they're worried about dying. Don't they know that dying comes apart of the job? It's like they never thought that their lives will be in danger, like the concept of death doesn't apply to them because they're so young. I always jokingly thought that I would die sometimes, but death just became a next-door neighbor a few minutes ago.

Personally, I don't really care.

The deafening noise of all these voices, I tune them out. Instead, my ears listen to my classmates, my friends. I finally start to hear them. Some of us are panicking, like Bondo, Manga, and Pony. In fact, Manga is being supported by Tetsutetsu. Everyone is trying to cheer them but they're stressed out of their minds. (Heck, Kamakiri is letting Pony latch onto his arm.)

Then, there's some of us who thrive in situations like these. (Well, in stressful situations. Life or death situations? I hope no one experienced those.) If I had to pick a few, Kendo, Tetsutetsu, Monoma, and a few others doesn't seem to be worried. They're used to the stress and pressure, so naturally, they can lead the class. (I think Tetsutetsu is yelling that we should help 1-A, but literally everyone is telling him it's a bad idea.)

What about me? I'm only walking, slightly jogging, to class with everyone else. Passing through, gently pushing, other students out of the way. The loud alarm is still blaring, trying to make us go deaf. Finally, like the destination of a long journey, we reach our classroom. Kendo opens the door and let everyone inside the room. We barrel into the room like mindless zombies. I tried to stay back, but I got pushed in with everyone else. I manage to find safety at my desk, putting my things down. Kendo shuts the door and makes sure it's locked. And with that, we're safe.

Well, relatively. Manga is in the corner of the classroom, practically in tears. I watch as half the class go up and try to support him, but it isn't working. He's muttering something about Shojo and Villains. I… I would try to help him, but I don't know what to say, and a lot of people are there already.

It goes on for about ten minutes, and I could only watch them.

From the crowd, Kendo parts and walks up to me, pulling us to the side. "Inochi, are you okay? You haven't said anything." I'm glad she's checking up on me, but she should be focusing on Manga. He needs her support more than I do.

"I'm fine. You did a great job leading everyone here despite the Villain attack… God, I hope Ojiro and Midoriya are doing okay…" My mind flashes back to them. I know that they're strong, but they're up against Villains. There's no safety net. Given a chance, these Villains will kill them.

She nods, saying, "I hope so too… I know risks like these comes with the job, but I'm afraid. For myself and our friends. What about you? Are you scared?"

I chuckle, putting a hand on her shoulder. Her face twists slightly, confused as to why I'm laughing. "Why would I be scared? You're right, Kendo, it's an occupational hazard, but I'm not letting it stop me. You shouldn't let it stop you either. Fear can make cowards or heroes, and I'd rather be a hero."

Kendo takes in what I said, staring at me for a second or so. She sighs, playfully being sick of me. (She knows I'm right.) "You always know what to say. I swear, that's your Quirk. Anyway, I'm gonna help Pony now. Kamakiri's trapped with her." She pats my arm (gently, surprisingly) and walks away.

I take a look around the class. Manga still has half of us around him, the other half doing other stuff. Then, there's me. Alone, not knowing what to do. Silently, I walk over to the large window. There's nothing there, only the green grass, the trees swaying slightly in the wind, and the occasional bird.

I sigh, closing my eyes. My back feels like it's floating on water, or maybe it feels like I'm slowly falling. A gentle white light hits my eyes, signaling that I'm inside. I haven't entered my Mindscape in weeks. Why am I here though? I don't know. It's a bit selfish to stay here, when I could be helping my friends, but I don't have a clue what to do.

Anyway, I finally open my eyes, being greeted with the familiar vast plain of white. It's flat, with the floor being clear of everything. In the distance lies thousands of Dream Mirrors, all turned towards me. There's more that are closer to me than last tim- 20,104. Okay, that number took over my brain for a second. I really gained three thousand more Dreams in a few weeks, huh?

I gaze up to the ceiling. Well, I can't call it a ceiling. It's an empty black sky. There's nothing there. No moon, no stars, no nothing. It was a bit unnerving, but I gotten used to it. I always liked the night sky.

Anyway, like always, I put my arm out. My hand touches an invisible barrier. It was worth a try. I let my back hit the wall behind me, sitting against it. Now, let's see, which Dream Mirror is the closest? It's either Kendo's or Tokage's, but it's hard to tell at this angle. I'm leaning towards Kendo's, but who knows? (Suzuki's pretty close too, so are a few others.)

Jeez though, to think that she would admit that she's scared. I thought badasses like her don't get scared. If anything, fear is afraid of Kendo! Hehe, but really though, telling me that is nice. It shows how much she trusts me, revealing something like that. Especially with "girls like her", as Tokage put it. She went on about Kendo's "tomboyish personality" and "spunky attitude". If only she saw Kendo with horror movies. She's terrified of them.

A small laugh comes out. "You really are a mess, Kendo…"

?!

Her Dream Mirror… It's in front of me now, just outside the barrier. I can see it clearly now, instead of her Mirror being tens of meters away. A ton of memories are playing out, like some sort of montage being speeded up. Huh, why did it come to me? Maybe because I said her name? As a result, my Mindscape brought her Mirror to me. That's the most plausible explanation…

I stand back up, walking up to her Mirror. What do I do with this? Touch it, maybe? It could explode, but I'm pretty sure I can't die in my own head. Alright then, let's see if I can touch it. I slowly press my palm against the wall and…! Nothing. Figured, it's just outside the wall. It's stupid to think that I can actually touch it-!

"_Kendo, why do you want to be a Pro Hero?"_

That's my voice… Wait, I remember this conversation! It was around our first test of the year, where I fought Kamakiri and collected weird rescue balls. After I found Kendo at the Dojo, we talked about her father, Kaito. She told me all kinds of stories about him. This was near the end, just before the sun was about to come up.

"_You don't know? My dad, obviously. I've always looked up to him as the greatest Pro Hero in the world, greater than All Might. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be like just him."_

"_I had a feeling. I mean, it's not like you take care of his motorcycle, inherited his Quirk, have his class ring, or anythin- Ow!"_

"_Shut up, hehe. But yeah, ever since he's… disappeared… Mom was really depressed. For her, I'd stop at nothing to find him. I don't know if he's dead or alive, but I want closure. For me, and especially for Mom."_

"_..."_

"_Oh shoot, I'm sorry! That's a bit insensitive of me to go on about my own parents, when you don't know your own."_

"_Don't apologize, Kendo. I don't mind! They're not a sore topic for me, since I don't really remember them. As for your dad, I know you'll find him. I know we'll find him, because I'm helping you on this quest."_

"_Inoc-"_

"_Don't 'Inochi' me. I'm helping you find your father, end of story. Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with your sidekick until kingdom come."_

"_You're not my sidekick."_

"_Really? All sidekicks get their bosses a cup of coffee every single day. Come on, doesn't that sound like sidekick business to you?"_

"_It sounds like an unpaid intern."_

"_...True."_

"_Jeez, Inochi! What about you? Why do you wanna be a Pro Hero?"_

"_Me? Well… I-"_The memory cuts off, and the Mirror goes back to its original place . I think… I think I understand the Dream Mirrors now. All of them have memories of their Dreams, but all of them have one thing in common: Me. In every Mirror I've seen, I'm always in them. It's our memories that makes some Mirrors closer than others. That also serves as to why Suzuki's Mirror is close too, despite us not having a good friendship. He told me, plenty of times, why he wants to be a Hero.

Much like me, Suzuki was inspired by All Might's too. I wanted to save people, while he wanted the fame and glory. I remember when I knew, when I knew that this job is right for me.

* * *

It was a simple day, _the Day_, where I wanted to be a Pro Hero. It wasn't a continuous thing, like Kendo and her father, but one single moment that would solidify my life.

It was seventh grade, back in Kibo. It was winter, a winter evening, on the brink of night. (Can't call it a "day", can I?) Cold, I remember it was freezing. My foster parents, I wouldn't call them "parents", only gave me a thin hoodie that barely did anything. That was the only warmth I had outside. I remember how my body shivered, jittering, begging to start a fire somewhere.

In fact, I think it the day after snow fell. It was below zero, so I was really freezing. I didn't have snow boots on, only the shoes I wear all-year round. So, snow got into my shoes and soaked my socks. It was already uncomfortable, but it became almost unbearable. I'm surprised I didn't get hypothermia, but I wasn't worried at the time.

Because I didn't care.

I didn't care that I was freezing to death. I was walking to a park, the same one I'd go to whenever I had free time. It was a beautiful park, even more so with the snow. I couldn't wait to go there and see the snow covering it for the first time. My mind wanted to run there, but my legs couldn't.

The park… It was my safe haven. Safe from school, safe from my "home", safe from everyone.

And so, my legs walked. The sound of my footsteps crushing the snow beneath me sounded like I was crushing small ants, who screamed at me to stop. I adjusted my hoodie, trying to hide myself from the few people that was outside. I tried to hide my body, which was the same color as the sky. My heart was beating slowly, like the cold itself was chilling it to a halt.

The park was my safe haven. Safe from school. Safe from all of my bullies, safe from my teachers. My bullies told me to give up, that I wouldn't do anything good with my life. They said it's why my parents gave me up, because I was basically Quirkless. They made sure that I knew, because they humiliated and beaten me. Especially... Suzuki. My teachers stood there and watched. They fully believed the same thing, so they did nothing.

"A Quirkless boy is a waste," they often said. Even though I had a Quirk, they thought me lower than even the other Quirkless in my school. After all, it's one thing to not be born with a Quirk… It's another to be completely unable to use one. That's how school went. It was a place for endless bullying. They tried to break my hopes, my wants, my desires to be.

It didn't work. I stopped caring about those things.

And so, my legs walked. The sound of my footsteps stomping the soft blanket of snow beneath me was like fabric tearing. I adjusted my hoodie, trying to hide myself from the only people roaming the evening. I tried to hide my body, which was the same color as the ocean. My heart was beating slowly, like it was standing on its last legs.

The park was my safe haven. Safe from "home", safe from my "family", safe from their "love". All for my life, I was bounced around foster homes. One after another, after another. My first foster "home", when I was five, my "parents" didn't care much about me. Didn't really feed me or anything like that. They often chatted to their friends about how much of a pain I was. One day, I was sent to another "home". That time, the man of the house didn't take too kindly for a Quirkless boy like me. Unluckily, he was also the "parent" that I stayed with the longest. From that day on, pain was a daily occurrence to me. It was something to get used to, to deal with. He usually did it at night, when I was sleeping. A good night's sleep wasn't a thing to me.

"Quirkless trash," he often said. Another "home", pain was still my constant companion. They changed it up a little from last time. Another "home", easy on pain, simply didn't care. Another "home", didn't care _and_ hard on pain. And another, same thing. Eventually, I stopped counting. All these "homes", they tried breaking my body, my sense of security, my safety.

It didn't work. I stopped caring about those things.

And so, my legs walked. The sound of my footsteps packing the snow underneath me, I adjusted my hoodie, my heart was slowly beating, it was all the same. It was all the same. It was routine. It was a cycle that couldn't end itself, but I could end it. The park was my safe haven. It was the only thing I cared about.

I felt like I couldn't do anything else.

And so, my legs walked. It walked for a good while, in sloppy rhythm, not in a straight line, pretty much all over the place. But then, somehow, I stopped. The sunset, with its last remaining ray, blinded my eyes. Naturally, I flinched and looked away. Looked away, right at a TV screen. I'm not a religious man, but it was like God telling me to watch this. At least, that's what I think when I look back on this.

A voice startled me.

"YES?"

Of course, that voice belonged to All Might. Sanji back then, who was so nervous and timid, stopped in front of an electronics store. Stopped in front of a window with a large flat-screen TV on display. On it, a reporter was interviewing All Might after he defeated yet another Villain. I saw the defeated man being dragged into a large police van. It was an amusing sight.

"All Might," the reporter said with beaming eyes, trying not to visibly shake in excitement, "that's one more Villain off the streets of Kanazawa-"

The crowd around them started to chant, interrupting, "All Might! All Might! All Might!" All Might laughed and waved his hand down, motioning the crowd to quiet down. In an instant, they go deathly silent. The reporter thanked All Might and continued the interview.

She asked him, "Hehe, I see a lot of teenagers in this crowd, All Might! Isn't the U.A. Entrance Exam coming up this spring? What advice do you have to give to these future Pro Heroes?" All Might showcased his famous smile and turned to the camera. Turned to me, it felt like. It was a blessing that All Might was gazing at me, of all people. Even though he actually wasn't, I wanted to believe.

He said, "Young one, U.A. is a terrific school to breed heroism, to push everything you have to your limits, and go beyond that! Push your body, your mind, your Quirk to where you haven't gone before! That's how you become a Pro Hero!"

"Anyone can be a Hero, right, All Might?" A boy from the crowd asked him. The camera was fixated on All Might still. He let out a small laugh, his chest bellowing slightly. All Might nodded, his darkened eyes staring brightly into my own, nearly gone.

"Yes, _anyone_ can be a Hero! You can be a Hero, you, you, and you! Anyone!" All Might exclaimed, pointing to random people in the crowd. Small cheers came from them, so happily. "Heroism is indiscriminate! No matter where you were born, who you are, what you are, all you need is the single belief to save those who need saving and punish those who need punishing!"

All Might stepped forward and extended his hand towards the camera. He spoke the words that I'll never forget, "A true Hero sacrifices everything with a smile, that speaks of fearlessness and the will to preserve peace, without saying a single word. With this, you can be the greatest Hero." The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

"I'll be like you, All Might!"  
"I'll save over a million people!"

"Like you, I'll be a great Hero!"

The segment ended, going back to the news station.

It was only a short speech that lasted no longer than five minutes. It was all it took for me to believe. Maybe I believed from my naivete, or it could be me, wanting to have something to have faith in. It didn't matter. I was determined, dogged, to be a Hero. Logic didn't have a place in my mind. Never once I thought that it was impossible for a Quirkless boy like me, could ever possibly become a great Pro Hero. It was the reverse. A boy like me could become an _amazing _Pro Hero, despite my obstacles.

I could do it. It was my hope, my _dream._ When my classmates found out that I wanted to be a Hero, they always shouted that it was unrealistic, it will never happen, I should give up, it was _impossibl_e. Even though I never dreamt, I know that it wasn't true. Dreams are the only things that can break the realm of possibility, turning the "probably", the "maybe", the "never", into "I will". So, why couldn't my dream do that?

I whispered to myself, when the sun was down, when the moon dimly lit up the darkened-blue sky, "I can save people… Sacrifice everything for them… That's what a true Hero does… I could be one." I clenched my fist, holding it to my chest before everything relaxes.

And so, I ran. The sounds of my footsteps against the darkened snow became the music to my life. My heart raced, beating rapidly along with my footsteps. The cold was no longer a thing I felt. As I ran, I looked up at the sky and saw the first star out. I couldn't help but smile brightly, with the same light that All Might had on his.

"I'll train, I'll train hard. All night, I won't stop. I _will_ be a Hero, All Might!"

A few months later, a month into eight grade, I moved into a home with a man named Gin, also known as Vilemouth. The summer went by and came September. That September, he sent me to Musutafu. In the city, the home of U.A., I was taken into my new home. A family took care of me, treated me as one of their own.

The old man of the house is a famous Pro Hero during the time when All Might was a simple student. He is considered to be a master of all martial arts. Two of the toughest women I know live with him, and on the border of dropping him in an elderly home. One of them treated me like her own son. The other is someone I can call a "true friend". It was something that I needed, something that I didn't expect to have such an abundance of.

March came along, and All Might himself accepted us two into the best Hero school in Japan, despite the school's mistake. Even though it was a simple error, I was training to be a Hero, just like I always wanted.

Along the way, I became friends with an adorable silent girl, who I basically adopted at this point, and an heiress, which I didn't realize for months. At U.A., I got to know my class. Even though it's been weeks, all of us became quick friends. Drama happened, we dealt with it using "the power of friendship" as one nerdy guy put it.

I am here! I made it through that life I had, and came out a new man! Like All Might, I'll be a selfless Hero and save everyone in need! It's the only thing I want in my life. No, that isn't true. I have one more thing that I want: My friends being Heroes with me.

That's why… That's why I want to be a Pro Hero.

* * *

I take a deep breath in, back in the real world. I'm looking out the window, just like before. It's about time I stopped staring out, so I turn around. Manga is sitting at his seat, on the phone with someone. It must be Shojo or his parents. (I'm happy he calmed down…) Pony's calmed down too, with Kamakiri sitting at the desk beside her. He's letting her talk about her favorite anime, which seems to cheer her up. Bondo has Shoda and Rin with him. They're trying to clean his Cedemine off the floor.

"Welcome back, Inochi," Kendo greets me with a small smile. She's leaning against a wall, where it meets the glass. I managed to look over her somehow. "Thanks for not helping me, but I'm glad you're back to reality. Also, I could be imagining things, but your eyes went completely white. It was glowing slightly too. What's up with that?"

My… My eyes went white? (How long exactly?!) God, of course going into my Mindscape had a visible side effect! I wished I could have seen it for myself, but that's a little hard considering the limits of the human body. Anyway, I'm glad Kendo told me that. As a sign of our friendship and our mutual trust in each other, I'm lying to her. "Well-"

_RIIIIIIIIING!_

"LOCKDOWN ENDED! THE VILLAINS ARE APPREHENDED! I REPEAT, THE VILLAINS ARE APPREHENDED! SCHOOL WILL BE ENDED EARLY, SO PLEASE WAIT IN YOUR CLASSROOMS FOR DISMISSAL!"

(How long was I in my Mindscape?!)

But, thank God for that! From the sound of it, 1-A is safe! I clap and cheer from the sheer feeling of relief. Tokage follows my lead, then Awase, finally, everyone is making a loud ruckus. It was so loud, that the classes near us start does the same thing. Soon, the entire school is only applause and cheers, drowning out the announcements.

About ten minutes later, Mister Kan comes back in the room. He tells us what happened. Mister Aizawa and Thirteen was heavily injured thanks to the Villains. All of 1-A made it out without any major injuries. There was a ton of Villains too, but there were a few that he points out. The leader, a man with gray-blue hair, a man with a Warping-type Quirk, and a brainless monster that seemingly had more than one Quirk.

It was unbelievable when we first heard it. I have a feeling that there'll be more unbelievable things coming our way, though. This new Villain group declared an act of war against hero society, and can back it up. It'll definitely shake the foundations to its core. I can already sense Japan going up to arms about this.

Something like this is like the time before Pax Heros. I don't want to sound dramatic, but is it the beginning of the end for this era?

* * *

After an hour or two, Kendo and I leave, saying goodbye to our friends. We have to study for our test, which isn't canceled, but I'm not complaining. Along the way to the exit, we find a little class of Heroes. Their costumes are tattered, stained with dirt and blood. The look on their faces are utter exhaustion, but there's a small light in their eyes. From knowing that they survived? Or the fact that they fought actual Villains? I'd bet it's both. Midoriya's in the front of the class, while Ojiro and Hagakure are in the back.

"You know, I wanna lie down in my bed and never get up," Ashido tells Kaminari and Kirishima. (Is it me, or does a lot of people have last names that start with "K"?) Kaminari tiredly nods, his arms hanging low.

"I'm pretty sure we have school tomorrow," Sero says, groaning. He's right, the school didn't announce that tomorrow would be canceled. Again, I'm not complaining, but Mister Aizawa and Thirteen are out for who knows how long. (Also, why is the entire class groaning, including Kendo?)

"Let's not act like this! It's another day of education! It'll be vital to our growth as responsible Pro Heroes!" Iida tries to reprimand everyone for groaning, but they groan even louder. (Even Kendo for some reason!) He puts his robot arm down to his side, defeated.

"If anything, U.A. should teach Bakugo to be responsible," Kaminari tease-

"What the hell are you tryna say, Thunderhead?!" Bakugo pushes through the crowd and gets real close to Kaminari's face. Some of them are laughing, while some are shaking their heads in disappointment.

"Uhm… uh… hmm," Kaminari stumbles, looking around for any help. He's not getting any help from his classmates. A defeated look grows, but then he sees Kendo and I. We're standing on the other side of the hallway, silently watching them. He manages, with the small space in between him and Bakugo, to point at us. "It's the martial arts duo! What're you doing here?"

1-A takes their attention off of these two and onto us. Hagakure does a cute little wave. (I'm so glad she has gloves on, or else I wouldn't be able to tell.) I take a step forward, talking first. "We were going home. Nice to see that all of you are alive and well."

Ojiro nods, his tail drooping slightly. "It was really stressful. You should have seen the Villains' leader, Inochi. He really hurt Mister Aizawa." At the mention of him, everyone sighs (except for Bakugo and Todoroki).

"But because of him, all of us are safe!" Uraraka exclaims, smiling brightly. Heh, she's exactly how I'd imagine her to be. Bubbly, cheerful, and innocent. I see why Midoriya wears his nickname proud. Who wouldn't, if she was telling you that?

"Yeah, All Might saved us in the nick of time." Midoriya adds, looking at his right hand. I heard that All Might defeated that monster. Said "Plus Ultra" and everything too. He saved 1-A just in time… That's why he's the world's greatest Pro Hero.

"That's great, Midoriya. Anyway, we gotta get going. Have a good day, you all!" Kendo says goodbye, dragging me along with her I try my best to say goodbye before we leave 1-A behind to their own devices, but all that comes out is a jumble of words. The reason why she's nearly dislocating my arm is because of Tokage. She's our ride out of here because, supposedly, "there's an army of reporters ready to tear the U.A. Barrier down".

Once we go outside… she's completely right. It seems like all of Japan's reporters are here! It's triple the size from the other day. Principal Nezu and a few other staff members are trying to calm them down, but a beast like this cannot be tamed. I say, full of dread, "...Kendo, you might want to think about what coffin I should be in."

"Don't be so dramatic. Come on, Yui and Tokage are waiting for us. They're at the side exit," Kendo points to the right. One, there's a side exit? Two, if there's a side exit, how did none of the reporters go there? Without my questions being answered, Kendo leads me off to the right of the building.

We pass some students, some statues of famous Pro Heroes (one of them being Master Kendo), and the like, we reach the side exit. Well, if someone can call it that. It's a drop-off zone for trucks. There's a small gate, large enough for one, and behind that is a bigger gate akin to the U.A. Barrier. In one of the parking spots is a nice, luxurious black car. Kodai, Tokage, and her father are waiting on the sidewalk. (They're silent.)

We approach them. There's no one but us. No workers, no staff, no students, no one. It's silent, eerily silent. I'd expect someone else would be here, but it's just us.

Mister Tokage sees us. He puts his phone in his pocket and glares at us. Wait, he's glaring at _me_. Crap, it seems like I need that coffin! I stop in my tracks and look away, trying to avoid his gaze. His footsteps get closer and closer, before I can see only his black suit, not daring to look up at his face. Kendo asks, her voice worried, "W-What's going on?"

He-?!

_GHRK!_

"Inochi!"

"Dad?!"

Geh… What… What the hell…? Why… Why did he punch me? It hurt a lot too. He's so much stronger than he looks. Kendo and Kodai run to my side, picking me up. I feel blood coming out of my mouth. Tokage gets in front of her dad. His face is expressionless, only staring down at his bloody hand. Stoically, he pulls out a red fabric of some kind and wipes the blood off.

Kendo yells at Mister Tokage, "Why the _fuck_ did you punch him?!" I try to grab her shoulder, but Kodai doesn't let me. Or… I think I'm too weak at the moment… Tokage defensively puts her hands up, while Mister Tokage continues to not react. He's still cleaning the blood off of his knuckles, my blood.

Tokage pleads, "Kendo, give him a chance to explai-"

"Sorry," Mister Tokage simply says, giving another piece of fabric to Kodai. She starts wiping the blood off of me. "My outburst wasn't apart of the plan, but I am unhappy with you, Inochi. Don't ruin my daughter's future, the very thing we worked so hard for, with these tricks you two festered. Remember, you were never meant to be in the Hero Course. With my say, you can and will be taken off."

…

Kendo puts her fists down and turns to me, asking in disbelief, "What does he mean, Inochi?"

Tokage asks me too, with the same face of shock, "Is it true?"

"Inochi…" Kodai's voice trails off, holding the fabric in her hand.

Without a word, Mister Tokage takes it from Kodai and leaves, leaving me with them. The secret's out, now. It's out... Honestly, I don't know how I should feel, especially about Mister Tokage. That's a different matter completely. I sigh, looking at the three of them. It all started before the Golden Week event, when Mister Tokage asked me to stay behind in the car.

"_You were never meant to be in the Hero Course, Mister Inochi. You scored well on the written portion and the practical portion of the Entrance Exam. Normally, that would put you in the Hero Course, but there was one issue. Investors, including me, had one stipulation that U.A. had to follow if they want to receive our funding. No Quirkless, legally or otherwise, should be brought into the Hero Courses. We had this rule because we wanted to ensure the best candidates for the program._

_That also means that, yes, there was Quirkless students before you, but they were few in numbers, and all of them were involved in Support and Management, not the General and Hero Course. So, Mister Inochi, you are the first legally Quirkless man training to be a Pro Hero. First in history._

_It should have been impossible, but impossibility doesn't account for human input. In this case, animal input. Principal Nezu, of all people, accidentally added you to 1-B's roster, when you were supposed to be in Class 1-E. How no one caught on to this? No one knows. Nonetheless, we, the investors, found out on the first day of school. We demanded that you would be taken out of 1-B, but Nezu refused. _

_He said, 'Watch him, why don't you? If he shows great qualities of a Hero, then he should stay in! If not, I'll yank him out! Simple as that!' _

_And so, we did. So far, you shown potential, but you are still under heavy watch. If you wish to remain in the Hero Course, then you have to continue to impress us and remain in our good graces. If not, you will be removed without hesitation. Do you understand, Mister Inochi?"_

"_I… I understand. Thank you, for telling me."_

Kendo yells, bringing me back, "Inochi! Answer us! Explain to me, why the hell you weren't meant to be in the Hero Course?!" Tokage and Kodai have betrayed looks on their faces. I never knew they would look at me like that.

"It's why he held me back on the day of the Golden Week event. I lied to you, when I said he interrogated me about Tokage." I start the explanation, leaning against a wall. Kendo and Tokage glance at each other, then at me. "U.A.'s investors, including him, had a rule for people who passed the Entrance Exam: No Quirkless allowed in the Hero Course."

"How did you get in, then?" Kodai asks. I would be happy that she's saying more than one word, but now's not the time.

"There was a mistake with my placement. Instead of 1-E, a General Department class, somehow, I was put into 1-B. I'm only here because of luck. And, if I want to stay here, then I have to impress them, show them that I belong here," I finish my explanation. There, finally got out with it. Tokage doesn't say anything. She hides herself behind her hair again, not wanting to speak to me. It's not out of anger, I can tell when she's angry, but out of shame. Kodai goes back to her silent self again.

Kendo is the only one who could say anything, "Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. Do you not trust us?" I knew she would say that. She doesn't sound angry in me, just disappointed.

I sigh, staring at the ground. "I do, but I don't want to burden all of you with my issues. It's selfish of me. Especially since Suzuki came along, Kendo. You were so determined to beat him that I never bothered to think about what Mister Tokage said."

"If I had known, I would have made you the center of everything! You wouldn't have to worry about getting kicked out, because I know you can wow them once and never look back again!" Kendo goes into hypotheticals. She could be right, could be wrong, but does it matter? No, and she should know that I hate attention.

I argue, not raising my voice, "You know that I hate attention, Kendo. I don't like when I walk down the street, someone would point me out. It's not for me. There's other people more deserving of it."

Unlike me, Kendo's raising her voice. "My God, can you stop going about being selfless?! I admire it, but selfishness is necessary sometimes! You need it if you want to get ahead, especially in a competitive school like this. I only want to help you, Inochi!" Kendo gets closer to me. I can barely see the tip of her shoes, still not looking up.

I mutter under my breath, "I only want to help you, too…"

"Guys, we should get going now," Tokage tells us. Kodai, surprisingly, says the same thing. I nod, getting off of the wall. In silence, we walk to Haruto's car. He's waiting inside for us, not saving a word. Tokage sits in the front with him while the rest of us sit in the back. Kodai is between Kendo and I, which is a good thing. I would have to deal with her back home, not in the car. Maybe Master Kendo and Hayami too.

Haruto starts driving. U.A. gets distant. We take the other way from the reporters blocking the road. The city goes by again. There's a large amount of traffic going into U.A., parents who want to pick their kids up. I look out the window, not looking at anything, really. We're not talking too, so it's a quiet ride back home.

A quiet ride, with nothing happening.

Kendo and I are the first stop. We get out of the car, saying goodbye to Kodai and Tokage. Hayami and Master Kendo are waiting for us outside. They, well, Hayami greets us with hugs. She says that she's glad that we're safe. Her eyes cock up a little, noticing the uneasy rift, but she doesn't bring it up. Master Kendo complains that we should have fought the Villains instead, which prompts Hayami to smack him for the umpteenth time.

We go inside after that. My body feels a bit heavier from exhaustion, but it's not going to stop me from training tonight, punching everything out of me. I put my things down, taking my shoes off, the usual routine. Thankfully, it's a calm evening. Kendo and I don't say a word to each other about what happened. All four of us sit around in the living room watching the news, who're investigating the Villains. From interrogations, the grunt Villains remain loyal to the leader, who's named Tomura Shigaraki. He's leading the League of Villains, as some grunts stated. He's public enemy number one now.

When it's curfew, we go upstairs while Master Kendo and Hayami talk in the living room. I think they're talking about us. I go into my roo-

"Inochi," Kendo gets my attention. I turn to her with my undivided attention. "Sorry for yelling at you earlier." She forgives me? Just like that? I thought I'll have another round of scolding or the silent treatment.

"It's fine," I accept it, smiling like I always do, "I don't blame you. It was a bit of a jerk move on my part, but thank you for not telling Hayami and Master Kendo." Kendo hums, smiling- No, she's smirking. Oh, this is why she didn't scold me. She has something else in mind.

"It is and thanks, but I'm helping you stay in 1-B. You know how? Two words: Sports Festival. It's coming up in a few weeks. We're going to train together, whether you like it or not," she tells me her good-willed intentions.

I laugh slightly. "Kend-"

She interrupts me, "Don't tell me that it isn't my problem. We'll show Mister Tokage and the rest of the investors that you can be a great Hero. Face it, Inochi, you're stuck with your sidekick for a long time."

…

Heh, how the tables have turned? "Alright, you win… _Sidekick_," I tease her before quickly going into my room and locking the door. Immediately, she tries to open it.

"You asshole! You were supposed to say that I'm not!"

"I can't hear you, Sidekick! There's a door between us!"

"Open this door or I'll-!"


	15. Life of An Heiress

**Yoo hoo, day 4 I believe. In the Sports Festival Arc, there's two separate conflicts to be taken care of. The Sports Festival itself and it resolves a previous conflict between two characters. Well, resolving somewhat. The Mature rating will make sense in tomorrow's set of chapters, but today simply sets things up for that. Soo...yeah. Things are gonna start ramping up. **

**With tomorrow's Arc, it's the most of the Risai Tatchikutsu/Catharsis Arc, which stands as 1-B's version of Stain. Anyway, that's it.**

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"How are we supposed to save them?"

"Let's throw them off the roof!"

"Guys… we're on the gro-"

"No! We should gently drop them from the roof."

"We're still on th-"

"What's the damn difference?!"

"It's like an egg! If you chuck an egg, it'll crack. If you gently drop it, it won't."

"They'll crack either way, Tsuburaba."

"Are you an egg expert, Rin?!"

"I'm a common sense expert."

Kendo is completely aghast from this super stupid conversation. She bellows out a loud groan like a dragon, turning her eyes towards me in disgust of our "smart" classmates. She begs me, practically on her knees (I wish she actually was), "Tokage, got any ideas? Half the class is up there, and I don't want to sound rude, but it's mainly the smart people." (Ah, look at her being a bit arrogant! It's adorable!)

I bat my hand playfully, like the progedic genius I am, "Psh, I already know what to do! Shiozaki can make a net outta her hair. She can dig it into the ground or something along those lines, because hair is surprisingly strong, even more so if said hair doubles as a Quirk Factor. Not to mention it feels like the finest silk..." I let out a dreamy sigh, putting my hands on my cheeks.

Hearing her sweet name, Shiozaki walks over in her white robe. It's flowy, leaving her shoulders bare. She's a Catholic girl, so I'm surprised she's willing to show that much skin. Not that I mind, hehe. Especially since the top of her breasts are showing just slightly. My favorite part of her costume is those boots. Not only it's badass, it's freaking beautiful! It's in direct contrast with mine, being a skintight suit. My curvy body is visible to the world! (Too bad only men oogles me. Hopefully I can find a girl like me, but Shiozaki still has my heart in the meantime.)

"You spoke of me?" she asks with a voice that's absolute honey. Kendo gives me her usual tomboyish eyeroll, annoyed by my crush. Hmph, she won't be singing the same tune once she admits her own crush. Anyway! We look at the pure goddess herself!

"Yup. We're saving Inochi and the others by your hair. Can you make a large net in front of the building?" Kendo asks her, going along with my plan. Also, I love the fact that she said "Inochi and the others". That goes to show who she value the most! Then again, we known him for much longer than the rest of our class.

Shiozaki nods, and she was about to walk up if it wasn't for the others. They butt into the conversation completely sick of each other. Shoda's in the back, feeling ignored. Poor guy. He's surrounded by guys who argued about eggs for no damn reason.

"What's going on here?"  
"Do you guys have a different plan?"  
"Please, all of their plans are stupid."

They ask us, putting their full trust in our plan. Good, we might actually pass this test. I explain, gesturing to Shiozaki's soft, verdant hair, "Don't worry your scaly self, Rin! Shiozaki is creating a net, so everyone up top can fall down safely. All you need to do is deliver the victims to the rescue point with All Might and Thirteen."

"Alright," Rin says, looking at the others, "you heard what she said. For the love of everything good, don't do anything else. I'm mainly looking at you, Awase."

"Seriously man?!" Awase shouts, pulling his collar below his mouth. "What about Tsuburaba? He's the reason we're having an argument about fricken eggs! Look, he's not just stupid, he's plus ultra stupid!"

Tsuburaba gets nice and close to Awase, yelling, "Hey! This is coming from the guy who wore his pants backwards in eighth grade! If anything, you're just as much of an idiot as me!" No wonder these two are best friends. It's the idiot effect: Idiots attract other idiots, and they become quick friends from their mutual stupidity.

Kendo goes to say something, but I, being the competitive girl I am, speak first, "Why don't you two kiss and make up already?" Annnnd the crowd goes silent. I can hear Kendo's silent whine waiting to burst out of her. The only noise here is Shiozaki sighing. Sorry, but I _had_ to say it.

"...Let's be Heroes!" Awase answers and runs off to the building after God knows how long. At least it snapped him outta it. Everyone else decides to get their act together and follow him. We let Shiozaki go in front, clearing the space for the net. She puts her hands together and let her hair dig into the ground. After two seconds flat, it erupts from the ground on two ends. One on one end of the building, and one on the other, stretching thirty meters and a half. It connects together five meters off the ground, ten meters wide, creating a perfect safety net. Attagirl!

Kendo gestures everyone to surround it, telling them to be ready for them to fall. She yells to the victims, "ALRIGHT! YOU NEED TO JUMP DOWN! DON'T BE SCARED!" From the roof, a few heads poke out. One of them being Inochi. He looks back at the others, and presumably tells them to jump. Being a leader by example, he's the first one down. ("I CAN'T DO THIS!" That's Manga.) Inochi falls four stories, back towards the net, arms crossed diagonally, holding onto his shoulders. And with that, he's safe!

"This is like a bed…" Inochi comments, relaxing himself on the soft heaven before a couple of angels (named Rin and Awase) carry him away to the rescue point. The next person down is the sesquipedalianist Yanagi, then the silent beauty, who I carry along with Kendo. Next is the dark one whose name cannot be uttered by any mortal man. By muttering his name, the whole world could be in grave peril!

And after that is my pure and innocent daughter, Pony! Her (soon-to-be) angsty and moody boyfriend, Kamakiri, follows after. The calm, ikeman drops down from the skies. Of course, the scheming and conniving, self-proclaimed Phantom Thief, falls after him. The scared, terrified, nerdy Manga crashes down like a rock! He survives! Well, his body did. Not sure about his mind. (Man, Kendo is bragging by carrying him and Monoma all by herself!)

Now, it's time for the two, who could break the net. The skeleton man does a swan dive into a roll, stretching the net to its limits. (Why the hell would Honenuki do that?!) It takes three guys to carry him because of his metal armor. The beast, that is not out to destroy the world nor aim to bring sin, does a simple fall like Inochi. Luckily, the net holds together! Jurota gets carried, like a king, to the rescue point. That's all the victims!

The rest of us gather around Thirteen and All Might. There's no Villains or Shigaraki here to kill us, unfortunately. I wanted to show those Villains what Setsuna Tokage is made of, but that won't be happening any time soon. And to be honest, Dad would sue the school to kingdom come if I died. Anyhow, All Might and Thirteen!

Thirteen tells us the results, "The rescuers mostly did well, aside from Tsuburaba, Awase, Rin, and Tetsutetsu. All of you must realize that you are meant to help and assist others, rather than arguing about silly things! For that, you must take a grade reduction. As for you, Tokage, your plan and knowledge of your classmates' Quirks are flawless. It would have been perfect if all of the rescuers acted quickly and swiftly."

All Might nods, putting his clenched fists on his hips. He turns towards the four boys, who look disappointed in themselves. "Do not be so distraught, young men! This is only your first two months in U.A., after all! You'll be whipped up into proper Heroes in no time!" The boys nod in unison, saying that they will.

He turns to the whole class with his superhero smile. Thirteen presses a red button on their suit. All around the Ruins Zone comes inflatable dummies of all shapes and sizes. Children, women, men, even cats and dogs! Pigs too! (So cute!) There's a red button on their backs that says, "SAVE!"

All Might explains, "This is your next exercise! One hundred dummies are situated all over the Ruins Zone. You have five minutes to save at least eighty dummies. You can save them by pressing that little red button on their backs. It sounds easy, correct? However…"

_STOMP STOMP!_

A legion of robots, the same ones from the Entrance Exams, are lifted up onto the streets from an underground elevator. In the Central Plaza though… There's three massive zero-points there. I can't believe they manage to fit in U.S.J., but I guess we're dealing with them now. This should be easy though! Thanks to Dad, I managed to catch a glimpse of its design. I know where the off button is. It's in the center of its back, small, and it's disguised as one of its bolts. Pretty tough to find it.

Everyone else though, is utterly terrified. Even my poor little Kodai!

"How the heck can we beat that thing?!"

"It's game over man!"

"This is totally not a job for mushrooms!"  
"This appears to be a challenging lesson. Not only we must rescue eighty training dummies, we must combat robots akin to those fought in the Entrance Exams in a short amount of time."

All Might laughs at their fear, which isn't the best move for a teacher. Seriously, who laughs at their students? "Young ones! These robots are bloodthirsty! They will deflate any hostages in sight. So! You must decide who would be rescuing, and who would be defending against these ravenous creatures! We shall start in two minutes!"

Him and Thirteen leave the zone, going to a safe space to observe us. Kendo gathers everyone around in a circle and starts giving us numbers. We're either one or two. I happen to be two. It must be our roles: The fighters and rescuers. Knowing my Quirk, I'm more suited to be a rescuer since it's not suited for combat.

Ones: Awase, Kaibara, Kamakiri, Kendo herself, Shiozaki, Jurota, Tetsutetsu, Manga, Honenuki, Rin, and Inochi

Twos: Kuroiro, Komori, Kodai, Shoda, Pony, Tsuburaba, Bondo, Monoma, Yanagi, and myself

Kendo orders, "Number ones are the fighters! All of you must focus on taking down these robots, and don't be afraid to save some dummies along the way. Number twos are rescuers! Your job is getting the dummies inside buildings and on roofs! If there's a robot in your way, try your best to destroy it!"

She looks at the three zero-pointers and sighs. "Kamakiri, Inochi, Shiozaki, and Manga! You four will focus on those three! Lure them out into an open area and take it down! Do not let it fall on the dummies! You guys got that?!"

("Why do I have to fight that thing?!" Manga whines, but no one is listening to nerdy little him.)

"Wait!" I raise my hand, getting her attention. "Those zero-pointers have a weakness! I saw the designs myself! There's a button on the center of its back! It's small and it's disguised as one of its bolts! It'll be hard to look for it, though!"

"I'll try to press it if I can, but no promises," Inochi tells me while he's unloading a magazine of five bolts from his crossbow. He's loading his red-tipped explosive ones in. Man, I would love to watch him take those gigantic machines down. Heh, he never stops impressing me with his level of skill. U.A. is filled with students that are amazing with their Quirks, but he's the best at pushing his human body to its limits.

"I'd rather chop those cranky bastards up, Lizard Head. It's easier, and it ain't gonna waste time," Kamakiri gives me his opinion (and a flattering nickname too). Shiozaki glares at him for his colorful use of the Japanese language.

"That settles it," Shiozaki says, gesturing for Manga to come close, "Manga, you shall attack those soulless creatures from afar. I shall restrain them for Inochi and Kamakiri." Kendo nods at the four, going back to the rest of us.

"I-"

_RING RING RING!_

"Never mind! Let's go, 1-B!" Kendo enlarges her fists and charges into the impending army of murderous robots. The rest of the ones follow the pack, except for the four who're focusing on taking down the big guys. Alright! Gotta do my job!

Let's look on the rooftops! At first glance, there's ten dummies! Three children, two men, three women, two pets. They're separated on eight stable rooftops, four on each side of the road. The two sides are fifteen meters apart, well within the range for my Quirk. That's the game plan, Setsuna! Time to be a Hero!

I jump up and twist my body in the air. It splits into twenty parts. My left eye pairs up with my left hand and foot, same thing for my right! We levitate in the air, letting the whole world be revealed to us! Well, just the Ruins Zone. There's a brigade of scorpion-like robots running down the street. Jurota goes berserk and nearly takes all of them out in one charge. That's my beastly brother!

I fly my two halves to both sides of the street. It's pretty easy, to be honest. Hitting some red buttons, the dummies are illuminated by a green LED inside them, more red buttons, it's repetitive already. Within fifty-five seconds, I saved ten civilians all by myself. There's no robots that can get up here, unless they can take the stairs. Anyway, we got three minutes and fifty seconds left. I should-!

_CRASH!_

That's the beautiful sound of a zero-pointer going down. Now, to the right of me, there's seven more dummies on more rooftops, but that's closer to the two remaining zero-pointers. If Inochi and the others do their job, they won't focus on me. If not, I can always turn them off or my friends can protect me. (Maybe I should fall on purpose so Shiozaki can catch me.) And besides, I don't think anyone can have this level of accessibility as I do, maybe except for Pony.

Three minutes and thirty seconds left. Flying through the air, I go and tap these seven dummies. One of them is a pig. Every life matters, even cute little piggies. Unfortunately for me though, there's no more rooftop dummies. I reform myself on a random roof, looking over a ledge. Below me is… nothing? Huh, there should be a dummy or a robot, but there's nothing. Perhaps Thirteen and All Might purposely made blank areas where the zero-pointers can be defeat-?! Oh… one of them is coming.

"AHHHHHHH! IT'S CHASING ME! IT'S CHASING MEEEEEE! INOCHIIIIIIII!"

_STOMP STOMP STOMP!_

…

Manga's fine.

"I'M COMING! JUST KEEP RUNNING, MANGA!" Inochi shouts from down the street. He's jumping from rooftop to rooftop with his katana drawn. I give him a thumbs up, but he probably won't see me. He's too busy with saving Manga's ass from this big thing. I got nothing else to do, so I might as well watch this.

Manga and his friend pass my building. I think I saw him looking up at me for a brief moment, but I'm mainly focusing on how small I am compared to this gigantic machine. It's like an ant to a human! Manga screams, "TOKAGE! CAN YOU PLEASE DO SOMETHING!" Yup, he noticed me.

I yell back, "INOCHI GOT THIS! JUST KEEP RUNNING, MANGA!" He lets out an ungodly shriek, shaking his head in terror as he sprints away. Inochi manages to catch up with these two.

"I HATE YOU!" Man, Manga will run out of breath if he keeps yelling like that. It's not good for his throat and lungs. Inochi gets to work though, using his grappling hook to latch onto the back of the robot's neck and propelling himself forward. Then, the hook releases itself from the iron flesh after a second or two in the air… Oh! Smart man! He's using the momentum of the pull to aid his attack!

"TAKE COVER!" Inochi warns Manga right before he starts spinning around in the air, becoming a spinning blade of death. All I see of him is a circular blur of black and white, flying towards the zero-pointer's head. From below, Manga jumps into a building a few doors down to my left. Let's hope he didn't jump through a glass window, because doing that _sucks_.

_RIIIP!_

Inochi, being a badass, shaves off half the zero-pointer's head clean off, going through it with his katana guiding him. (I can't believe that sword is sharp enough!) When he comes out the other side, he twists in the air and aims his grappling hook to a nearby rooftop, firing it. He gets yanked towards it with breakneck speeds. Luckily, he rolls once he reaches the roof, softening his fall a little.

The zero-pointer comes to a sudden halt. Its red eyes start to dimmer before going black, its electrical life leaving it. It slowly falls forward, and it occurred to me that I should take cover. I hide behind a ledge before it-!

_CRAAAASH!_

Before that happens. All I see is dust and debris flying everywhere, but that's two big guys down! When everything settles, I split into ten pieces of myself and float down to where Manga's at. I put myself back together and quietly step through the open doorway. Manga's on the floor, breathing like his life depends on it. Probably does from how out of shape he is. I walk over and gently kick him in the hip. "Hey Manga, the floor isn't a good place to die on."

"Haah…. Haah… I hate you..." Manga sounds like death. No, death's grandma who was a long-time smoker. That's exactly what he sounds like. I kick him a bit harder. He doesn't react at all. Inochi, being a slowpoke, finally walks through the door. (Huh, has he always been wearing his hood and mask?)

"I'm proud of you, Manga," Inochi praises him in a soft voice. He lifts him up and throws him over his shoulder. Manga lets out one last groan before his body goes limp. Rest in peace, my friend. "Tokage, we still have one more zero-pointer. Kamakiri and Shiozaki are fighting it by themselves. Help them out while I take care of Manga."

"Roger that, samurai! See you later!" I salute before running out, splitting myself up again. Let's see, I think we have two minutes and ten seconds left. I fly up in the air, and I immediately see the last zero-pointer. Let's hurry up and get there! Shiozaki and Kamakiri are fighting it on a large open street with no dummies. Its legs are currently restrained by Shiozaki's hair. It's strong, but that thing is stronger. It'll break out soon.

Kamakiri, putting blades on his feet, is literally running vertically up the zero-pointer's leg. That's pretty clever, angsty mantis man! He reaches its chest, but it suddenly snaps out of Shiozaki's vines, shaking Kamakiri off of him. Before she can catch him, the zero-pointer uses its massive hand to bat him through a building… Okay, I think it's safe to say that Kamakiri isn't conscious at the moment!

Finally, I arrive on the scene. One minute and forty-seven seconds left! I yell at Shiozaki below me, "Restrain it some more! I'm going to turn this thing off!" She nods and puts her hands hastily together again. Her hair dives into the ground, erupting below the zero-pointer's feet. It wraps around its metal legs, entangling them together. It's not enough to make it fall, but it's enough to keep it still.

My body flies to the center of its back. Now, where's that button? I only got a small amount of time to find it before it starts moving again! I talk to myself, "Disguised as a bolt… It's sticking out just slightly… Come on, Setsuna, where is this damn thing?"

"IT'S BREAKING FREE!" Shiozaki warns me. If I can still hear her, then she's pretty close to this thing! Where is this freaking button?! Aha! There it is! It's a bit left from the center!

I shout back, "BACK AWAY! IT'S GONNA FALL!" I wait a few seconds for Shiozaki to run before I press the button. Instantly, the zero-pointer powers down. The robot wobbles forward slightly. (I really hope Shiozaki is fast enough.) Quickly, I fly away into a nearby building, reforming myself and hiding behind a wall.

_CRAAAASH!_

Damn, that was really loud! Like last time, a massive dust storm picks up, covering the entire street. Wait, I'm pretty sure there isn't any street left! It's just dirt at this point. For a Ruins Zone, these buildings are awfully sturdy despite being on its last legs.

Once the cloud clears, I vault over a broken wall. Shiozaki comes out from an alleyway, meeting up with me. She's using her hair as a makeshift filter "Hey! You okay?" Shiozaki nods, coughing slightly. She-

_Clack clack_

Kamakiri appears! He's still alive! "F-Fuck… I ain't doin' that again…" He's holding onto his chest, breathing heavily. His brooding dark cloak is all torn up! Pitfully, he limps over to us. "Lizard Head… Vines… Thanks for not bein' useless… Where's Quirkless and Cartoony?" (Does he have cute nicknames for everybody?)

"Right here, Kamakiri!" Inochi exclaims, running up with Manga still on his shoulder. "Manga passed out after we took care of our giant." He looks at the giant, which I fell, giving me a proud smile and nod.

"We should go back to All Might and Thirteen. Manga and Kamakiri are hurt, and the test is almost over," Shiozaki says, letting her hair mask fall. She's right, I think we around twenty seconds left, but I lost count.

"Welp, let's go then. I'm one hundred percent sure we passed," I tell them, leading the way back to All Might and Thirteen. Inochi tries to support Kamakiri as he walks, but he pushes him away. Aw, Kamakiri is a big, strong man who doesn't need any help! Nothing can get through his bad boy heart! Well, except for an adorable girl.

All Might and Thirteen are standing just outside the Ruins Zone, watching us on multiple TV screens. They have all sorts of notes down on their tables. Right as when we reach them, All Might hits a button. A loud bell goes off, signaling the end of the test. Thirteen sees us five and takes Manga and Kamakiri off of our hands, letting them sit on the ground. (For Manga, he's passed out.)

Like before, we gather around these two. And damn, everyone looks awful. Their costumes are dirty and ripped in places, and most of them are holding some part of their body. Out of everyone: Inochi, Shiozaki, and I aren't that injured. Inochi and Shiozaki only look dirty because their costumes are mainly white.

A minute of silence goes by as All Might is staring at a piece of paper. "Hmm," All Might makes a fake-worrying noise. I know him well enough that he's doing it for dramatic effect. "I'm afraid you…" And that's how everyone's anxiety spikes. Jeez, they should know All Might by now! He does these kind of things!

"Passed with flying colors!" All Might beams, getting a sigh of relief from everyone but me. "You all saved ninety-three civilians from those dastardly creatures! I would like to personally commend Young Kendo for her amazing leadership during this test. Unfortunately, this is the end of your training session in U.S.J.. Recovery Girl is waiting outside. Go enjoy the rest of your day, Heroes!"

We waddle ourselves to the exit where my favorite grandma is at. Inochi and Kendo are talking, like how they always do. (Apparently, Inochi only wears his hood and mask because "it looks cool".) Heh, Kendo's corset is completely ripped. A part of her back is showing, but he doesn't seem to care. Is he even a guy? What happened to hormones or general lust? It's like he isn't attracted to anything!

"Tokage, stop making that face," Kodai tells me. Her little hat is all ruffled up! I wanna hug her and never let go.

"Fine… but Kodai, did I ever confess my love to you?"

"Pervert."

She isn't wrong...

* * *

"Okay, this question was so unfair! 'How did the Rhode Island New State Statute affected society today?' I shoulda gotten full points on this one!" Tsuburaba complains to Tetsutetsu and Monoma, who aren't really paying attention to him.

Monoma takes a look at his paper and frowns. "You put one sentence down, Tsuburaba. You were supposed to write an essay." He shows him his essay, which is mastercrafted. I didn't expect any less from a theater kid. Monoma has the second-highest score, the first being yours truly.

"I studied r-really hard, and I still couldn't do it!" Tetsutetsu clenches his fist, choking up slightly. I think he's starting to cry! "I-I won't make it big as a Pro… I'm sorry for being a disappointment, Mom!"

"Cheer up, Tetsutetsu! You might not have the wits, but you _do_ have the brawn to be an amazing Hero!" Monoma tries to cheer him up, even patting him on the shoulder. Tetsutetsu sniffles, wiping his tears away with his blazer. "I'll tutor you myself, if you want."

"Th-Thank you, Monoma!" Tetsutetsu goes in for a hug, but Monoma manages to push this hunk of manly steel away. Nicely, not being a jerk about it. Mister Kan suddenly clears his throat, getting everyone's attention. This must be about the Sports Festival! It's all the talk nowadays, for a good reason too.

Mister Kan taps the board, pulling up a calendar on the screen. "Two weeks. Two weeks until the Sports Festival," he says with the date of the first-years Sports Festival circled. A silent, but excited anxiety fills the room. I can practically feel it coming off of everyone!

"The Sports Festival is an instrumental time for you all. By this event, most, if not all, of the Pro Heroes in Japan will be attending. If you are impressive enough, and you are, you will be drafted to intern under them soon after. There's only one problem though. Something worse than dates." Mister Kan clicks the calendar off of the board. A picture of… a bulldog replaces it? I mean, he's cute.

Manga gasps, breaking the silence, "An ugly dog!"

"No- Did you call my dog 'ugly'?"

(There goes the tension.)

Mister Kan puts up a picture of 1-A's roster. "I'll ignore that comment. Now, this is a roster of all students in Class 1-A. Ever since they were attacked by the League of Villains, the media is all over them. As a result, us, 1-B, are overshadowed by them. They think we are inferior to them in every way." Some of my gracious classmates are nodding their heads, commenting that the news are wrong.

He continues, "This will be a common belief if 1-A dominates the Sports Festival. That can't happen. You need to show that our class is just as powerful, if not more, as them! Not only you'll be ignored by the media, possible internships will go out the window too! For your sake, as future Pro Heroes, show them up! You got that?!"

"Yes, Mister Kan!" we answer in unison. Right after, the final bell rings. School is finally let out for the day. Monoma and Tetsutetsu, being the ones most inspired, pop out of their chairs. Monoma has that monologue look on his face again.

"Come, 1-B! We need to scope out the competition! We have to let 1-A know of their arrogance! Not only they took the attention from us during Golden Week, they also took that from U.S.J.! We cannot let them take another! Follow me!" Annnnd Monoma runs out the door with Tetsutetsu. Most of the boys follow after him, being knuckleheads. Meanwhile, the Vice President is sitting in his chair, being adorably confused.

Kendo shouts, "Aw, for the love of-! Come on Yui, I need to put some sense into Monoma!" She takes Kodai's hand and chases after them. At this point, pretty much everyone else just leaves except for Inochi and I. Thanks Kendo! This gives me the perfect opportunity to pop the question!

I walk up to his desk with a sly smile. "Hey, samurai! Glad that everyone left us alone! Why don't you have a little talk with me?" I ask him without giving him a choice. Taking him by the hand, we're the last ones to leave class. Mister Kan mumbles a goodbye as we walk out the door. A ton of General Department students are running towards 1-A's class, some of them being from 1-D. (I think one of them's blind!)

Unfortunately, the exit is also in that direction. We start walking, letting the students dash by us. "So… Uhm, is this about your dad? Since… You know," Inochi questions, reminding me what happened after the "U.S.J. Incident" as the news is calling it. Ugh, I told him and Kendo that Dad was pretty angry once he heard what happened in U.S.J.. It's why he punched Inochi, not because we were fake-dating. And he didn't mean to threaten his place in U.A. too! Inochi listened, but Kendo didn't.

I answer, "Well-" I get interrupted by the massive crowd of people outside 1-A's classroom. They're huddled just outside the door. Tetsutetsu is yelling about how they shouldn't be arrogant, Monoma is taunting them, so is Pony, and Shiozaki is silently judging them with an icy stare. Kendo, being the mom of the group, is trying to drag these idiots (not Pony and Shiozaki) somewhere that isn't here. That's just the people I can see at first glance though… Man, Mister Kan fired everyone up, didn't he? I see a lot more General Department students, like the zombie-looking guy.

"Yo, Quirkless and Lizard," a tan-skinned girl, with a ton of leg muscles, calls us over. I recognize her! It's Gera Rudolphus, a German exchange student. She speaks near-perfect Japanese with a bit of an accent. Yibiju is next to her. She's an emotionless girl with bright purple hair.. She gives me the same vibes as Kodai. Unlike everyone else, these two are off to the side.

"Gera. Yibiju. Where's Suzuki in all of this?" Dang, Inochi didn't even say 'hello', just cutting to the chase. Gera cocks a slight smirk, being amused for some reason. I'm not one to spread rumors, but I'm pretty sure this girl is related to Miruko one way or another. These two are so similar that I need ten pages to list them all.

Gera answers, "Taunting 1-A like everyone else. Since your friends also came over, he'll look for you with his annoying four pricks. I would get the hell outta dodge if I were you. Mantora isn't here to stop Suzuki 'cause he's with Recovery Girl." Inochi nods and sighs, turning to me. Guess we're running away.

"Let's go. I'd rather not talk to Suzuki today," he tells me. I hold his hand as he leads the way this time. We quickly scurry pass the crowd, weaving around the people on the outer edge. I catch a glimpse of Suzuki and his merry band and- Oh shoot, Kazeha is looking at us. She's getting his attention! I tug on Inochi's shirt, signaling him to walk faster.

"Inochi?! Come back here!" That's the devilish fox alright! I look behind us and see him trying to break through the crowd. Luckily, they're acting as an immovable wall! Inochi, at the sound of his voice, forces us to jog away. Once we turn a corner, we slow down to a brisk walk. When we're outside in this beautiful weather, we finally get a chance to breathe again.

Inochi groans, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. "Okay… We got that mess out of the way. Let's hope that Kendo makes it out alright… Oh! Why did you wanna talk to me, again? You had a reason."

"That's right!" I exclaim, standing in front of him. I perform the upwards stare at him, letting our eyes meet. "Inochi, would you make me the happiest woman in the world and take me to the gala?"

He doesn't react.

"Inochi?" I ask him again. Still not reacting… "Earth to Inochi, are you in there?" Nope, still nothing! Well, I'm sorry, Inochi… It had to come to this. I move to his side and, with everything I got, push him off the pillar.

_Thud!_

"Ack! I'm here! I'm here!" Inochi yells after eating a face-full of concrete. He sits up and rubs his scratched-up cheek. "Ow, by the way! Why the heck do you want me to take you to the dance? I'm pretty sure there isn't any school dance, other than the Culture Festival maybe…"

I bat my hair, explaining, "The _gala_, not the dance. Next week, my dad is hosting one to showcase some technology and medical advancements. I can take a plus one to it, and that plus one is you. Don't worry, we won't be alone. Jurota's taking Yanagi. I'm not sure who Momo is taking, maybe Jiro."

Inochi slaps himself on the cheeks, leaving two _very _visible handprints on it. (That must be painful.) "You…" he says, shaking his head like he's going crazy, "want me? Why? Your father probably hates me at this point! It sounds like a horrible idea to go to his gala of all things! That, and I don't have a fancy suit! I-"

I put a finger on his lips, shushing him. "One: This is a great way to get on my dad's good side. Show him that you're a responsible person and have the potential to be a great : I can get you the best suit in Musutafu. And three: I'm not giving you a choice."

After a few seconds of silence, Inochi sighs and looks away. "Fine…" Inochi caves in, letting me have control over his life. Good, not only Kendo's forcing him, I am too! If that doesn't say "friendship", I don't know what does! "Imagine what Kendo will think about this… I'm not looking forward to it…"

I giggle, sitting next to him. "She'll be more than happy." Inochi buries his face in his hands, contemplating his life in them. Looks like my part of _Operation Samurai Heart _is going well! I know Dad wants to make things up with him, so I'm knocking out two birds with one stone. After the gala, it's all up to Kendo, and maybe Kodai, to shape up Inochi for the Sports Festival. It'll be up to him to wow the world.

For right now, we wait for Kendo to come out. I'm letting myself imagine what kind of suit would look good with Inochi. Definitely a clown costume.

* * *

"Do you think Mister Inochi is getting cold feet? We've been waiting here for almost twenty minutes," Haruto asks, looking out the window for any signs of him. I look out too, and there's nothing that looks like a cute man. I texted Kendo earlier, and she said that Inochi is almost ready. "Almost" shouldn't be twenty minutes. The moon is already out! We'll be late at this rate.

I sigh, answering, "Knowing him, his feet aren't the only thing cold. Aup, there he is!" The door finally opens, and Inochi is literally being pushed out by Kendo and her mom. Master Kendo is behind them being an amused and adorable old man. At the very least, Inochi is wearing the suit I brought him. He would look dashing if he wasn't struggling to walk.

He's wearing an expensive two-piece suit. The suit jacket and dress pants are white. His undershirt is black with gold oriental decals. As for its state… The collar is nicely folded, good. His white tie is properly tied with the right knot. (I bet Kendo's mom tied it for him.) A red piece of fabric, like what Dad carries, is neatly folded in his right chest pocket. Let's look at his shoes! Black dress shoes, laces are tied, can't see his socks, but I'm assuming they're great and matching! Inochi, on the outside, is ready for this gala! In the inside, though?

_Click!_

Kendo's mom opens the door, carrying Inochi by his collar with her other hand. "Get inside, Sanji! You're not backing out of this at the last second!" Like an absolute machine, she throws him inside. "Enjoy the damn gala! Nice to see you, Tokage."

Man, now I understand where Kendo gets her personality from. (How does Inochi deal with two Kendo's at the same time?) Annnnyway, I give her mom a cute little wave. She waves back and loudly slams the door. (I thought she was gonna break it…) Haruto locks the doors on the inside, so Inochi is stuck with us!

"Haaah… I'm trapped…" Inochi lays back in his seat. Slowly, like a man who doesn't have anything to live for, he puts on his seatbelt. Haruto does his friendly greeting per the usual, but my date is currently braindead.

Haruto announces, "Next destination: Musutafu City Hall."

* * *

At Musutafu City Hall, it's a grand place. It's right in the center of the city. There's lush green grass with specially-designed sprinklers that does a variety of watershows. Naturally, there's a sign that prevents people from walking on it. (In my opinion, it's a bit ridiculous since grass is made to be walked on.)

The grass, probably doesn't fit the requirements to be called a "park", surround the main attraction: The city hall. A large marble pathway leads up to the main entrance. Along the pathway is statues of famous Pro Heroes much like in U.A., but this has other prominent figures like lawmakers and leaders. What's neat is, in case of rain or snow, the pathway has double awnings that transform it into a tunnel of sorts.

The city hall itself is made with all sorts of stone. The architecture takes inspiration from the Victorian era with a Japanese twist. It makes it obvious which building is the city hall, from the large stone sign that says "MUSUTAFU CITY HALL" placed above the main entrance, or the fact that there's another bronze sign right on the grass. The other buildings are embassies for other countries.

Since this city prides itself on having the best Hero school in Japan, there's a ton of Pro Hero agencies in the area. Obviously, these agencies are top-notch, belonging to high-ranking Heroes to "maintain the city's image". If I'm being honest here, this is one big boast to foreigners. It's like, "Oh hey, look at all this cool stuff! We have so much better Heroes than you have! Look at our incredibly low crime rate! Ignore the fact that our suicide and bullying rates are one of the highest in the world!"

I mean, seriously. That's my only complaint with society today. Let's see: Pony, Inochi, Kamakiri, and Manga. Almost one-fifth of my class have been bullied. Not just from middle school, but from the media as well. Prime example: Inochi and Kamakiri. Before the U.S.J. Incident, these two were being dragged through the mud for "not having the suitable traits". Now, 1-A is their target. They get mostly praise, but U.A. itself is getting negativity for not having the best security. Ugh, they're like flies buzzing around rotten meat.

Anyway, that's enough ranting in my head. I have a gala to crash.

Inochi gets out of the car first and opens my door. (He finally got his head together.) He extends his hand out, bowing slightly. "My queen, we have a gala to attend." I smile, taking his hand. We take our first steps on the marble path. Haruto tells us to have a good time before he remotely closes the door, driving away. I lock arms with my knight, walking in rhythm along the shiny path.

We blend in with the others. Those being reporters, investors, businessmen and women, support scientists, politicians, all adults. I'm glad for the fact that Inochi is a mature man behind that goofiness. If he wasn't on the news, then almost everyone here would assume he's a college student studying engineering or the son of a rich man. But, life doesn't work like that. Especially since I catch a couple set of eyes observing us. Two men. In fact, I recognize them. After all, there's only one French man who-

"Rascals! Ruffians! C'est le destin!" The Count runs up to us, shoving any poor sap away. He squeezes himself in between Inochi and I, putting his arms around our shoulders. You know, if he did this to two kids that are not us, he would be in jail. Grandmaster, in complete contrast with his partner, calmly walks over with his cane comfortably in his left hand.

"Oh! Uhm… hello again! I didn't expect you two would be at the gala," Inochi says, squirming slightly, being underneath Count's arm and all. This only prompted him to bring us closer to him. For a man wearing a completely black suit (literally everything), he's awfully vibrant. Kuroiro should take a page outta his book.

"Well," Grandmaster starts, shooting a gaze of disapproval at Count, "to put it simply, we're here for a case. It's a pleasure seeing you two again, however. I assume Miss Yaoyorozu and Mister Shishida are here as well? With their own tag-alongs?"

I hum and nod. "That's right! Momo is here with Jiro, while Jurota has Yanagi with him. They're waiting in the lobby for us." Grandmaster visibly takes the information in, also whacking Count's legs with his cane. He lets go of us and puts an arm around Grandmaster's shoulders instead. (It's neat seeing Grandmaster's costume doubling as a formal outfit, but it does make him stick out slightly.)

"That reminds me," Inochi tells me, putting a hand to his chin and looking down slightly, "why does your dad want you here? This gala is for adults, so it seems out-of-place for us to be here. Especially since we don't contribute anything."

"Of course you don't understand, Inochi!" I prod at his lack of business knowledge, also prodding my elbow into his arm. "It's all about appearances! For businessmen, having their kids there make them look better. All I have to do is stand by Dad's side with Mom, and chat with his friends and his friends' children."

"Huh, I can't imagine myself doing things for the sake of appearances. Is it that important?" Inochi asks with his humble innocence. Man, I wonder what made him hate doing things for himself.

"_Very_ important. You gotta show those microphone-carrying hounds what you are. I'm not fond of them, but they hold a lot of power in this world. Especially for upcoming Pro Heroes. It's why you're here, Inochi. You have to improve your appearance to my dad." The Count drags Grandmaster to us again.

Grandmaster comments, "Miss Tokage is right. The media can be your best and worst weapon. It's why this gala exists, after all. This event is nothing but a big show to them, something to sate their appetites until the next thing comes along."

Count hums in disapproval. "Let's talk about something positive for once!" he pleads, putting his head on Grandmaster's shoulders. "Even if this gala is that, Shindeka, you have to admit that this 'show' can change the technological face of the world! Well, second to I-Island of course."

Grandmaster sighs in annoyance. "Yes, I know. Developments in metaology, cancer research, Quirk equipment, new technology, the next phone, and so on. It's the same every year, Claude. Also, take your head off of my shoulders." He pushes his shoulder up, forcing Count's head off of him.

Hmm…

I whisper to Inochi, "Hey. The Count, gay or European?" His face twists up something awkward, he's shaking his head, and his hands are on his face. Those three things add up to a severely disappointed Inochi.

"Why are you like this?" he replies, sounding completely dead. Hmph, not my fault that these two men are perfect for each other. Cheerful and extroverted man paired up with a cold, calculating introvert. You know what romantics say: Opposites attract hard. (I need to research their relationship on the internet. Who knows what kind of juicy gossip lies in there?)

"You know you love that part of me," I tease him, nudging his arm again. Inochi sighs in disappointment, becoming the Grandmaster to my Count. "Anyway, we're here. Welcome to Musutafu City Hall, Sanji Inochi!"

We enter the lobby, filled with aristocrats from all over the world. It's an average sight for me. Shiny golden brown floors, bronze chandelier, walls decorated with the history of U.A. and Musutafu, waiters with silver trays of the finest campagne, it's the same old same old. Inochi though, is like a dwarf in a room full of giants.

"We'll be off. It's a pleasure to see you two again," Grandmaster says with a hand to his chest. The Count pats our backs before leaving with his partner. (I hope it's not just occupational partners.) Inochi and I wave goodbye. Let's hope they solve their case. Now, Momo and Jurota should be in here. Hmm…

"Found them," Inochi tells me, pointing towards the right side of the lobby. Yup, there they are! They're sitting lazily about. Momo looks gorgeous in her green dress, Jiro's cute wearing that punk rock get-up, Jurota is sophisticatedly mature with his black and green tuxedo, and Yanagi went all out!

If it wasn't for her odd posture, I wouldn't have recognized her! Her short, pale hair is tied up in a little bun, she's wearing a strapless, flowing bluish white dress, and with red high heels. Not to mention her tired eyes are a lot more open and alert, but that might be her make-up. On that note, it's flawless.

I scurry over there, moving around and in-between countless guys and gals. Inochi tries to follow, warning me to slow down for his sake. Right as he says that, he accidentally runs into a man. I'll let him sort that out on his own. For now, I am indulging myself in small-talk with my fellow comrades-in-training, who does not show a face of amusement in the slightest. I sit in between Jiro and Jurota, laying back in the soft chair.

Jiro twirls her earlobes around her index finger, staring at Inochi and the furious man. "Did you just leave him behind? That guy he ran into looks more than angry." Momo has a hand to her mouth, witnessing Inochi's confidence shattering into pieces. Oh man, that guy is really chewing him out.

"Eh, he'll let him go. It'll be more than messed up for a grown man to punish a teenager. Especially if said man is surrounded by media presence," I predict with complete accuracy. If this man isn't a complete idiot or an egomaniac, it'll come true. I look over to Yanagi, who's adjusting her dress. "You look fantastic, Yanagi! Almost didn't recognize ya!"

"Thank you, Tokage. Much time and energy were used for my outfit and general appearance. I am glad that you do not think ill of it. You yourself are beautiful as well," she hits me with her style of a compliment. Jurota nods along with what she says, pushing his frames up.

"Indeed, Miss Setsuna. Mister Inochi is coming, albeit… like a wandering man…" he informs me. We watch Inochi stumble up to us with his head down, arms limp. I was right! He came out of it unscathed! Physically, at least. He finds himself a chair beside a table and Yaoyorozu, sinking in it.

This is why I didn't want to come…" Inochi admits. It may have occurred to me that I brought upon his greatest fear, but I don't really care. Momo shoots me a look, but I wave it away. He'll be fine.

"Well, I'm glad I could meet you in person, Inochi. How's your shoulder?" Momo greets him, bringing her hand out. Inochi straightens himself out and shakes it, ironically with the same shoulder that Suzuki tore up.

Yanagi asks, bringing me out of Inochi's and Momo's conversation. "Tokage, if perhaps I could inquire, why did you include Inochi in your father's gala? If I am forthright, you must possess a scheme, correct?" Oh, I wish I wasn't so obvious with my plans and scheming! But, I can't help it.

I grin, showcasing my evil mastermind-like smile. "You betcha. I'm afraid I cannot disclose the details of my plan, because it's a little private. What I _can_ tell you is the name of our glorious operation that Kendo and I created. It's called: _Operation Samurai Heart_! Inochi doesn't know because Kendo wanted 'a little payback for _Dragon Fist_'. That girl can hold a grudge. Surprised she forgave me for all these years."

Luckily for me, Inochi doesn't hear a word I said. He's too busy chatting with Momo and Jiro about the U.S.J. Incident. Jurota pushes his glasses up. "It must be a major thing if you ladies are helping Mister Inochi. Anyhow, how are you? Are things with your father going well?" Jeez, Jurota asks me that every time.

"Yes, for the millionth time, Jurota!" I say, being fake-annoyed. I rest myself on the armrest facing him, letting my cheeks squish up. "Dad and I are fine! Mom too! He's just a little stressed out from U.S.J. and this gala. Everything's great on the Tokage-front."

"I dearly hope that is the case. A man like your father's possesses great power over the world. It would be a tragedy if he crumbles underneath the strain. It is only natural for Shishida to have concern," Yanagi tells me something that I already know. Everyone keeps reminding me how powerful and great Dad is. It's true, more than true, but it's really annoying.

Jurota sighs, being disappointed in something, which I don't know what. "Let's speak about something else then. Yesterday, I ran into a lady-"

And I interrupt him, "Did you get her number?" Jurota and Yanagi has equally annoyed looks on their faces. Hehe, I'll never stop disappointing people. Jurota lays back in his chair and sighs out a "no".

He continues on with his love story, "As I was saying... She was a second-year in the Hero Course, 2-A. She recognized me and walked up with such anger that I couldn't comprehend why she held this fury. This woman got uncomfortably close and said your name, then something incredibly vulgar. You do not want to know what she said. I didn't know a woman could put those words together."

…

That was not a love story. Sounds more like an angsty young adult story centered around spite. I pry, "Uhm… Who was this girl? I generally annoy people, but I don't piss them off unless I'm in a fight."

Jurota answers, "I didn't catch her name, unfortunately. She had light brown hair in a bob cut with an ahoge, fair skin, and jade eyes. But, I think her hair was a wig though, I wasn't sure. Do you recall any women who looked like that?" Hmm, that description doesn't ring a bell. I don't know anyone who wears a wig, let alone looking like that.

So, I shake my head. "Nope. I don't know anyone who looks like that. Maybe she's a jealous girl, I don't know. Oh wait, she's a second-year, isn't she? Why would she be jealous? Eh, it's not an urgent mystery, let's not think about this," I suggest (mainly for myself), shrugging my shoulders.

"Tokage," Jiro gets my attention. I sit up in my chair, turning to this cute punk. "Should we head in the conference room? The gala is about to start in thirty minutes." Right, us rich kids have a job to do.

"Mhm! Lead us, beautiful Momo!" I command, standing out of my seat. Jiro's face goes through shock then jealousy in a second. (I might not be the only one.) Momo, being a fantastic leader, stands up and leads the pack. We follow her like a band of misfits, Momo at the front, us four at the back. We're infiltrating the gala. What's our mission? Look good, talk good, be good. That's our job, being precious little kids.

We enter the conference room. It's the size of a small theater, filled with seats neatly made in rows and columns There's tables off to the side for food and drinks, and the stage is at the front. A dark blue curtain with "Tokage Industries" is stamped on it. A single, lonely wooden pedestal stands on the stage.

Some of the adults are making their way in, getting themselves seated and getting something to snack on while they wait. I see Dad to the left of the stage, talking to some of his friends and advisors, including Momo's dad and Jurota's too. I bet he's saying I'll be great in the Sports Festival. He's counting on me to bring home the gold.

Now, it's no question where our seats are at. Being children of rich businessmen and our pus ones, we have our assigned seats at the front. "We'll be the face of the future," Dad always said. Quite literally too, because the news will take a picture with all six of us in it. I'm so glad that Dad didn't let the reporters interview us. Imagine all the chaos… For Momo and Jiro especially…

"I'm getting something to drink," Jiro tells us, going off to a table. Momo goes with her, then Jurota, and Yanagi. Inochi shrugs and goes with them. Welp, I guess we all got thirsty at the same time. I go with them, getting a nice cold glass of sparkling apple cider imported from France.

"So, uhm, how do I… 'improve my appearance' to your dad?" Inochi asks me before taking a sip. "Holy crap, this is amazing! How could French people turn apples into this masterpiece?!" He's such a goof.

I reply, drinking my own masterpiece, "Well, go ahead and greet him. All by yourself. He respects a man who does things out of his own volition. You got that, Inochi?" A few seconds of silence goes by. "Inochi?"

"...Yeah, I'm Inochi… Inochi's here," he speaks in a spaced out tone, putting a hand to his cheek. That's where Dad punched him… As much as I don't want Inochi to go off on his own, this is the best way. What can I say to get rid of that anxiety of his? I-?!

"Setsuna!"

Oh God, he's here. I was hoping he wouldn't be here, but of course he is…

Okichi Tokugawa stands in front of Inochi and I. (His presence broke Inochi out of his trance.) He's wearing his gaudy tuxedo that is so unflattering. I just want to slap his vomit green hair out of my face. He sideways-glare at Inochi, whispering (just loud enough that he can hear), "Did you really come to your dad's gala with this man? He has such a lowly stature and worth."

Inochi sighs and brings his hand out. He introduces himself, "This man is called Sanji Inochi. Pleasure to meet…?" Okichi huffs and looks away, completely ignoring him. Yeah... for Inochi, this guy would be a rich, snooty version of Suzuki.

I sigh, letting my apple cider drown my cringe away. "He's Okichi Tokugawa. And-"

Okichi, being an asshole, decides to cut in, "And, once we be of age, I would be her husband." And of course he would say _that_! He's going to go on and on about our arranged marriage. I know it's for the good of the company, but why him? I would never love him, and not because I'm a lesbian, but because he's the kind of person to marry himself. Ugh, I'm doing it for Dad...

Inochi almost does a spit take from the news. He swallows his cider and gently puts down his glass, leaning back against the table for support. "Excuse me, but _what_?! You're… You're going to marry Tokage?"

Okichi explains after laughing like an idiot, "An arranged Quirk Marriage, correct. My Quirk, at will, allows me to hear nigh-everything. Coupled with Setsuna's, it'll be the ultimate espionage Quirk! It's a shame that can't use your own. It seems like genetics weren't the kindest to you. Don't worry, I'll take care of my future wife."

Inochi scoffs, crossing his arms and looking away. Okichi looks offended that someone is challenging his, near zero, status. He doesn't realize just how many ways Inochi could kill him. I say, supporting him, "Okichi, you do realize that he's being trained by _the_ Master Kendo, right? You know that his Quirk lets him be a master at anything physical, _right_?"

Before Okichi responds, Inochi does instead, "This is a broken record at this point…" He puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to your dad. Wish me luck." And he walks away. Okichi smirks and watches him leave. He takes a glass of cider and drinks it in the richest way possible. (I swear, it's like Monoma's dramatics taken up to eleven.)

"Hmph, guess he isn't a big man," Okichi insults him before turning his nasty eyes towards me. "Now, we're alon-"

"Nope." I gently push him aside, going over to my friends who'll protect me. At least he knows when to take a hint, because he walks away. I'm glad Jurota and Momo aren't roped into arranged marriages. I shift the cider around in my glass, the same thing that wine tasters do for some reason.

There's Inochi, talking with my dad. He picked a good moment too, not interrupting a conversation, both of them are alone. At least he's smart in that regard. Momo finishes her glass and puts it on the table. "Come on, let's find our seats. The gala is about to start," she ushers us.

I finish my glass too, following Momo and the others to the front. Our names are labeled on them, thank God for convenience. We sit in our assigned seats. Inochi's seat is right next to mine, so it'll be a bit empty. I check the clock, and the gala'll start in about ten or so minutes. We pass the time by quietly talking to each other while everyone gets seated. Unluckily for me, Okichi is seated right behind me. What luck…

Thankfully, the ten minutes went by like a breeze. Dad shakes Inochi's hand and starts walking up the stage. For some reason, Inochi's not going back to his seat. He's staying by the stage. I give him a weird look, but he just shrugs. Damn it all… The lights dim, letting the spotlight be on Dad. He straightens a stack of paper and leans in the microphone slightly.

"Thank you, thank all of you for being here for this year's gala. I am proud to have many companies display their technological and medical advances to further bring peace and prosperity to our world. The credit shouldn't be given to me, but to the engineers, the doctors, the researchers, the minds who made the impossible into reality.

"Now, from my company, as you all know, has a little of everything. Producing support items for Pro Heroes, aiding the police by enhancing their security, medical research of all kinds, the list goes on. One of the branches is metaology, the study of Quirks. As you know, they're the very foundation of our society today.

"Now, one day, my lead scientist, Sakata Ito, came to my office with a theory. He told me that he possibly found a way to modify our genes that make up our Quirks. It was, at the time, a crazy theory. The mere thought of rearranging and twisting our own genes, to make our Quirks better artificially? It was insane, but isn't insane ideas how our ancestors created the mere concept of 'science'?

"Genetic engineering. That was what our ancestors called it before Quirks came about. It become a buried medical topic, as they had to deal with the chaos with the first appearance in Qingqing. But, consider this its renaissance. I'm here to announce that Tokage Industries are researching ways to genetically modify Quirks to make them stronger, more efficient, safer to the-"

"You bastard!"

?!

From the crowd, a man stands up. Everything goes silent. A few security guards are slowly walking over to him. Dad asks, scratching his cheek a little bit, "Is… something wrong, sir? I'm so sorry, I'm afraid I don't recognize y-"

The man shouts, red in the face, "You're the reason why my daughter's life is ruined! Because of her chemotherapy you provided, she lost the ability to use her Quirk! Meanwhile, you're here talking about changing our bodies?! Is this a fucking joke?! My daughter had to drop out of U.A., out of the Hero Course because of you! She doesn't have a future anymore!"

Dad looks around at the crowd, adjusting his tie. "Well, sir, I'm sorry-"

"'Sorry' won't fix her life," he growls and-?!

Someone yells, "HE HAS A GUN!" Before I have time to react, Jurota grabs me and throws us to the ground. He's covering me, and I think Yanagi too.

_POP POP!  
THUD!_

"He's restrained! Everyone, back away! Back away!" A strong-sounding man tells us after a few seconds of pure screaming. I didn't realize I was trying to push Jurota off until he gets up. Oh God, where's Dad?! I don't see him! He's not on the stage! All I see is two bullet holes in the curtain, but I don't see him!

"Dad!" I shout, frantically running to the stage. I almost ran my head into the ledge- Wait, why the hell am I running up to this thing?! Dad isn't here! I need to look at the sides! That's where he should be! I dart my head back and forth, and thank God! I see him! He's on the left end of the stage with Inochi! I sprint up to them, nearly tripping on my dress. "Are you two okay?! Are you hurt?!"

"I'm fine, Setsuna…" Dad gets off of the ground, dusting his suit off. He helps Inochi up on his feet. How did he get here so fast? But, I'm so glad they're okay! "Tonight wasn't supposed to be like this. Someone on the security team did not do their job correctly. If it wasn't for Mister Inochi, I would have died."

Inochi saved him? I turn to him. He's sitting on the steps with his hands on his knees. "God... All I saw was a shiny black thing. I didn't take any chances, so I just… just tackled him off the stage… I thought I'd gotten shot for sure…"

Grandmaster dashes up, not bothering to use his cane. He informs us, "Thank goodness that all of you are okay. The suspect is apprehended and will be charged with a lot of crimes. It's a shame though. Not only his daughter's future is crushed, she won't have a father to help her cope with the loss."

"What a mess," Dad mutters, pushing aside his advisors, "it appears the gala will have to be canceled and rescheduled for another time. I'll be more than glad to sure his family if need be. They ruined my event, but of course they'll shift the blame to me for some twisted logic." (That family will be ruined but… it's reasonable…)

He looks over at me and sighs. Dad gets on one knee and puts his hands on my shoulders. "But, I'm glad you're safe, Setsuna. I don't know what I'd do if you have gotten hurt. Please, give my thanks to Jurota and your friends for protecting you. Call Haruto, and he'll take you and Inochi back home."

I nod. I try to go in for a hug, but Dad moves away at the last second. I… Ugh, I shouldn't be worked up over it. I get my phone out and call Haruto.

* * *

"When I saw the sun come up, I thought to myself, 'I'll be forced to dance with Tokage underneath the moonlit sky.' I didn't expect to be a bodyguard," Inochi recaps, sitting on the steps with me. He groans and yanks on his tie. Then he goes ahead and undoes the knot. So much for looking formal… (He's still on this dancing thing?)

I giggle, taking off my heels. There, I'm going barefoot. Inochi isn't the only one who's letting loose. "For a guy named 'Inochi', your life sucks. At the very least, you'll be known as the man who saved my dad's life," I try to cheer him up, but he decides to groan at the moon like it's the cause of everything terrible.

"Knowing the media, they'll focus on the shooter. Anyway, I got something to ask you," he says, moving himself towards me. "How are you so humble? For a rich woman, you went to a public middle school. And you act so modest, despite being one of the greatest prodigies in… ever!" Heh, that means a lot coming from this doofus.

"Well, moms are awesome, what can I say? When I was growing up, Mom taught me to balance on a tightrope called 'confidence'. She did that when my schedule called for her," I answer. Inochi tilts his head slightly. Hmph, my answer wasn't good enough for him?

Inochi asks me a follow-up question, "A schedule? Like the same one for school?" Oh right, of course he doesn't know. I never told him about it. Only Jurota and Momo knows about my schedules that Dad makes for me, which is why Jurota keeps asking about my wellbeing for some reason.

"Pretty much, but for everyday life. Dad schedules things like study sessions, Mom time, break, things like that. You wouldn't understand though, it's a rich people thing. Well, things specific to the Tokage family," I tell him a simplified version of it. My schedule has a lot of stuff going on, from events, studying, training/exercising, and especially U.A. time. I can barely keep up with it since it varies from day to day, but Haruto is there as my faithful servant and close friend.

Inochi sighs, standing up. "I probably don't. But, God… Imagine the Sports Festival. Even with all the training I did with Kendo, it'll be a big challenge. It's the deciding factor if I stay in 1-B or not, even after I saved your dad's life. What about you? Think you're ready?"

I stand up too with a wide smile. "Better question: Is the world ready for me? Hehe, but seriously! You'll do great! Now, what was it about a dance under the moonlit sky? Is that how you imagined the gala?"

"...It might have been my first thought… for the past week…" Inochi admits, blushing ever so slightly. Damn, I would get my phone out, but he'll take it away with his fast reflexes! It's a rare moment for Sanji Inochi to blush, but I got an idea that'll make him blush in front of all of Japan!

"In that case, I hope you know how to dance, twinkle toes! Come on!"

"W-Woah! Wait, Tokage!"


	16. Proving Grounds

**Manga Fukidashi**

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Manga! Get your ass up! Today's the Sports Festival!" Shojo yells at me through the freaking door! Ugh! It's only an hour or so until school starts… I don't know why I have to be in this stupid festival. Grandmaster said he's planning to give me an internship. My mission is already complete, but I have to show up 1-A for some reason. They'll kill me! Especially Bakugo! He's the kind of guy who'll pick on frail nerds like me…

I shout back, "You're not Mom! You can't tell me what to do!" Shojo groans and starts to wiggle the doorknob. What is she doing?! It's locked!

"Just because you're older than me, doesn't mean I can't boss you around! So, come out and don't be a giant idiot, or I'll bring an axe and chop this door down myself!" she orders me… What did I do to deserve a sister like her? Always so bossy, so nosy, and beyond annoying. I wish I had a gorgeous sister like Shiozaki's, but I'm stuck with a nerd who's nerdier than me.

"Fine! Just give me a second, Shojo!" I yell, throwing my blanket off of me. I take my phone off of my nightstand, stumbling over to my door half-alive and half-dead. It takes a few times for me to grab the handle, but I manage. I unlock the door and slowly swing it open. Shojo's there with her hair down, her face a bit flushed. She must have read one of her ero-mangas as a morning treat again. "What did you read this time…?" I tiredly ask, yawning.

Shojo pouts for a second before she smirks. "Hmph, taking an interest in my favorite genre? You know, I can give you a few recommend-"

"Uhm, no." I stop her, pushing her face out of my way. She stumbles back, shouting about how much of an asshole I am. I ignore her, walking into the living room. The smell of salty fish fills the room. Guess Shojo decided to make her speciality breakfast: steamed rice, salty fish, miso soup, and a bunch of vegetables. Can't get more Japanese than that.

"Aren't you gonna say something? 'Thanks Shojo, for being the greatest sister in the world.' Or, 'Hey Shojo, why don't you talk about the greatest boy love manga in the history of ever?'" she complains, pinching my shoulder. I yelp in pain, which wakes me up slightly from my grogginess. "You're welcome for that."

"Ow… can you not announce that you're a fujoshi every second? Not everyone has the same fetish as you," I say, sitting on the couch and putting my phone down. I grab the remote and change the TV to a morning anime. Already seen this one a hundred times, but it doesn't get old.

"That's big talk coming from you, Manga," Shojo remarks, going into the kitchen. She comes out with a large tray of her famous breakfast, putting it on the table. "Anyway, let's eat up. I expect you to finish everything. If you don't, I'm going to put the fear of God in you, and I'm not a religious girl."

I take my chopsticks, completely unimpressed. "I can literally scream you through the wall. Even though my face is stupid, it's a great Quirk unlike yours." I put a salty fish in my mouth to prove a point. Don't know exactly how, but she should be afraid. Shojo frowns and does the same, but she nibbles on its head like a monster.

She bites its head off and boasts, "All I need is to show you one of my masterpieces. You'll cry so much that you'll lose weight. Well, what little you already have anyway. But, I won't. It's called 'Mangaka' for a reason. My job is to make you look good."

"Is that why you draw my classmates? Or is that an excuse to be creepy?" I ask, which prompts her to look fake-offended. She puts a hand to her (flat) chest and everything. Hmph. Anyway, I grab the remote again and change the channel to the news. I'll need it to check out what's going on at school.

"Your classmates are some of the best material I've gotten in months! I mean, it's just like a shonen, you know?" Shojo puts her palm out, setting up the imaginary scene. "Young teenagers striving to be heroes, but the villains are hiding behind every corner. Bonds will be tested, love will bloom, an inevitable betrayal, but the power of friendship will prove to be-"

I snap at her, "That's stupid! Our lives won't be an anime. Besides, no one in my class is gonna betray us. It'll be dumb if a student, who wants to be a Hero, is actually a Villain in disguise. U.A. does an insane amount of vetting as it is, so one can't slip through the cracks."

"I know! Don't get so offended!" she scolds me. "But besides, if there was a traitor, who would you pick? In my opinion, it's you. There's no way in hell that we're twins. My real brother is out there somewhere. He's much more stronger, and isn't afraid of his own shadow." Wha-? Just, ugh. Why is she asking me this?

"I can't be asked to answer this… What does the worst sister in the world think? _If_ it wasn't her brother?" I turn the question back to her, eating up. Shojo puts one of her chopsticks to her chin, thinking for a few seconds. A few hums later, she puts her finger up. Great, let's hear what she has to say.

She answers, "From my vast knowledge of tropes, it'll be someone who's the light of the class. They cheer everyone up, blending in perfectly, but their dark side is a complete contrast. Naturally, they'll have a mystery that's covered up by their bubbliness, so no one would think twice about it! Then, when it happens, the whole class is crushed. No one expected it to be them! But, it makes so much sense! All of the plotlines and loose ends are finally answered with this betrayal! That's why… it'll have to be none other than-"

"Katsuki Bakugo! That's my pick for the winner of today's Sports Festival!" A newscaster interrupts Shojo at the perfect moment. Oh right, I forgot that the news does this. They debate about who's gonna win. This is a great moment to get some more information about 1-A. Monoma'll be happy. (I wonder how many speeches he'll make today...)

Shojo huffs, but she listens in with me. A board of seven newscasters, or sportscasters in this case, are sitting at a curved table with a screen above their heads. The first sportscaster, who voted for Bakugo, is explaining his choice. It's mainly on his use of his Quirk, Explosions, and the number of ways it could be applied. I saw his clips during the Battle Trials. A lot of maneuverability and power… It's too good… So much better than my dumb Quirk...

The next two sportscasters also pick Bakugo as the winner. The fourth though, picks Todoroki. She explains that his Quirk is "the sheer definition of power" with his Half-Cold Half-Hot. Since he's Endeavour's son, she figures "that his genetics will carry him to victory". From Todoroki's clips, he's pretty scary too… The fifth sportscaster agrees with her, choosing Todoroki too. The sixth casts his vote on Midoriya because of "underestimated power". Man, no one is talking about 1-B! It's like they forgot we even exist-

"Talk about 1-B, you jerks!" Shojo suddenly, for no reason, shouts at the TV. She huffs and crosses her arms. At least she's carrying some class spirit, even though she isn't in my class… "Midoriya's gonna destroy his own body! He's not going to win with his Quirk! Why isn't anyone talking about 1-B?!"

I silently eat my breakfast, listening to the final sportscaster. "Okay, I think we have to address the biggest problem: 1-B and the General Courses," he finally addresses us. Shojo claps and cheers with her mouth full of rice. So disgusting...

"From 1-C, Hitoshi Shinso could be a solid contender with his Brainwashing. There's virtually no defense against his mental assault. Now, Karisuma Suzuki, from 1-D, is a massive player with Nine Tails, increasing his speed and strength. It also works against his favor as we seen during Golden Week, which was stopped by 1-A.

Which brings me back to 1-B. We forget that these students are training to be Pro Heroes along with 1-A. During Golden Week, Itsuka Kendo and Sanji Inochi defeated almost all of 1-D by themselves, Quirks and all. Neito Monoma can copy almost any Quirk, Juzo Honenuki can entrap with Softening, and plenty of other great examples. If you ask me, this class has the potential.

But, with all things considered… I'll have to pick Bakugo as the victor. Out of all of the first-years, he has little-to-none weaknesse-"

"What?! 'Little-to-none weaknesses'?! That's a load of crap!" Shojo yells, pulling back her bowl of steamed race and-!

…

Oh, she didn't throw it. She grumbles and keeps eating, drowning herself in rice. After swallowing it, she points her chopsticks at me. "Why aren't you mad about this? These guys shafted your class! They're all on the 1-A bandwagon. Just because they defeated Villains, it means they get all the attention… Watch them grow big heads after this…"

I sigh, explaining, "Shojo, I'm too tired for this. It's morning, I feel like I want to scream at the top of my lungs, and I already have an internship with Grandmaster and Count. No matter what, what happens in this Sports Festival won't affec-"

_Smack!_

"OW?!"

"You're going to show 1-A what you aren't a total loveless loser! That, hey! You can beat some of them up no matter the event! Even if you're the weakest guy in your class, the only person that can't be scaled on attractiveness, the nerd that everyone thinks is weak, that you're scared of virtually everything and everyone, and-!"

"Are you trying to motivate me or make me cry?!" I yell with tears of pain running down my weird face. She goes a bit red, looking slightly away from me. Why the hell did she decide to smack me across the head?! And why did it hurt so much?!

"I made you scream at the top of your lungs, didn't I? And besides, you can't blame your little sister for trying to help," she tries to excuse herself, but it isn't working. Did she hit me with a hammer or something? My head is throbbing so much!

"I can, and I will!" I yell, standing up and rubbing where she hit me. "Why are you so worked up about 1-B anyway?! You aren't even in my class! You're in 1-H! You're in the Support Department! I swear, I am going to drag you to the Sports Festival myself!"

Shojo stands up too, clapping her chopsticks at me. "Don't you dare! And… And these are the only other people I talked to in a year, Manga! I don't even talk to my own classmates because I'm holed up in here! Now, you will help your friends get those internships if it's the last thing you'll do!"

"It'll be the last thing I'll do! Because I'll be _dead_! Bakugo and Todoroki will kill me! Have you seen them?!" I gesture towards the TV. They're showing clips of Bakugo's and Todoroki's Battle Trials. I don't think Todoroki even used his Half-Hot side! Imagine how scary that is considering he's Endeavour's son!

"Stop complaining! Eat your damn food and get dressed!" Shojo picks up my bowl of miso soup and thrusts it into my hands. Some of the soup gets spilled all over my hands! Shit, it's hot! It's really hot!

I yell back, "You're not Mom! And my hands are on fire, Shojo!"

"Don't make me-!"

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

"Do you have your papers?"

"Yea."

"Your wallet?"

"Yea."

"What about your skin cream? You know how your skin gets when you use your Quirk."

"Ma, don't-"

"Do you have it or not?"

"...Yea."

"Good! You're going to do great in the Sports Festival, sweetheart. There's nobody quite like you," Ma says, pattin' my head. Hmph, I'm not a little kid damn it. She doesn't have the damn right to baby me around like this.

I groan, leanin' my head back. "Yea, I'm gonna woo those Heroes alright. There ain't no one quite like a murderer's son. That speaks a helluva lot 'bout bein' unique," I sarcastically say, which makes Ma's face scrunch up in pure disappointment. She sighs an' puts her palm to her forehead.

"I understand that this isn't the best thing, Togaru. I know what you're thinking, 'Those Pros are focused on the fact that I'm a Villain's son. You gotta prove those prejudiced idiots wrong, because you're so much more than that!" she tries her best to motivate me. She can't understand that it's near impossible to prove these self-righteous bastards wrong. Unlike my classmates, these people are so damn narrow-minded that I'm surprised that they didn't lynch me yet.

"Whatever, I'll do my best. I ain't layin' down an' let the entire grade walk all over me," I say, turnin' to the TV. The news is blabberin' about the Sports Festival, pickin' their favorites. All those favorites? Completely 1-A kids. Most of them are choosin' Bakugo as the winner, with a few votes towards Todoroki and Midoriya. We're pretty much chopped liver to them. Ma watches it with me, shakin' her head.

Ma complains, "Everyday, it's all about them. There's barely any talk about your class, let alone the General Course kids. They are so blind when it comes to heroic talent… especially yours." "Blind" doesn't cut close to it. There's way too much focus on these 1-A punks, but the problem is: They can back it up. Against these kids, I ain't much. What's a blade to a living nuclear warhead?

"Ma, the news is like that. Remember last week with that dad? Inochi barely got any mention. It was all 'bout that insane prick and his family bein' sued to oblivion. The Tokages are gettin' a shitton of heat for it," I remind her about that fancy pancy gala. There's even more shit too. There's "Quirk Purists" all over the damn world that decided to protest against whatever this "Quirk engineering" is. "Our pure bodies, our pure Quirks" is their slogan. Hyper-religious folks too. They give Shiozaki a run for her money.

"Mhm, and language," Ma scolds, waggin' her finger. "World's changing, Togaru, even if you can't feel it. I've never seen so many things happening in such a short amount of time. Promise me-"

"That I'll be a Hero, got it," I butt in, knowin' what she'll say. I ain't that bad of a son. Ma shakes her head and sighs, holdin' my hands. She holds them tightly, not lettin' go. "Ma, I know that look. What is it?"

She sighs, bowin' her head down slightly. "Promise me that you'll be safe. I know you'll be a great Hero, but it's dangerous. No one knows when Villains can attack, especially after the U.S.J. Incident. I care about you so much, Togaru. It worries me everyday that something bad'll happen. I-"

"I got the message," I mutter underneath my breath. Instinctively, I… uh… I hold Ma's hands too, squeezin' them as tight as I can. "Don't worry 'bout a thing, I can't die even if I want to. I swear, my classmates will find a way to resurrect me, so they can torment me for the rest of my damn life." Ma laughs, shakin' her head at me. She-

Oh, would you look at that… The news has a picture of my class up. I let go of Ma's hands, turnin' towards the TV. A smug lookin' bastard is there. A new guy, not the seven from before. He's wearing a fancy blue suit, slick back hair, probably has makeup on, the typical asshole. I'd bet he's pleasant on camera, but he's a total dick outside of it. I already know what his opinion will be: Praise 1-A and fuck 1-B. It's the same old shit.

"There is no possible way that 1-B can come close to 1-A. No. Possible. Way. Thank goodness that the majority of the team picked Bakugo as the winner, but to think that 1-B or the General Department students can match up to him and the rest of 1-A? No dice. Sure, there's a few solid students out there, they aren't much.

Like what's been said, Bakugo has no defined weaknesses, if you don't count his aggressiveness, Todoroki has a Quirk that can overwhelm anyone, Iida can outrun any opponent, Midoriya's power could end the fight in one punch, and plenty of other examples.

How about this: Let's entertain the thought of 1-B for a second. Who do they have? What did these students do compared to 1-A? All they did was fight a General Course class, which is, arguably, one of the weakest opponents a Hero Course class could fight. So, why does it matter that a Quirkless boy fought them off? It means he's not completely useless. Maybe the granddaughter of Master Kendo can do something. She can fight in close-combat, but what's that to ice or explosions? That's all she has.

What about the recommendations students? Juzo Honenuki and Setsuna Tokage. Honenuki could probably slow down a few guys, but there's a ton of counters. There's other Quirks that can alter the battlefield, _better_ Quirks, so he isn't that good. And then there's Tokage, who is by far, one of the most hated students at the moment. I don't need to go into her.

Oh right, what about the son of a serial killer? The only modern day killer that can rival Stain's body count? I'll be surprised if he doesn't kill anyone today. I heard his attitude is quite rough, so I'd imagine him being disqualified. He has a good Quirk, but his mind isn't in it. In my opinion, U.A. should rethink how they should pick its studen-"

_Click!_

Ma changes the channel to a cartoon. "Don't… Don't worry about him. He's paid to say things like that. Remember what I told you? He's blind. He doesn't know true talent even if it slaps him across the face."

"...What an asshole," I mutter, glarin' holes in the TV. Too bad that guy isn't there anymore. I would run him through given the chance. Sure, he was paid to say shit like that. It's called "satire" right? There's always a bit of the truth in there, a bit of what they believe in. Ain't afraid to speak their mind, that's for sure. Ain't afraid to run some kids down to the dirt for the sake of making "great" Pro Heroes. Like that fuckin' helps everyone.

Ma says, "Togaru-"

"_What_ is it?" I snap, pointin' at the fuckin' TV. "That guy is the sole reason why everyone but my fuckin' class hates me. 'Cause of people like him, Lizard Head is bein' shunned by damn near the entire school. Everyone thinks that we're so fuckin' weak just because we didn't beat a few Villain's heads in! That guy doesn't know jack about us. I swear, if I hear he's sayin' shit 'bout Pony, I'll tear him a new one!"

Ma stares at me with her eyes wide open. Guess the "no swearin'" rule went out the fuckin' window. But, for some reason, Ma smiles. "You're so worked up that you started to defend your friends! I guess they really made an impression on you."

"Like hell…" I mumble, lookin' away a bit. Damn it, changin' the subject like that... Fuck, is it me or is my face gettin' warm? Can't let her see it, or I'll get teased to no fuckin' end. "I can't stand it when these guys are tellin' lies an' tryin' to bully them. It ain't right, but it doesn't mean I'm all buddy-buddy with them."

She asks with an annoyin' cocky smirk, "Even Pony? You addressed her by name, not her nickname, her _name_. You're not even the slightest of friends with this adorable girl?" Goddamnit, I know she'd bring Pony up! I just…!

I try to explain, "That's... That's not the damn point. Pony is the annoyin' girl who's too freakin' obsessed with me for her own good. I'd hardly call that 'friends', Ma-"

"I'm pretty sure your phone will disagree with you," Ma responds, holdin' my phone in her hands- Wait, how the hell did she get my phone?! That shoulda been in my pocket, right?! She either snatched it out or I left it lyin' around somewhere! She doesn't know my password though, thank God for that-

…

She shows me my screen. It's a selfie that Pony took with me in the back. I was tryin' to hide my face, but it didn't work… Bein' her annoyin' self, she decided to set that as my wallpaper. I… I didn't feel like gettin' rid of it. Damn it, my face feels really damn hot now… There's no hidin' it now.

I walk over an' snatch my phone from Ma's hands, stuffin' it in my pocket. "Don't snoop on my phone! A-An' that doesn't prove shit! She's still an irritatin' girl that won't leave me the hell alone! We're not friends, an' we're sure as hell not datin'!"

"I didn't say anything about dating. Aw, does my son have-?"

I shout at the top of my lungs, "Like hell he does- I mean, I do! For once, Ma, get off my back! I don't have a stinkin' crush on Pony! I already have to deal with this from Lizard Head an' Quirkless! I don't need this from ya!"

"I'm your mother. It's my job to give you what you think you don't need," Ma replies, tossin' me my backpack. I sling it around my shoulder, turnin' away from this crazy woman. "One of these days, you'll come back and thank me for dealing with you."

"...Whatever. I-I'm goin'. Those reporters will see that I'll be a damn good Hero whether they like it or not," I tell her. Before I leave, Ma plants a kiss on my forehead, brushin' my hair. I bat her hand away. "See ya later…"

"Make 1-B great, Togaru!"

"Eh."

* * *

**Neito Monoma**

"Monoma. Kaibara. Is there a reason why you're an hour early to school?" Mister Kan asks us, holding a warm cup of coffee in his hands. It smells freshly brewed out of the pot. But, for our teacher and mentor, shouldn't Mister Kan be proud that we're early? Especially on today of all days? Of course he should, but the sleepiness in Mister Kan must be talking.

I answer, "Simple. Planning 1-A's defeat." I gesture over to Kaibara, who's downing a shot of espresso, shivering at the aftertaste. "Kaibara came along to make sure I don't cheat or do anything unhonorable."

Kaibara yawns adorably, nodding. "Yeah, I also came along to make sure no one would do anything to Tokage's belongings. I didn't want to have a repeat of last week."

"Mhm, you and Kendo almost punched Inochi. Those General Department students are lucky he came along," I add on, remembering that time. These bullies would have wrote things that no person should hear. And these people call themselves students at U.A.. It's absolutely shameful, but there's nothing I can do to change it unfortunately. It's the life of an heiress: seeing the consequences of her father's actions in the world.

Mister Kan huffs, shaking his head. "What a mess… Thank you though, Kaibara. I can only do so much as a teacher. Whenever you, or Monoma, catch something like that again, be sure to tell me."

"I will," Kaibara promises, turning to me with a slight scowl. Ohoho, what did I do to deserve that look? "Speaking of Inochi, why didn't you invite him here too? You know that Inochi doesn't sleep."

I reply, knowing Inochi is stuck with Kendo, "Well-"

Mister Kan cuts in. "Wait, 'too'? Who else did you bring-?"

"Us!" Tetsutetsu shouts with a clenched fist, walking inside with Kuroiro. There's the two men of the hour! They sit beside us. Mister Kan deeply sighs and takes a large sip of coffee. "Mister Kan! Ready to show those big-headed 1-A that we're better than them?! I'm more than ready!" ("I am also here," Kuroiro quietly says, not bothering to bring attention to himself.)

"Let me have my coffee first, then we can talk," Mister Kan tells us. He sits down at his desk and opens his laptop. On that note, I turn to my fellow classmates with the best devious smile I can muster.

"So men!" I start the session, standing up and marching to the chalkboard. "Thanks to the kind and terribly honest media, they did research on 1-A, allowing us time to plot and scheme! I wrote down their Quirks and their descriptions, but some of them are a bit vague. Specifically, Midoriya's Quirk."

I write down its name, "Super-Power", circling it for an added gesture. This… This is the most useless Quirk name in all of history. It's the stupidest, the most idiotic, and everything in between. "Do any of you have any theories to Midoriya's Quirk? We know it enhances his strength at the cost of his limbs."

"There has to be something much more fiendish, more troubling about this Quirk. It cannot be just pure power. I seen the boy drifting around the school a few times. It seems like he knows this as well," Kuroiro offers his insight. That must be a certainty. The name conveys vagueness and provides an unclear description of Midoriya's Quirk. Maybe that's his game? Behind that nerdy persona of his… is a calculating man who's thinking ten steps ahead. By having a vague name, he can keep us, his foes, guessing in competitive events like this! Is that the true face of this seemingly puppy-faced boy?!

Tetsutetsu adds in his two cents, "Yeah! It's really damn similar to All Might's Quirk, and we don't even know what that is! Maybe we should ask him, and not take 'no' for an answer!" As much as I would like to ask All Might, I'm not sure if he's in the building, but Tetsutetsu brings up an interesting point. Midoriya's Quirk is pretty similar to All Might's, without the limb-destroying capabilities… Maybe…

"Maybe they have the same Quirk. It explains why 1-A is All Might's favorite class, and he's always checking up on Midoriya," Kaibara inputs, kicking his feet up on his desk. That makes sense, but metaology states that no two people can have the same Quirk unless they're biologically related. If, somehow, Midoriya is All Might's son, then it'll make sense.

"Hmm..." I write their ideas down on the board. Afterwards, I ponder, tapping the chalk against my chin. I think out loud, "If All Might and Midoriya are related, then it would be the best possible answer. But, they don't look alike, so that can't be a possibility. Hypothetically, there might be a Quirk that can give Quirks to others. I heard similar rumors on deep recesses of the internet, but those are just that: Rumors based on nothing."

"Hmph, that is a far-fetched theory. It's best we believe that All Might's and Midoriya's Quirk are different from one another, but similar enough in the way that he became his mentor," Kuroiro says, pulling out pen and paper. He's right. Squandering our time about hypotheticals is the worst thing we can do. We can only assume that their Quirks are similar in nature.

Tetsutetsu speaks up, "Hey! I wanna ask you guys something 'bout Kirishima! My Quirk is better than his, right?! I'm solid steel, while he makes himself hard like rock! So, who's harder?! Am I hard?!"

…

Don't… laugh… Please, I can't laugh…

Kaibara answers him with a straight face, "Yeah, I like how hard you are, Tetsutetsu."

"Pffffft! Hahahahaha!"

"You people are like children…"

"Thanks Kaibara!

"No problem."

I beg them, "Please stop! My stomach can't take much more! Hahahaha!" Mister Kan gets up from his desk and forces me to sit down. He shakes his head in disappointment, but I just can't stop laughing! Why did Kaibara say that?! It's like he wanted to see me die of laughter!

After a good minute, I exhausted my ability to laugh. My throat and chest hurts, but I needed that. Kaibara gives me a wink when I stop, making my heart skip a beat. Tetsutetsu, being an innocent man, looks completely determined to be the hardest man in the world, while the dark, brooding Kuroiro is quietly writing something. Mister Kan clears his throat and turns his laptop towards us.

On there is a news broadcast with comments off to the side from people around Japan. Oh, I recognize this. This is the channel primarily focused the news and gossip of Hero students. Ever since U.S.J., ninety-five percent of its content has been all 1-A. The other five percent is us or the General Courses. Schools other than U.A. are lucky to even get a mention, like Shiketsu. It seems like the recent topic was 1-B considering how the comments are mostly about us.

"Tokage should quit and leech off of daddy's money."

"A Quirkless winning is a big joke."

"I'm betting yen on Kamakiri getting disqualified."

"I'm on #TeamBakugo! 1-B will get demolished!"

There's plenty of more comments that show no faith in us, most of them being about Tokage, Inochi, and Kamakiri. It makes sense, considering those three are famous for the wrong reasons. Does the media cover how much of a progedic genius Tokage is? No, they focus on the fact that her father ruined a family's livelihood and life. Do they cover how much Inochi trained his body day and night to reach his dream? No, they hold prejudice against the Quirkless individuals. What about how Kamakiri drives himself to be better than his father ever could be? Of course not! They only see him for his father's evils.

Mister Kan makes sure we see his laptop. There's a stone cold look in his eyes that could cut steel. "You want to know why I want our class be better than 1-A? This. This is why. Let me be honest and tell you this as a Pro Hero, no crap. There's two things in the world: Villains and the public. Out of the two, the public is worse. So, it's imperative that you and your class get them on your side. If not, your lives won't be that good… That's… That's all I have to say."

Mister Kan takes his laptop and goes back to whatever he was doing before. The four of us, mere teenagers, exchange glances with one another. This is the state of our world. It almost makes one question their own motivation to be a Hero, fighting for a society who doesn't want them. Almost.

"Monoma, do you care about them?" Kaibara asks. That is a great question. Do I care about "them"?

I give him my answer. "No, I care about us, who cares about them, caring about their perfect molds of what a Hero should be. Not a hero, but a _Hero_. Tell me, Kaibara... You too, Tetsutetsu and Kuroiro. Does a hero truly worry, wasting their thoughts on what a few faceless people think about them? Criticizing every mistake, ignoring every success? No! Of course not!

But, as a Hero, these faceless people is a necessary evil to embrace. Do what they say, be what they want. 'Bending the knee', you might think. However, it's a necessity to sacrifice some of one's pride to fulfill one's duty. And as a Hero, that duty is: Saving those who need saving, and punish those who need punishing. All Might's words, correct? The sole image of what a Hero should be, and what a true hero is.

That's why we have to- No, we _must_ upstage 1-A. Let us, 1-B, bathe in the limelight. Do you understand me, you three?"

Tetsutetsu slams the side of his fist against his chest, tearing up. "I-I understand! We have to make everyone love us, s-so we can be true heroes like All Might! Right, M-Monoma? We gotta do that?"

"That's what he says," Kaibara answers him for me, smiling at my speech. "1-A is our obstacle, so beating them today achieves just that."

Kuroiro nods, saying, "Yes, to show 1-A the true power of 1-B, that is our goal. They'll feel the abyss of the hidden one masked in the dark, especially the one who calls himself… Tokoyami." It seems we're all in accord!

I tell everyone, "Well, let's talk more about 1-A then, shall we?"

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"I never liked these people. It always bothered me that they would go out of their way to insult kids," Grandpa comments, watching this same old crap. I'm way too tired to deal with yet another person thinking our class is the worst, and I'm sure Inochi is more tired than I am. "You know, Itsuka, your grandmother would call these people personally and… How do I put this lightly… Verbally slaughter them. That sounds like it."

Huh… Grandpa doesn't talk about Grandma much. Mom notices it too. I ask him, "Speaking of her, what was she like? You rarely talk about Grandma Tatemi." He smiles and chuckles, laying back peacefully in his chair.

"An angel that can kick your ass. I'm not sure if you know, but her Quirk was Transmutation. She can touch something and turn her skin into that. If she touched iron, she became it," Grandpa tells me. It's a lot like Mom's Quirk actually. Instead of her changing her own body, she can change other objects. She could literally change anything into gold if she has it, which she isn't allowed to do because the economy would crash.

"She was also the best mom in the world, honey. Other than me, of course," Mom adds, laughing with Grandpa. She rubs his bald head and sits down. "Whenever I was sad, she would always take us out for mochi. No matter the time, even if it's in the morning, she would do it. Sometimes, Aunt Nana would join us too, always rubbing my hair."

Mom looks down slightly, a tear forming in her eyes. I already want to meet Grandma already… She sounds so sweet, and Aunt Nana too, even though this is the first time I heard of her. "Who's Aunt Nana? Was she one of Grandma's friends?" I ask, trying not to pry too hard.

Grandpa nods, putting a hand to his mouth. He doesn't seem too happy now… I always had a feeling that Grandma was a sore topic, but maybe Aunt Nana was the same way? "She was one of my classmates in U.A., which is how I met Tatemi. They passed away a long time ago. They were the best two Pros out there…"

"Y-Yeah… Anyway, let's not talk about them or else I'll gonna sob uncontrollably," Mom jokes, wiping her tears away while she laughs. At times like these, I have no idea what to say. Mom's and Grandpa's worlds were so different back then. I wish I could say something to cheer them up, but I'll come off as patronizing and rude.

"Well," Inochi butts in, putting down a tray of three coffee mugs on the table, "there's nothing like coffee to start up a new conversation. Am I right?" There's the bringer of good tidings. He passes each of us our nice, warm cups of coffee. I take a sip, and yup… It's one of the best things in the world. "So, the news is going on about the same thing, right?" he asks.

"Yup," Mom answers after taking a big sip. "These people are trashing you, Sanji. I don't get why they feel the need to say things like that when they can't even measure up to you. They aren't the ones who are risking their lives everyday. It makes no sense, but that's how the world works, I'm afraid."

"Eh, I don't care," Inochi replies, sitting next to me. "Hate me, love me, it doesn't matter. I'm doing whatever it takes to be a Hero, simple as that. That's why we've been training like crazy, right Master Kendo?"

"Yup, and it scares me," Grandpa admits, laughing like an insane old man. "I never thought you and Itsuka could break a U.A. training dummy. You're more than ready for the Sports Festival, but you'll have to try to beat Midoriya though. He's a dangerous man."

"No kidding," I say, gently holding my mug close to my chest. "From how he punched Suzuki through a concrete wall, he could turn us into paste. But, that's not gonna stop me from beating the hell outta him. Inochi too. I know I can beat him since he holds back."

Inochi has a betrayed look on his face, defending himself, "I don't want to kill you! My katana isn't meant for knocking people out!"

"Which is why I'll win! Compared to me, you suck at hand-to-hand combat, which happens to be the only way you can fight me. Let's hope we aren't fighting each other today," I tease him. He pouts and looks away slightly.

He mumbles, "I thought you wanted to help me, not destroy me." Inochi crosses his arms and puffs his cheeks up. For some reason, I want to pull them. He really is a cute man, but Tokage would tease me to no end if I admitted that.

I say, smiling and nudging his arm, "I am, unless we're pitted against each other. I gotta bring home another first place medal to this house." Dad won his first Sports Festival, so naturally, I have to win mine. Like father, like daughter, that's for sure. Midoriya and Ojiro won't get in my way. Hopefully, the Sports Festival would let Inochi show off how much of a badass he is and let me be the winner. If not, then _Operation Samurai Heart_ would be a little… complicated. (Why did I let Tokage pick the name?)

"Heh, I know you will…" Inochi replies, giving me his a nice smile. It's a great smile, but _really_? Why does he keep acting like this? That's basically saying he gave up on beating me! That he won't try his damn best to win! I appreciate his faith in me, but seriously...

I groan, ready to throw my last bits of coffee in his face. "Where's your confidence? Your competitiveness? You can't be this much of a selfless idiot forever, Inochi!" He turns to me and puts his hands up defensively.

"I'm pretty sure he won't grow out of it. It's been, what? Seven or eight months since he got here?" Mom remarks, giggling. She puts her mug down on the tray. "You have to admit, honey… It's his best trait."

"Or his most annoying trait…" I grumble, finishing the rest of my coffee. Even though I'm not happy with him at the moment, he makes the best coffee. "Thanks for the coffee, you bonehead."

"You're welcome?" Inochi questions, but I'm not gonna bother to answer. He scratches the back of his head, turning to Mom and Grandpa. "So… uhm… Master Kendo, I'm assuming that you won't give us internships? I forgot if you still have a hero agency…"

Grandpa shakes his head. "Nope, retired. The only thing left is Hayami's support company. Sorry kids, but you have to intern with another Pro. Maybe that Grandmaster? You met that detective a lot."

"Hopefully… If not, I can always go with one of the forty apprenticeships. It would make me feel a lot better if I did get one," Inochi says, putting on his thinking face for a second. Must be thinking about apprenticeships, probably.

"Hey Sanji, can I ask something about Tokage?" Mom asks him. Inochi doesn't respond. A few slow seconds go by, and he's still in his little world. How long is it gonna take this time? "Hmph. Do you think we should leave? I wanna find out how long it takes until he realizes that we're gone."

Grandpa says with a smirk, "We might as well move into a new home. He'll be old as me once he finds out-"

Inochi comes back to the real world. He asks, being an absent-minded numbskull, "Find out about what? What's going on?" He looks at me for help, but I shake my head. Annnd he's worried.

"I asked you about Tokage. How is she? I know it's been tough ever since what happened at the gala. And… you know… How everyone is reacting about it and all," Mom tells him, getting quiet in the end. Yeah… everyone is reacting to it. It's like our entire image at U.A. just changed in an instant. Especially with Tokage. She's known as the daughter of the man who ruined a family's life, which she had no hand in. There's no use trying to argue with these jerks. Maybe the Sports Festival could make everyone forget about that...

Inochi sighs and looks down. "She's struggling. I can't count how many stink eyes we got last week, or the amount of comments we overheard. It's not the best time for her, and especially not for our class. Except for 1-A or the teachers, the entire school is against us. Midoriya and Ojiro said that they'll support us, but it seems like they're living in a completely different world."

"Yeah," I say, trying my best to not look at that stupid TV. "Just last week, I almost punched two assholes for almost vandalising Tokage's locker. Inochi had to stop me, and Kaibara too. Mister Kan can't do anything about it too! He can't just punish the entire school, or have an assembly on no bullying because that'll make everything worse! It was like Inochi back in middle school. How _did_ you deal with it?"

Inochi looks up and smiles his bright, usual smile. He says, in a soft voice, "You'd get used to it." Mom and Grandpa exchange a worried glance with each other. I think I look worried too… His face doesn't match his tone…

"I know this isn't the best thing ever, but let's try to stay happy. We can't get down on today, of all days," Inochi tells us, and he's right… Right as always. He stands up and slings his backpack around him. "Come on, we better get to school early. Tetsutetsu texted me that he's with Monoma, so they're definitely up to something."

"Alright," I say, standing up with him. Mom gives me my backpack, putting a hand on my shoulder for a second or two. I turn to Inochi and ask, "So, we're supposed to meet at the Sports Festival Stadium right?"

"Yeah, that's where everyone will be at." Inochi answers. Mom kisses my forehead and brushes Inochi's hair. Grandpa sits in his chair and holds his mug up.

"Good luck you two. It's safe to say that both of you are the best martial artists in your entire grade, so kick their butts. I'll be cheering you on from here," Grandpa wishes us, taking a big swig from his mug.

Mom smiles, saying, "Mhm, make us proud. Itsuka, take care of Sanji. And Sanji, make sure Itsuka brings home the gold."

"We will, Mom," I promise her. Inochi nods, being the first one to the door. He opens it and lets me go outside first. "Thanks, you're such a gentleman," I sarcastically compliment him, but he goes along with it and does a little bow.

"My lady," he says, taking off his invisible hat. Always so goofy… That gala definitely changed him. Watch, he'll start asking for sparkling peach cider or whatever it's called. (That sounds like a rich drink, right?) Anyway, we go outside, and start walking towards school.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Inochi! Tell me, do you know what Midoriya's Quirk is? He trains at your dojo, am I right? And don't say, 'Ask Kendo' because I know she won't answer me," Monoma asks me right outside the locker room. He was waiting for me... (This explains why Tetsutetsu texted me, in all caps, "WHAT THE HELL IS MIDORIYA'S QUIRK?!" I felt like I could hear him through the text…)

"No, yes, and I understand. Did you guys really try and figure this out?" I ask him, scratching the back of my head.

Monoma nods and answers me, "We did, but to no avail. It seems we have to anticipate everything when it comes to him. Thank you for answering though. Now, let's get ready for the festival, shall we?"

"Yup-"

"Motherfucker…" Kamakiri mutters under his breath, walking up to the both of us. I sure hope he isn't talking about one of us. To make sure, I greet him with a slight upwards nod. He doesn't react. Well, that sucks. "What the hell is up with all these fuckin' kids?! One of them fuckin' insulted Horns! Called her a 'big-eyed freak'! I swear to fuckin' God, I almost lobbed his head off if she wasn't there."

"Awfully protective of her, huh Kamakiri?" Monoma asks with a smug smile. It all starts with that smile. After that, Kamakiri will get defensive and say that she's too innocent, but we both know that he's fond of her.

"Goddamnit, not this again, Broadway. She's way too innocent for her own good. Doesn't fuckin' help that she keeps latchin' onto me…" Kamakiri says exactly what I was thinking. To help Monoma, I put on the same smug smile. "Why the fuck are you two smilin' like that?"

"No reason," Monoma and I reply in perfect unison. Kamakiri looks absolutely annoyed. He pushes us to the side and goes into the locker room, huffing and puffing. There's no hiding the fact that he thinks of us as friends.

"Come on, Monoma, let's get ready," I tell him, following Kamakiri. We go inside and it's the exact same from the one in the main building. One of the differences is the contents. In each locker is a new gym uniform (because some of us like tearing them) and any equipment that we requested. I requested my katana, wakizashi, tanto, and my two bracers because I'm useless without them. (I could do without my wakizashi and tanto, but it's nice to have extra weapons.) Awase got his bag of metal logs and Kodai can use her little bag of tricks.

And with that, I start stripping my clothes off, my top first. Manga walks in with his head down with a weird, gray swirl expression? Can't really describe it, but he's not happy. "Hey Manga. How's Shojo?"

"Awful. She forced me to read some of her sad mangas… I'm all out of tears, man… I hate her Quirk," Manga tells me. That's right, Shojo's Quirk is Mangaka. Whenever she draws a scene or a picture, she's able to force that specific emotion out of someone. For example, if she draws a sad scene, then tears would be shed.

"Sorry to hear that. Let's hope your head's in the game," I try to cheer him up, but he shrugs. Man, crying took a lot outta him, huh?

"Hopefully," Manga says, opening his locker, "it doesn't really matter if I win this or not. Grandmaster said he'll pick me to intern under him, so my job's already done." Eh?! He is?! So I am right! Grandmaster, Manga, and Shojo already met each other before! The question is: What did Manga do get an internship?

"Wait, what Manga?!" Tetsutetsu barges into the conversation. Literally, barging in and getting uncomfortably close to Manga, who manages to stay silent surprisingly. I don't think he has in him to scream. "You already got an internship?! How?! What did ya do to make Grandmaster like you?!"

"L-Long story…" Manga whimpers, putting his head back. "Can… Can you also back up, Tetsutetsu? Y-You're way too close…"

"Yeah sure!" Tetsutetsu backs up where he isn't invading someone's personal space. He exclaims with a beaming smile, "You're so damn lucky, Manga! You better learn something with Grandmaster and Count, you hear me?!" Manga simply nods without saying anything, letting Tetsutetsu go back to his locker.

Okay, now I change into my gym clothes. I strap my two bracers on. Left is grappling hook, right is crossbow. Then, my three blades. Let's hope they don't fly off unexpectedly, because that would be a shame. There, I'm ready. I announce to everyone in the room, "Remember to meet in 1-B's waiting room when you're done!"

"Got it, vice prez."

"Alright, Quirkless."

"You can trust me."

"Don't trust Monoma."

"You betcha, bro!"

I leave, following the signs to wherever this waiting room's at. Let's hope this stadium isn't a maze like the main building. Along the way there, Awase and Shoda pass by me. We acknowledge each other with a simple upwards nod and smile before we go our separate ways. Then, after a while, there's a particular man who's leaning against a wall: Katsuki Bakugo, the man of the news. A lot of people think he'll be the winner of today's Sports Festival, but he hasn't met Kendo yet.

He looks up, sees me, and scoffs. "Knock-off Deku, What the hell are you doing here?" Bakugo gets off of the wall and walks up to me with his hands in his pockets. Heh, this is the first time we formally met. He's explosive as rumors said. (I'm still a little confused as to why he's calling me "Deku".)

"Same reason as you: fighting in the Sports Festival," I tell him, backing up a little because he's a bit too close for comfort. "Everyone said that you'll be the winner, but you don't know our class that well. Especially, the class rep. She's a lot stronger than you think."

"Like hell she is," Bakugo growls and gets close to me again. God, does he want me to feel uncomfortable? "You, and your shitty class can stay where they're at, being irrelevant, shitty extras. I don't fucking care that your sorry guts are hated by the world 'cuz of that Hifumi chick. Y'know why? Because everyone be focused on me, the winner. You got that, White'n'Black?"

I take another step back away from this crazy man. He's a lot like Suzuki though, when I think about it. I reply, crossing my arms, "Well, I know I'm not gonna win the Sports Festival. It's impossible from how amazing everyone is, and how I'm at a severe disadvantage. But, that doesn't mean I won't try my hardest. All I have to prove… All I have to prove is I could be a great Hero, like you, like Midoriya, like everyone in our classes."

"Hmph, good. Better not get in my fucking way then, else I'll speed up your inevitable defeat. See you 'round, White'n'Black. Tell Big Fists or whatever that she's gonna lose," Bakugo says, walking away to who knows where. But, it seems like I calmed him down… somehow. I shouldn't worry about it. I survived my first encounter with him, so that's an achievement in itself.

I take a deep breath in and continue on my way. On my way to wait for my Sports Festival… Crap though… It hasn't set in that I'm in one! I used to watch it by myself, being amazed at how many cool Quirks there were. It was amazing, like I'm seeing future Pro Heroes in action! At the time, being on the field seemed like a pipe dream… Yet, here I am. It's not… It's not the most favorable of circumstances, but I'm here. It's a big job though: showing the world that I'm not useless. Specifically, showing all of U.A.'s investors that I have the potential to be a great Hero. Mister Tokage already believes in me, so I need to get the rest of them on board.

All these sleepless nights led up to this very moment. I can't disappoint Kendo and all my friends now. I worked too hard to lose this chance. It's incredibly selfish to think like this, trying to get attention. It's not like me. I can feel my head telling me to stop, but it's a necessity.

I have to do it.

I have to, no matter what.

* * *

"Everyone listen!" Monoma stands in the middle of the room. We're seated around him, and for some reason… This feels like we're summoning a demon. I mean, I don't want to be rude, but Monoma definitely seems like a demon. In a good way, of course. (I'm certain that Shiozaki will "debate" me on whether demons are sometimes good or not.)

I look over to Kendo, who's sitting across from me. She doesn't look like she'll knock out Monoma again, but it also doesn't look like she'll listen to what he'll say. She catches me looking at her though, and smiles. I smile back, going back to the demon at hand. He starts his speech.

"Friends, today is a pivotal day in our journeys. Today is where we're fighting our first battle against 1-A, the very class that selfishly bathes in the spotlight, wholly undeserving of it! Tell me, should the class who so arrogantly be called the winner in every news station, be the winner because they coincidentally got attacked? No!

Today, we, the class who completely deserves the shine of the stars, will win! It can't be ignored of our amazing feats already! We have the first Quirkless man to ever enter the Hero Course! A Villain's son who's determined to better than his father! A woman who's fighting to be great or even greater than her father! The daughter of a billionaire who seeks life in heroism! Me, a man who can't be the hero of the world's story, but willing to be the support. And especially, the rest of you.

I can't express how the rest of you are just as important as Bakugo or Todoroki. Even though you may be born to average families, have an average Quirk, you're just as important or even more so! Remember, you are the stars of your own light, your own story. No one, other than you can follow it. Simply, we're your side characters. Bakugo, Todoroki, Midoriya, they're _your_ side characters, don't forget that! They don't rule your story! They merely influence it! So, let them influence you to victory! You are truly your own! So, let's show that to them! To 1-A!"

We exclaim together, "Yeah!" All of us raise our hands, being one. Heh, that is one of the greatest speeches in my entire life. Kendo has to admit that she's raising her hand too. Monoma smiles and spins around to catch every one of our faces. I hope he feels like a protagonist, because that speech was definitely like one.

After a few seconds, Monoma laughs to himself and sits down in between Shoda and Yanagi. It's Kendo's turn to get up. She motions me to stand up with her… Crap, I can't top that speech, but her orders are absolute. I get up from my chair, standing with her. First thing I declare is, "Okay, I'm not sure why Kendo wants me up here, but I can't top Monoma's speech. Saying that, don't expect one from m-Ow!"

Kendo just punched my shoulder! She shoots me a quick pout before turning to the rest of the class. "He's right, by the way. I can't top that, but I… I just wanted to thank all of you. Even Monoma and his dramatic antics or this doofus right beside me. Hehe, anyway… You guys have been amazing friends and uh… even better teammates. I just wanna say that, whatever happens out there, let's have fun and kick ass. Sorry for my language, Shiozaki, but I had to say it."

We laugh, even Shiozaki. She waves her curse away with a smile. Kendo nudges me with her elbow, gesturing that I need to say something.

"Alright, guess that's my turn to say something! Well, what the heck should I say? Everyone here is just… great! I didn't expect how we became such quick friends! And, I know this might bring down the mood, but I didn't have much friends growing up. So, thank you for being the best. Whatever the world thinks of us, they can go screw themselves! We have each other, and that's what matters. We'll be the best Heroes whether they like it or not."

Everyone cheers again and puts their hands up. They're all smiling… Each and every one of them… Even with everything that's going on, the hate, the bullying, we're still smiling. I… I can't ask for better friends…

Tokage suddenly jumps out of her seat. "Did anyone say, 'group hug'?!" Without waiting for an answer, she runs up and almost tackles me off of my feet. Before I know it, everyone else joins in.

"Hell yeah!"

"Bro hug!"

"Might as well."

"I-I'm a little too big, but I-I'll try!"

"Come on, Kamakiri! Join in!"  
"No-"

"Do it, or I'll cry!"

"Fine…"

"Let's go 1-B!"

I'm stuck in the middle, being squished against Kendo and Tokage. I can't even move my arms from how close together we are! Oh jeez, I think Rin's yelling that someone's stepping on his toes. Komori, somehow, is being lifted up in the air like a popstar. And I think Awase accidentally kissed someone. Oh my God, this is such a mess!

I laugh from the bottom of my heart, "Hahahaha!"

"Inochi…" Kendo calls me, her head forcibly being pressed against my back. She sounds like she was about to scold me, but she starts laughing too. I'm not sure if it's her arms around me, but it's nice. "This is a disaster! What the hell am I going to do with you guys?"

"Love us!"

"You're great, Kendo!"

"Something hard is poking me!"

"That's Inochi's sword."

"Hey, Mister Kan! Aren't you joining in?" Tokage exclaims while she's trying to climb on me. Her head pokes out just enough where she can see Mister Kan. He's standing at the doorway, shaking his head with a smile.

"I'll pass. I have to say though: You kids are a mess…" he comments, slowly approaching us. God, how is he going to order this pile of bodies around? "You have ten minutes until we have to go out. Wrap… whatever this is and meet me outside."

"Alright! We'll keep hugging for long as we can, thank you very much!" Tokage replies, hugging me a lot tighter. I try my best to hug back despite the knots of limbs all around me. Heh, Tokage is so clingy to me… If I had a sister, I want it to be exactly like her.

Man, I… I honestly can't describe how I'm feeling. It's like everything is so clear now. My chest feels so warm and fuzzy. And… And I feel like I would do anything for my friends. I felt like that before, but this seems so much more rampant, so vibrant. I want them… I want them to be happy, and reach their dreams. Every one of them.

* * *

"HERO COURSE! CLASS 1-B!" Present Mic introduces us. We step out onto the field, marching on the stunningly green grass. To our left is Class 1-A, which some of us decide to shoot some dirty looks at them. Monoma exclaims that they're "our enemy", which prompts Kendo to smack him across the head. "Our enemy" has some of our friends in it. Like Midoriya! He's a great guy.

The crowd… The crowd though… Most of them are booing. They're yelling profanities at us. Eraserhead gets on the microphone and yells everyone to simmer down or get kicked out. The booing immediately stops and everything gets eerily quiet. At least the Pro Heroes side of the stadium didn't boo. It would have been incredibly unprofessional, and it means we have a chance at internships.

Kendo tells everyone to "keep cool" as we approach the stage where Midnight's at. (I keep close to Tokage, making sure she's alright.) We stop and gather ourselves next to 1-A. The rest of the classes are introduced: General Courses, Support Department, and Management.

Shojo couldn't make it here, unfortunately. She's in 1-H if I believe, but since she's a shut-in, she's not participating. Manga told me that the school lets her take her classes online, thankfully. (It's weird though. It seems like Shojo isn't a shut-in because she's a nerdy woman, but from something else.)

Anyway, 1-D's near us now. I can practically feel Suzuki staring holes into me. He'll be something to worry about, whatever we're doing today. And… The other classes… I think they're whispering about us and 1-A. I definitely heard Tokage's name… Yeah, it's been like this for a week. Poor Hifumi… From rumors, she's locked herself in her home from everything that happened. Because of… everything, the public and most of the school absolutely loathes us.

After a minute or two of waiting, Midnight starts the explanation. (I have to ask though: Why is she the umpire of the first-years? It seems a little more than inappropriate, but this _is_ Japan, so I shouldn't be questioning it.)

She explains a little bit about the Sports Festival with the same speech as years before. Then, she takes the representative of the first-years: Bakugo, up to the stage. From whispers, he was picked because he scored first in the Entrance Exam. Makes sense. Anyway, he makes a pledge. He pledges to-

_BOOOOOOOOO!_

To be number one… Yeah, of course he would say that. Most of my class, and mostly everyone here is booing him. (Thank God that no one is focusing on us.) He walks down without a change in emotion or face, letting Midnight take the stage again. After everyone's settled down, she introduces the first game: The obstacle course. Four kilometers around the stadium. I can't go out of bounds, and that's it. Everyone else is allowed.

A gate opens with red and green lights, and with a small metal hall. The other classes sprint towards it, but we simply walk at a brisk we reach the gate, Monoma stops us again. I can feel sound returning to my ears finally. Everyone was so loud…

Monoma looks like he has a plan. "I have a plan! For this obstacle course, we ought to hang back and observe 1-A's Quirks from a distance and place low in the qualifiers. That way, like a hawk swooping its prey, we can take the win from 1-A in the next round. What do all of you say? Are you with me?" One by one, my friends nod.

"I'll pass," Honenuki says, stepping up against the crowd. "I'd rather let loose here, Monoma. My Quirk is really good at slowing down large crowds. It'll be hilarious seeing everyone trying to get out of my mud!" He cackles, jittering his teeth.

"I'll pass as well," Shiozaki steps up with him. "Your plan is deceitful, and thus, I will not go along with it. I wish to win with fairness on all sides." Well, looks like these two will pass. For me, I don't feel strongly to Monoma's plan one way or the othe-

"Inochi will pass," Kendo announces what?! Did she really choose for me?! She, from behind, forces me to stand with Shiozaki and Honenuki. "Like Honenuki, he has let it all out. Everyone needs to see how good he is."

"Yup! We're forcing him to go on his own whether he likes it or not!" Tokage joins in, pushing me too. "Don't worry, Monoma. Kendo and I will go along with your plan. It sounds like solid, considering we outclass most of the guys here."

Monoma nods and smiles. "In that case, best of luck to the three of you. If you need help, we'll be there. We won't abandon you." We nod… God, this took a turn. I won't be with Kendo, or Tokage, or anyone! But, it's necessary. I need to impress the world, so this is good for me… For me…

Alright… Honenuki, Shiozaki, and I go deeper into the crowd. I end up losing sight of them, getting lost in this massive crowd of people. Silently, I look up at the gate and wait for the green lights to turn off.

Waiting, with an uncountable number of opponents around me.

One light down.

Waiting, with a pressure so great, that I might as well carry an entire ocean on my shoulders.

Two lights.

Waiting, with all my friends behind me. I'm alone. Much like the Entrance Exam, I'm alone. The itching thought of "I won't stay with my friends" digs at my mind, but I shake it away. No matter what, I'll stay with them. I'll stay, and be a great Hero, no matter what!

Three lights.

"START!"

I run.


	17. Fall, Inochi

**Sanji Inochi**

Okay! Who the heck decided it was a good idea to jam pack us all into this hot metal container of death?! Crap! This is like the group hug, but a hundred times worse! Focus, focus Sanji! First thing to do: Know where I am! I'm facing towards the exit, to the obstacle course. That's my way out, and I won't be able to reach there without being stomped over. But luckily, that entrance has edges! I'll be able to latch my grappling hook on there!

Struggling, pushing everyone near me away, I throw my arms up in the air. For support, I step on someone's leg and use my right hand to lift me up high, just high enough that I can fire cleanly. I can hear them yelling at me, but everyone's yelling at this point! We're all yelling! Doesn't matter, can't be myself distracted!

I aim my grappling hook at the left edge, but it's like trying to shoot something during an earthquake. I have the target locked though. Okay, let's hope no one tries to jump in my way! I fire!

_CLINK!_

_CLASP!_

It fires true. Alright, let's get the heck out of here!

_ZIIIIP!_

I fly towards the exit! About three seconds or so into the flight, I unlatch the hook, letting the momentum soar me through the air unbothered. It feels great up here! I can finally breathe my own air again! Anyway, back to the task at hand! Getting out of the chokepoint is a bit risky, since I'm heading towards a wall, but I should narrowly miss it. Just gotta aim my body a little bit away, without slowing down or getting hit with-?!

_FREEZE!_

Todoroki?! Crap! In an instant, he froze half of the chokepoint! Even outside too! Everyone got pushed out onto his ice, slipping and falling everywhere! And for me, I'm heading straight into a cloud of freezing mist! I cross my arms, guarding my face from it! I get closer, and my entire body is enveloped in it! My heart stops for a brief second from the sudden shock. I could feel my hair freezing, and my clothes becoming glued to my skin. So cold, but it definitely woke me up!

I emerge from it, high in the air! It's a much better position than everyone else at the below me. Bad news though: There's other people who're in the air with me, like Yaoyorozu, Bakugo, Aoyama, and a few others. Luckily for me, they're focused on only Todoroki. Now, judging from how high in the air and how fast I am, I think I could make it beyond Todoroki's ice. I'm over half-way there already! The only question is: How am I going to land? Maybe-! Crap, I just saw a sakura petal besides me! It's Kazeha!

"Nice to see you again, cutie," she greets me, reforming herself from her petals. I haven't seen her much ever since Golden Week, but she's still as sexual as ever. "No hard feelings. Just be hard for me sometime in private, alright?"

Wha-?!

_KICK!_

The last thing I saw was her foot connecting with my hip and a flirtatious wink right before… right before I crash onto the cold, icy ground. I hit it chest-first, creating a large cloud of ice crystals and dust around me. After that, I rolled for God knows how many times across the ice, sliding off onto brown dirt… Thank goodness, I think I'm alive. My entire body is aching, chest is heavy, legs a bit weak, but this is nothing! I feel exhilarated, actually.

I should thank Kazeha actually. Thanks to her, I rolled right off the ice. Ah, there she is! She reforms in front of me with a frown. (She's that fast, huh? It makes sense. Leaves are a heck more lighter than humans.) Kazeha compliments me, "You're a lot tougher than you look. Maybe you should let me perform a check-up on you after this." And, of course she winks. She-?

Huh, that's neat. I let my crossbow unfold in front of her. Knew this challenge isn't this simple. Good thing I loaded my explosive bolts in. I taunt, showing her it, "Well, I honestly don't know what to say about that. If I were you though, I wouldn't have my back turned."

"Wha-?!"

_BOOM!_

I fired a bolt at a two-pointer, the scorpion-looking robot from the Entrance Exam, right behind Kazeha. (Four bolts left.) A beautiful rain of metal and bits fall around us, decorating the dirt path with green and gray. She looks impressed, and a little aroused. I run pass her, saying, "Consider this good sportsmanship, Kazeha! See you at the finish line!" (I leave her in the dust, but I can definitely feel her gaze. She'd better not be looking where I think she's looking!)

Okay, there'll be a lot more robots. I need to focus on those, the obstacles, and the other students trying to get in my way. If 1-A's any indicator, then they'll be focused on Todoroki too. I don't know what stirred him up, but it makes things easier for me. Anyway, in the name of a good festival, I unsheathe my katana. If there's a few competitors who think about stopping me, this oughta scare them away.

Speaking of which, there's two non-living obstacles in front of me. A two-pointer and a one-pointer. Thank God I have proper equipment to handle them, and not a simple bo staff! But, then again-!

The two-pointer charges forward. I jump up in the air and slice its tiny, little head off. It whimpers, beeping in robotic pain before going limp. The red light in its head slowly flickers, then dims completely. At the same time, the one-pointer charges at me to my right. I simply stick my katana out and let the poor robot run into it. It goes right through its main chassis. "Ki-bzzzt-kill! Kill… killllllll…." it says its final words. Using my foot, I slide my sword out and knock it to the ground.

So, what was I thinking? Oh right, I'm glad I had my katana and bracers. But then again, my skill will lead me the way. I don't know how far along I am, but I don't see many people ahead of me. I must be in front of the crowd, or really behind it. (Let's hope it's the former.) I run forward, passing a few students who I don't recognize.

"Shit, he has a katana!"

"He can bring that?!"

"We don't stand a chance!"

"Suzuki is crazy if he wants us to stop him!" (He's not in 1-D. I would have recognized him if I did. What did Suzuki do this time?)

"Do your best, guys!" I yell at them, sprinting with my katana back. Yeah, it must be a bit freaky seeing a guy running with a katana, but this is Japan! A lot of weird stuff happens here, but at least we're not America. America though, doesn't have five one-pointers aimed to kill high school students.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Exterminate!"

"Slaughter!"

Why the heck did U.A. program them to say stuff like that?! Heh, I won't let them get in the way though. This is nothing! Anyway, let's see: one in the front, two in the middle, two in the back. They're a good distance away from one another where I have a second or two think about my next actions. Considering these things are considered to be "Easy Villains" back at the Entrance Exam, they should go down easily.

"Let's do this!" I tell them before I charge forward. The first one-pointer does the same, but like before, they're "Easy Villains". Right as it strikes with its metal claws, I leap to the side and climb on, jumping on its head. "Sorry about this!" I apologize right as I stab its head. At this point, I angered the rest of its friends. (Man, if they have the ability to mourn, I would feel so bad…)

Now, let's think! The immediate threat is the one to my left. It's getting closer, after that is the one on my right. The last two is following behind them, so I don't have to worry just yet. I can take both of them out at the same time. Thank goodness I brought my crossbow here, else this will be a lot more difficult.

Quickly, I pull my sword out and jump off of the dead one-pointer, landing on the one to my left. Like last time, my blade finds itself stuck in its head. I use the handle to balance myself (don't fall!), aim my crossbow at the one to my right, fire, and-!

_BOOM!_

There we go. Three bolts and three down-?!

_WHAM!_

"Shit!" I swear, instinctively leaping off in the nick of time. I didn't expect one of the two to be this close! It nearly chopped my head off! Damn it, I'm in the air now! I can hear the last one-pointer behind me. Don't have my katana, but I do have extra weapons in hand!

I fire another bolt at the one-pointer who almost killed me. Afterwards, I turn around in the air, getting my tanto out at the same time. The last one-pointer is there, leaping at me. Sorry, but you're going down!

_BOOM!  
CRASH!_

Right as I dig my tanto right in its glowing red eye, the other one-pointer blew up. I twist the blade, making sure it's dead. When it falls limp, whining in mechanical pain, I jump off back onto solid ground. (Two bolts left.) I get my katana out of the weird, contorted pile of metal limbs and flesh. Alright, I put my tanto away, quickly dust myself off, and that's it! Five one-pointers down! All by myself!

Let's continue forward!

"LOOK AT INOCHI, FROM 1-B, GO! FOR A LEGALLY QUIRKLESS KID, HIS COMBAT PROWESS IS ABOVE THE REST! THIS MIGHT BE THE HERO VERSION OF STAIN! HOW DOES HE DO IT?!"

"He's specifically trained for combat, Mic. An event like the Sports Festival, built around fighting, it's perfect for someone like him. It'll be a fatal mistake if you underestimate him."

Heh, did I hear that right?! Present Mic and Eraserhead are really talking about me! They actually complimented my abilities! Oh crap, I would freak out right now if I wasn't busy taking down some robots! Oh hey, there's a three-pointer that I can unleash my excitement on! Well, there's only one thing I can do!

"KILL! KI-"

_SLASH!_

One strike, one kill. In a flash, I jumped in-between the gap of its body and arm, cutting its chest. I managed to hit something important, because it explodes while I'm running away. Let's see... if this was the Entrance Exam, I earned eleven points. That's a great step up from last time!

For about a minute or so, I sprint towards what it seems to be my next obstacle: Robo-Inferno. It's a massive legion of robots in a big, open field. A crowd of students already gathered there, and I can see why they aren't moving. (So, I was behind everyone else?!) Todoroki froze a bunch of (what it looks like to be) zero-pointers. They block everyone from moving. It doesn't help that there's more zero-pointers and others moving in.

Ah, a lot of my classmates are there! I run next to Honenuki and Rin. Honenuki greets me with his toothy smile. "Inochi! What took you so long? I'm figuring out how to get through this. Swimming underground is the best option." (How did everyone get here so fast? I had to deal with a ton of robots.)

"Can you go under the pile of robots, though? Todoroki made a big mess, and there's even more incoming. You'd have to hold your breath for a while, Honenuki," Rin warns him, scaling up his forearms.

I think I see Bakugo and some of 1-A going above the zero-pointers. That's my ticket outta here. "You guys can figure it out! I know you can! I'm going above with Bakugo. I better see you on the other side!"

Without waiting for them to wave me along, I run. I push through the crowd, getting some swears here and there. There's no time to stand around, gotta get up there! I see Shiozaki and Komori trying to figure out what to d-

_WHIFF!_

Suzuki! Crap, barely had time to dodge his punch! He's standing in front of me, gritting his teeth. Well, I'd had to meet him eventually… I'm surprised there isn't a rule that other students can't attack others. "Inochi, where the hell are you going? You know you can't win this festival, do you?"

"Yeah, I know. But, that's not going to stop me from doing my best. Move aside, Suzuki," I say, trying to get past him. It doesn't work. He pushes me back. Dang it, why does this have to be so hard? Why can't he end the drama between us?

"You don't get to tell me what to do! Whatever it takes, I'll make sure you'll get out of my way and suffer! Where's your class, anyway? Right, they aren't helping you. You're alone, Inochi!" Suzuki taunts me, getting really close to my face. (What is with everyone getting so close to me?)

"I'm right here," Kendo introduces herself, popping out of the crowd. She takes Suzuki by arm and subsequently judo-slams him. His body bounces up a few centimeters before Kendo takes her foot to his chest. She tells me with a confident smile, "Go ahead, Inochi! You better impress the world!"

"You're the best, Kendo!" I say as I finally get out of this crowd. Some of them start yelling at me, but I don't care. I use the iced zero-pointers as ramps, running on top of it and trying to not slip off. (Tetsutetsu and Kirishima are ahead of me. I swear, they're long lost brothers.) The active zero-pointers are right in front of me, towering over us like giants. It… It occured to me that I somehow defeated one of these things back in U.S.J., but… I… I don't know exactly how I'm going to take this down. You know, I shouldn't. Gotta focus on getting to the finish line, not the amount of points I get. Just by clearing this is enough to impress people.

Just focus… I open up my grappling hook, aiming for the edge of a zero-pointer's head. Alright, I can't launch off of it because I'll have no way to land. This thing has to be my way down then. Okay, that's the plan! An incredibly risky plan, but let's go ahead with it!

_CLINK!  
ZIIIIP!_

My grappling hook flew through the air, hooking itself right where I want it. I get yanked towards it, going straight up. This robot is so tall that it takes about five or so seconds for me to reach up there! Luckily for me, the zero-pointer doesn't bother to attack me because I'm too fast. When I hit the edge, I climb on top of its head, which is the same size of a tiny bedroom. Holy crap, a bird is perched here. "Shoo shoo!" I usher it away.

I walk to the other side of its head. So, how am I going to get down? The immediate thought that comes to mind is using my katana. If I dig it into the zero-pointer's back, it'll slow me down as I fall. From how large this thing is, I'll be safe, but it'll take a lot of time. The other option is using its back as a slide. It's faster, but also much more dangerous for obvious reasons. As much as I want to cross the finish line, I don't want to break my legs. It-!

_BOOM BOOM BOOM!_

What the hell?!

I look over and see… see Yaoyorozu with a large cannon?! She's shooting all of the zero-pointers! Shit, I'm at the worst possible spot! Does she even know I'm up here?! Crap crap crap! I need to get the hell off! I can't-!

_BOOM!_

Yaoyorozu fired. The cannonball hits the face of my zero-pointer, snapping its head back. Shrapnel escapes from it, mixing in with shards of thin metal plates. Some of them dig into my skin, tearing my uniform slightly. It feels like bee stings. My ears ring loudly, sounding like a bell is being hit right next to me.

At the last second, at the very last second, I jumped. My katana finds itself in the back of the zero-pointer as I slide down it, the speed being too fast for me to process anything. For dear life, I grip the hilt, my knuckles turning ashen white. In my head, I'm begging the robot not to fall. Luckily, by luck or whim, it doesn't. It was the longest five seconds of my life, but I land safely on the ground.

It isn't over yet, though. I look up and see the zero-pointer teetering, shifting from side-to-side. Yup, I need to run! Ignoring the pain that starts swelling in my body, I sprint the hell outta dodge. I hear Present Mic yelling that Yaoyorozu had single-handedly took down all the "massive beasts". Man, her Quirk is so strong.

Anyway, unluckily for me, there's a three-pointer in my way. It's blocking my immediate path out of the crash zone. I can't risk jumping at it, because I'm afraid that it won't go down in one measly strike. So, I unfold my crossbow again and fire a single explosive bolt at its head.

_BOOM!_

Damn it, it's not destroyed! I only made it angry _and_ hurt! The three-pointer charges forward with impressive speeds, but I still have one more bolt left! I aim and fire within a second, emptying my magazine. For the last time, it goes _BOOM_. It explodes in a brown cloud of dirt and dust. I pass through the cloud and thank God! The path is getting narrow! That's the end of the Robo-Inferno!

_CRASH!_

And, I think all of the zero-pointers just crashed! Good: I'm alive and well. Not good: Yaoyorozu likely opened the path for herself, and everyone else as a result. I'm just ahead of everyone, but not for long. They'll run over here soon. Let's hope the next obstacle can slow them down. What is it gonna be this time? More fighting? Climbing? Whatever it is, I'll be ready!

I'll be-!

Okay, scratch thatI have no idea how U.A. managed to make a canyon of all things! (Per U.A. fashion, there's a sign which names this… whatever this is. It's "The Fall".) Think! There's islands separated by large gaps connected by tightropes. If I fall, then I'll probably lose. (I sure hope that U.A. has some sort of cushion down there. They wouldn't let students fall to their death. Right?)

The safe way is climbing from each island by the ropes. They're made of wire, so they shouldn't be cut nor break easier. The other, more riskier way is simply grappling hook my way across. I can also jump from island to island considering how some of them are close together… What to do… What to do... I can't stand here and think forever. Heroes have to think on their feet. I-!

"Excuse me, Inochi," Shiozaki runs past me and, without hesitation, digs her hair into the ground. I sheathe my katana as I watch her create a bridge. It connects the cliff to the nearest island. Impressive! Like an elegant queen, she briskly walks across it. "I pray that I'll see you at the finish line," she tells me. Normally, that would be a taunt, but Shiozaki doesn't do that. She genuinely wants to see me there.

Well, when in U.A., do as Heroes do! As much as I want to follow Shiozaki, grappling my way across is much faster. I say, "Shiozaki, I'll see you on the other side! And please, pray for me because I might fall."

Before she has a chance to say anything, I fire my grappling hook on the tallest island and get pulled towards it. The last thing I see from Shiozaki is a soft smile before she becomes a distant figure. When I reach my first island, I roll on top of it, so I don't cut myself on the jagged rocks. If I'm not careful, my bracers will break from the impact. That's the last thing I want.

And damn, there's everyone else. Ah, there's Kendo! She's leading most of our friends with Monoma. Let's hope they make it through The Fall okay! Now, need to make it through this deathtrap. Should be easy enough!

_CLINK!_

_ZIIIP!_

_CLINK!  
ZIIIP!_

Two islands down. Same thing as before: Fire, get yanked, roll, profit. It gets a little easier, repeating the same actions. It's-?!

_RUMBLE RUMBLE!_

The pillar beneath my feet begins to shake violently. "I'M HERE!" Gera shouts at the top of her lungs, creating a rocky bridge between the islands. That's her Quirk, alright. (Eruption: Gera can bend the earth beneath her feet. _Only_ her feet. It's an incredibly strong Quirk. I'm amazed that she isn't in the Hero Course along with Mantora and Suzuki.)

As soon as the first bunch of students try to follow her, Gera stomps on the bridge, immediately breaking it apart. An uproar of terrified screaming fills the air, getting quieter and quieter as they fall to their doom. (For this competition. Hopefully, not their lives, but I never know when it comes to U.A..) Unluckily for me, Gera is on the island besides me. "Oi! Inochi! Glad to see you here! Let's have a good fight, eh?"

Oh jeez.

"GERA RUDOLPHUS, FROM 1-D, IS TAKING OUT THE COMPETITION! INOCHI IS IN HER SIGHTS! WHO WILL WIN?!"

"Hmph, Gera's Quirk has the upper hand here. Being able to manipulate the battlefield, especially one like this, is immensely powerful. Inochi has the maneuverability, but doesn't have the strength of a Quirk. Gera isn't a smart woman, so if-"

"I CAN LITERALLY HEAR YOU, SIR!" Gera yells at the nearest speaker. Present Mic yelps, stammering over his words and trying to apologize for Mister Aizawa's words. Alright, this is a good time to check on my equipment. Weapons… check. Grappling hook… check. Crossbow… not check. I forgot to reload. Quickly, I take a cartridge out of my pockets (one more left, only brought three), loading five more explosive bolts in. Gera finally notices me and asks, "Wait, what the hell are you doing?!"

"...Nothing?" I hide my arms behind my back.

"Alright, good luck!" Gera roars, stomping her foot on the ground. A pillar of jagged rock emerges in front of her, twisting, contorting itself through the air. It curves towards me slowly, excruciating slow, not yet hitting me. It's pretty much a flat fist coming at me from about five meters away. She's trying to spring a reaction out of me, seeing if I move or attack, but I stand there, still. "Hmph, see ya 'round."

Think! Moving back to a safer position might be good. There's islands all around us. She'll have to chase me around The Fall, which lets me get into a favorable position. She stomps again and rushes the pillar towards me. As soon as I hear her stomp, I jump off the island to my right. Aiming my left bracer, I launch myself towards a bigger island, higher than where Gera's at. I roll myself on the flat ground, looking down at her. She smirks, taunting, "Can't run forever, Inochi!"

(The other students! They're slowly climbing their way across, but my friends? Pony has her horns acting like an airline, Tokage is flying like how she always does, and Shishida is acting like a taxi from how large he is. From how powerful Gera is, we'll knock them off while we're fighting! Gotta distract her!)

"Well, you better catch me then, don't ya?!" I taunt her, something that I never do. If Mister Aizawa is right, then she'll fall for it, which she does. Gera smiles even harder before stomping her feet again. A massive, jagged spike shoots out from her pillar, crashing into mine. The heck?! Is this supposed to be a bridg-?!

_ERUPT!_

From below me, I get launched in the air by my own island! Crap, that's how her Quirk works?! By connecting the islands, she gains control of them! There has to be some sort of limit! Can't worry about that now, though! Gera's following up with a rocky fist right at me! How the heck can I dodge this?! I only have time to shoot!

Wait...

"_GO TO HELL!"  
_"_DIEEEE!"_

Well, it seems like Bakugo just became my inspiration! His Quirk lets him maneuver himself in the air with the force of his Explosions, like what he did with the zero-pointers earlier. That means, if I shoot this thing, I'll get launched back by the explosion! I'll be able to fly away from her! That's all I got, so here goes nothing!

_BOOM!_

From the shockwave, I fly deeper into The Fall, narrowly avoiding Gera. I spin myself around, facing the islands below. I'm pretty high in the air, going towards the right of the course. Everyone else is at the left. Good, just gotta focus on baiting her. Speaking of her, she creates a ramp for herself, soaring through the air like a surfboard on water. She's connecting the nearby islands to get more power for herself. Not good!

"Got a plan, tough guy?!" Gera taunts, her voice getting closer and closer. To answer her question: Not at all! I can hear rock crumbling behind me, and I'm pretty sure an entire island fell because of her. She's really going all out to stop me, huh? She either wants to have a good fight, or Suzuki put her up to this. It's funny though, I'd thought she wasn't fond of him.

Anyway, I'm finally on level with the rest of the islands. I'm going down, which is exactly I want. From my peripheral vision, Gera goes lower too. We're below the surfaces now, going into dangerous territory. Any small mistake and we'll fall to the bottom. This is where the true battle starts.

Gera, in a fit of competitive rage, throws rocky spikes at me. I spin, weave, and lean my body around, narrowly dodging them. They fly off into the other islands, snapping off a chunk of earth off and letting it fall to the bottom. When I'm losing speed or going too low, I grapple myself onto a higher ledge and propel myself forward. I did this a few times, managing to dodge any and all attacks that Gera's throwing at me.

Behind me, I fire my explosive bolts at her after she tries to hit me. Every time, she uses an earthy shield to protect herself from the blast, letting the rock crumble to the bottom. We hit defenseless islands in our crossfire, some even topples into each other! I used up the rest of my second pack and most of my third, leaving me with two bolts left. That isn't good. Bright side: Gera looks exhausted.

But, this is an exciting fight! Weaving and turning around islands, dodging projectiles that can surely kill me, firing back, it's amazing! I never thought I would get myself into a situation like this! Even with Gera swearing in German (such an angry language), she has to admit this is a fun fight. I mean, who gets to fly with rocks falling all over us?

But, this has gone on for too long. I need to end it this dogfight! In front of me, there's two islands, one on each side. Gera's far enough… I have the perfect idea! I got the space and time for it, so let's hope it works!

Hooking on the island to my left, I begin to curve around it, my feet barely touching the other island. I put my right hand back and release another bolt (one more), letting it blow up right beneath my feet. A wave of pain goes through them, but I ignore it. Using the shockwave and momentum, I loop around the hooked island, going full-circle around it. Where I was just at, Gera's there. When the angle is just right, just _perfect_, I unhook myself, soaring towards her with my feet first.

She sees me, her eyes getting wide. My foot connects, striking her above the chest. With my momentum and power, I manage to kick her off of her surfboard. I land on it, watching Gera's back hit a wall. Barely, she grabs on a ledge, gritting her teeth. Damn, it wasn't enough?! She says, "Nice try… I figured you wouldn't be this eas- Wait, where are the fuckshit are you going?!"

"Anywhere but here!" I shout back, immediately jumping off her ramp. Again, like before, I release a bolt at my feet, regaining the speed from before. (All out.) Okay, since I only made Gera angry, she'll start to go all out. God, I don't want to be there when she goes all ou-

_RUMBLE RUMBLE!_

Yeah, from the sounds of that, I _really really _don't wanna look back!

"Guys, Inochi's flying at us!" Awase… Oh crap, I'm at the exit already?! This isn't good! Almost everyone is across though, except for Kendo and Monoma. Pony has her horns out, being the class's transport, I guess! I would be proud, but I'm pretty sure this exit won't exist in a minute or so!

I warn Kendo and Monoma, "HURRY UP! GERA'S COMING!" As soon as I say that, a massive earthquake shakes the entire course. I look behind me and see Gera going breakneck speeds, letting the earth beneath her feet push her forward like a rocket. Every island in her path is breaking apart. With how fast she is… I'm pretty sure she can cause a tsunami to appear!

"Damnit! Monoma, get the hell over there!" Kendo yells, picking Monoma up by his uniform and throwing him to the other side with her enlarged fists. She shrinks them as Pony's horns come to her. Shit, Gera and I are getting closer to her! Only a few seconds 'till impact! Kendo, taking all the time in the world, grabs on and-!

_CRASH!_

Behind me, Gera sent a spike! It flies pass me… pass me right into Kendo's island. _Shit!_ It cracks, crumbles under her. Time slows down as I watch Kendo fall, having the ground collapse below her. Damnit, I can't let her lose! Not like this! I can catch her! I can definitely catch her! I just... I just need to time it right! Okay, okay! I hold my arms out, ready! I find myself yelling her name right as when I-!

_CLASP!_

"Got ya!" I exclaim, holding Kendo close. She was screaming before I caught her, thank goodness I did. Her arms wrap tightly around me, holding on for dear life. I barely catch a glimpse of her looking starry-eyed at me before I turn to our surroundings. Unluckily for us, we're moving against the air now. We're slowing down, and Gera is catching up. I have to get on solid ground! One last time, I hook on the nearest island in front of us. It grabs on, reeling us in. It's much slower than before, since it's carrying the weight of two people. I really need to thank Hayami for making this thing so good!

We roll on top of the island with me smacking the edge first. It cuts into my arms, drawing blood, but I don't care. I just flew God knows how long and how much. I try to stand up, but my legs feel like jelly. I fall to my knees and- Oh, come on! My grappling hook broke from the impact. That's it, all I got is my weapons.

Kendo calls me over, on her knees too, "Inochi… God, if they don't… if they don't think you're a Hero now, I'm going to punch them…" She tries to get up, but falls kinda hilariously. Hehe, Kendo doesn't look particularly happy. She's shouting with her eyes, _Don't laugh at me!_

The best General Course student in the entire school comes around on her little rock surfboard. She twists herself around us, slowing down to a halt. "Okay, Inochi… I have to admit, you're one badass Quirkless. And… Is she okay?" Gera gestures towards Kendo.

"My legs isn't working at the moment, but I'm alive," Kendo answers for me, barely standing up on her feet. She looks over to Gera and groans, asking her, "Gera… Why are you so hellbent on fighting Inochi? Did Suzuki make you do this?"

Gera tells us, sitting down on her rocket, "Nah, I wanted to. This is the only chance in a long time where Pros can notice me. I figured, 'Hey, if I took out some kids and one of the strongest guys in the Hero Course, I got a shot.' If you guys didn't know, I basically failed the written portion of the Entrance Exam. Almost got a zero."

Oh… right… that's right… I was so focused on myself that… that I didn't realize the General Courses was trying to get into the Hero Course! Gera, like many others, was only trying to prove herself to the world… just like me… just like my friends… Well, she deserves to be in it. I can't think of any better person. The best thing I could do is give her this fight.

I laugh, standing up with a smile. "Thanks for the compliment Gera, but you're pretty strong too. Stronger than _me_, because I've been trying to run away from you for most of our fight. So, let's finish it! Afterwards, I'll vouch for you even if my word means nothing." Kendo stands up too, simply staring at me. Judging from her eyes, I don't think her mind's in our world right now.

"You're on," she replies, smiling widely before turning to Kendo. "Oh, Kendo, I made a bridge for you to move on. You should hurry up, 'cuz you're running out of time." She doesn't answer for a second or two. She's still staring at me, a bit red in her cheeks too. I tap her shoulde-

"Yeah, got it! I got it!" Kendo snaps out of it, shaking her head. Hehe, what made her act like me all of the sudden? Anyhow, she lightly punches my shoulder, telling me, "I better see you at the finish line."

I nod and smile before she runs along on the bridge. I watch her leave, going back to our friends. They wave at me, wishing me luck. Better not disappoint them, even though my most valuable equipment is broken. Gera comments, "So… You ready? I'm not holding back." (Heh, that's the most respectful thing anyone could do: not holding back.)

"Yeah. Just so you know: My grappling hook broke. I won't fight at my best, but doesn't mean I can't fight," I inform Gera, showing her my busted bracer. She just shrugs and stands up, loudly cracking her knuckles. Let's get st-

"Good, that means you can't escape." That voice… It's Suzuk-!

Just as when I turn around, Suzuki grabs me by the throat, his nails digging into my neck. C-Crap! How did he get here?! Was he hiding on the ledge this entire time?! Gera yells, growling at him, "Suzuki! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Doing what you should have done!" Suzuki roars before he lifts me up and slams me against the ground in a flash, creating a small crater around me. My spine shoots out pain as I barely… barely look up at him. The last thing I see is his foot before everything goes black. He said something… something right before I fell…

"Fall, Inochi."

Blood shoots out of my nose. My body feels like it's floating- No, I'm sinking. I think I hear Gera yelling, Suzuki too… Crap… I shouldn't have… shouldn't have ignored him… Too busy focused on myself… and…-!

_CRACK!_

My head… I hit something… Something hard, I think… Sharp... I'm falling, aren't I? My eyes open, but I can barely see anything… Everything's so dark. The sun's so far away… Everything hurts… Everything-!

_THUD!_

Soft… I landed on… something soft… I see… my hand, covered in blood, everything's dark- No, there's something bright… bright like fire…

"_I got you…"_

His voice… My chest hurts…

"_D-Don't cry… I'm here… You're safe… "_

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Good morning, sleepy head," I greet Inochi. His eyes slowly flutter open, wincing at the light above him. He lets out a painful groan, trying to look around in a neck cast. It doesn't work out for him, the idiot. Finally, he sees me and smiles warmly.

"Kendo… What happened? I don't remember anything..." He asks me, sitting himself up slightly. Well, that question is a loaded question. A lot of things happened, exciting things, bad things, mostly bad things… Jeez, I can't believe I'm going to disappoint him… He was so confident in me too…

"Where do I start? Right, Suzuki kicked you off The Fall and you managed to hit your head on the way down. Don't worry though, Gera knocked Suzuki off too, so that asshole got what he deserves," I answer him with a small smile. I'm glad I didn't see it happen though, or else I'd go back to The Fall and kick Suzuki off myself. Haven't seen his face around unfortunately. I need to rearrange it.

Even though he said that Suzuki deserves a spot in U.A., it gets really hard to trust him when Suzuki does stuff like this. I get that he's jealous because Inochi is in 1-B, but does he have to attempt murder for revenge? I swear, if Hound Dog doesn't sort him out, or his classmates, I will.

Inochi hits me with a bunch of questions, trying to lift his head up, "Huh… Oh shoot, did you qualify?! Did Monoma's plan work?! Is the Sports Festival over? Did you wi-"

"Slow down!" I tell him, forcing his head back down. "First, all twenty of us did qualify. But, you missed the second event: The cavalry battle. We… We didn't do so good… Only Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki made in it. I was supposed to fight in the next event, the tournament, but I gave it to them."

The look on Inochi's face says it all. He's disappointed… Damn, this is the first time I get to see him like that. Softly, he pries, "Why? You told me that you wanted to win. You had a chance and… and you didn't take it."

I answer him truthfully, "They deserved it. You know that Tetsutetsu wanted to beat 1-A _badly_, and Shiozaki is the most powerful woman in our class. It seemed like a good choice for them to take my spot. Better than me, I g-"

"You're lying, Kendo," Inochi interrupts me mid-sentence. How… How did he know? Is he a human lie detector or something? It doesn't matter though… He called me out on it. "You tap your leg when you lie, so you make it pretty obvious. Doesn't take much of a genius to figure that out."

Wha-? He's right again. I _am_ tapping my leg. Damnit, I cross my arms, hiding my fingers from him. Inochi continues, "I don't doubt that you gave up your spot for those reasons, but there's definitely more to it. So, best friend to best friend, what's up?" Inochi doesn't make it easy… Especially when he's looking at me like that…

"Uhm… I felt guilty," I begin to answer him, holding the insides of my pockets, "for letting you lose. For the past few weeks, you trained so hard for this moment, and I just snatched it away for being an idiot. If I didn't get myself in that situation, you could've made it to the end! I didn't deserve to go onto the second round, let alone the thi-"

He cuts in, "Don't act like that." I look up at him. I didn't even realize I was looking down in the first place. "Come on, Kendo, don't forget that you trained hard too! In fact, you trained right beside me. If anything, _I'm _sorry for making you feel this way." Inochi sm-?!

He… He takes my hand! Uhm, this is a bit sudden! Inochi tells me, looking into my eyes, "No matter what though, don't think that you can disappoint me. Whether you win or you didn't, you at least tried. I'll always be proud of you, because you're the best person in the world." I…! Ugh, jeez… He's too much of a sweet guy… What did I do to deserve him?

"Y-You know, you have to explain to me why Suzuki hates you so much… You're too much of a sweetheart to make anyone hate you," I reply, joking slightly. I can feel my face getting warm, holding his hand like this, and… and staring at him... I swear, someone will get the wrong idea if they walk in on us…

"I'm not _that_ much of a sweetheart…" Inochi replies, being humble as always. He can always make a person feel special. Oh, speaking of him being a sweetheart, I need to ask him something important.

I let go of his hand and ask, "So, since we're best friends and all… You never called me by my first name. Is there any particular reason why, Mister Nice Guy?" Inochi grows a dumb smile on his face, trying his best to not look at me.

He meekly answers, "Well, it might be a little disrespectful-"

"It's a lot more disrespectful to keep calling me 'Kendo' after we live in the same house for over half a year now. As your best friend and class representative, you have to use my first name, _Sanji_," I say, not bothering to hear the rest of his excuse. _Sanji _nervously chuckles to himself, scratching his head.

"O-Okay… It… Itsuka?" He winces after he says my name. What? Does he think the entire room will explode? I wouldn't doubt it though, he's weird like that. Weird, and cute if he wasn't in a neck brace.

"Troublesome kids! I'm here!" Recovery Girl announces herself, walking through the door with her large syringe in hand. Ever since Sanji and I got into U.A., she's been complaining about Grandpa a lot. I know these two were in the same class back then, with Grandma. I'm sure she has a lot of stories. "So, this boy is alive thankfully. No major injuries other than a concussion."

I stand up and bow. "Thank y-"

"Hush, your mother called. Hayami wants you to kick Suzuki's behind," she informs me, which sounds exactly like Mom. Gosh, I wonder what Grandpa is doing now. I wish he was here, but he's a hermit.

I respond, puffing my cheeks, "I would if this angel-of-a-man let me. He's too nice for his own good."

"Heh," Sanji laughs, sitting up for Recovery Girl, "Recovery Girl, thanks for taking care of me. I know that I'm a bit of a handful and all." She clicks her tongue, walking over and taking his neck brace off.

"Son, you haven't seen Midoriya. I tell Toshi everyday to keep that boy in check, but nooooo! He- Wait, did Saki tell you two it?" she asks, suddenly stopping to look back and forth between us.

"That All Might and Midoriya are really close?" Sanji answers for me, being confused. Recovery Girl groans and shakes her head. Apparently, that wasn't the "it" that she was talking about. What's going on between these two?

"Never mind, he might tell you two one day. Let's hope you two never get to hear it," Recovery Girl tells us, her voice getting low at the end. She sighs, putting Sanji up on his feet. "Anyway, you are good to go. Enjoy the Sports Festival with your friends, you handsome handful of a boy."

(I'm suddenly a bit more concerned about what this "it" is. Recovery Girl knows, All Might and Midoriya too. Wait, is that why All Might brought Midoriya to the Dojo? For Grandpa? What kind of secret are they keeping?)

Sanji laughs and moves besides me. We bow together, thanking Recovery Girl for what she did. She says, "You know, you two remind me of Saki and Tatemi, but if the genders were reversed. Both of you better take good care of each other, because in this field… You don't know when you might leave."

(Hmph, at least Recovery Girl is kinda sweet with the teasing, and a bit depressing. Sanji, as always, brushes it off with a smile.)

"Don't worry, I'll take care of Itsuka. She's important to me."

Eh?! Why does he feel the need to say that?!

"Wha-?! Don't say things like that! This is why everyone's teasing us!"

_Punch!_

"Ow?! I'm sorry?!"

"Just like a married couple."

* * *

"I was waiting for you two!" Tokage pops out from the tunnel with a big smile on her face. She's holding her phone in one hand… Oh! Did she call her dad? She told me she would after our cavalry battle. "I has wondrous tidings to shareth thou all! Alas, I needeth a confession fromst thou first." And she's talking like Monoma… I know what she's trying to say, but I'm going to pretend that I don't.

"All I got was 'confession'," Sanji admits, looking at me then at Tokage completely confused. He asks, "Are you trying to talk like Monoma or a very old Japanese man?"

"Hmph, spill the beans, Kendo!" Tokage completely ignores Sanji, pointing her hand at me. "You didn't confess your undying love to Inochi, who was lying in bed injured after saving your life? It was a textbook moment of romance!" (Oh crap, Sanji and I are on a first name basis now. I'd better admit that instead of using it out of the blue.)

"No, but I forced him to use my first name now. Which reminds me," I walk forward and put my hand on her head. "How are you doing, _Setsuna_?" Setsuna blushes, using her wavy green hair to hide her beet red cheeks.

Quietly, she says, "Itsuka… Be a woman and kiss me." Huh, didn't expect that reaction outta her.

"Gayeth," I snap back, pushing her towards Sanji. Her blush disappears as she runs into Sanji's chest, offhandedly commenting that it's really hard. Yeah… Despite us living under the same roof, I saw him shirtless once or twice, and that was months ago. It makes me wonder what he looks like now. I- Ugh! I need to remind myself what's really important: Setsuna's phone call. "So, what did your dad say? Did he talk to the investors?"

"Oh!" She exclaims, slowly looking at me while punching Sanji's chest like a toy. "Yeah! in fact, he was about to call me, but I beat him to it. All of the investors agreed- Oh my God, Sanji is like a brick wall!"

"Focus, Setsuna!" Sanji tells her, grabbing her hand away. She yelps for a quick second before backing up.

"Right! Right, sorry! I was too distracted! Anyway, where was I...? Investors, that's it! From how badass Sanji was, they all mutually agreed that this adorable bastard gets to stay in 1-B!" Setsuna says the best news! Hell yeah! _Operation Samurai Heart _is a success! All it took was letting him let loose! Oh, that reminds me! I need to tell him about the public's opinion about him! Everyone is pleasantly shocked from Sanji's skills. Finally, they recognize how amazing he is!

Sanji laughs in pure joy, bringing Setsuna into a tight hug. "Thank you! Now I don't have to stress myself out about this anymore! Please tell your dad that I said 'thanks'!" She nods, hugging him back for a few seconds. Aw, that's cute. They're like brother and sister!

When they (finally) break apart, Sanji looks at me. Before I know it, he's hugging me too. It's a lot different than the group hug earlier, since we were forcibly pushed together… but, I get why Setsuna keeps hugging him so much… He's surprisingly cuddly, and warm... "Thank you especially, Itsuka. Without you, I wouldn't be here."

My heart skips a beat. I hug him back, resting my head on top of his shoulder. Setsuna's on the other side, flashing me a wink and a thumbs up. So annoying… Why do we have to hug like this in front of her?

When we pull apart, it disappoints me a little. I wanted to stay like that a little longer- Wait, what am I thinking?! I need to bury that thought. Setsuna gets in front of us with a bigger smile on her face. "Our class awaits us!" She gets closer to me specifically, whispering, "You're blushing~!"

Eh?!

With a mischievous and frankly irritating giggle, she walks to the exit, where the stands are at. Sanji shrugs and follows her. Ugh… I don't think he caught what she said… I follow them with my arms hanging low. When I'm thinking about it, my face definitely feels warm again. Let's hope no one else sees it…

The three of us reach our class's seats after a few minutes of walking aimlessly about. Our friends see us, circling Sanji and asking all kinds of questions, complimenting him, worrying about him, things like that. Tokage goes around and sits next to Kaibara, laying back peacefully while Sanji tries to calm his friends down.

"You're not dead, Quirkless."

"You are a crazy motherfucker, Inochi."

"That devilish fox deserves the loss at the hands of his own comrade."

"Kendo was so worried about you!"

"You fighting Gera was straight out of an anime!"

"We need to cheer Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki on! They're waiting for their matches!"

"Kaminari and Kirishima don't stand a chance against our wonderful class! Even though our plan went awry, we can-!" (Yeah, I had my daily fix of Monoma already. No need to hear more.)

I would help him, but Sanji can take care of this. I sit next to Yui, who's silently watching this with a straight face. "Hey Yui, _Operation Samurai Heart _is a success. I'm sorry you couldn't do much other than cheering Sanji on."

She nods, asking, "Sanji? First names, huh?" Right, forgot to tell her! At least she isn't like Setsuna.

"Yup, this idiot thought that it was disrespectful to call me by my first name. We're on the same basis with Setsuna too. You should join us!" I tell her, holding her other hand. Simply, without a single word, she nods. Good, let's hope Sanji doesn't call Yui by her last name. If he does, then I'm punching him.

So, we sit there, watching our friends like a hawk. Sanji looks so adorably overwhelmed. He scratches his head, telling everyone about his fight with Gera as best as he can. I'm pretty sure he left out a few details from how fast he's talking. Can't believe that was only a few hours ago… It seemed like it was much longer than that...

One moment, I was falling to my death, then in the next, Sanji had me in his arms. It was so different. I was always the one who protected him from bullies, beat his ass in almost every spar. but…. but, he saved me. He saved me. When I opened my eyes and looked up at him, I felt so safe with him. My heart was beating so fast too…

And, when he was talking to Gera… There was his peaceful smile on his face. Even when he's covered in dirt, sweat, and blood, he was still smiling. I couldn't help but watch him. His smile was so… calm and breathtaking. Just thinking about this is getting my chest all stirred up… My face is getting warm again too… What am I-?

"Hmm," Yui suddenly makes a sound, bringing me out of whatever I was thinking. It's a bit of relief she did, to be honest. She says, "Itsuka, it's a bit creepy to stare at Sanji looking like that." What?! What do I look like?!

"Eh?! How am I looking creepy-? Oh," I exclaim, but stop when I see Yui's half-smile. Man, can't believe she made me react like that… She's so sweet, but very sly whenever she feels like it. I take back what I thought earlier. Yui can be worse than Setsuna. I ask, pouting slightly, "Hmph, why did you mess with me in the first place? You know I don't like Sanji like that."

"Are you sure?" Komori pops up behind me, hovering over my shoulders. I thought she was down there with everyone else! How did she get up here? And how didn't I notice her? "We were joking before, Kendo, but you've been staring at him for a while. And your face was toadstool red just like your hair!"

What?! I look at Yui, and she agrees with her! Damnit, I don't need this again! I defend myself, "That doesn't mean anything. Sure, I admit that Sanji is a really attractive guy, but we're just best friends! He said it so himself. That's as far as my feelings go." Yui and Komori… They don't look convinced. Come on… I don't have time for romance drama or whatever it's called...

"If you say so," Komori concedes, jumping over her seat onto the one next to me. Now, I'm stuck in between these two lovable dorks. "Who's your dream guy then? What traits do you want most in a man?"

"Is this really necessary?" I question… whatever this is. Komori nods and hums, moving her bangs over her eyes.

She says, "Yup! I'll go first, then!" Komori crosses her legs and puts her fingers to her head, thinking like the world depends on it. "What I want in a guy is… mystery. He's shrouded in this mystical aura, a loner that seems rough on the outside, someone who's an enigma! But really, he's a cute, adorable introvert on the inside! And! And! He has to hate the media while I bathe in it! That's what I want in a man! What about you, Kodai?" (I'm not gonna lie, I expected Komori to say something like that. She wants to be an idol, so it's kinda natural she desires a man who's the opposite of her.)

She answers, "Soft." That sounds like her type of guy, alright. Yui looks at me though, expecting my answer. Komori helps her by nudging my shoulder. Well, I never expected this would be the hardest question to answer.

"Jeez, fine! Fine… What do I want in a guy? Uhm, strong, I guess? I don't know… Someone who's kind, sweet, and patient. He doesn't care that I'm not exactly a feminine woman, and can deal with me, since I'm the biggest handful I know, pun not intended. He's someone that I can lean on, and he can lean on me. Just, in general, I want him to be a great man..." I finally answer them. They have a satisfied look on their faces. Heh, the words just flowed out of my mouth…

Komori cheers, "You just described-!"

"Yo, Itsuka!" Sanji cuts in our conversation, standing a few levels below us. "Can I talk to you about this… _Operation Samurai Heart _that Setsuna told me about? Why didn't you tell me about it?" Oh right, I forgot all about that. Jeez, this will be a slightly long explanation.

("_Operation Samurai Heart_? Sounds like a song, or a name of a band," Komori comments to the side.)

"Yeah… I'll explain it to you," I say, groaning. Why did I keep it a secret from him again? Ah, it was revenge for _Operation Dragon Fist_ since he didn't tell me about it. Mom and I forced him to go to the gala, like how he rigged a match in our Battle Trials. But, did I expect someone to try and kill him? No, and I was worried sick. Mom had to calm me down because I was sure I sent Sanji to his death. Still haven't admitted it to him, yet. (When I think about it, this operation is why Setsuna is hated by the school…)

Anyway, when I reach him, he runs his hand through his mainly white hair, turning it back. It's… uhm, a bit distracting. "So, why didn't you tell me about this? There was no reason to _not_ tell me, Itsuka."

I look away and stutter, "Uh-Uhm…"

"Ohohoho, 1-A! I thought your class was stronger than ours, and we have one extra person! Why didn't you completely take over the tournament brackets if you were so great?!" Thank God for Monoma! He's taunting 1-A over the wall! Wait, he's taunting 1-A again… Damnit, I have friends in there!

I run pass Sanji, moving besides Monoma. Before he knows it, I hit the back of his neck. He falls to his knees instantly, sliding against the wall. I poke my head out with my hand up. "Sorry, he can't keep his mouth shut."

Sanji does the same thing. "Yeah, sorry about that. You guys are awesome by the way. You completely deserve your win-"

"I-Inochi…" Monoma gets our attention, talking in a raspy voice. "Why are you complimenting them? They're our enemy…"

"Shut up, Monoma."

"Please be quiet, Monoma..."

* * *

**Risai Tatchikutsu**

The smell of this place is surprisingly pleasant, being a bar and all. Figured, this is being spearheaded by _him_, so naturally, this place would be presentable. A shadowy, wispy man stands behind the counter. His lightning-like eyes glow softly within his darkness, narrowing when he sees me. Even though he knows I'm ordered to be here, he's still wary of me.

The other man, who looks like a boy underneath those hands, sits on a barstool, watching the Sports Festival. Midoriya and Shinso are fighting. Ah, Class 1-A and 1-C, right? Midoriya's a promising man. He punched a giant fox mutant through a wall, and he survived the U.S.J. Incident, who was perpetrated by these two men here.

"..." Shigaraki doesn't say anything. His attention is fixed to his TV. Kurogiri shakes his head, gesturing to my presence. "I know, Kurogiri. Master didn't give me any information about this man, other than his name. I'm grateful, but there's a reason you're wary, aren't you?"

"Indeed. He's just a boy, just as old as Midoriya. His innate recklessness coupled with his Quirk makes him to be a very dangerous man. In fact, from being reckless, it's the reason why he's standing here today," Kurogiri explains, turning to me. He's right. From my impulsiveness, I became wanted by the police. Grandmaster has been tracking me down for a year now, and he would have found me if it wasn't for _him_, who hid me from his watchful eye.

"Hmph," Shigaraki huffs, turning around to face me. A disgusting hand covers his face, his two eyes between the gaps of its fingers. What a creepy-looking man. I can't believe this is the one who attacked U.A., and is _his_ protege. "You're Catharsis, right?"

"I am, Tomura Shigaraki. From now on, your orders are my command. Just as long as you let me do what I do best," I tell him, bowing my head slightly as a taunt. Kurogiri scoffs, looking away from me.

He asks me, scratching his cheek, "Tell me: Why did you become a Villain?"

"Well…" I start, staring at the TV. Midoriya just threw Shinso out of the ring, winning the match. He's a promising man, alright. Strong Quirk, but frail body. He's a nerd, a weak one. It reminds me of one of my old classmates. He's in U.A. too, isn't he?

"I want to get rid of all of society's weaklings. They have no place here."


	18. Fight, Suzuki

**Karisuma Suzuki**

He sat there, head down, hood up. Silent, like he always was. He sat in the back of the class, at the corner desk, on the side that had the large glass window looking out to the rest of the school. He was a man that no one would notice and no one would care for if he suddenly went missing. After all, he's a foster kid, most likely an orphan, but who knows? He didn't tell anyone about his parents, nor about his Quirk. He was, and still is legally Quirkless. He was always so pathetic, you know. He's a very easy man to hate and pick fun at.

It's interesting, kinda. Every now and then, when we were changing out for gym, I caught him with his shirt off. (He was always the one who would change out the fastest, so I barely get to see him.) There would be these strange bruises on his body. It didn't worry me though, because chances are, I was the one who put them there. Like everything personal though, he never talked about it.

Speaking of talking, that was sadder than his bruises. He never spoke unless he was forced to. I pitied him, to be honest. (I never thought he would have _me_, pitying him, but everyone surprises themselves at least once in their lives.) His voice was so soft like a little immature child who never grew up. It was weak, which was the only word that fully described him. But, whenever he spoke, I had to listen. Because… he was the only person who would talk back to me. Even if it was the littlest of words, the tiniest changes in tone, I could sense it. Naturally, I tried to make him get rid of that arrogance, but it never worked. Even with everything I did, all the pain I inflicted, it never worked.

It was so annoying. Especially when I found out that this little man wanted to be a Pro Hero. It was hilarious. Him? This quiet, Quirkless guy? It was impossible, but he was competition nonetheless. Even if he couldn't do anything, he could get in my way. Naturally, I tried to destroy that little dream of his. Like before, it never worked. I couldn't understand why it never worked. I even made him admit that he was lower than me, but we both knew that he never meant it.

I swear, this boy… I would tear every follicle of his white hair with black streaks coming across it. Even then, it probably wouldn't work. I had to admit that he was firm in his belief. Thinking back on it, that was major change in him. One day, his eyes were empty like a dead man. Whatever happened to him, it sparked a tiny little light in his eyes. I tried my best to snuff it out like a candlelight, but it never worked. It was amazing, completely unexpected, considering how much of a wimp he was. Everyone else praised me, said I would be a great Hero, maybe better than All Might! They believed in me, they knew I was the best. They stayed out of my way, never challenged me, and that was that. That was that... But, this guy? Yeah, he said I was strong a couple of times, but he said it like it was fact. It _is_ fact, but he never praised me. He never held onto me and told me how great I was. It was only a simple sentence with an indifferent voice, not caring whatsoever. The nerve of him was astounding. To him, I was like everyone else. It insulted me, and I couldn't do anything about it. Especially not to him.

Then, out of nowhere, he moved away. I took the Entrance Exam into U.A. without any worries. I destroyed a lot of robots, but I didn't make it into the Hero Course. In a letter, they stated the reason why: "Gross incompetence of rescuing." I tore the letter the moment I saw that. All I did was leave a few hopeless guys behind. Sure, they were stuck, but I'm not going to go out of my own way to save them. Jokes on me though, because if I had saved them, then I would've gotten into the Hero Course. Ugh, they didn't even tell us about the "Rescue Points" or whatever it was called.

As a result, I got placed in 1-D with other people like me. ("People like me", ugh…) Then, Golden Week came around. Imagine my surprise when I found him. Before, I heard that a legally Quirkless kid got into the Hero Course at U.A., but I didn't believe it was him. I swore I saw him a few times too, but I still never believed it was him. I was wrong. There he was… completing an impossible challenge. "Adoptive Muscle Memory" was his excuse. If he was that great, then why didn't he show it during middle school? Ugh, I never felt such hate in my life until that moment. The idea that he could be in 1-B, the Hero Course, and not me? Not me? Our entire middle school propped me up as their god, and he was the lowest, right at my feet. _I had him at my feet_.

Now, he came back stronger. There was a new look in his eyes, a new voice hanging in his throat. He was much more confident, much more strong, more brave! He was like a new man, even telling me to put our past behind us. Like hell I was gonna to do that. I had to set the world right. Our positions should be reversed. If life couldn't do it, then I sure will. It was never supposed to be like this.

I swear, my hatred grew even more when I found out about his new life. He was being trained as Master Kendo's disciple alongside a beautiful woman. Having a chance to be a master martial artist? With a beautiful girl? That kind of life is what movies and TV shows are made of. It's the kind of life that men would kill for. He used it well, considering how much he changed since then. Or maybe, it simply revealed what kind of man he really was. Either way, I wanted him to be underneath my feet once again.

But, I lost. 1-D lost. It was a blowout, and I lost control of my Quirk. Mom warned me what would happen if I did. I almost killed him, plenty of other people too. 1-A knocked me out, thankfully. I was surprised that I didn't get expelled. I still don't know why I didn't, but I took that as God giving me another chance to set everything right. My classmates in 1-D got a little scared of me after that, but who cares? I'm the class rep, the important one. Everyone else, especially Mantora (the vice class rep somehow, the asshole), won't get in my way.

That's why, when I heard about what Fuyushiro Tokage did to Hifumi, one of our own at U.A., I had to do something. I had to, for the good of the school! Even if 1-B has to suffer as a result, especially _him._

No matter what, I'll end you, Sanji Inochi. This is what you get for ignoring me, living the life that I was supposed to have.

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

"How the hell can we beat _that_?!" Tsuburaba hollers, pointin' at the large icicle that Todoroki made. For Endeavour's son, Todoroki sure likes usin' ice a lot, not his fire. Wonder if he'll ever use it. It'll be terrifying as hell though, 'cause if his ice could be this damn big, what does that say 'bout his fire? It could burn hotter than his pa's. Yet, for some damn reason, I have an itch that this guy is kinda like me.

Shoda sinks in his seat, pullin' his uniform up to cover half his face. "I'm so glad I gave up my spot… I would have lost…" Poor, chubby dude. Shinso, that zombie-lookin' fucker, took control of his mind along with that tail guy, what's his face… Ojiro. I heard he trains at the dojo with Inochi, Kendo, an' Midoriya. Good thing Midoriya tossed Shinso out. He broke his damn fingers though. (What the hell is with his Quirk?)

"Oh crud, Todoroki needs to chill out. Kekekeke!" Honenuki makes another damn pun. Fuckin' hell, he's gettin' the stink eye from everyone 'round him, includin' me. He's a nice guy an' all, but really? His laugh is really freakin' weird too. At least it ain't Monoma's. "What's with that look? I'm making a joke! I know Kamakiri is too much of a tough guy to make one!"

"I can make a joke outta you, if that's what ya want," I snap back, gettin' some unwanted ooh's an' aah's from the boys 'round us. Honenuki looks fake-scared, but he drops it an' laughs his laugh again. I say, leanin' back in my seat, "Hey Bony, mind to cut that laugh out? It's the weirdest thing 'bout ya."

"I have a list of weird things about _you_, Kamakiri. Here's one: You look like a middle school science experiment gone wrong." Honenuki fires back. An' what the hell? The boys are making ooh's an' aah's again. Goddamnit, are we really doin' this now? Honenuki is soakin' this in. Well, I hafta shoot something back now.

"Damn, I need popcorn!"

"Why are you encouraging this?"

"Guys, what's going o-?"

"Shut up, Inochi. These two are going at it."

"...?"

"This is comin' from a guy with his teeth out like a gorilla. Compensatin' for somethin', Bony?" I ask with a little wink added in. Awase an' Tsuburaba gets even louder, gettin' on the edge of their seats.

"He went there!"

"Why are you guys like this?"

"Shut up, Inochi! Just watch this battle, man!"

Honenuki adjusts his gym uniform, sittin' up slightly. Oh boy, he looks determined. I'm 'bout to get hit with the resolve of a U.A. student. "Hmph, where's your nose? We might as well call you 'Stain'." Oh damn, he compared me to that disgustin' bastard.

"Isn't Inochi kinda like Stain…?"

"Shush, Shoda! Enjoy this!"

"I'm so confused."

"Shut up, Inochi! This is great!"

"Okay, you cranky bastard. Growin' up, you remind me of the monster hidin' in my closet. It's pale and horrifying, but it's a helluva lot more handsomer than you," I hit Honenuki back, and he leans back in his chair bein' fake-killed. Tsuburaba, behind him, pushes him forward, eggin' him on.

"Are you gonna take that, Honenuki?!"

"Shut up, Inochi!"

"I didn't even say anything this time!"

Honenuki locks eyes with me. Alright, let's see what he got in store this time. I hope it's better than his puns, but even that bar is too damn low. "You sound like the bug I stepped on earlier. Was he your… uhm… friend?" That was sad. Poor Honenuki! A recommendation student but can't talk for shit. Looks like I'll win alright. It'll be the only thing I win in this damn festival.

"Looks like you will take it…"

"Ouch, think hard, Honenuki!"

"...Why did I sit here?"

"Don't worry, Shoda. I don't know why I came here too."

"Somethin' wrong, Bony? Is your teeth bitin' off more than they can che-?"

"Can you immature boys stop this?" Kendo butts in our little war, movin' besides Inochi. The guys around us, 'cept for me an' her little Sanji, straighten up like a board. Honenuki bows his head in defeat, sinkin' in his seat.

"Yeah, alright, Kendo!"

"Whatever you say!"

"Not a word from me."

"I wasn't apart of this."

"I'm just reading a manga!"

"What happened, Miss Kendo? I was reading a book."

"Don't worry, Shishida. Nothing to worry about."

"Thank you. Now, Kamakiri…" Kendo addresses me personally. I turn in my seat, lookin' up at her with a bit of a look. Ah, I didn't say anything. She must want me to say somethin'. She says, with a cocky smirk, "Do you know where Pony is? She went out to get food for us, but she hasn't come back. I figured she would text you first." (Eh?! Pony's gone?)

I ask, huffin', "Why the hell d'ya think that? Horns would text you first, not me, Fists." Right as I say that, everyone shakes their head. Oh c'mon, what the fuck? Do these people think I'm Pony's go-to? Kendo's practically her second mother, for some damn reason. Cut that, Kendo's the sister. She's the big sister of 1-fuckin'-B.

"Kamakiri, we all know how much she cares about you. Do I need to point out your lock screen, or the pictures she sent me? I can send them out to everyone," Kendo threatens me? What the hell is wrong with her? But fuck, how many pictures did Pony take? An' why the hell does Kendo have them? Knowing Pony, she probably gave them to her when she asked. Goddamnit… this girl will be the end of me… Her an' her big eyes.

I stand up and head towards the tunnel, sayin', "You know, I'm gonna find this annoyin' girl, alright? Just so your annoyin' ass can stop talkin' to me about this shit." Before they get a chance to respond, I leave their sorry faces behind. The only thing I hear is my name an' some suggestive whistlin'. Motherfuckers…

They've been on my ass since the cavalry battle. I can't believe I actually fuckin' teamed with Pony during that shit. "Ride me!" she said so damn innocently. I didn't want to fuckin' do it, but she was my only choice. Nobody else wanted to team with me, so I got stuck with fuckin' her. Didn't work out too well, since Todoroki yanked my headband off of me. We're the two fastest students in 1-B, an' we did jack shit. Just, damnit… I wanted to win too. Can't believe I'm admittin' this, but would be a little nice if I won with Pony. She would've got this big damn smile on her face… Ugh, I'm a fuckin' creep for thinkin' 'bout it.

Wait, I gotta find her now, don't I? Goddamnit, why the hell did I leave? Ugh, can't go back now. Kendo said she was gettin' food, right? There's a snack bar specifically for students. Lunch Rush cooked all of it it, an' he's the fuckin' best. Thankfully, U.A. weren't fuckin' sadists when they designed this stadium. It's so simple compared to the fuckin' maze that's called the main building.

I follow the signs to the snack bar. A lot of people got the same idea. Good, I can blend in an' not get singled out again. I mean, who would focus on a dumbass like me? If heaven had a smell, it would smell like this-

"Hentai Protagonist! I need your help!"

"It's Mantora. We talked about this, Kazeha. What is it?"

...

Mantora and Kazeha brush past me. They're havin' an interesting conversation, but "Hentai Protagonist"? What the hell? Manga watches that stuff, that nerdy pervert. (I'm pretty sure Inochi caught him readin' some… "manga". If disappointment had a face, then Inochi was that.) Anyway, why the fuck would Mantora be called _that_? I mean, his eyes are covered by his black hair, is that it? Ugh, at least they ain't 1-B. We are a fuckin' mess.

Any-fuckin'-way, I walk inside the snack bar. It's a pretty small room considerin' the size of the stadium. But, Pony ain't here. Her horns are a big giveaway, an' I can't see those pointy bastards anywhere. Damnit, she can't be goin' back to the stands or else I would've caught her on the way here. Where the fuck is she? Ugh, maybe those two idiots know where she is.

I go back out an' catch these two off to the side. Kazeha takes a banana off of Mantora's tray, unpeels it, an'... well… she fuckin' puts the entire thing down her throat without gaggin'. (How the fuck does she do it? No wonder Kendo calls her the "female Mineta".) I approach these weirdos. They turn to me in unison, an' Kazeha slowly pulls the banana out of her mouth. She asks, like that didn't happen, "Yeah?"

"Okay, I don't wanna fuckin' know what that was. Did either of you giggly pricks see a blonde-haired girl with horns 'round? Her name: Pony Tsunotori?" I ask 'em. Kazeha is 'bout to say somethin' if it isn't for Mantora, who puts a hand on her mouth.

He answers, pushin' Kazeha against a wall, "Yeah, Pony went down the left. But, uhm… I'd hurry, because I think she was running away from someone-" What?! You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!

"Fuck me! Alright, this is fuckin' happenin'! Thanks, Hentai Protagonist!" I thank him before I run like hell where Pony was at. I can't believe that there's still assholes out to harass us even with a damn festival goin' on! What the hell! Fuckin' media… They blew up the shit with Tokage an' Hifumi, an' look at where we're at! I swear, if anyone touches a hair on Pony's head, I'm tearin' their dicks off an' feedin' them it!

I push aside anyone outta my way. Don't care if they hate me, 'cause they already hate me in the first place. Come on, where the hell is she? I need to find cute little horns belongin' to the only fuckin' person who cares about me. But, she couldn't be bothered to tell me where she was goin'! Dammit all!

Fuck, I stop in my tracks after I run for who knows how fuckin' long… Damnit, I should call her, or Kendo, or fuckin' anyone! I pull my phone out an'... uhm… Damn everythin' to hell, I'm callin' Pony. Let's hope she picks up. She'd better be lost-

_Dadadada do wa!_

That's Pony's phone! She has some cheesy anime song for my number! Thank fuck that she never sets it on silent! It's faint, but that's definitely it! Where the hell is it though?! I look around, gettin' closer to the source. It leads me to a hallway off to the side: The bathrooms. There's the fuckers are. Two guys. They have Pony against a wall, completely surrounded. Wait, these are the guys earlier who insulted her earlier. They would fuckin' do this?!

"Who's calling you? They won't be able to help you," one of the shitheads say, crackin' his knuckles. That's one thing I'll be tearin' off.

"Probably one of her classmates," the other say, takin' a step closer. He taunts her, "Tokage will be crushed when she learns that poor Pony's been roughed up because of her. Maybe she'll learn that us commoners have lives too, but forget it. She's a rich little bitch stuck in her world. Suzuki is right."

Suzuki?! Did that bitch set this up?! What kind of a fuckin' person is he to attack Pony?! I'm kickin' his ass an' Inochi's too. He-!

"K-Kamakiri will save me! He'll punch the heck outta you guys once he gets here!" Pony says, her voice crackin' up. Damnit, these fuckers made her cry?! I take a few steps forward, makin' sure these fuckers don't hear me. Pony sees me behind them, her eyes gettin' wider. Hearin' her say that? It gives me an excuse to do this:

"What the hell would that guy do? He's not a real Her-?!"

I grip on the bastard's shoulders an' yank it down, dislocatin' it from its socket. Before he has a moment to scream, I cover his mouth with my hand, starin' at the other fucker who finally notices me. His eyes go wide, backin' up a little as his friend is screamin' like hell in my hand. He yells, "How the hell do you call yourself a Hero?!"

("Get them, Kamakiri!" Pony cheers me on. Yeah, go ahead an' watch me beat these assholes up.)

"Well, I ain't the one attackin' girls for no fuckin' reason!" I growl, throwin' his friend at him. He catches him right before I kick their asses against the boys' bathroom door. They stumble back, fallin' on top of each other. There, that's their Goddamn place. I put my foot on the guy's (who ain't got their shoulder dislocated) knee, ready to shatter it. "So, you assholes are doin' this for Hifumi and Suzuki?"

"Y-Yeah, because of guys like you! There's no justice for what happened to her! Suzuki told us that!" he says… What the hell… This fuckers are actin' like vigilantes now? They're the fuckin' Villains here.

"Y-You dislocated my arm… No wonder why you're a damn Villain…" the other one mutters, whimpering in pain. Aw, poor baby. He didn't get off on terrorizin' Pony? I should rip out his balls for that, but I ain't like that. I'm better than these punks.

I put my foot off, kickin' their legs aside. "Get the fuck outta here. If I see ya 'round Pony again, I'll show ya why I'm the Executioner Wasp's son." Without a word, they stumble up an' walk away. Good, these fuckers are shit at fightin'. No wonder I could take these assholes down so easily, an' why they're pickin' on Pony.

Oh shit, right! Pony! She's starin' at me with her big eyes, welled up with tears. Shit, there's a scratch on her face. I get down on one knee, checkin' up on her. Fuck, I didn't realize that they hurt her! If I known that, then I'd fuckin' kill these sons of bitches! Damnit though… I should have gotten here earlier. I apologize, "Sorry Pony… Guess I ain't that good of a friend, or a Hero. Those fuckers deserve worse."

"D-Don't say that! You're the best guy ever! You saved me! I woulda hurt them myself, but… but it happened too fast, and I was scared… I didn't know what to do…" Pony tries to blame herself, but that ain't sittin' right with me.

I tell her, wipin' a bit of her blood away with my finger, "Don't blame yourself, Horns. I shoulda went with ya, so this shitty mess wouldn't have happened, but I'm here now. Don't worry anymore, ya got it?"

"Mhm! Th-Thank you!" Pony puts her arms 'round my neck, huggin' me. Her tiny little head is rested on my shoulder… (Jeez, this girl is too clingy.) I wrap my arms 'round her, bringin' Pony in closer. I can feel her little heart poundin' against my chest. Pretty damn sure she can feel mine too. (Way too clingy…) I hear her mutterin', just barely, "Promise me that you won't let go?"

"Yeah, I ain't lettin' go," I tell her, without thinkin'. That's right, there's no way in hell that I'll let go. She's just… just too clingy for her own good. Way too damn clingy and innocent. Just gotta keep her close. Pony sniffles on my shoulder, rubbin' her head against my shirt. She quietly asks, "Can we… Can we go back to our friends?"

"You betcha," I say, smilin' to myself. I pull away to lift Pony on my back. I tell her, "I'll give ya a ride back. Like the sound of that?" She hums happily. Good, that's the sound I wanted to hear. (Guess she's the one ridin' me this time- Goddamnit, that sounds a lot dirtier than I wanted it to be.)

Pony, bein' annoyin', hugs my neck an' rests her head against my back. Hmph, I'm prepared to deal with all the fuckin' teasin'. Just as long as she's comfortable. Comfortable as hell, happy as hell. Fuck, this is the only time you're doing this, Togaru… Only time… Only fuckin' time… Damnit, my heart feels like it's about to burst outta my chest… (Doesn't help that Pony is pressin' her… her… yeah, let's not fuckin' think 'bout that! I can't be like Awase and Tsuburaba!)

I carry Pony outta the bathroom hallway, back into the main hall. Just gotta head right. Maybe I should pick up somethin' at the snack bar for her. I definitely saw candy apples, so she'll love them. That's what she needs right 'bout now. Honestly, that's what I need too. Anythin' to see that-

"Kamakiri?! Pony?!"

Rin and Tokage run up to us. They- What the fuck?! They're covered in feathers and glitter. The hell happened to them?! I ask them, "The fuck happened to you two?! Did ya run into a glittery slaughterhouse or somethin'?"

"What about you? Pony looks hurt!" Rin asks back, takin' a step forward. Pony lifts her head up an' waves.

She explains, "A couple of bullies went after me, 'cuz of Hifumi. Kamakiri saved me though! Are… Are you guys hurt too? What happened?"

"Uhm..." Tokage answers, holdin' her bag in a depressin' way, "that's a long story."

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"You know, Rin... In another universe, we would be together and hopelessly in love," I tell him. Rin is yet another man who knows my secret. He figured it out himself because I "talk about Shiozaki too much". For a secret, I really need to tone the obvious factor down. But then again, Rin is one of the smarter people in my class. Guys like Awase and Tsuburaba wouldn't be able to figure it out.

Rin sarcastically retorts, "Yeah, and my Quirk lets me turn into a giant dragon." Man, I love this _man_. Even though he's strict on morals and rules, he's not afraid to call people out. He's kinda like Shiozaki in a way, but with his Chinese wisdom instead of Catholicism.

"Of course! That would be bad to the ass. You'll be like Ryukyu! But for now, you gotta stick to your Scales," I reply, playfully punching his arm. Rin sighs and looks around. He's such a gentleman, offering to escort me to my locker.

Rin asks, his face turning a bit glum, "I have to ask: How are you so happy, despite everything that's going on? We can't even walk a few meters without someone staring at us. It's like we're the black sheep of U.A., to be honest."

Ah, I figured he would ask that… It's only natural I suppose. To everyone, I'm smiling throughout it all, not caring about what they think. It's the opposite. I'm trying my best to not show any cracks, but it's hard when the entire world is against me. I love Dad, but I wish he was a little more mindful. He told me that this will blow over within a couple of weeks, but it feels like years. Luckily though, I'm not scheduled to appear in public aside from the Sports Festival. I can keep everything on the down low… hopefully…

I answer Rin, showing my jagged smile, "I have my friends, y'know? They're the only reason, _you're_ the only reason why I'm happy. Without you guys, I would probably shut myself in from all the looks and comments."

He smiles so cutely. I never knew guys with a ponytail could be so adorable! (Maybe I need to force Sanji to wear one.) Rin replies, "I'm glad you consider me that, because this walk would be a lot more awkward if you didn't."

Pfft, this guy! We laugh together like good ol' friends, which we are. Now, I have a question that should rock his world. "So, Rin, as friends… I gotta ask: Who d'ya think is the prettiest girl in 1-B? Be honest, and don't be afraid to break my heart." Rin looks at me like I'm a freak (which is true), before shaking his head and sighing.

Rin responds, after a few seconds to think, "Alright, uhm… I guess it'll have to be Kendo-"

"Knew it!" I exclaim, hopping in the air. Rin moves away from me a little out of sheer fear. I continue, putting a hand on my chest, "Practically every boy has a crush on her, including me! I mean, Itsuka is incredibly gorgeous and has such a tomboyish charm that's absolutely irresistible."

"I thought you liked all girls in general," he comments, scratching the side of his head. Rin knows me so well...

"That's true too! Every girl in our class is cute. Have you seen Yanagi in a dress? I could barely recognize her!" I say, remembering the gala. Mhm, Yanagi was especially jaw dropping. She has great fashion sense. I should have proposed to her right then and there, but that would expose my secret to the world! (Maybe? She knows I'm a flirtatious person.)

Rin shakes his head. (Oh right, he wasn't at the gala.) "I'd imagine that a lot of guys are jealous of Inochi," he tells me, looking around again. A few people give us the stink eye, whispering to each other. Rin deflects their eyes with his smoldering gaze, hushing their conversations. My hero…

"Oh yeah, definitely. Remember _Jack Mantis_? Sanji, in middle school, was hanging out with three of the most popular girls. To men, he became most hated. To women, he became most desired. Oh, there's this one story where one guy who accused Sanji of having a harem. He didn't even know what that was! He was so adorably innocent," I recount, sighing from longing. Sanji is just as cute today, but he's not so innocent anymore. I corrupted this boy.

(Well, at least I'm not Kazeha. She's such a nymphomaniac. In all of my years, I never seen Itsuka and Sanji blush together, but she managed to do it. I should've taken a picture of them. Two blushing beauties side-by-side... such a picture perfect moment.)

"Huh," Rin expresses his amusement, putting his hands in his pockets, "Tokage, how would you describe Inochi? Like, what makes him likable?" Oh, does Rin want to emulate Sanji a little bit? Well, good thing I know him better than he knows himself.

I, as a professional teenage lesbian, describe him, "Sanji is 1-B's big brother. He's goofy, slightly shy, and makes sure you're happy. If you're a stranger, then he'll make you feel like you're long-time friends in an instant. Simply, he's our sweetheart. Whenever you're down, he goes out of his way to make you feel special. But, if you asked me that for love advice, it's hopeless trying to be someone else. Best thing you can do is be yourself and master it."

He smiles again, appreciating the compliment. "Thanks. You know, my biggest fear is Inochi getting angry. I went to his room in Master Kendo's Dojo, and he had so many weapons in there. Even though he's always smiling, I feel like he knows thousands of ways to kill and maim someone."

"Definitely," I agree, checking the signs. (Even though the stadium has a much simpler design than the man building, it's still really large. To be honest, they should have made the locker rooms closer.) "His Adoptive Muscle Memory is the best cheat for training. He gets to learn all the moves."

On that subject, I'm starting to see the hardships with his power. I would expect that Sanji would be better at martial arts than Itsuka by now, but that's not how his A.M.M. works. It works by letting him learn all the tips and tricks a hundred times faster than a normal person. But, it doesn't teach him _how_ to apply it, or _when_. It's like a math formula. Sanji memorized the formula perfectly, but he doesn't know how to find the missing variables, thus making the formula useless until he learns how to apply it in different situations.

It's why Sanji trains like a crazy man. He has to apply his learned moves into routine, hone his senses, get faster, stronger, tougher, et cetera. Itsuka been training (not like Sanji's obsessive self) ever since she was born. Her battle sense is much stronger than his. When I think about it, it's a lot like chess. They both know the moves, but Itsuka has more experience. Really, Sanji is strong because he trains so much, not because of his Quirk. It's the greatest reason why I admire and love him so much.

"We're almost there," Rin assures me, taking a look at the signs too. He sighs, looking around once more. It's oddly quiet here. Out of our entire walk, we only seen a handful of kids. This is a big place, but there is a lot more people. We should have seen at least fifty, so the question is: Where is everyone? "Jeez, where is everyone? It shouldn't be this quiet," he comments, thinking the same thing I am.

"Well, if this turns into a horror movie, I'm gonna fly away. Annnyway, we're here!" I exclaim, seeing the gorgeous sign of "1-B Girls Locker Room" in front of us. We're finally here! Took freaking forever, but we're here! Before I go in, I shoot Rin a fake-worried look. "Even though we're friends, Rin, if a gross monster runs down the hall, I'm locking myself inside. I know enough horror movies to not be stupid."

"Alright, but I can definitely run faster than the slowest person here," Rin jokes, smiling cutely. He leans against the wall and nods, letting me go insi-

…

Well, this sucks. Someone got inside our locker room… They couldn't open any of the lockers (thank God), but they sure made a mess of things. There's toilet paper everywhere, trash, and water too. Ugh, wet trash and paper. That is a disgusting combination. Rin groans, walking up with me. He complains, "Why do people feel the need to do this? We're at U.A., not preschool. This is such a disgrace to the school's name."

"Yeah… I don't think they opened our lockers, but we need to check. Come on, I'll vouch for you if we get caught," I tell him, dragging Rin inside. He yelps, but concedes to my gracious authority. I make sure to step on the dry floor, because this is very disgusting. Did they really go through all of this to get back at me? At least none of the lockers were tampered with… Except for… well, mine. (Please tell me that my stuff is safe...)

My locker, which had my backpack and school uniform, was neatly packed in. Now, it's stuffed in. The vandalizers didn't care about my things. That means they had the ability to get into every locker here, but only chose mine. I don't want to open it, but I need to see if anything was tampered with… If this turns out to be a bomb, I swear… I'm making them pay.

I unlock my locker, taking out my backpack. Rin sees me, taking a step back. He asks, "Are you sure you should be opening that?" (He must've figured out that my locker was the only one messed with. Smart man.)

"I don't know, but I hope it isn't a bomb," I say as I grab the zipper. "If I die, tell Shio-!"

_BOOM!_

…

My backpack exploded. A bunch of glue blew up all over my clothes along with feathers. I'm basically a walking chicken now. Or one weird bird since all of these feathers are plastic, and in different colors. I'm a walking bird with rainbow feathers. That's what I am now… What an immature prank. I sarcastically say, "This is fine."

"Those bullies… What the hell were they thinking?!" Rin yells, walking up to me. I pull the feathers off of my eyes. I hope Rin sees I'm frowning, but my entire face is covered. He takes my backpack from me, digging my things ou- Wait, that isn't even my backpack! My backpack has a keychain of All Might on it, this one doesn't. They replaced my backpack with a similar one! That means my stuff might be safe!

"They have my real backpack… They replaced it with a dummy for this stupid prank," I tell him, taking the backpack from him and throwing it away. Rin lets out a defeated sigh, burying his face in his hands. I encourage, "Come on, the people who did this must be nearby. As my escort, you gotta do what I say."

"Alright, let's find the-"

"We're right here. Akime Nisehana, the class rep of 1-G," Nisehana introduces herself in the doorway. Besides her is her classmate, holding my beautiful bag. (I don't know why Nisehana revealed her name. Maybe they suspect that we won't tell the teachers? I mean, the whole class might be in on it, considering it's in the Support Department.)

Anyhow, Nisehana is a cute brunette. Her eyes are a dull purple. My instincts tell me that her eyes are her Quirk. It's either that, or it's her intelligence. She strikes me as a smart woman… Specifically, one of those coldly intelligent women who doesn't know the definition of "mercy" or "morality".

"If you want your bag back, then you should follow us, no?" She taunts, casually leaving the doorway to the left. Rin and I glance at each other. He's shaking his head like, _No, we're not following them. It's a trap._ But, I'm looking at him like, _They won't kill us. Humiliate us? Yeah, but not gonna kill us._

Before Rin gets another say in the matter, I run out the door, doing my best to not slip on the wet paper on the floor. "Get back here with my bag!" Behind me, Rin follows me, but I hear him crashing into a locker. (He'll catch up with me. He's not useless.) Nisehana and her sidekick is running down the hall with my bag as their hostage. Luckily for me, this hallway doesn't have any intersections other than the one at the very end of the stadium, which loops back around to the stands. Also luckily for me, these people are slow compared to me. Why? Because I can fly, suckas!

I split my body up into tiny little pieces. It's illegal to use my Quirk like this, but I'm sure 1-G used their Quirks for their prank. So, I fly over like how Sanji flew in his fight against Gera. (That was an awesome fight. Gera is surprisingly powerful with her Quirk. If she was smart enough, she would have gotten into the Hero Course.)

Rin, who finally makes it out of the room, yells, "Wait! Don't be too hasty, Tokage!" I use one of my eyes to look back at him, doing a cute little wink as I get closer to my pre-!

Nisemura shouts, "Now!"

_THWIP!_

Seemingly out of nowhere, a translucent canvas flips up that's wide enough to reach wall-to-wall. Before I have time to react, all of my body parts crash into it. Yup, I expected something like this. I knew when they decided to run, there would be a net to catch me. After this, they'll humiliate me more. It's better if I get this over with fast rather than trying to fight them head on. I don't care if I get feathered and tarred, because these people already hate me as it is. (Now I'm sounding like Kamakiri.) Inside the net, I reform myself back together as it closes up, hanging me from the ceiling.

Rin, being the greatest friend ever, sprints over before suddenly tripping. Oh, I see it now. The floor's unusually greasy. It must be covered in lube or something like that. (I was right, Nisehana planned this out. This feels like something I would do, to be honest.) Rin slides into a wall right next to me. His head spins around, having those stars swirl over his head. After this humiliation, I need to apologize to him.

Nisehana and her sidekick stop, turning around to see us doofuses. (How didn't they slip and fall? Eh, they're support students. They probably figured out a way.) The nearby doors open and out comes more students. Twenty total. All of them belong to 1-G, most likely. Hmph, now they're starting to brag about how they caught us. Is it me or support students are pretty arrogant? And they call _us_ the narcissists.

"I thought the Bitch Princess was smarter than that!"

"It's like she purposely triggered it!" (I _did_, numbnuts.)

"What a couple of idiots."

"What did Rin think he could do? Trying to impress her?"

"We just caught two Heroes~! If you can even call them that, hehe."

(These people are so cruel.)

"Are you idiots done now? Is your practical joke over?" I growl at them. They look at me and laugh rudely at my face. Ugh, I look at Rin to see how he's hanging along. (For me? That's literal.) Reality finally hits him. He groans, letting himself be surrounded by 1-G. Nisehana slowly spins the net where we get to be face-to-face. Hmph, she doesn't look cute now. I comment, pouting and crossing my arms, "This doesn't look very hero-y to me, Nisehana. What is even the purpose of this?"

"Hmph, you know exactly the purpose of this. In fact, you knew this would happen! You're smarter than this, so it's fair to assume that you want this humiliation to end as fast as possible," Nisehana says, seemingly reading my mind. Ugh, why does she have to be smart? Why can't I deal with a stupid class rep for once?

"No, I fell for this trap because you're genuinely a smart person," I lie, resting myself upside down in the canvas. She sighs, tapping her arm.

"You're a lot of things, Tokage: Bitch, privileged brat, genius, the list goes on and on," she recounts my resume, getting really close to my face, "but a liar isn't on it. Thank you for the compliment though."

"Tokage… How bad will this be?" Rin asks, not bothering to get up. Oh yeah, I _really_ need to make it up to him after this. Damnit, I should've told him to stay back and let me handle this by myself.

"I think-"

"You know what the motto is: Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!" Nisehana interrupts, pulling out a bag of glitter. This… This won't be fun.

"Motherfuckers… 1-G really did that shit to ya?" Kamakiri says with Pony comfortably on his back. These two are so cute together. This is the only time I get to see Kamakiri with his guard down too! It cheers me up, especially since Rin and I got really messed up… That wasn't even the worst part… (I should take a picture, but that'll ruin their magic.)

Rin sighs and nods, rubbing a bit of feathers off of him. They fall to the floor, piling up at his feet. (I'm so sorry that the janitors have to clean this up at the end of the day.) Pony asks, lifting her head off of Kamakiri's back, "How's your bag, Tokage? You wanted it, right?"

"Y-Yeah… I wanted to make sure that nothing was broken since I have some heirlooms in there… It…" I stop myself, shaking my head before telling them, "my mom's handheld mirror… It broke. I honestly don't know how I can tell her and Dad… If I try to fix it, I'll only ruin the sentimental value..."

Rin adds on, "And they said some pretty messed up stuff while they dressed us up as rainbow chickens. Frankly, that hurt a lot more than the humiliation." Looks like we're on the same page… What they said to me… What Nisehana said...

"_Your father is a criminal, and you know it. By being his little puppet, you're just as much of a Villain as him. People will die because of you and him. It's only a matter of time before your friends consider you a traitor and turn their backs on you. Got that, Bitch Princess?"_

Ugh, I don't want to remember it _now_, of all times! We should really get back to Sanji and the others. Mister Kan too, wherever he is.

Kamakiri shakes his head, adjusting Pony slightly. "So, I'm guessin' we should head back to Quirkless an' Fists? It'll be hell though. One: They'll tease the fuck outta me. Two: They'll see you chuckleheads an' go nuts. Three-"

"Inochi will fight Suzuki."

?!

* * *

**Shinzo Mantora**

"Hentai Protagonist, what the fuck do you mean?" Kamakiri asks, calling me by that stupid nickname again. Pony looks confused, Tokage is chuckling, and Rin is shaking his head. Kazeha, who's on the verge of laughing, is the reason why I'll be known as the "Hentai Protagonist" for the rest of my life. I _really_ need a haircut.

"I know why this happened to you. Kazeha too. In fact, she just told me a few minutes ago," I tell him right as Kazeha was about to blow up in laughter. I close her mouth with my hand, muffling her. She moans softly, wrapping her hands around my wrist. (She really needs to stop being attracted to me.)

"I knew this involved Suzuki! It always has to be him, isn't it? He's super obsessed with Sanji," Tokage comments, shedding a few feathers. I'm not going to lie, she looks like a peacock. Kazeha takes my hand off (thought she wanted otherwise), wiping the saliva off with her sleeve.

She says, her face being flushed, "Mhm. If I'm being honest with you four, I'd think Suzuki has a little hate-crush on him. Imagine the sexual tension between these two! It's incredibly arousing to picture these two handsome, strong men going at it. I mean, the thought crossed your minds, right?"

…

"Fuck no."  
"He belongs to Itsuka."

"What is _wrong with you_?"  
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Okay, let's get back on topic." I remind everyone on the real issue and not some nymphomaniac's imagination. Kazeha pouts, but I'm not having her go on a rant again. I continue, "I'm going to pretend that she doesn't exist. Now, back on Suzuki: He's the reason why you guys are being attacked, humiliated, bullied, and everything in between. It's a bit of a long story, but-"

"Tell it. We have plenty of time," Rin says, crossing his arms. Kazeha opens her mouth again, but I shoot her a dirty look.

"Okay, ever since the shooting at the gala happened, the Tokages were blasted all over the news. After that, Tokage was being blasted as the 'Bitch Princess' and 1-B became generally hated. You know about that, but what you don't know is how it all started. It didn't start from Hifumi, but from Suzuki. He riled the entire school to mercilessly bully you guys," I explain. Suzuki is a charismatic man, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to do something like this. Even if he's an angry narcissist.

"Why did it escalate?" Tokage asks, picking a feather off of her. "It was vandalism and verbal harassment, but it turned to assault and humiliation. Did Suzuki encourage them to do something like this?"

Pony asks another question, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"We knew that you were being bullied, but we didn't know that Suzuki was the cause. I found out a few hours ago from Gera. He purposely excluded us from finding out, because we would try to stop him," Kazeha answers Pony's question, not being a sexual predator for once in her life.

I tell Tokage, "Again, that was Suzuki. Earlier today, he encouraged the first-years to physically assault and humiliate your class, under the guise of the Sports Festival. It's smart, to be honest. Because-"

"'Cause the teachers would brush this shit off as, 'That's the fuckin' Sports Festival.' No one would think twice 'bout it," Kamakiri says what I was about to say. I'm a bit surprised that he figured that out, but especially for him, looks can be deceiving.

Rin questions, "How did Gera found out about this?" I look at Kazeha, signaling that she should answer.

She says after she sighs, "She found out from Yibiju, who overheard Suzuki planning this with his boyfriends. To tell you the truth: Suzuki never cared about Hifumi. He only cared about destroying 1-B's reputation. In fact, I don't even think Hifumi wanted this. The only thing I heard about her is she locked herself in her own home."

Pony raises her hand. "D-Did people really go along with Suzuki's plan?" she asks with a slight whimper. Kamakiri looks back at her with a sad expression on his face. It's natural that he knows the potential of a person's cruelty.

"Horns, you'd be surprised how terrible kids can be. I mean, fuckin' Suzuki almost killed Quirkless. But, people can be good. It's just the evil assholes… They're the ones you'd remember the most," he tells her, trying to maintain her (naive) innocence. I don't know, but I didn't expect that answer from him. I'd thought he would shatter her world. From the looks on Tokage's and Rin's face, they didn't expect it either.

Rin adds on, "Yeah, people can be great. If I… If I'm frank, these people are so self-righteous. Their flames were fanned into a bonfire thanks to a narcissist out for himself. We need to do something about him."

"Toss him into the pit!" Pony suddenly exclaims with a look that doesn't match her words… Kamakiri threatens to drop her if she doesn't "cut that shit out". That makes her latch even harder around his neck.

Kazeha nudges my arm, whispering, "These two are perfect for each other. Like you and me, Hentai Protagonist. When are you gonna pin me down and make me yours?"

"When I have to beat you in a fight, Kazeha. That's the only pinning I'll do," I whisper back while Pony and Kamakiri are arguing. (I think Tokage took a picture of them.) Kazeha does a sultry growl, trying her best to seduce me. How many guys fell for that? To be honest, I don't wanna know. She-

_Clap clap!_

"Order in the court!" Tokage gets our attention, pointing her finger at Kazeha and I. She looks around for a brief moment before asking, "One last question: Where is Gera? It sounds like she's supposed to be here with us." Right, about Gera…

Kazeha puts her index fingers together, making them poke each other like a timid girl. "She… She forced Suzuki to go into Gym Gamma and… Uhm… said she'll get Inochi and Kendo to, and I quote, 'End this mess.'"

"They're going to find out about this?!" Rin yells, abruptly stepping forward. More of his feathers and glue fall off. (I feel really bad for the janitor.) He turns to me and says, "So, Kendo will actually kill Suzuki!"

"No, you're wrong…" Tokage corrects him. She hides a part of her face underneath her hair, like she's terrified. "To 'end this mess', Sanji is the only person who can do it. You don't mess with his friends, so… so I think we might get to see him angry." Inochi? Angry? Well, that's a good reason to be terrified.

"You sayin' that Quirkless will finally beat Suzuki's ass to the ground? Shit, that sounds like an excitin' fight!" Kamakiri says, shifting to a happier tone. Even though Suzuki is my classmate, it'll be nice to see him be set straight. He's gone too far. Way too far. He's playing his own school like a fiddle. Hopefully, Inochi will beat his narcissism outta him.

"Well, where's Inochi and Kendo then? Are they heading towards Gym Gamma? Or are they still at the stands?" Rin asks Kazeha and I. To be honest, I don't know the answer to that. Gera didn't tell Kazeha when she's going to 1-B's stands.

"We should head towards Gym Gamma. They might be there already, or we can wait for them," I say, going to the front of the group. Unanimously, they nod. Alright, we start to head towards Gym Gamma, the very place where 1-B defeated us in a blowout.

Jeez, it all started with that, huh? Inochi, you seemed like a nice guy when we met, but you stirred something fierce inside Suzuki. Because of it, your friends are hurting. You're the kind of guy who values his friends above all else, right? I hope you know what needs to be done.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

There he was. I sat at my desk with my hood down, silently watching him as he uses his bravado to make our class swoon over him. I saw this sight before, countless times. It was amazing each and every one of them. The girls were all over him, and the guys wanted to be like him. He was the school's celebrity, and they worshipped him like a king. All of them being great reasons too. I mean, he was handsome, charismatic, and his Quirk was something to be envious of. All of them are traits that guarantee someone's success in a society like ours. Who wouldn't love a man who had fox traits?

Compared to me? I was the exact opposite of him. Quiet, neutral, and legally Quirkless. In our school, they made fun of me worse than the other Quirkless. It's one thing to be born without a Quirk, it's another to be unable to use one. It's the lack of ability that did me in, and it definitely showed. Even with my Adoptive Muscle Memory, I never utilized its full power until I came to Musutafu. So, people like him, especially him, were bullies. There was no other way to describe him other that. Bullies in every sense too: Physical, mental, all of the above.

Naturally, he did everything he could to stop me, get me underneath him, and made sure I stayed there. It didn't work, because I never cared enough to begin with. Maybe that's why he picked on me so much. God, that got really bad when I wanted to be a Hero. Even with the escalation, he never defeated me once. He underestimated how much I wanted to be a Hero. It became my only goal in life, and him, of all people, wouldn't stop me from reaching it. "Even if I had to endure so much, it'll be worth it," I often said to myself. I… I was only focused on myself, during those years. That only made him angrier.

He loathed me, so our school loathed me with him. Teachers, classmates, upperclassmen, everyone. I was simply a man who was destined to fail, end up somewhere low in life. No men or women wanted to be friends with me as a result. To them, the question of spending their time with me was no question at all. The teachers believed that too. I had no worth, and I often hear them commenting that sometimes, when they think I wasn't listening to them. Socially, I was killed. I guess someone could mistaken me to be a dead man, because I was never really alive-alive, if that makes sense. Until...

Until I came to Musutafu.

* * *

It was the best thing that ever happened to me. The one thing I get from my Quirk, I'm able to take it to its fullest potential. And, I have friends. I have friends to call my own, who doesn't even care that I'm Quirkless. They like me for me. I remember during middle school, everyone hated me, but it was a different kind of hate. It wasn't "that guy is useless" kind of hate (like in Kibo), but "I'm jealous of him". Not because I was Quirkless, but for the fact that I was hanging out with three of the most popular girls in school: Itsuka, Setsuna, and Yui. (Some guys even made fanclubs for them! I honestly don't understand their obsession.) There's this funny story where one of my old classmates accused me of having a harem. I didn't know what that was until Setsuna told me, which made him go red in the face. I'm pretty sure some girls looked at me differently too. Yui told me that's because I'm an attractive guy, which was the first time someone complimented me like that. I guess I was too attractive, because there's always guys who "stood up" to me. On my side, Itsuka stood right back, and every time, I had to stop her from punching their faces in.

Onto the next stage of my life: U.A. High School. Jeez, this school is amazing. My classmates, even Kamakiri, are great. Manga's cool, Awase treats me like a brother, Tetsutetsu too! Even if Tsuburaba is a bit pervy at times, he knows when to keep it in check… sometimes. (Awase on the other hand? _No!_) Like before, these people don't care that I'm Quirkless. They know that I'm strong, and that's great, even if I don't care about "power levels" (thanks Manga) or whatever it's called. And, if things get tough, like Hifumi, we stick together like glue. Unlike 1-A, where I can sense the rivalry, us 1-B work together as an unstoppable team. We have each other's back, no matter what.

And… And if my friends are victims to Suzuki's trap, then that's my fault. It's always been my fault. I shouldn't have ignored him, and now, I don't know how many of my friends are hurt. I feel like the worst person alive.

"Sanji!"

Itsuka wakes me up underneath the baking sun. We're outside the stadium, getting close to Gym Gamma. Gera's right beside me, silently concerned. I can't thank her enough for telling me what happened. God, I wish I didn't have to hear it, but it's all my fault. Maybe I shouldn't have let Suzuki stay in U.A., or in 1-D. After what Gera told us, Itsuka and I had to go to Gym Gamma immediately, even though I wanted to check up on the four who're missing. On the way there, Itsuka never yelled. She never shouted, or raised her voice in anger.

I ask her with a bead of sweat dripping down my forehead, "Itsuka, all this time, you don't seem angry. I thought you would be absolutely enraged when Gera told us about Suzuki's plan, but you stayed calm."

Itsuka sighs, prying her eyes away from me. "I _am_ angry, but I'm more worried about you than anything. _All this time_, you've been deathly silent. I never seen you like this, and it _scares_ me, Sanji."

"Yeah, I go by a simple rule in life: Don't mess with the nicest person on Earth, or else you should expect the devil to come out," Gera comments, which explains why she's quiet too. How could I ever make _her_ afraid of _me_? Itsuka too? Ugh, I can't believe it. I don't want to be a scary guy, but I guess they think I'm angry. I am.

I tell them, putting my clenched fist to my chest, "Well, you two are right: I'm seething. Some of it is towards Suzuki, but most of it is at myself. How could I let something like this happen?! I've been focusing on myself for a stupid festival, and I forgot all about Suzuki. I should've known he would try some grand scheme to take us down!"

"It's not your fault! You couldn't have known that!" Itsuka exclaims, moving in front of me. She's speaking to me while she walks backwards towards Gym Gamma. "Don't beat yourself over something out of your control. You deserve the right to be selfish about your future, just for once!"

"I know you mean best, but I put my friends in danger, _our_ friends! I couldn't live with myself if they gotten seriously hurt. That's why I'm going to end this feud with Suzuki, to stop this madness!" I argue, raising my voice with her. Itsuka flinches slightly out of surprise. (I never yelled like that, especially at her.)

Itsuka stutters, "I-Uhm-"

"I'm pretty sure all of us agree that Suzuki's ass needs to be beat," Gera interprets for me. Itsuka sighs and nods. Jeez, she agrees with the fight, but not the motive behind it? I guess I understand…

"I don't want you to burden yourself, Sanji. That's all I want from you," she tells me. Is that all? I can't help but to do it. Some way or another, we both know that I had a part to play in this, ever since Golden Week. Itsuka is cheering me up despite that. This fight though, is a way to own up to my responsibility. Suzuki did this because I let him too, by not getting him expelled. Damn, this is the only way, isn't it?

"Alright, Itsuka. I'll try my best," I promise her right as when we're outside Gym Gamma's doors. Suzuki's inside, waiting for me. Maybe 1-D is in there too, I don't know. I let out a breath, turning to Gera and Itsuka with a simple nod, before I take a step forward. "Here I go, I guess-"

"Wait!"

?!

A group of six is running up to us: Kamakiri, Pony (Pony is on Kamakiri's back. Huh), Rin, Setsuna, Mantora, and Kazeha. Oh my God, why does Rin and Setsuna look like rainbow pigeons? Gera and Itsuka look just as shocked as I am. I exclaim, asking, "What happened to you guys?!" (I have a sinking feeling that I know the answer.)

"Suzuki, that asshole happened," Kamakiri answers with Pony nodding. He elaborates (much to my dismay), "He got two fuckers to attack Pony. 1-G fuckin' decorated Lizard Head an' Scaly like art class."

"Yeah… Because of that prank, one of my family heirlooms is broken…" Setsuna tells me, turning her eyes to the ground. From the sound of her voice, she sounds crushed. An entire class really did that to her and Rin? All because of Suzuki?! He wanted my friends to be humiliated and hurt, just like what he did to me every single day in middle school! He's such a destructive asshole! In order to bring me down, he decided to take the entire house down with me! How could I ever forgive him for this?!

I turn towards the doors, closing my eyes.

Itsuka is checking up on everyone. None of them are seriously hurt, but these attacks disgusts me. I feel everyone's eyes on me though. They soak into my gym uniform like the sweat that's trailing down my face. There's only one way to end this. Words can't stop him, so fists have to.

"Come on, Inochi. Men like Suzuki give U.A. a bad name. For us all, please put him on the right path." (Rin.)

"I've been waiting for Suzuki to be put in his place. I despise narcissists, so this will be a nice little treat for me. So, go ahead and prove you're the better man." (Gera.)

"You can do this! He hurt the heck outta ya back in Golden Week! It's time for some revenge!" (Pony.)

"I can see why you're in the Hero Course, not Suzuki. You're a much better man than he is. For the sake of your friends, win." (Mantora.)

"I gotta say: You're one of the toughest men in U.A., even with 1-A in the bunch. But, they don't hold a torch to you, handsome." (Kazeha.)

"Show Suzuki why you deserve to be a Hero. After all, that's why we did this for you, Sanji. You deserve this more than anyone else." (Setsuna.)

"Even though I don't exactly know your past with Suzuki, I know you can do it. You're the strongest man I know. We're all counting on you, Sanji. Especially me, so show him your strength for us." (Itsuka.)

"Alright… I hear you loud and clear. Hopefully, this fight will end things between us. Cheer me on, would'ya?" (Me, Sanji Inochi. I try my best to hide the anger in my voice.)

I open the doors to Gym Gamma. It's not like before, where it became a ruined battleground for capture the flag. It's empty, having a dirt battlefield similar to the one in the Sports Festival, but on a much larger scale. In the middle of that field is Suzuki, who's standing alone in this place, staring up at the lights. When I enter, his eyes immediately fix on me, like a predator watching his prey.

Slowly, I walk up with my friends behind me, crowing off to the sides to watch the fight. My feet touches the dirt, padding it in with my footprint. Suzuki watches me as I approach him. God, I can't look at him the same way now. I would say he changed from middle school, but that would be a lie. He didn't change at all.

He says, "Inochi-"

"What's wrong with you?" I snap at him, putting my hands in my pockets, not daring to waver my gaze. His eyes narrow once I did that. There I go, insulting him. I might as well insult him again, "Why did you go through all this effort to destroy me?"

"You know _exactly_ why. How does it feel, Inochi? Being at the top of the world? Knowing everyone likes you, knowing that you proved every naysayer wrong! How does it feel _to be me_?" Suzuki growls, taking a step forward. I don't react, which makes him even angrier. His face gets redder, the same tone as his hair and tails. (Two tails.) I say nothing, so he continues, "Right, you changed so much haven't you?! I know you better than your friends do! I know that you haven't changed at all!"

Suzuki turns to my friends, his classmates, who're observing us from the sides. "Hey! Aren't you going to ask him about his scar on his heart?! Sometimes, during gym, he would have these bruises on his body! What about that?! Do you people even stop to question why Inochi is such a perfect man?! We all know that he's empty inside! You can't say he has a life, because he never alive to begin with!"

He points a finger at me. I'm looking stone cold, not showing any particular emotion at all, so does everyone else. And so, he continues to rant, "Do you consider why he smiles so much?! Why his only personality is this happy-go-lucky guy?! Who cares if he's nice, handsome, strong, who the hell cares?! He's a freak that shouldn't be here! You know it, I know it! Why are you still defending him?!"

No response.

Suzuki, being trapped in our silence, slowly turns to me. I shake my head before I say, "Suzuki, all they see is a jealous man, who's obsessed with fame and glory, never bothered to think about anyone else but himself. The man who used a girl's grief for his own gain. Did you ever stop to think about what Hifumi wanted in all of this? No, of course not! You're that much of a scumbag!"

"Shut the hell up-!"

"Why would I?! You used the entire school to come after _my_ class, _my_ friends! For what?! For some petty revenge?! You wanted to be praised again, right? So! Let's praise Karisuma Suzuki who bullied an entire class all because of a Quirkless man! That's how much of a great person he is! Let's remember him for what he is! A sad and pathetic man who wants to relive his glory days of middle school!"

I get red in the face, taking a step forward towards Suzuki. I growl underneath my breath, "I should've gotten you expelled, so you could live your life in complete _fucking_ misery."

He exclaims, "What-?!"

Exclaims, right before I punch him in the jaw. He staggers back, holding the spot where I hit him. Suzuki asks, on the edge of screaming, "You son of a bitch! We're really gonna do this?!"

"Yeah, this is what you wanted, right?! A fight, Suzuki?! You're gonna get one."


	19. Catharsis

**Sanji Inochi**

"RAAAAAAH!"

You won't win.

_THUD!_

You'll never win.

_TOSS!_

Quirk or not, you'll never beat me!

"INOCHIIII!"

"SUZUKIIII!"

_PUNCH!_

"Heh, is that all you got?! I expected more from you!" I taunt, wiping aside the saliva across my lips, letting it splatter onto the dirt floor. There's a slight scratch on my cheek where Suzuki punched me, and there's the very same scratch on his. That punch, compared to years back, feels pretty weak! I _have_ gotten stronger against him! Stronger than I could ever imagine!

"Shut up shut up!" Suzuki roars, charging forward with three tails now. Like that is supposed to stop me?! Like an amateur, he overextends his right arm forward, hand out like a dagger! Is he trying to stab me with his fingers or something?! Too slow, too many bad openings, just about bad everything! I weave towards his right and grab his arm, using it to bring an elbow at his side. He sputters out in pain before flashing his teeth, sweeping my legs out. Right as my body is about to fall, Suzuki clenches his fist and, like a train, rams it against my head. My skull hits the ground first, bouncing about half a meter up. Using the bounce, I jump back on on my two feet, spitting out a ball of saliva and blood. I take a couple of steps back, getting into a stance: right foot forward, left hand out, right hand retracted back, left foot behind.

"Damn you, Inochi!" he damns me for the hundredth time, charging forward with a telegraphed kick. Wait, never mind. He has his fist back. The kick is a feint. Good, this makes this easy. Suzuki reaches me and sends a punch forward at my eye. With my left hand, I gracefully deflect his hand away. His eyes go wide in shock before I let my right fist fly forwards into his gut. It lifts him up in the air before I push him back about five meters away, using my hand to propel him. He tumbles, roughly rolling, skidding across the dirt before moving onto his feet. Hmph, figured he won't go down that easily. Before I can process it, Suzuki charges forward again, not learning his lesson from last time. He throws kicks and punches with some acrobatics thrown into the mix, but I'm better. I block, dodge, jump, pivot, weave, deflect, everything! He couldn't lay a single finger on me. I roll over his back after he failed to kick me, stomping on his tails. Suzuki yelps as I grab his back collar, throwing him over me. Once again, he bounces off of the ground and back onto his God-given legs.

Unfortunately, the next thing I see is the ceiling. Suzuki swept my feet out from other me again, and I see his leg. He lifts it up, almost at an one-hundred eighty degree angle, blocking the lights above me. An axe kick! I roll just as his heel cracks the ground I was just at, erupting a small cloud of dust. I jump up, arms cocked like a gun before I charge this time. Suzuki puts his left fist back, letting me run right into his hook!

Actually, no! It's a feint!

"Take this!" Suzuki yells as he slides his foot across the dirt before lifting it up high in the air, the sole of his shoes aiming for my chin. Barely, my head jerks back as his kick misses by less than a few centimeters apart. Predictably, once I dodged, he prepares another axe kick right onto my skull. I catch his foot before he gets the chance, grabbing the collar of his gym shirt with my other hand. On the balls of my feet, I spin around and lift him up in the air before I crash us both on the ground, with me on top of him. I hold him up by his collar, face-to-face. He spits at me, shouting, "Geh… Congrats, you're on top now! You're on the top of the world!"

...It's always… It's always like this with him! _Always like this!_

"Do you think I care?!"

I punch him. _You beat me into a pulp more times than the stars in the sky._

"Everyday, I train my hardest to be in this school!"

I punch him again. _I always remembered what you said afterwards. _

"I want to be a Hero, just like you!"

And again. "_A Quirkless boy can't be great in this world."_

"That'll be for _nothing_ if I let you hurt my friends!"

And again. "_In fact, why are you still here?"_

"ALL FOR NOTHING!"

And again! "_Do us a favor and off yourself." _

_You said those things, yet I'm still here! How does it feel, Suzuki?! That I kept going despite what you said?! That you couldn't break me down into dust?! You always hated me! And, I always knew… I knew that I hated you too! I lied to myself otherwise, but I'm done lying! You see it in my eyes, don't you?! Is this what you wanted from me?! Is it?!_

He groans underneath me, gasping for air. "Inochi… Your words don't match your eyes… You were always that _pathetic_." A fire ignites in his eyes, hotter than I have ever felt before. It's the same fire in my heart, like it's burning my entire body. Suzuki latches himself onto me, ramming his head into my nose. It bursts open, blood spilling out. I fall backwards, rolling onto my knees, wiping the blood that's pouring down. Damnit...

Suzuki slowly stands up, his face beaten and bruised. Two more tails grow out of him… Five total. Four more and he'll turn into that beast again. Wasn't it at five when he almost tore my arm off of my body? I can handle him at three tails, but five? He'll reach a point where my speed and reflexes aren't strong enough to match… Maybe… Maybe he already reached it. "I admit: You're strong. But, what's your strength to a _Quirk_?!"

…?!

Like a flash, he appears in front of me. It's the same speed as Kamakiri, back at our first test of the year! I wasn't able to properly react back then. I was only able to predict what he would do, and hope for the best! Suzuki, knowing he's too fast for me, moves his hand over to my neck. Barely, I slap it away, flipping backwards a few meters away. Damn, I was just able to dodge! Suzuki, not caring for restraint, ups his tails count to six.

"You can't do anything, can you?!" he roars, jumping forward so hard that the ground shatters beneath his feet. A small ring of wind and force emerges as, in slow motion, his fist connects with my chin, knocking me up in the air. The air in my lungs leaves me as I stare hopelessly up at the ceiling. I hear him jumping again, and before I know it, he's in the air with me, higher than I am.

"Nothing!"

_KICK!_

I get sent crashing into the ground, having a small crater around me. This hurts… Ugh, I slowly get up as pain shoots across my spine, but Suzuki lands softly on his toes. He rushes over to me, lifting me by the neck with a single hand. He puts our faces close. Suzuki taunts, "Where's your strength from before?!"

_SLAM!_

Suzuki slams me into the ground, making the crater bigger than before. My body screams in pain, and the only thing I can say is a pathetic whimper. I can't do anything anymore… This is it… _I'm done._

"Where did all that training amount to, huh?! I thought Eraserhead said I shouldn't underestimate you, so where's your power?!"

He gets down on his knees and punches me deeper. I can feel my ribs cracking from the force, my back aching. I can't move. _Suzuki..._

"You trained with Master Kendo, the best martial artist in the world! Did you even learn anything?! All I see is a man who can't even lift his fist!"

Suzuki punches me again. _I was wrong..._

"Being the first Quirkless man in the Hero Course, you must've been tough! That's a lie! You're still that weak boy from Kibo!"

I'm in the ground. _Everyone deserves to be at this school..._

"Why do your friends praise you for a disability?! Why do they worship you as a Quirkless man?! You only shown that you're the best at being a human, not a Hero!"

Deeper. _Everyone..._

"So, why the hell did you come into this fight for them, knowing you would lose _from the very BEGINNING?!"_

And deeper. _Except for you..._

…

He's right. Even with my friends' support, I knew I would lose. It was hanging there at the back of my head. All the time spent training… I was trying to reach a level of strength where most already reached, just by having a Quirk. From my own abilities, as a simple human, it's nothing compared to the superhuman qualities like Suzuki has. He's faster and stronger than me, so skill doesn't have a place. How could skill have a place, when he could defeat me with a single punch? I hoped that I could win, but it's impossible. Not at this point…

Inside the grave he created, where I lie, he spits. He wipes his mouth and declares, "We're done now… I shown you, I shown _everyone _that I'm better than you. How could U.A. think that you could even be a real Pro?"

He laughs. Oh, I think I hear Gym Gamma's doors… They're opening. Who's here? "The rest of your class is here, mine too. They get to see how you really look," Suzuki tells me. 1-B and D are here? I guess they couldn't stand waiting around, so they wanted to watch the fight… Too bad they managed to catch the end.

Suzuki walks away.

I grab the edges of the hole, lifting myself up from it. My body's screaming in pain, telling me to lay down, but I don't care anymore… I don't care… I arise, standing on my two legs, my clothes bloody and torn. I stand, having my hair painted red, white, and black. Slowly, I limp towards Suzuki, my eyes focusing on only him. He turns around and scoffs, surprised that I'm still walking. His tails saunter down to one. He's not trying his best against me, not anymore...

I hear the voices of my classmates, cheering me on despite my state. I can barely fight… Ugh, everything hurts… I stop a meter or two away from Suzuki, clutching my shoulder. He stops too, staring at me with his bloodlusted eyes. I say, with a trembling voice, "I-I'm sorry for everything..."

"You're apologizing to me? Really? After what you said?! I thought you hated me, you twisted idiot!" Suzuki says, yelling right before he punches me again. I fall to the ground with him staring down at me, once again. He threatens, warning me, "I said it's over. Stay where you belong, Inochi."

I get up. I admit to myself, to him, "Suzuki, I tried hard… so hard…"

He kicks me in the ribs, making me collapse again. Like a broken record, he tells me once again, "Stay. Down."

I get up. I confess, "You're right, y'know... I was never meant to be in 1-B. There… There was an error with my transcript. I was supposed to be in 1-E the entire time, but I got accidentally placed in the Hero Course… I-"

"What?!" Suzuki exclaims, darting forward. He grabs my collar, his knuckles turning ashen white, putting our faces close once again. "All this time, you're saying that this was all a mistake?!"

_Suzuki, I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe, maybe I wanted to give you that satisfaction that you were right all along. Or maybe…. Or maybe I wanted to say it because it'll mean that I'm better than you…. I don't know. I'm sorry for dragging this longer than it should've._

"Y-Yeah… They were going to remove me, if… if I didn't prove that I had what it takes to be a Hero… I proved them, Suzuki… I did… I gave it everything I got," I explain to him. His eyes soften a little before he drops me to my knees. He takes a few steps back, like he can't process what I just told him.

Suzuki asks, running his hands through his red hair, "What about… What about what you said earlier? That you didn't expel me? What do you mean by that? Is it about what happened at Golden Week?!"

I slowly nod, stumbling up again. "They wanted my opinion if they should expel you or not… I said no, because everyone deserves a chance to be at this great school… Even you, after what you did to me."

I take a few steps forward, slowly dragging my right fist back. With everything I got, I punch Suzuki in his shoulder. He didn't even flinch in pain. He's speechless. I say, my voice going weak, "I was wrong… All Might said that you would've become a Villain if you gotten expelled… I see that… I see that you already are one..."

Out of nowhere, I hack out blood onto Suzuki's shirt, staining the white with red. Finally, I apologize, "Sorry… for making such a big mistake… I should've… I should've…"

I lean backwards, falling to the ground. Before I knew it, everyone floods the field, surrounding me and leaving Suzuki alone. Itsuka lifts me up by my armpits, letting me rest my head on her shoulder. My friends… My friends are saying I did great, that I tried my best. It's too bad really, I didn't stop anything. My win… I was… I was supposed to win, so Suzuki and I can stop this madness. I never won…

At some point, I'm laying on the ground with Setsuna, Yui, Manga, and Awase over me. I don't know how much time has passed. The rest… They're talking to 1-D I think, maybe Suzuki too. Awase clasps my hand in his, smiling brightly. He assures me, "Hey man, you're gonna be fine. Suzuki beat the hell outta you, but you stayed strong. I wouldn't have gotten up the first time he hit you."

"Where… Where is he now?" I ask him, wincing in pain as adrenaline wears off. My entire body feels like it's on fire. This is what I deserve. I failed at the only thing I promised… It was silly of me to think that I could win.

"Sitting by himself. Everyone, including his classmates, are giving him the stink eye. What you said, Sanji... I think you got through to him," Setsuna tells me, and I don't think I exactly believe her. I lost… Suzuki is the type of man who learns lessons through fighting, not words… Why would he listen and believe me now?

"Let's hope, but you were so cool! You fought him even without a Quirk. I know that I would've died within the first five seconds," Manga jokes, laughing to himself. Everyone else laughs too. I would laugh right now if I wasn't in such pain. After he laughed, he says, "I kinda wished you'd awakened to your Quirk there. That would've been a great moment for it."

Yui replies with a soft smile, "Yeah, but we can wait." All four of them nod together. Crap, what did I do to deserve good friends like them? God, I hope I get to awaken to my Quirk soon. I want to see what the true purpose of Dreams really is, instead of just going into my own mind and do nothing in it.

"Here comes Kendo," Awase says (like a warning), letting go of my hand. Itsuka kneels down and sighs. It's definitely a playful one. An hour ago, I was hurt from Suzuki. Now, I'm gotten hurt by him again. God, I must be making Itsuka worry so dang much...

"I would punch you right now for smiling like that, but I don't want to hurt you more than you already are," Itsuka jokes, making me laugh slightly. My chest flares up in pain, causing a groan to come out. "Sorry about that… Right now, we don't know if we should tell Mister Kan and Miss Kojoseicho. Mantora says he can't heal you, because it'll take too much outta him from the looks of it. I'm thinking-"

"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Mister Kan is here. I comment, "It looks like the choice is already made… Help me up." Itsuka sighs and does what I asked, slinging my arm over her shoulder and standing me up. 1-D separates, grouping together. (Even Suzuki moved.) Us, 1-B, does the same thing. We're on opposite sides of the field, letting Mister Kan and Miss Kojoseicho walk in between us. Recovery Girl is there too, clicking her tongue. A couple of medical robots follow behind her with a stretcher. (I realized that Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu are here too… Shouldn't they be fighting in the tournament?)

I hear whispers among my classmates.

"We're screwed." (Tsuburaba.)

"What a horrible fight. To think Suzuki forced Inochi of all people." (Shiozaki.)

"Quirkless did this on his own, no forcin'. Shoulda seen how angry he got." (Kamakiri.)

"Shhh, we gotta pay attention! I don't wanna get in hot waters!" (Komori.)

Mister Kan looks around at all forty-one of us before he sighs. He says, "Kendo, explain to me what happened here, and why Inochi is heavily injured? If my instincts are right, then Suzuki had a hand in this." He glares at Suzuki, who's doing his best to not meet Mister Kan's intense glare.

Recovery Girl, without a word, ushers me over onto the stretcher. Itsuka helps me lay down as she explains, "What happened here was Inochi and Suzuki fought. The reason behind it is a long story, which is also why Setsuna and Rin are covered in feathers and glitter. It-"

"It's all my fault."

Suzuki?!

He steps forward, admitting, "Vlad King, it's my fault. I'll explain everything, from the beginning. You too, Miss Kojoseicho."

And so, he actually explains everything. He starts the story from last week, starting with the gala. Suzuki tells them about manipulating the school to besmirch 1-B's reputation and go as far as assaulting us. He confesses that he used Hifumi's grief for his own, that he wanted to ruin me for having this life, even if his own class went against him, which they clearly did. It wraps up to here, where Kamakiri got assaulted and Setsuna was humiliated, then the fight happened. The one thing that truly surprises me is… is that Suzuki promises to stop. He promises to stop being like this, and strive for what U.A. is truly meant for. At that last part, he stares directly at me, like he's promising this _to me_. Mister Kan and Miss Kojoseicho were silent throughout his explanation, both classes too.

After an agonizing minute, Mister Kan says, "Suzuki, I'd recommend to expel you right here and now, but from the sounds of it, you're going to clean up your act. I'll report this to Principal Nezu and the others. I'll recommend suspension, but who knows what the other teachers will say?"

"Mhm, you brought embarrassment to your class, and pain to 1-B, not to mention Mister Inochi. Now, I don't know what past you two have, but it better ends here, for your own sake at U.A., Suzuki. You will also apologize to Hifumi, whenever she comes back to school. Do you understand?" Miss Kojoseicho tells him with a stern look on her face. Without hesitation, Suzuki nods.

Recovery Girl turns to me and shakes her head. She asks, "Just what did you do to this boy? And what did he do you? My goodness, you look like you got ran over by a truck going mach ten."

"Doesn't matter," I answer, trying my best to smile brightly, "it took getting run over to save Suzuki from himself. Maybe I'm not all useless..."

"Boy, you're worth just as much as a kid with a Quirk. Now, you have a lot of things to do as a Hero. You better live to do it," she slightly threatens me, rubbing my head with her wrinkly rubber gloves.

"I will. I'll be a Hero. If I need to break my bones to do it, then I will."

"Please don't. One's enough."

* * *

It seemed like forever, but the Sports Festival finally ends. Bakugo, as expected, became the winner of today's festival. His hotheadedness and aggressiveness really pulled him through his fight with Todoroki. Too bad Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki didn't win, but there's always next year. (In related news: Apparently, my fight with Suzuki happened at the same time as Midoriya and Todoroki's fight. From what I heard, it was so insane that they almost blew each other up. Todoroki also used his fire, so uhm, I'm definitely not the strongest person in this school.)

After the medals and final words, all of us, the first-years, go back to the main building to wrap things up for the day. Tomorrow and the next day will have the second-year and third-year Sports Festivals. Maybe Togata and his friends will win the third-year competition? Who knows, I haven't interacted with my upperclassmen much other than the people involved with Hifumi. In the news though, practically every outlet is talking about how predictable Bakugo's victory was, and his potential abilities of a Pro Hero. Some of them criticize his behavior as "Villain-like", but they can't deny his raw power. Oh, there's some articles where they talk about me being "unsuspected" and "surprising". It lightened my criticism a little bit, but Setsuna and Kamakiri? I have no idea. They aren't being talked about, and that's a good thing. Everyone will ignore them and focus on something else. As for my fight with Suzuki? It went unheard of. I mean, Midoriya and Todoroki fought. That, and I don't think anyone would leak the fight. (Hopefully.) Who would care, anyway? Putting this into perspective, the fight was a little scuffle. It's nothing compared to, let's say, an actual battle tournament.

And now, 1-B is simply waiting for the day to end. We would've been let out when the Sports Festival ended, but the school wanted us to wait until all the traffic died down. So, I sit at my desk. My body aches from all the excitement that happened earlier. It's the same ache after a night of training, so this is normal. (On a scale of one to ten, this is a five.) Anyway, I look around the room, and I can already hear Monoma. Since we didn't do so well in the Sports Festival, Monoma is trying to cheer everyone up, saying that we can fight 1-A another day, and we have a joint training session with them too. What else… Let's see: Manga is reading his own kind, Tetsutetsu is in tears from losing (Yui does her best to get him to stop in her own special way), Setsuna and Shiozaki are chatting, Bondo is quiet like always, and there's a lot more to say about my class. It's a bit hard to process all the shenanigans. (Oh right, I need to make a mental note to get my grappling hook fixed. Almost forgot about that.)

Jeez, I stand out of my seat, stretching my arms and legs. Okay Sanji, what next? After your first Sports Festival, what comes after that…? Aha! Internships! That's next up on the list. I honestly have no idea who I'm choosing. Not because I don't know who's picking me, but because I generally worry about stuff like this too much. Manga's lucky since Grandmaster and Count already picked him… I'm sure he's happy with his choice. Hopefully, with my spotlight in the festival and being a disciple of Master Kendo, I'll have a ton of offers. Itsuka too. I can't help but worry that they still don't want me. I mean, these Pros have to teach me, a Quirkless guy, to be a Hero. It's a first for them, and naturally, they'll veer away from me… That's my life, I guess. I really need my Quirk soon.

"Inochi," Kaibara gets my attention. I look over to see him standing next to Monoma, Rin, Honenuki, and Komori. I know for a fact that they're up to no good. Monoma's a rascal, Honenuki too, and especially Komori. He tells me, "We've been talking about you. Well, Monoma has. He-"

"What's your Quirk?" Monoma shamelessly asks, prompting a side-glare from Kaibara. (Yeah, this conversation will go great.) He adds on with a smile, "Earlier, at the fight, I was thinking about how amazing would it be if you awaken to your Quirk. It occured to me that we never asked you about it. We know the details, but nothing's certain."

"Mhm!" Komori hums, brushing her bangs back. "Honenuki says that your muscle thing isn't your Quirk, just a thing that your actual Quirk gives you. It's some metaology mumbo-jumbo that I can't understand, which is also why I should study."

"Yeah, no offense, but I saw your last test results. On the short answer, why did you put Isaac Newton as one of the lead scientists of metaology?" Honenuki recounts, and uhm… I honestly don't know how to react to this information. I'm not the smartest person in the class (that'll be Setsuna and Itsuka), but I'm pretty sure Newton is the gravity guy.

"Don't… Don't ask me. I spent the night before making a song. It'll be the next big thing when I become an Idol Hero," Komori foretells, smiling brightly. I never heard her sing before. (Why do I feel so scared all of the sudden?!) I'll just ignore them. I turn to Kaibara and Monoma after that little detour.

Monoma, bringing the conversation back on track, "So, do you know what your Quirk is? Kendo mentioned that your eyes turned white during the U.S.J. Incident. Did you activate a part of your Quirk? Something that's not your Adoptive Muscle Memory?" Why is he asking me about this now? I know he wants this information to use against 1-A, but what good would it do? My Mindscape doesn't let me spy on people's minds. It only lets me see memories with me in it, which kinda defeats its entire purpose, but Quirks are generally weird.

Ugh, I should lie to him. "Uhm, it's-"

"Why are you bothering him, Monoma?" Itsuka comes to my rescue at the nick of time. Thank goodness, I'm pretty sure Monoma would have seen through my lie. She goes on, "He's been beaten up twice today. You can talk about his Quirk later."

He pleads, "I need it to one-up that blasted clas-"

"No, don't make me throw you out the window," she threatens, metaphorically putting the foot down. Monoma pouts and closes his trap. Itsuka grabs my arm and takes us off to the side. (Must be important.) She says, "Sanji, we have a student council meeting in a few days. Us, and the rest of the first-years class representatives will be talking about Suzuki's place on the council. It won't exactly be calm and orderly because-"

"Because Suzuki spurred them up, but then backtracked," I complete her train of thought. Crap, I don't know how this meeting will go. There'll be a lot of conflicted emotions, so we should expect a lot of yelling. I offer some advice, "Maybe we should talk to Iida and Yaoyorozu. They're the only class that Suzuki hasn't touched. We could use them to help bring order."

Itsuka sighs, shaking her head. She counters, "You forget that we're in the Hero Course, which people aren't fond of. You also forgot what you confessed to Suzuki, 1-D, and all of our friends. Sanji, once word gets out that you were never meant to be in 1-B, people will go absolutely hate you. No matter what you say, these people will hold a grudge against you. Who knows what the reporters will say?"

Damnit, she's right! How could I forget about that? As much as 1-D went against Suzuki, that doesn't mean that they stopped despising the Hero Courses. It's only a matter of time that my secret will be spread around the school! The news will grab a hold of it too, criticizing U.A. for its mistake. What I did at the Sports Festival will be ignored, and I'll be back at square one with the public. Does it really matter though? The investors agreed that I need to stay, but…

"_It's all about appearances! For businessmen, having their kids there make them look better. All I have to do is stand by Dad's side with Mom, and chat with his friends and his friends' children."_

That's what Setsuna said to me at the gala. "It's all about appearances," she told me. Going off of that, if I get negative press, even more than before then… then who cares what the investors think about me?! I'm a danger to their reputation, to U.A.'s reputation! I'll only be known as a mistake that U.A. just let happen. Naturally, the thought of putting me in 1-E will be stuck there, dangling in their minds! Damn, talk about one step forward, two steps back. I-!

"Sanji, stop mentally panicking!" Itsuka shakes me, literally, out of my trance. She assures, "If you're thinking about getting kicked out of 1-B, it won't happen! Kamakiri's still here, so is Setsuna. You're safe, I promise. If not, we'll figure out a new plan. We always do."

"I heard my name," Setsuna butts into our conversation, winking at Itsuka, who takes her hands off of me and lightly blushes. She says, looking a bit serious, "On a more serious note: I'm not gonna lie, what Itsuka said is true. Look at the bright side though, everyone here doesn't care, Sanji. They think you belong here, and no big secret is changing that."

"I'm happy for that, but what about your dad? The investors? They care about appearances right? So, they would think about putting me in 1-E once the secret comes around?" I ask, thinking like a businessman. It's disgusting, to be honest. I don't know how anyone would care about appearances or reputation to the point of throwing people under the bus. How does Setsuna deal with it?

Setsuna looks down slightly, crossing her arms. She tells us, honestly, "It's… It's a possibility, but it's too soon to say. We have to watch our next few days closely, trying to navigate this cesspool of media and heroism."

"I'm sorry, Sanji…" Itsuka apologizes, looking away. (She isn't blushing anymore.) "Things will get a lot harder for you from here on out. Was it worth telling Suzuki that? Wait, don't answer. I already know what you're gonna say."

"Heh, then I don't have to say it," I reply, cocking a smile. It's very annoying to be forced to care about my own reputation. God, let's hope Setsuna talks to her dad about this. Fingers crossed that my place here won't be in danger. I continue, putting a hand on my hip, "Anyway, it's fine! We should think about our internships. Let's hope I get to do one, and not get yanked out last minute."

"Speaking about internships, I'm here," Mister Kan introduces himself. He came back after meeting with Principal Nezu. Us students sit at our seats while he takes the main stage. The noise settles down into silence, letting him have our undivided attention. After the mess with Suzuki and our loss in the Sports Festival, the mood turns a bit gloomy. I know that a lot of us wanted to win so much…

To start off his speech, Mister Kan groans. (That is the exact emotion I'm feeling.)

"Today was a mess, we can agree with that. But, all of you did amazing in the Sports Festival, even though we lost to Aizawa's pets. Know that I was focusing on you, despite everyone else having their attention on Todoroki and Bakugo. From what I saw, you did what you could and went with it. You may not have the same ability to improvise like 1-A, but with my teaching, we'll get there and beat them at their own game. In fact, I have specific lessons for each of you regarding your Quirks and specializations, so expect training on those regards later.

Now, onto the big topic: Internships. From the looks of things, the majority of them will be going towards 1-A, but that doesn't mean you won't get any. It means that 1-B will have a smaller volume, but that's great! I guarantee you that most of 1-A's offers are Pros who just want to show off and get their fifteen minutes of fame. Our internships will be more than that, because it shows that these Pros have a keen eye for potential. They look for what they can teach _you_, rather than picking the ones who're the most showy. After the Sports Festival is over, I will have your offers ready. At that time, you will also be making your Hero Codename, so you better start thinking."

A loud applause and cheers erupt from some of us. And everyone's off chatting about what their Hero names will be. To be honest, I don't know what I should pick for mine. It should be something that describes me, rather than something abstract. I should think about my Quirk too, when I'm going to get that. But, I could always change my name whenever I want. It's no big deal. Anyway, Mister Kan quiets us down again. He isn't done with his speech.

"Alright alright! As for what happened today, with Inochi and Suzuki, that will be handled privately. I wouldn't recommend leaking a video of their fight, because I know _one of you_ took a video."

(We stare at Setsuna. She turns away, whistling innocently.)

"Anyway, I'm sure it's a shock to most of you that Inochi's place in 1-B is an error. However, I'm glad to have him. Quirk or not, he's an amazing student, and I'm looking forward to seeing his Quirk one day. And, one more thing… Some day, the rest of Japan will find out about Inochi's transcript error. Students, in this world, the public is worse than Villains. By all means, stick together and support each other. That's all."

Everyone nods and cheers, promising Mister Kan. Even with his words… they don't understand the gravity of my situation. Still, they're cheering for me. _Me_, of all people.

"Hell yeah! We'll show that Inochi belongs here whether they like it or not!"

"Language."

"1-A wishes they have a guy like him!"

"He's the face of 1-B!"

"Look at Inochi, he's blushing!"

I say, just loud enough for them to hear, "I really don't deserve all this praise, guys… All of you are pretty awesome…"

"Look at you, Sanji! Being 1-B's big brother!" Setsuna exclaims, hopping out of her seat. I didn't know I could even be a "big brother"... I'm trying to be myself. I don't even know what that label even means.

Pony joins her, saying, "Kendo's the big sister then!" Itsuka rolls her eyes at her comment, smiling softly at me. I understand _that_ label though. She definitely feels like a big sister-type of person. Protective, practices tough love, strong, and generally an amazing person. And with that comment, everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Even Monoma of all people. I'm pretty sure, without Itsuka, he would've controlled the entire class to be against 1-A. God, this class is so crazy…

In the midst of the noise and chaos, I smile brightly.

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"We're home!"

"Sanji didn't die. That's a bit unexpected," Mom jokes, welcoming us. She kisses my forehead, laughing wholeheartedly. Grandpa's sitting at his chair again. He greets us with a quiet wave, focused on watching his TV. Mom says, taking our bags, "Both of you did great in the Sports Festival. There's always next year, where you'll surely be better. But, why did Sanji get into a fight with Suzuki again?"

"Civil conspiracy," I answer, putting it in simple terms. Sanji nods and hums, nervously scratching the back of his head. That's really the best way I can put it, to be honest. If I try to explain everything, it'll take awhile. At least that ended up with a good ending where Suzuki finally stopped being an asshole. It almost made me forget that I lost the Sports Festival, but like what everyone says: There's always next year. (It's a very annoying thing to say. Patronizing too.)

"Recovery Girl was passive-aggressive with me in her office… I was with Midoriya too… She said, and I quote, 'Your mentors need a good smack on the head.' It was really awkward…" Sanji retells, shifting the conversation with a laugh to convey his awkwardness. Mom and Grandpa laugh, and I do too a little bit.

"You hear that, Dad? Auntie Chiyo wants to smack you and Toshi," Mom playfully asks, batting her hand as she puts our things away. Okay, there is really something big going on between Grandpa and All Might. I can't figure it out though, and it's right in front of me.

Grandpa retorts, laying back comfortably in his chair, "She can join the club. I was very popular when I was the kids' age. A whole lotta people wanted to knock ol' Sasaki around. They got their chance and blew it."

"I'm pretty sure there's an inside joke here somewhere," Sanji whispers to me while Mom and Grandpa are still laughing. He's totally confused. Adorably confused, like a lost little puppy. It makes me want to rub his hair.

"It's them. What did you expect? They like messing with us," I reply, whispering back. Mom clears her throat, not taking kindly to us talking about her. Obviously, she's kidding, but Sanji doesn't realize that. He goes stiff as a statue, having a dumb smile on his face. Jeez, he's _still_ afraid of her.

She orders him, "Sanji, go tell your Master Kendo about what happened at the festival. I'm sure he's _dying_ to hear about his star disciple. Well, second to my daughter, obviously." And with that, Sanji sits on the couch across from Grandpa. What a dork. He could withstand a beating by Suzuki, but his nerves can't hold up against Mom. Then again, Mom would beat up Suzuki easily.

("I might as well pass away," Grandpa comments, laughing to himself.)

Mom and I go off into the kitchen, listening in on their conversation. It's funny how Sanji is trying to explain everything. He's way too nervous, probably because he wants to impress Grandpa so badly. He keeps stopping in the middle of his sentences, contradicting himself, correcting himself, it's hilarious. Completely different than his usual nice-guy-and-shameless personality. Even though he's nervous, it's the cute kind. The one that makes me notice his odd little anxious movements, like his smile, his head scratch, or the way his eyes close… Can't believe this is the same guy who fought (and changed) Suzuki, or flew through the air to catch me after Gera toppled me over…

Man, I feel so guilty after today… Not only he lost because of me, I egged him on to fight Suzuki. I mean, the drama is solved, but Sanji got extremely hurt. I really thought he could win, even without a Quirk. That was the hope speaking in me, I guess. If I think about it logically, there really was no way that he could win. Yeah, Sanji is a great martial artist, but he can't do anything with someone that's faster, more agile, stronger, and more durable than him. All of which are enhancements that Suzuki can give himself. By no means did these to hold back, especially since after what they said to each other. And with what Suzuki said about Sanji, I have a feeling that he had a rough time growing up, since he's a foster kid and all. However, he clearly moved on. That's one of the reasons why I admire him. It takes a strong person to move on from one's past, especially if it's bad. Sanji is the greatest example.

"Itsuka, honey…" Mom calls me. I stop looking at Sanji and Grandpa, turning to her. She's leaning against the counter with her arms crossed and a smirk across her face. That's a teasing face if I ever saw one. "Do you have something to say?"

Eh?

"No? I don't think I have a secret, Mom. Not today, at least," I answer truthfully, shaking my head. Mom walks up and puts an arm around me, bringing me close. She has her mouth to my ear. (Jeez, if I didn't know any better… I think I know what she'll say.)

She whispers, "Do you have a little crush on Sanji? You've been looking at him _mighty _differently than before." I freaking knew it! Of course she'll ask that! Mom never teased me about this before!

I (quietly) snap back with my face heating up, "No! Why is everyone pointing that out?! And why are you so concerned about my love life all of the sudden?! I'd thought you would slap any boy who even thinks about dating me."

Mom instinctively moves her head back at my (quiet) shouting, but she laughs it off. She holds me tightly, sighing happily. "One: I'm your mother and I'm very observant. Two: I _would_ slap any boy, but Sanji isn't any normal guy. In fact, he's the only man I could see you ending up with. You're the only one who can reel him in, and he's the only one who can reel _you_ in. It's meant."

My face gets even hotter! Jeez, why is my body betraying me?! I slam my head against the nearest surface, burying it in the pockets of my arms. I mumble, just loud enough for Mom to hear, "You're unbelievable… Dad wouldn't tease me like this…"

"No," Mom agrees with me, brushing my hair with her soft, slender fingers, "he would _absolutely _approve. You think it's bad with my teasing? Your father was such a romantic that he would bring this up every second he could get. He wouldn't stop embarrassing you." Actually no, she doesn't agree with me. She makes it even worse.

"Mom!" I plead, begging her to stop. She giggles at my misery, letting go of my hair. I lift my face up and pout, which makes her giggle _even more_! Why do moms have to be so embarassing?! (It kinda makes me think what Sanji's mom was like.) I ask, on the edge of disowning her, "Can we stop talking about this?!"

"Fine fine, we'll save this talk for another day," Mom answers with a wink. (I won't be looking forward to it. Knowing her, this conversation will be sprung up out of the blue.) What should I talk about now? It has be something other than love. Maybe… Oh, I could ask Mom about this! Ever since Recovery Girl brought it up, it's been at the back of my mind.

"Ugh… Anyway, Recovery Girl mentioned something to Sanji and I earlier… It's about Midoriya and All Might. There's something more to them, but she wouldn't say. Grandpa knows about it for sure, so I was thinking that you know about it too," I explain. In an instant, the mood on her face changes. She doesn't look too happy now...

Mom sighs, bringing us over away from Grandpa and Sanji. She says, "I don't, sweetie… What I do know about it is Grandpa helped Toshi to become All Might with some of his friends. However, some Villains got in the way. It's how Grandma died, Auntie Nana too. That's what he said to me. And, he doesn't like when I talk about them, but he's changing at least. He finally talked to Toshi after God knows how long, and he visited one of his friends earlier today, during the tournament."

"I had a feeling, but there's something big here, Mom. I could feel it, but I can't point a finger at it. All Might, Midoriya, Grandpa, it's all connected. There's something that ties them together," I explain, but she shakes her head. Mom holds my hand, holding it tightly.

She tells me, sincere and serious, "I know there is, and that's one of the many secrets Grandpa's keeping. I never asked him though, and I never want to. Look honey, there's a lot that happened when I was a little girl. You shouldn't pry further, for your own sake, and Grandpa's… okay?"

I sigh, nodding. "Alright, Mom… I'll do what you say." She smiles again, kissing my forehead like she always does.

"Good, I'll start making dinner. You should figure out your feelings while I'm at it," Mom teases before she goes into the kitchen. Jeez, even at a heavy topic like this, she can't help but to tease me.

Anyway, I peer around a corner, watching Grandpa and Sanji again. This time, I'm mainly focusing on Grandpa. He visited a friend earlier today… One of those friends must be apart of this secret. (If I remember correctly, the secret comprised of: Grandpa, Grandma, Nana, Recovery Girl, All Might, and Midoriya. This must be a new friend.) I'm sorry Mom, but I'm gonna do my best to figure this mystery out. This seems way too important to ignore. Heck, I think I might get Sanji's, or even Setsuna's, help on this.

Now, I'm wondering how Grandpa's visit went...

* * *

**Sasaki Kendo**

_Knock! _

"_Master Kendo, I've written a letter to Gran Torino about Young Midoriya. He promises to take him under his internship after the Sports Festival. If… If you want, you can visit him. I can give you his address."_

_Knock!_

"_An average person might think receiving One For All is a gift. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, Saki. Once you have this power, you're not only cursing yourself, but all your friends and family as well."_

_Knock!_

"_Daddy… Why do you look so sad? Where's Mommy?"_

…

"Sorahiko! I know you're here! Open this door or I'll kick it down myself!"

_Click! Creeeeek!_

"Saki, you're here," Sora greets me. It's been a few decades since we last saw each other. He's gotten old and short, so have I. Time wasn't kind for the both of us. He slowly swings the door wide open, letting me have a look inside his rickey old home. It's a lot different from the outside. This place looks like it's falling down with cracks and broken windows. Inside, it looks like any old apartment.

We stare at each other for about ten seconds, not bothering to say nor do anything. What the hell am I supposed to do, after everything we've been through? But, as old men and friends, I need to show some modicum of friendliness. I finally say, "Well, aren't you gonna show me inside?"

Sora grunts and moves aside. I walk in and the smell of taiyaki fills the room. (He always liked those pastries.) The TV's switched on to the Sports Festival. God, this feels so damn irritating. I don't know why I'm here in the first place. I should be at home with my daughter, who's shouting all kinds of profanities at 1-A. But, I'm here, catching up with old friends and remembering things I buried years ago.

"Saki," Sora says my name again. He moves over to his couch and sits down, watching the match between Midoriya and Shinso. I already know Midoriya will win. It'll be a bit of a disappointment considering he has One For All. "Shouldn't you be in Musutafu with your daughter? How is Hayami, by the way?"

I answer, leaning against a green wall, "She's alive, and yeah. I should be there, but I'm not. To be honest, I don't know why the hell I'm here. I felt like it, that's all I can say." Present Mic yells at the top of his lungs. Midoriya got himself out of Shinso's Quirk, whatever that is. Mind control or something?

"Hmph, Toshi chose this boy. He's way too reckless with One For All, letting his body get destroyed like that. No wonder he wanted me to train him," Sorahiko comments, picking up a taiyaki and biting down on it. He asks me, "What about you? What are you doing with Midoriya?"

I answer, watching Midoriya judo throw Shinso out of the ring, "Martial arts training. He's not at a stage where I can combine that with his Quirk. I hope you can beat the proper use into him. And I gotta say though, he's the most naive, and a tad delusional, kid I ever met. But, he _is _determined, just like our little Toshi." (Speaking of martial arts, that move wasn't terrible.)

(I swear, that boy is one of the nerdiest men I ever met. A few days ago, he couldn't stop talking about my past victories against some Villains that I forgotten the name of. With Sanji, he went around his room staring at all of his weapons. Thank goodness Midoriya isn't like that Manga kid. This boy knew to keep his hands off if he wants to keep them. Too bad that doesn't extend to breaking his arms. That, he does willy-nilly. It drives Chiyo crazy, I swear.)

"Quirkless, right?" Sora asks again, finishing up his pastry. He eats like an animal now. Crumbs are all over his shirt.

"Yeah, he was Quirkless," I ensure, tossing a napkin to him. Sora does a slight nod in thanks, wiping the crumbs off of him. How have the mighty have fallen. He was so stern and angsty. Guess he grew out of that phase… Can't blame him, especially after seeing Nana die like that… He had to. And I… And I was alone, taking care of Hayami… I can't count how many times I worried myself to sleep, thinking that she'll be in danger...

Sorahiko shakes his head and sighs. "Toshi didn't tell him about All For One, yet? About Shimura?" It's my turn to shake my head. He groans, laying back on his couch. I can tell he's thinking. His eyes are moving back and forth, like how he always does back then. "It seems I have a lot of work to do for this problem child."

"Yup, I can barely handle the boy myself," I admit, sitting next to Sora. For the first time, in a long time, he laughs. I laugh too. I laugh… too… My God, it's weird hearing myself laugh like that. Especially with him.

After we laugh, Sora says, laying a hand on his leg, "Jeez, Saki… Anyway, what about you? You have a granddaughter and a foster kid. Sanji Inochi, right? That legally Quirkless boy who fought that girl? What made you decide to take him in?" Oh, that was half a year ago. More than that actually… I can't believe it's been that long. He grown so much since his first day here. He already became skilled at nearly every weapon in the books.

I chuckle, answering him, "Gin, one of my old students who washed out from this crazy world, took him in. Last September, he wanted me to be his guardian. He said that Sanji is the perfect boy to mold into a proper Pro, even if he's legally Quirkless. I took a chance, and he was right. This boy, he trains everyday to reach his dream. He sleeps one or two hours a night, that's it. Sanji is dogged, more than you might initially think, to be a Hero."

Sora comments, "He sounds obsessed, to be honest." He isn't wrong, but you have to be. If you're not obsessed, then you can't make it as a proper Hero. I'm glad Sanji is no exception. "Anyway, I heard he has Adoptive Muscle Memory, which is from his Quirk, am I right? Do you even know what it is?"

"Not at all," I tell him, laughing to myself. "All I know is that it gives him that boost. Because of it, he's one of the best martial artists in his grade, Itsuka being the best of course. And, he knows how to use nearly any weapon given to him."

"Sounds like you're fond of him," he comments, picking up another taiyaki. (He's going to make a mess again. Why did I decide to sit next to this dusty bastard?)

"Mhm," I answer, looking down slightly. "He's one of the nicest boys you can meet. He does a lot of the chores, so Hayami doesn't have to do much. If I'm being honest, he's a lot like Tatemi. Absolute angels, but becomes the devil if you piss them off." Sora laughs again, sounding even more of an old man. God, why am I being reminded of Tatemi so much? Maybe that's the actual reason why I kept Sanji, because he's a lot like her.

"What about your granddaughter? Thinking about great-grandchildren?" Sora insinuates the obvious. Hehe, everyone teases the hell outta these two. It's like back at U.A., where Nana did her damn best to get Tatemi and I together. I know Tokage, that lizard girl, is teasing them just like Nana. Honestly, Sanji is someone that Itsuka needs, so she doesn't punch the entire world into oblivion. A woman like her could destroy the entire world.

"Jeez, I'm not sure if I'll live long enough. If they end up together, then that's great. They can be partners in life and work," I tell him as the next match happens. Todoroki and Sero, both from 1-A. God, I can't believe that Sora taught Endeavour all those years ago. Now, his son is in the same school. If metaology theory of Quirk Singularity is correct, then Shouto Todoroki should be much more powerful than his father.

Sorahiko watches the match, sighing. "It doesn't seem like Todoroki inherited his father's hotheadedness. I remember Endeavour's and Toshi's 'rivalry', if someone could call it that. Let's hope this boy will be better than him, both personality and strength." Hope so, because Japan doesn't need another man like Enji Todoroki. Even though he's second-best Hero, he's in it for the wrong reasons. And, I heard rumors of his family being abused, but none of them were proven.

Oh, the match ended already? Todoroki froze poor Sero in a mountain of ice. Hell, I think he's more powerful than his father already. Sorahiko snorts, obviously impressed. That's as much of a reaction he can get outta him. We seen so much that something like this doesn't bother us. All kinds of weird Quirks out there, that's for sure. (Don't worry about it, Sero.)

For ten minutes or so, Sora and I watch the Sports Festival take a long break. They have to get rid of that ice, which managed to reach out of the stadium. We're quiet though, not saying anything. I should say something, so this doesn't turn out to be awkward. God, I'm acting like a kid again. I need to face the truth: Old men are awkward in every way.

"What've you been up to?"

"I need to show you something."

…

Well, looks like we both had the same idea, and it seems like he answered my question already. Before he gets a chance to talk, I speak first, "Show me what? The look on your face tells me it involves Nana."

"Yeah… This is one of the things I've 'been up to'," Sora replies, standing up. He grabs his cane, which I didn't know he had. (His Quirk must have taken a toll on his legs.) We go upstairs, deeper into his apartment. I didn't have time to look around and observe his home, but it's relatively the same as the main room. We go through a couple of rooms, a bedroom and a study/office. In the office, there's a bookshelf. Like a real spy, or a very paranoid man, he tilts a book with a blue and white cover. The bookshelf opens up, and we go inside his secret room.

"Fancy, unlike how the outside looks," I offhandedly comment, looking around. There's not much light in here besides a lamp on a desk. There's papers of all sorts scattered on it, but the main attraction is the wall in front of us. On it is a branching tree with pictures of all sorts of people. On the top is Nana and her family… All of them… All of them have a red "X" drawn on them… Wait, don't tell me...

"_From my own master, he told me that All For One killed many of his friends, and even slaughtered his own master's bloodline just for being related to him."_

Slaughtered… an entire bloodline… No… Nana told me that it happened with her master's master, but All For One actually went through with it?! This can't be true! This bastard went out of his own damn way to slaughter Nana's entire bloodline?! All because of spite?! Does Toshi even know about this?!

"Sorahiko…" I say, my mouth agape. My eyes dart around the pictures. All of these people are dead… Children, men, women, all dead! "You've been… You've been… investigating this, all on your own? Did you tell Toshinori about this?! Did All For One really slaughter-?!"

"He did," Sorahiko stops me, his voice getting somber and regretful. "I never told Toshinori. It happened about fifteen years ago, starting with Kotaro and his family. One day, his home was completely obliterated. At that point, I knew what All For One was doing. Even though Shimura told us to not come close to her family, I had to go against her wishes. God, I had to do _something_ Sasaki. I couldn't let the bastard enact a death sentence on these people!"

"How did you find all of them?" I shakily ask, stepping up to the wall. There must be a hundred people in this wall, maybe even more than that… This is… This is too much to take in… How didn't I notice this? How didn't anyone else know? Why did Sora keep this from Toshi of all people?!

Sorahiko answers, "I had some help. I worked with the Detective Hero when he was a young man, just starting out. Don't worry, he's trustworthy. Anyway, I went around and warned every person on that wall. It didn't work. Some of them tried moving out of the country, some didn't believe me, some stayed in Japan, it didn't matter. One by one, he killed them. It didn't matter how thin their branch was on the family tree. He cut them down all the same. Of course, all of these murders were chalked down as Villain attacks or freak accidents, but the detective and I were the only ones who knew the truth.

So, All For One completed his mission ten years ago, Saki. He killed them all in five years. It ended with the Tsukigamis. They were the last ones killed. One night, All For One or one of his lackeys came in, killed the parents, the big brother, and the five-year old boy, then burned the house down. The firefighters couldn't put out the fire fast enough to fully recover the bodies. All that's left were ashes."

The Tsukigami family… Here's their picture, near the bottom of the wall. It's a family photo with their names written on the back: Choon-Hee (Korean name, the mother), Mitsuru (father), Kazuhiro (eldest child), and Jumin (youngest child). It happened five years ago? That's such a short amount of time putting it into perspective. If I… If I knew about this, then maybe I could have saved someone… Just one person, and that'll be worth it…

I slowly turn to Sora, saying, "You should've told me, Sorahiko… I would've helped, even if I'm an old man… I would've-"

"Would've what?!" Sora snaps, shoving his cane against my chest. He grits his teeth, yelling, "You're only getting out of your stink about Tatemi and All For One. You can't turn around with these hypotheticals after you stopped being a depressed widower! Face it, Sasaki, you wouldn't have changed anything!"

I argue back, slapping his cane away, "Why did you tell me this in the first place?! Why not Toshi?! Why did you drag this detective in instead of him?!" (Detective Hero, right? Grandmaster? Damnit, maybe that's why he took an interest in Sanji and Itsuka, because he knew that they were connected to me through Sorahiko!)

"You deserved to know! And… And Toshi… he wouldn't have handled it well. We both know that he would take this burden and place it on his shoulders, stressing himself over this… He needs to focus on Midoriya and One For All, not over the dead," Sorahiko says, calming down. He lets out a groan, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

...Yeah, he's right. Toshi is the type of man who would place the burden on only himself. He thought of Nana as his own mother. It makes sense to think that feeling would extend to the Shimura family tree. God, if Nana didn't tell us to stay away from it, then Toshi would've done this himself. After a few quiet seconds, I say to Sora, "Sora, I-"

He interrupts me, "Sasaki, this is a mess. Nana's right, that One For All is a curse. Willingly, she let her family be in danger, her relatives, her friends, anyone who she came into contact. Even though All For One was defeated seven years ago, I have that fear still planted at the back of my skull." Ugh, I never even considered this in his perspective. He's been torturing himself for years to save Toshi the trouble. And to think, for as long as I known him, he would always do what Nana said despite their differences. Except… Except for this. It's an asshole thing to do, to even suggest that after this massacre. Sorahiko must have tried so much, and it ended up like this. It's like… It's like when Tatemi died… I… I… Damnit…

"I'm sorry, Sora," I apologize, looking back at the wall. Kotaro was just a little boy back then, older than Hayami by a year or two. These two used to play together. (When Nana sent him away, I told Hayami to never mention him again.) He had a couple of kids: Hana and Tenko. It's surreal how much time has passed since then. I change the topic, telling him, "If you want to come by, meet Hayami and the kids, I'm still living in that same house."

"I will, Saki… It'll be nice to see Hayami again. And it's about time I'd criticize your disciples," he replies, smiling softly. Sora gets up and sighs, gesturing to leave. We slowly walk out, letting the bookshelf close on its own. "Thanks for not causing too much of a ruckus. I'd thought you would from how immature you are."

"You're one to talk," I retort with a smile back. We start to head back down to the main room. It's about time we watch kids fight for our entertainment. That's how crazy Japan is, and it's all perfectly legal. Internships are after this right? "Anyway, that detective friend of yours… Grandmaster right?"

"Yeah, surprised you know him. I heard he's partners with French man. They took out one of All For One's lackeys actually. His name was Savant, and he was the crime lord of Europe to say the least," he answers.

"Good, one less Villain to worry about. Anyway, Grandmaster's been talking to Itsuka and Sanji lately. I have a feeling that he'll give them internships. Seeing how he took out Savant, he can handle these two. They can teach them about heroism."

"You can't teach heroism, Sasaki. It's a baptism by fire. You know that."

"I know… I know… Let's hope they don't fight someone incredibly dangerous…"

* * *

**Risai Tatchikutsu**

"Bakugo won, huh? With that attitude, he could make for a good Villain, but he seems more like an aggressive Hero," I comment as Bakugo is currently being chained and gagged. I seen a lot of men in my life, but he certainly takes the cake for the most interesting man in Japan. The media will surely talk tons about him.

"Hmph… Catharsis, do you have a way to ruin U.A.'s peace? The news will parade Bakugo and the Sports Festival around for weeks," Shigaraki asks, which is a little surprising. I'm clearly younger than him, but he's asking for my advice. I should be honored. Now, if I were to ruin U.A., how would I do it? Ohoho, I think I know how. A few students were fairly infamous before the Sports Festival.

I answer truthfully, "I do. I know a way to take the spotlight off of Bakugo, and I can check in on an old grudge. With my Quirk, I won't be noticed. Don't worry, I'm not going to target your precious 1-A, but someone else. She's the perfect target."

Kurogiri chimes in, "Who is it? If you're not targeting 1-A, then you're targeting someone known in the news. That-"

"Don't worry, it'll be a surprise," I tell him, sitting next to Shigaraki, "what do you say? Let me go out there and do my thing. You won't be disappointed."

"Are you sure this isn't a revenge stunt? If it goes wrong, you will be hunted and arrested," Kurogiri criticizes my decision. It's expected. He thinks I'm a reckless kid, but I'm not like that anymore. I learned from my mistakes.

"It isn't. Have a little faith in me," I tell Kurogiri, turning back to Shigaraki. Ultimately, we both know that it's his decision to make as the leader of the League of Villains. (It's odd calling ourselves the "Villains", but it makes sense. To the world, we're their Villains. We want to topple them and create our own utopia of our desires. I especially want my own world, but it'll be difficult as I'm only one man. If Shigaraki is the real deal, then maybe I'll see my world.)

After a minute of letting Shigaraki think to himself, he finally answers, "Fine. You better bring me results, Catharsis. Get started right away." Kurogiri scoffs underneath his breath, obviously not happy with the decision.

"Roger," I get out of my seat, throwing my black hoodie around myself. I wave Kurogiri and Shigaraki goodbye as I head for the door. This will surely be a fun time. My Quirk, Catharsis, lets me kill with a single finger. It's different than Shigaraki's Quirk though. Mine simply triggers any of my victims to re-experience a traumatic memory, increasing its stress and trauma tenfold. Most of the time, my victims couldn't help but to kill themselves. Weaklings, that's what they are. Can't even get over some stupid memories, so they might as well be the hand that do them in. Those kind of people disgust me.

"Wait," Kurogiri says, stopping me from walking out. I look over, meeting his glowy yellow eyes. "Are you going to tell Tomura about why you're wanted? It's important information, Catharsis." Oh, he's talking about _that_.

Shigaraki turns to him with a puzzled look. Well, I think. It's hard to tell with a hand that covers nearly everything on his face. Kurogiri explains for me, "A year ago, Catharsis used his Quirk on one of his schoolmates, causing her to jump off of a roof. However, her twin brother saved her life in the nick of time. I did my research, _Risai Tatchikutsu_. These twins are in U.A., aren't they?"

I sigh, nodding. "Yeah, they are. The Sports Festival confirmed it for me-"

"Who are they?!" Shigaraki shouts, furious that I kept this a secret from him. I cross my arms and lean against the wall.

Like a good little soldier, I answer, "Manga and Shojo Fukidashi."


	20. The Weaponry Hero

**Day 5, I think. The Weaponry Hero—Armory is here! Sanji Inochi is still in his first stage of his development, not yet becoming Stargazer—The Dream Hero. Once he unlocks his Quirk, the story will take a drastic turn. Even more so than this chapter, which is the very reason why it has a Mature rating. So warning: This chapter will set up the dark tone for the rest of the Catharsis/Risai Tatchikutsu Arc.**

**Anyway, onto Sanji himself. When he starts using his Quirk, he'll become extremely powerful. In fact, he can measure up against the Big 3 of 1-A (Bakugo, Todoroki, and Midoriya) when he reaches a certain level of skill. With how absurdly ridiculous he gets, it's natural that he (and 1-B) gets to fight absurdly ridiculous Villains. Anyway, I'm done yammering. Enjoy the Catharsis Arc. Well, 4/5 of it.**

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"..."

"My goodness," Hayami comments, her eyes glued to the TV screen. None of us can take ours off even if we rip them out of our own sockets. I knew this would happen, Itsuka too, but we didn't prepare for it. Even though I don't care for reputation, it hurts a little. Y'know, it kinda amazes me that these people, grown adults, are talking about me like that. It's a bit different from others my own age, since they have a filter on. Teenagers can be and will be much more crueler with that they say. Filter or not though, it didn't stop them from coming after me. Anyway, on my phone, Tetsutetsu and Awase are sending me links to articles, news outlets, livestreams, and the like. There must be at least twenty different links, maybe even more. Whoever in 1-D was smart. They leaked it the day after the Sports Festival officially finished, which is today. But, ugh, out of my own curiosity, I tap on the link to a live-stream. The comments are the first thing I see.

"#KickInochiOut" is a trending hashtag. Personally, I have no idea how social media works, but I don't have any intentions of using it. From Awase, he said that he saw some death threats being made against me. Great, people are actively threatening my life. Luckily, it's only me. Ugh, I don't want to imagine Itsuka getting those threats, or anyone else. Oh, here's some more comments:

"Inochi needs to get the fuck out, he's a mistake."

"For the betterment of Japan, Quirkless needs to be banned from Hero Schools."

"U.A. probably swept Inochi under the rug to save their reputation. Can't believe they're corrupted."

"The Quirkless should be purged from society."

So many people-

Out of nowhere, Itsuka takes my phone and closes the tab. She gives it back to me afterwards, shaking her head doing so. "Don't read those comments. These people are easily swayed by public opinion. They don't actually want to genocide all the Quirkless," she says, putting a hand on my shoulder. I hold it, smiling softly at her like everything's fine.

I assure her, squeezing her hand tightly, "I know... We expected this, remember? It'll blow over within the next couple of weeks or so once the next big thing comes around. That's what Setsuna and Grandmaster taught me about the media." Hayami and Master Kendo look over to us. Itsuka pulls her hand off, holding her wrist a bit timidly than before.

"The news never became this bad. I can't believe it… In all of my years, I'm finally disgusted by these people," Master Kendo tells us, putting a hand to his mouth in shock. This is bad? I mean, their words are being filtered. I heard plenty worse, to be honest. Even with the comments about "purging Quirkless" and death threats, it's a normal Friday for me. "Is what they say true though, Sanji?" he asks, but I think he already knows the answer.

"Yeah, it's true. I'm sorry we didn't tell you this before, but a lot happened this past couple of weeks," I answer, letting my voice go quiet and somber. Hayami yells in frustration and turns off the TV, punching a wall afterwards. She punched it so hard that the pictures hung on the walls shake and jitter from the impact.

"What is wrong with these people?! Why can't they see that you deserve to be a Goddamn Hero?! They are so focused on the fact that you're Quirkless that they're too blind to see anything else than that!" Hayami goes on a tirade, having her fingers clutching clumps of her hair before she gives up, angrily slamming herself down on a chair.

Itsuka adds, nearly at her limit too, "Mom, it gets worse. There's some assholes who think sending death threats to Sanji is the right thing to do. I swear, U.A. needs to put their foot down or this will get out of control. It's bad enough that the U.S.J. Incident happened, but now everyone is doubting U.A.! This could be really bad!"

When she puts it like that, it's really awful. I almost forgot the U.S.J. Incident happened, so U.A. is under heavy fire for it. Coupled with the drama surrounding me makes for a populace that's fairly unhappy with U.A.'s competence. Principal Nezu though, he's a smart man. (Or panda-dog-rat thing? He's alive and can talk, that's what matters.) He would've seen this coming, so he has a statement prepared! Hopefully…

"God, why can't we have a calm week for once?" Hayami mutters, being slightly muffled by her hand. Silently, I sling my backpack on, adjusting my gray blazer. She notices me and scoffs, asking me, "Sanji, are you really thinking about going to school? You and Itsuka might get hurt! It's dangerous!"

"They won't do anything," I tell her, briefly glancing over to Itsuka. (She's getting ready too. Looks like we have the same idea.) "Sure, they made death threats, but no sane person would carry it out. That, and we're leaving a lot earlier, so there won't be much people out."

"Heh, this boy is stubborn just as us when it comes to it. Have a little faith in him," Master Kendo says to his daughter, smirking a little. Hayami doesn't take kindly to it from the looks of it.

Itsuka comments, "Yeah… This is the same guy who almost got his arm torn off, got a nasty concussion, and beaten to a pulp. To be honest, I wouldn't be afraid either if all of that happened to me." (Thinking on it, all of my injures so far was caused by Suzuki… Wow, that's… Wow, I don't know how I should feel about that.)

"Alright… Come back home safe, you hear? If you don't, I'm going to kill you," Hayami concedes, rubbing the sides of her head. Ah jeez, I'm being a handful again, aren't I? I should apologize to her after today's over. Let's hope I remember.

"I'll protect him, don't worry," Itsuka promises, tugging on my shirt. I smile and nod, submitting myself under her care. It's not like I had a choice anyway. I'm the princess to her knight. (I swear, if Itsuka was a guy, then she would've swoon all of U.A.'s girls from her masculine charm.)

"Have a good day, and stay out of trouble," Master Kendo tells us before we head out the door. Hayami doesn't have the energy to kiss Itsuka goodbye, or give me a simple (but caring) pat on the shoulder. But, we leave nonetheless. On the way to U.A., which is about an hour of walking (if traffic is low), I stare at my phone. Awase has been going off on a text-filled rant about how "these assholes don't know what they're talking about" and how I'm "fucking badass". God, I appreciate Awase, but it's a bit much. I'm not a "fucking badass" really. I'm trying my best to be a Hero. Oh, besides me, Itsuka starts ranting too. It's basically the same as Awase's rant, but a lot more… passionate, if I describe it right.

While I'm quietly listening to her, humming and nodding to whatever she says, I catch the eyes of the few people and cars that are out on the streets. (There's not much traffic, but morning rush hour is about to start soon.) I can't help but feel that everyone's eyes are on me. In fact, I think Itsuka feels the same, because she stops ranting after a little while. She, as casually as possible, looks around for any possible threats. She finds something, about thirty minutes into the walk. Itsuka nudges me and whispers, "There's a man following us. I think he has his phone out."

I simply nod, putting my hands in my pockets and continuing to walk forward. The man's footsteps get closer and closer. From the sounds of it, he has sneakers on. Must be out for a morning run and happened to catch a pair of students, one of which is currently infamous in the news. If he's running at this hour, he's either rich or his job doesn't start until much later in the day. Either way, he's athletically fit. Jeez, why am I trying to analyze this guy? There's a small chance that he'll try to hurt us.

"Oi, you two!" he calls out to us. Itsuka stops first with me after her. She gives me the look that says, _Let me handle this_, so she turns around to face him. I do too, and I finally get to see what this guy looks like. Black hair, fit, brown eyes, he's the average Japanese man. But, he has a phone in his hands. I look down at my own phone, noticing a new text from Awase.

"dude, u and kendo are live! im watching u right now!"

"thats great," I text him back.

The Livestreamer laughs like he caught the biggest fish in the sea. He gets closer to us, holding his phone moderately away. Guess he wants both of us in the frame for his audience. (In my opinion, it's definitely creepy having a grown man filming two high school students. He would be criticized if it was any average teenagers, but for us? There's no such thing as creepiness.) He asks, "Inochi, you're a hard man to get ahold of. All of Japan are dying to hear what you have to say."

"He's not interested in talking. Go stream somewhere else, whoever you are," Itsuka snaps at him, taking a step forward. He laughs and pushes his luck by getting closer to us. His phone is still aimed on Itsuka and I, but I can tell he's trying to get me in the frame. Hmph, I can smell his smugness from where I'm at. He seems like the type of guy to snatch fame wherever he finds it.

He spits out the same rhetoric, "Nah. He's someone that leeched off of U.A., forcing them to let him chase this impossible dream. Everyone knows that you need a Quirk to be a Pro Hero, even All Might would say that! So, as far as I can see, he took the valuable training from someone who truly deserves it."

Itsuka gets closer to him, her face getting red. She says, "Can you shut up? We're not interested in whatever you have to say, so get outta here. Or I'll-"

"You'll what?" He challenges, putting a hand on her shoulder. (This-!) Oh, there's a creepy smile on his face. He'd better wipe it off if he knows what's good for him, but I have an itching to wipe it off myself. Like a real tool, he comments, "You're way too cute to hurt someone."

Itsuka clenches her fist. I put my phone away just as she lifts her arm up, ready to knock him out. She shouts, "Let go of me you-!"

Before she punches him, I grab her shoulder. "Itsuka, don't. The media will admonish you for assaulting him. I don't want you to be hated too." Reluctantly, she listens, lowering her arm. The Livestreamer smirks like he won a grand battle against the deadliest adversary in the world. Being a disgusting and perverted man, he starts to treat Itsuka like a toy, brushing her hair back. He pushes his phone out, getting me fully in the shot without him and her.

The Livestreamer whispers, just loud enough for me to hear, "See? You know, I would love to see what you could do with your hands-!"

I pull her back.

_WHAM!_

"Sanji?!"

I knock this asshole to the ground. His teeth gets stained with blood as his phone clatters against the pavement. Without hesitation, I stomp on his precious phone with my foot, shattering his screen. (Damn, this thing has a case. It's still working.) I calmly say, looking down on this piece of trash, "Keep your dirty hands off of her, you bastard."

Itsuka stares in surprise from what I just did. The Livestreamer wipes some bits of blood off of his mouth, glaring at me. He shouts, "You damn asshole! By noon, this will spread around Japan! You're fucking done for!"

"Does it look like I care? I'm already vilified anyway," I reply, tucking my hands back in my pockets. I turn on my feet, gesturing to Itsuka that we should leave. Without another word, we leave the Livestreamer to wallow in his own pain and filth. He shouts profanities at us, but I don't care. (My phone is vibrating so much that it could be a bomb. It seems I already made a big impact.)

For ten minutes or so, Itsuka and I walk in silence, letting Musutafu be our background noise. Every now and then, I briefly glance at her. She doesn't look happy. Well, there isn't much people around. It isn't a good idea for us to _not_ talk about what happened. I might as well break the silence now while it's still fresh. I-

"You made it worse, Sanji…" Itsuka says, beating me to it. Her voice is soft… Jeez, I know what she's thinking. She'll tell me that she could've handled it herself, that I didn't need to protect her, and so on. It's definitely true. Don't say I didn't understand her. I knew exactly what I did. By punching him, I basically cemented myself as the most hated student in U.A. High School, and I jeopardized my spot in the Hero Course. "I know guys like him. He was being a creep, so he could trigger a reaction out of you. You fell into his trap."

I answer, laughing slightly, "He definitely got a reaction alright, but I don't regret it. I know you could've protected yourself, but I didn't want to stand by and watch-"

"Damnit Sanji! Do we need to have this conversation again?!" Itsuka suddenly lashes out, raising her voice. I let her rant, "You just put everything in danger, just so you could punch a pervert! And… And you don't even care! You need to start acting and thinking for yourself for once! I-"

"Itsuka, I understand," I stop her. She groans, shaking her head out of frustration. How many times did we have this argument? Seems like it's more than the water droplets in the ocean.

"Why did you do it in the first place then?! Why did you have to punch him?! You never lose your cool like that!" Itsuka asks, still in disbelief. Honestly, I thought she understood why I did it. There's a lot of reasons why he needs his face rearranged… just… Ugh, the way that he was touching her… I couldn't take it anymore.

But, I smile, showing her I still have my "cool" or whatever she calls it. I respond from the bottom of my heart, "Frankly, he made me really angry. And besides, Itsuka… You're worth losing my cool over." Like a switch, her face becomes a red sun. (Komori's right… Her face can get red as a toadstool.) I didn't realize my words could have such an impact on her. It doesn't help that I'm actually laughing at how fast she turned scarlet red.

She stammers, "S-Stop laughing! It's not funny! You shouldn't say things like that! You are the reason why everyone thinks we're a couple!" Heh, it's _really_ funny how she gets worked up like this. If she's so adamant that we're not a couple, then why is she blushing so much? That's basically saying she has a crush on me, and she's denying it. It's not something I want to think about though. I'm way too focused on U.A. to spend time on anything else, especially about stuff like my love life.

"God, wish I could smack some sense into you, but you don't have sense in the first place. Ugh, we need to focus on what really matters: You," Itsuka tells me once again. Speaking of me, I take my phone out and check _why_ my phone is about to turn Musutafu into the next Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Awase texted me the Livestreamer's well… livestream. I tap on it, and he's ranting about how "unhinged" I am and how I'm a "danger to society". Jeez, I should've tossed his phone away. Can't do much about it now.

I tell her, grumbling, "Y'know, that guy is still streaming. He's already talking about how awful I am. Guess I'm too dangerous for society to handle, despite being a useless Quirkless." Itsuka takes a look at my phone and grumbles even louder than me!

"I am going to-!

* * *

We're at school. The swarm of microphones and cameras haven't arrived yet, but they'll come soon. Itsuka quickly ushers us into the newly reconstructed U.A. Barrier, which is a lot more scarier than the old one. Higher walls, red bulging lights, steel as black as Kuroiro's soul, and I'm pretty sure that some sort of turret will pop up in the case of danger. (I don't know how the old one was destroyed. Rumors said that it was Shigaraki, but who knows?) Deeper inside the school is a couple of friends: Setsuna and Manga. Once they see us, they immediately rush over.

"Yo, did you really punch that guy, Inochi?! What did he do?!" Manga excitedly (or worriedly) asks me, his head having a couple of exclamation marks popping up. He didn't hear what that jerk said? Maybe that's why he pushed his phone away, so his audience couldn't hear his perverted comments. This asshole framed it like as an unwarranted assault!

I answer, sighing, "He put his hands on Itsuka, and said some creepy things. As far as I'm concerned, he deserved more than a simple jab to the jaw." Setsuna whistles, being impressed when she really shouldn't. (On another note, why are these two at school early? Setsuna must be here for the same reason as us, but why Manga? He's more of a lazy and tired guy than someone who lives, drinks, and sleeps school.)

"Itsuka, how did it feel that this lugbug defended you from such a creepy man? It's quite a power shift considering you stand up to bullies for him," Setsuna teasingly asks, having a smirk that could make wolves envious. Itsuka blushes lightly, crossing her arms and looking away from her.

"It was shocking considering Sanji wouldn't hurt a fly. That, and he possibly screwed over his place in U.A., so everything's _just_ peachy," Itsuka replies, getting too sarcastic for her own good. At that last part, she stares holes into me. It's the "I'm not angry, but disappointed" look. Manga gulps in fear, adjusting his collar. (Can his throat even get uncomfortable? There's so many weird things about his head that I can't help wonder!)

Setsuna is completely unimpressed, and presses forward, "Really? That's it? You didn't think, 'Oh, Sanji was so handsome and tough when he punched that pervert! It makes me wanna-'"

"No!" Itsuka exclaims, uncrossing her arms. I slowly take a step back away from her, edging myself closer to Manga and Setsuna.

"Tokage, why are you making Kendo angry? I don't wanna get punched to oblivion!" Manga whispers to Setsuna, but can I really call it "whispering" if I can hear him? I mean, I'm pretty sure Itsuka heard him!

Setsuna defends herself, whispering back, "I am one hundred percent certain that she has a crush on-!"

And Itsuka interrupts, "I'm one hundred percent certain that if you finish that sentence, you won't have any teeth to speak properly." With that, Setsuna and Manga go dead silent. It's like day and night with these two. On one side, Setsuna is on the verge of laughing, and on the other, Manga looks like he's about to die from fright.

Then, there's me. Quietly, I start inching myself towards the doors. "Guys, I'm gonna go inside and talk to Mister Kan. I'm sure he's waiting for us, so it'll be pretty rude to make him wait." (Oh right! I almost forgot! Today is the student council meeting about Suzuki. God, that won't go over well. I'm dreading the conversation, especially with whoever is 1-E's class rep and vice rep. Nisehana too… Setsuna told me that Okichi Tokugawa, her arranged husband, is transferring to U.A. soon. I'm not looking forward to seeing him around.)

"Don't leave me behind, Inochi!" Manga pleads, running into the building. Itsuka sighs and follows him, not bothering to pay me any attention nor mind. Setsuna's last, skipping up like the world revolves around her. She pats my arm and winks before we head inside. (I wish that she told me if I won't be removed from 1-B or not, but all bets are off since I committed assault.) Inside this glorious school is us and a surprisingly large amount of students. One of them is Amajiki, while the others I can't recognize.

Amajiki approaches us with his hands in his pockets. (If he's here, where's Togata?) He's hiding his face slightly by turning it downwards towards the floor. I greet him, "Amajiki, it's nice to see you again. Did something happen?"

"Y-Yeah, you need to watch yourself… You worked too hard to l-lose… I… uhm… Mirio thinks… you should talk to… to… uhm, Principal… Principal Nezu. And… you might get charged by the man you… you punched," Amajiki slowly says, trying his best to converse with us. I think I hear him muttering, "Where are you, Mirio?"

"Eh, doubt it. My dad, who has a team of super-lawyers, likes Sanji. If that douchebag is smart, he wouldn't try anything," Setsuna suddenly informs us and uhm… As I'm glad that I have that on my side, that sounds like another case of Hifumi Osuhashi. The thought is reassuring though. It gives me one less thing to worry about. (Itsuka looks relieved when Setsuna mentioned it.)

"I'm not gonna lie, but that makes your dad sound stupidly evil," Manga comments, scratching his head. Setsuna shrugs, dismissing his comment. She puts her hands behind her back, bending slightly forward towards Amajiki, who moves back from instinct.

Amajiki stutters, "O-Okay… Uhm… That's… That's it. I-"

"Hey, Inochi! Care to explain why you're in the Hero Course and I'm not?" a random guy asks, turning this group into a crowd. He walks up with a friend. From the sounds of it, they're first-years just like me, and most likely in the General Department. I stay silent, but he presses on, "Sounds like it's true then. Can't believe that you got in because of a mistake."

Itsuka confronts him with a fist clenched, saying, "Back off! We don't need this now! Let's just go our own separate ways and-"

"It's not fair!" the other guy exclaims, kicking the ground. He confronts Itsuka with his hands in his pocket. I'm not the kind of person to judge people based on appearances, but he looks like a delinquent. "How about this: U.A. forces Inochi to fight against us General Course kids. If we beat the heck outta him, then we take his spot. With Quirks, obviously! You can't be a Hero without one."

The original guy speaks up, "Yeah! It'll be bullshit for U.A. to keep Inochi in 1-B. We studied like hell and train like hell for that Entrance Exam! He didn't work hard like the rest of us." Damnit, we're attracting a crowd. A few more students join in, outnumbering us. I look at Amajiki, who's trying his best to calm everyone down, but he's too quiet! He looks like he's shutting down from all these people.

It also doesn't help that the second guy pushes me. Itsuka sees this, but she gets blocked by his friend. I get separated from Manga and Setsuna, who quickly becomes surrounded as well. The second guy shouts, "You punched that guy 'cuz he was easy, right? Man, letting a girl defend you too... You're such a wuss!"

I say nothing.

"Kick that asshole out! Get someone else better!"

"He doesn't deserve to be a Hero!"

"Let's replace him!"

"Let me be a Hero!"

"Kick him out!"

He gets up close to my face, growling, "How can'ya be a Pro when you don't got a Quirk? Drop out, so we can get a chance. It's the nice thing to do." I don't say anything. I put my hands on the straps of my backpacks, remaining calm. It's hard to see where everyone else is at. I can barely see Manga and Setsuna, and Itsuka is having a shouting contest with the man from before. Amajiki completely shuts down, standing completely still as we remain helpless. Damnit, what the heck can we do here?! We need something big, like a distraction to get us out of here. What can I do?! If I'm fresh meat, then I need to throw them something fresher. Maybe Mister Kan can arrive! Or Togata!

"Kick Inochi out!"

"Kick Inochi out!"

"Kick Inochi out!"

I-!

"AHHHHH!"

A scream?! Sounded like a woman! The crowd stops chanting, frantically searching for the source. It came from the second-year wing from the looks (well, sounds) of it! Amajiki starts running towards their without a second thought. I follow him, pushing through the crowd. I briefly turn behind me to see Itsuka, Manga, and Setsuna coming with! (On a bad note, the rest of the students are running with us too. Damnit, they must think that they can save whoever's in danger, so they can prove that they can be Heroes. Can they not think about themselves for once?!)

Amajiki and I reach the second-year wing first. A few upperclassmen run away from the danger. One of them is even throwing up in the trash can. Jeez, what the hell happened?! Just as I'm focused on this poor guy, a girl runs into Amajiki, clutching his shirt. "2-A! She's in 2-A!" she shouts on the verge of tears. Who's in 2-A?! Ugh, damn it all! He simply nods and eases the girl away. (Even in this situation, I can't help but notice Amajiki's composure in this. He's calm and collected, not letting the frightened waver him! His training paid off, hasn't it? If I want to be a Hero, then I have to act like him!)

We run to where 2-A is. (Since all three wings are identical, I know where I'm going. Itsuka and the others are getting further behind though.) More students are there. Some are against the wall, shakened by whatever happened. One of the girls is hyperventilating, trying her best to calm down. There's also a boy who's on the edge of collapsing. I can't tell if it's from exhaustion or something else. But, there's the sign. There's the black sign that has "2-A" engraved in red. The door is wide open. Amajiki and I slow down to a brisk walk. He puts a hand to my chest, saying, "Careful, this could be dangerous. Follow my lead." (Amajiki doesn't sound nervous anymore!)

(I feel a strange sense of foreboding… It's not a feeling that there's Villains behind the door, but something else entirely…)

Slowly, we approach the door. Amajiki reaches the edge of the doorway. (What is this feeling?!) He looks at me to see if I'm ready. (I am, but should we really open this door? I don't think there's Villains in 2-A.) Before I know it, he rushes inside. (Damnit, I don't have a choice, do I?!) The dread in my chest flares up, sending tingles down to my legs. Despite it, I sprint into the room right after Amajiki, prepared to fight. There's-!

I...

Oh...

Oh God...

Oh my God...

"...?!" Amajiki gasps, staring at the same thing I am. For a moment, I didn't think she was human.

She's… there, but not. She is… She's hanging there, dangling from the ceiling with a pale brown rope hung around her neck, snapping her head to the side. I could see the individual fibers of it, being rough and course, coloring her neck with an irritating redness, one that could make someone scratch it enough to draw blood. There's a wig, sitting there upside down on a desk. Light brown, bob cut I think, and with an ahoge it looks like. The girl herself is bald without a hint of hair on her. She has dead, darkened jade eyes. Eyes that stare deeply into me, like it's talking to me, telling me all about this horrifying thing. No, it's not a thing! It's not a thing! It- No, she is a person! Just, was a person! She… Oh God, if I could touch her skin, it would be clammy and cold, like if she was stuck outside in on a freezing winter day without a jacket. There would be wind, but here… the wind is swaying her suspended body, like it's making fun of the fact that she was alive. If she could talk, if her mouth could talk, despite it being a window to the damp darkness inside of her, I would ask why she did this… Would she have the will to answer me though? No… With the empty look on her face, it's telling me that it's my fault. I wouldn't doubt it because I recognize her. This woman is Hifumi Osuhashi, who had her grief taken advantage of by Suzuki, whose father is going to jail, whose family is being sued by Mister Tokage, and whose future was ruined for being made Quirkless like me.

It… It was all too much for her, wasn't it?

So, there she is, dangling there in front of us. Hifumi's wearing her U.A. uniform for one last time. Her pale hands and jet black wedges point downwards towards the shiny white floor. I swore that she wasn't human when I first came in. She looked so alien compared to this classroom. In fact, this has the same classroom design as 1-B. She's hanging right below Awase's desk. My desk is right behind his. Behind mine is Kaibara, and my left sits Yui. How could she look so foreign? It's like this entire room is white, and she's the only black in it. Maybe that's why she's so disgusting to look at, with her unnaturally tilted head, snapped almost at ninety degrees, or her body moving from side-to-side without any wind to sway her, or how she looks so pale and dull like a chilling frost took over her entire body, or especially her jade eyes void of anything life. It could horrify someone so badly that they'll never forget the look on her face, letting it be the first thing they think of when they close their eyes, letting it haunt their dreams and shifting them to something that nightmares dream of. Despite this harrowing image, I'm not bothered by it. I don't feel the need to cry, shake, nor shiver. All that Hifumi makes me feel is… emptiness. A dull emptiness. I'm sorry, Hifumi. If I could've helped you, I would.

"Inochi," Amajiki calls my name. I can hear his voice loud and clear, but before, it was like Hifumi deafened the entire room. He tells me, "Leave and close the door behind you. Don't let anyone else see this. And don't worry about me, I can take care of Hifumi." (Behind those anxious eyes of him lie a true Hero, but I can't help but to ask myself: If those eyes are a true Hero, then what else did he see other than a suspended corpse hung from the neck? Does these things are common for a Pro Hero, then?)

Without a word, I leave Amajiki behind. I close the door, making sure that it won't unexpectedly swing open. At that point, Itsuka and everyone else arrive. They look relieved that it wasn't a Villain attack, but they could tell that something bad happened. After all, it's written all over my face. The students who bullied me before push to the front. It's the first guy who spoke to me. He yells, "Where's the Villain?! Did you take care of them already?! I gotta prove myself, you know!"

His friend joins him, cracking his knuckles. "C'mon, open the door! We hafta prove that we can save people!" No words come out of my mouth. It makes him angrier, because he stomps up to me nearly on the edge of opening the door himself. "Open the door or I'm busting it open myself! Y'hear?!"

I glance at 2-A's door before I turn to him. Calmly, I say, "No. It's not a Villain who did this. It's Hifumi. She-"

"What happened to her now? Suzuki told us about how much you 1-B jerks ruined her life. Whatever she did, you deserve it," this bastard coldy remarks, not caring whatsoever about her. What is with these people?! They only care about themselves! Whenever they see an opportunity to get higher in life, even if it means exploiting someone, they take it without thinking once about what it means to be a Hero!

But, even with my anger, I say, just loud enough, just calm enough, for everyone to hear, "Hifumi hanged herself. Amajiki told me to not let anyone else see her body. Though, by all means, go see her body for yourself. Maybe you can save what's left of her." Everyone goes deathly silent just like Hifumi. The wannabe-Hero goes back into the crowd, embarrassed for what he tried to do. Yeah, that's what I thought...

Setsuna covers her mouth, shaking. In an instant, I see all eyes are turning towards her. They're filled with rage, even more so than before. I can feel something boiling, ready to explode in a massive fire. Ugh, they ganged up on me earlier, wanting to kick me out of the school. Now, after Hifumi killed herself, they're going to hound on Setsuna? God, imagine the press after this! One moment, a Quirkless got put in the Hero Course from a mistake, and in the next, the Tokages are known to pushed a girl to suicide. I thought I would get it bad, but _Setsuna_? It'll be even worse for her! No one would forget it! No one would forgive her, even though it was never her fault to begin with! From everything that happened, it's like the universe is out to destroy 1-B!

"Bitch Princess!"

"You fucking killed her!"

"This is all your fault!"

"You should-!"

"SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" Itsuka shouts right before I do, quieting the mob. She takes Setsuna and Manga, separating them from the crowd. Instinctively, I take Setsuna in, letting her rest her head against my chest. Itsuka looks at me for a brief second, then yells again, "For once, stop hating us for things out of our control! A girl just _killed herself_. If you have any shred of respect, then shut up and stay that way!"

With that, the hallway goes quiet. It's the only peace we'll get today. A twisted one, considering what's on the other side of the door. Softly, Setsuna cries. She sobs into my blazer, changing it into a color that's near black with her tears. I gently drag my fingers along her soft, wavy hair, keeping her close. Itsuka watches us with a mournful look before she slams her fist against a tiled wall, cracking it. Manga… Manga sighs, patting my arm. He whispers, "I… I gotta go home to Shojo. She… I just gotta check up on her."

I smile softly, nodding. Without another word, Manga goes through the crowd, who lets him through, luckily. He walks away.

I close my eyes. The only thing I see is Hifumi staring at me.

* * *

_BAM BAM!_

_BAM BAM!_

_BAM BAM BAM!_

"Rrrrraaaah!"

_BAM! _

…

Damn, I punched my fist through the punching bag. Slowly, I take it out, letting sand spill out of the hole. It's only been a day since Hifumi hung herself in 2-A. The news is blowing up about it. I'd thought that they would forget about the error in my transcript, but they didn't. With my mistake and with Fuyushiro Tokage being the cause of Hifumi's suicide, they're calling 1-B "the most hated class in all of Japan". They're calling U.A. to fix the mess (being 1-B), increase security, be transparent with students' transcripts, and basically: They want U.A. to be perfect. In my opinion, they're asking for too much. Way too much!

Tch, I don't want to _ever_ feel Setsuna crying on me again! She doesn't deserve to go through this much pain! Why doesn't Mister Tokage care?! He's completely apathetic to what happened! Setsuna told me that he was sorry, but that's it! Nothing else! He's doing emergency PR, but nothing for Setsuna! Shouldn't his daughter's happiness be his most important priority?! Just, God! Why is all of this happening?! The only thing that's going for me is I'm not getting kicked out of U.A.! I talked to Principal Nezu after he canceled school yesterday. That's the only saving grace here, but he had to inform the news about it! Now, they are extra angry at U.A. for not kicking me out! Oh, then there's Manga and Shojo. I checked up on him, and he texted that Shojo was pretty shakened from Hifumi's death. Then, there's Shiozaki, who's praying for Hifumi and her family (even though she committed suicide, which isn't a good thing in Catholicism), Tetsutetsu is punching his heart out like me, Monoma's quiet (that's surprising), and… Mantora told me that Suzuki thinks this is his fault… Ugh, how could this happen?!

"Inochi! Are you okay?" Midoriya asks, being on the other side of the door. Right, there's 1-A too. Ojiro says he's crushed by the news, and Yaoyorozu wants to help pay for Hifumi's funeral. For once, I think Bakugo isn't yelling about being/trying to be the best. Midoriya… Midoriya is… Well, let's find out.

"Yeah, I punched a hole in my punching bag. So much for being durable," I dryly joke, walking over to my door and opening it. Midoriya's there, being the same height as Itsuka. (It's weird seeing that I'm taller than him. I'm standing at 178 centimeters.) He's wearing loose gym clothes, the ones that you wouldn't think to look twice. Compared to his baby face, Midoriya is built. Heh, he's staring at me though with a worried look. I ask, "How are you, Midoriya? How's 1-A?"

"G-Good… We're good. I, uhm, I'm kinda worried about you and your friends. The media is all over your class lately. I can't imagine being famous like that," Midoriya says, awkwardly having his arms by his side. Honestly, he can definitely imagine it. Compared to us, 1-A are loved, adored by the public, for good reasons too! They defeated Villains, they dominated the Sports Festival, and they'll probably keep being great.

"I'm used to this kind of treatment. I'm more angry at the fact that my friends are being torn apart. Setsuna's… God, I don't want to think about it. At least… At least we're handling it in our own way," I tell him, shrugging my shoulders. I move to the side to let Midoriya inside my room. He walks in, taking a look around at my arsenal of weapons. At least he isn't Manga. (Manga doesn't know the meaning of "look, but don't touch".)

Midoriya asks, his eyes focusing on a katana, "Yeah… You were placed in the Hero Course from a transcript error, right? You seem so strong, I'd thought U.A. put you in 1-B for your skills even with your Quirklessness."

I answer as I grab a broom and a dustpan. "The investors had U.A. follow strict rules on its admittance process. One of them being: No Quirkless are allowed in the Hero Course. So, even if I'm the best Quirkless in the world, I'll be placed in the General Department. Luckily, despite the media, Principal Nezu isn't kicking me out of 1-B." Casually, I start sweeping the sand off of the floor, piling it inside the dustpan.

"That's good… Honestly, I don't deserve to be famous. Even with All Might giving me- I mean, All Might's help, I feel like I'm too blessed to have this life... " Midoriya admits, turning to me with his face having a somber look. Jeez, even I know that he deserves this kind of life. Everyone who wants to do good for society deserves a life like this. Especially Midoriya. He's one of the strongest students in U.A. with that Quirk of his. I can tell that he's a special man. (I mean, everyone's special, but there's something about Midoriya that I can't put my finger on. If anything, _I'm_ too blessed to live this life.)

I try my best to encourage him, "You deserve it, Midoriya. Just because my life happens to be hated by the public doesn't mean you should doubt your own. Besides, our destinations are the same. What happens here won't matter when we become Pros."

"But, your lives are worse than ours! How can I call myself a Hero when I can't help my friends? I don't know what to do! Even All Might is shocked about how bad everything turned out!" Midoriya exclaims, his voice getting louder. He puts his (scarred) hand to his chest, staring at me while I'm simply cleaning up this sand. (I probably need a vacuum.)

"Midoriya," I say his name, focusing on cleaning up my own mess, "you and 1-A live in a different world than us, so worry about yourselves. We'll figure out what to do with ours. After all, you didn't spill this sand on the floor, did you?"

Midoriya stutters, looking down, "N-No! But, I want to save you-!"

"Don't," I find myself saying. I tightly grip the broom, staring at Midoriya. I continue, letting words come out naturally, "Midoriya, I understand. You want to rescue us like how All Might does. But, we're your _friends_, not helpless victims waiting to be saved. I don't know why you feel the need to prove yourself, since you already did countless times. Maybe… Maybe you think that lowly of us."

Midoriya goes silent. Damn, if he goes silent, then what I said might be true. Why him, of all people, give me silence as an appropriate answer? After a few seconds, he stumbles over his words, telling me, "It's… It's not like that! I-!"

"Sanji," Itsuka gets my attention, walking inside. Midoriya takes this as a cue to leave. He greets Itsuka with a simple nod before leaving, closing the door behind him. (He's really leaving? Huh… I need to apologize to him later.) Itsuka sighs and takes a look at my punching bag. Heh, she would be impressed if today wasn't today… She asks, "Why did Midoriya talk to you?"

"He wanted to help us. If he didn't, then he said he doesn't feel like a Hero," I answer, watching the door. He left already, and I don't think he's coming back. God, why does he feel the need to say those things? Why does he feel the need to save us, like we aren't able to protect ourselves? That's basically saying he doesn't think that we're strong and capable. I know he has good intentions, but his ideals on heroism is… is worrying. I wonder… where does he draw the line between "I have to be a Hero" and "I care for my friends"? What kind of life did he have before U.A. High School?

Itsuka shakes her head, putting it against the punching bag. (Luckily, sand isn't spilling out. I should patch the hole up, or get rid of this thing completely.) She comments, downtrodden, "Midoriya and the others don't understand our situation. I'm not saying that to be mean, but they really don't understand. Not even All Might! Since they're so popular with the media… It's like they're in a different world… Ugh, I want to punch this punching bag but you broke a hole in it."

"Yeah… And sorry about the bag," I apologize, sweeping most of the sand away. (I need to vacuum the rest of it.) Itsuka grumbles and takes her head off. Even if today is depressing, the puffy look on her face is adorable. I ask, tossing the broom to its corner, "How's everyone? I know Tsuburaba is trying to forget by drowning his sorrows in ice cream, and Rin is working out just like us."

She answers, still having that puffy face, "Well as well can be, I guess. Yui is hugging her stuffed teddy bear, Komori is trying to sing, and Yanagi is Yanagi. Uhm, except for Setsuna. When I called her earlier, she was so choked up. I can't believe how many people are such assholes! I even saw some jerks comment that she 'should hang herself like Hifumi'. Her dad, despite being super rich, isn't doing anything about it, and it sounds like he doesn't care. What should we do, Sanji?"

"Ugh… Just… go to school, support each other, take things one day at a time. That's the only thing we can do. It's funny, kinda. Japan wants Heroes like All Might, a symbol of absolute perfection. He's still a human though, one of the most flawed beings on the planet. I wonder… What kind of cracks does All Might hide? And, what does that make us?" I ramble, making Itsuka listen to me. She giggles after I'm done, smiling softly.

She playfully insults me, "You're starting to sound like Monoma. Please, I don't want to deal with another one. I'd rather deal with you being goofy and an idiot." Itsuka nudges me with her shoulder, her smile being much more brighter. That's something I want to see. There's nothing like my friends happy, which makes me happy too.

"Heh, alright. Let's do something fun for once. What d'ya say?" I ask, gesturing towards the sparring mat. Itsuka nods, showing me her fierce fist. I should've prepared myself for a world of pain, because this will _hurt_.

Eh, I get on the mat with her.

(About earlier though… I had to say that, because it really makes a person think.)

* * *

"Yui, you really brought that here?"

"Yes. Don't judge," she tells me, hugging her giant brown stuffed teddy bear. I'm pretty sure this thing is just as tall as her, if not even taller. It is pretty cute though. But, uhm... I have no idea how Yui can see the board, but I'm pretty sure she can figure it out. Oh, Manga walks in. I wave at him like there isn't a giant bear next to me. Without a word, he leaves the room. Well, at least he didn't scream. Yui teases him, "Scaredy-cat."

"You really don't care what other people think of you," Itsuka says, like she's amazed. I mean, I guess I am too. For months, we've been dealing with a Yui that doesn't say much. Now, we're dealing with a Yui who brings giant stuffed animals to school without a single care in the world. And, she's cute. There's no way that she isn't cute.

"Kodai is a shameless woman, and an adorable one," Shiozaki comments off to the side, smiling at Yui like the rest of us. Shameless? Maybe. Adorable? One hundred and one percent. I'm sorry Teddy Bear, but Yui beat you in the cute department. Even though you're the fluffiest thing here, you _cannot_ beat her.

"Never knew you thought about Yui that way, Shiozaki," I remark, trying to get Shiozaki to talk more. No, I'm totally not getting her to reveal how she views women, so I could tell Setsuna about it. Totally not. Not at all! I mean, a _very good_ friend would do that for another friend if that friend wants their friend to be happy and deeply in love. So, for the love of God and His daughter, Ibara Shiozaki, _can you not look at me like that, Itsuka? _

Shiozaki chuckles, replying, "It's a sin to lie, Inochi. Even you have to admit it: Kodai is one of the most beautiful women in 1-B." What boldness! Being optimistic like how I usually am, then I'll plan a shotgun wedding between her and Setsuna! But, I am not optimistic in this case. If I know one thing thing about women, then it'll be: They love complimenting one another, especially on beauty. I should take this with a grain of salt. Maybe-

"May I ask something from you? It's morbid curiosity... Out of us three, who do you think is the prettiest?" Shiozaki suddenly asks me. Now I'm suddenly afraid. I never took her as the type of woman to ask that, considering how religious she is. However, Soruka _is her sister_ and she's a literal angel that is walking this curse-ridden earth. If I'm Shiozaki, I'd be a little self-conscious about my appearance too.

Anyway, I answer without hesitation, "Well, all of you are beautiful, but it'll have to be Itsuka, no question."

"Ehhh?!"

"That was fast."

"You _really _are a shameless man. You can admit that without blushing," Shiozaki says, being completely amazed and blown away. She has a hand to her mouth. Wait a second, she doesn't sound nor look like she asked me that because of self-esteem… This has a slightly vengeful feeling to it… I'm just confused now.

Itsuka yells, not being a meter or two away from me, "You idiot! How could you say something like that with a straight face?! Could you please stop embarrassing me!" (You know, I shouldn't mention comment on how red her face is, and the fact that she hasn't punched me yet.)

I look away, casually replying, "It's a sin to lie, Itsuka." Immediately afterwards, Itsuka grabs me by the shoulders and violently shakes me. I'm not sure she realizes that my brain isn't jelly, because I'm pretty sure I have brain damage now. (Meanwhile, Yui and Shiozaki are watching us along with a few others.)

"Seriously?! By admitting something like that, it's saying that… that… that we're…" Itsuka goes silent and lets go of me. She walks to her desk in defeat, resting her head against it. Uhm, I probably did a bad. I shouldn't comfort her though… (Imagine if Setsuna was here… Gosh, that would be a teasing fest of no other.) Shiozaki chuckles again. I spot a smile behind her hand. Yui lets Itsuka wallow in… I don't know what emotion she's feeling, but she's wallowing in it. (Oh hey, Manga's here again.)

And hey again, there's the boys! Awase, Tetsutetsu, and Tsuburaba. They walk inside and the first thing they notice is the Teddy Bear. Yui pokes her head out from the side with a neutral look on her face. Tetsutetsu's eyes light up and he exclaims cheerfully, "Kodai! That's a ferocious bear you got there!"

Yui nods and grabs one of his arms. She uses it to wave at them cutely, and only has one thing to say, "Rawr."

…

_THUD!_

"Men down! We're taking casualties!" I shout, sliding over to my fallen comrades. Yui is a cruel killer! She used her cuteness on the hearts of these young men! How could a girl be this cute?! It must be her true Quirk! I always knew it! Awase, with Tetsutetsu and Tsuburaba, lay helpless on the floor. I take Awase's hand, gently lifting his him up. "Awase! Do you hear me?!"

"I'm going into the light, Inochi…" he mutters on the brink of life and death! Tsuburaba is already dead! His eyes are wide open, blankly staring at the ceiling. He has a wide smile on his face like he's going to heaven. Tetsutetsu is the same way! I think? Is he actually knocked out?! I'm so sorry, Tetsutetsu!

I plead, shaking his body, "Don't go into the light, Awase! You have too much to live for! You can't die now!" He slowly grudges his head back and forth. Crap, is his headband too tight on him or something?! He must be losing oxygen to his brain! We already lost Tetsutetsu! We can't lose more good men! We can't-!

"Uhm, hello?" Setsuna asks, standing in the doorway. I let go of Awase's hand, letting him fall back on the floor. He groans and sits up with Tsuburaba. Tetsutetsu, though, is literally unconscious. Setsuna walks inside, commenting, "I just witnessed the mating ritual of creatures we call 'bros'."

I laugh, standing up and asking, "Got here okay, Setsuna? Oh, and don't mind Itsuka. She's sulking at the moment." I gesture to her, and she's shooting me with a couple of scary eyes. Good thing that looks can't kill. (In other news, the adorable Teddy Bear is right behind her. Talk about a juxtaposition...)

"You know, the usual jerks… And, should I ask why Itsuka's glaring at you?" Setsuna asks back, leaning over to look at Yui. Itsuka shakes her head, hiding her face from her. Today is such a mess, but in a good way. (Awase and Tsuburaba lift Tetsutetsu up, working together to carry him to his desk. Tetsutetsu mutters something that's "cute" and how he got "shot in the heart". I barely survived the bullet myself…)

"You should ask Shiozaki. Oh, don't forget to greet our new classmate. I don't know exactly what his Quirk is, but I'm sure it's amazing," I tell her, finally sitting down at my desk. Setsuna does exactly that: Petting Yui's Teddy Bear and talking to Shiozaki. Awase sits in front of me, leaning his chair back. Kaibara, behind me, is silently going over his notes. (I'd thought he'll be with Monoma, making sure he doesn't take over the class with a coup.)

"So," Awase starts the conversation, tilting his head back at me, "whatcha choosing for your Hero Codename? I'm thinking 'Welder'! It has a nice ring to it, dontcha think?" I shrug my shoulders. I didn't have time to think about my Hero Codename because of Hifumi and everything else.

"I'm going with 'Spiral'. It's simple and the only thing I can think of. That, and all of Monoma's suggestions are either awful, has sexual undertones, or plain stupid," Kaibara says, tapping his pencil in annoyance. We look over at Monoma, who's laughing for some reason. Honenuki's there, so it must be him. (Also, another thing, Gyrate is a pretty… vulgar Quirk if someone has a dirty mind… like Kazeha…)

Awase hums, kicking his feet up. "Inochi, you should go with 'Samurai' or 'Ronin'. You got the appropriate getup. Or maybe, 'Anti-Stain'! You'll be the reverse of Stain! Instead of the Hero Killer, you'll be the Villain Killer!"

"...I don't want to kill anyone," I quietly reply, and also going through a couple of names in my head. 'Samurai' and 'Ronin' are a bit too unoriginal for my taste. I need to be something new, something that describes me. Sure, I look like a modern-day samurai, but there's more to me than that.

Kaibara tells me, "Don't listen to Awase. If it helps, I'm pretty sure Monoma's going with 'Phantom Thief' and Komori is 'Shemage'. Make sure it's not dumb like 'Tsuburaba'." Wait, Tsuburaba is literally using his last name? You know what, I should be surprised, but at this point, I'm not. That sounds exactly like what Tsuburaba would do, I'm not gonna lie.

"Ugh, that dumbass…" Awase groans, making sure he's quiet enough that Shiozaki doesn't hear him. It doesn't look like she heard, but it does look like she told Setsuna everything that happened earlier. Setsuna runs up to Itsuka's desk and fires all kinds of questions at her, gesturing to me with some weird hand motions. Awase definitely notices and whispers, "Dude, you're a lucky man."

"What-?"

_BURST!_

What the heck?!

"I AM HERE! WITH VLAD KING!" All Might suddenly bursts through the door with his arms flexed. Setsuna immediately jumps to her desk, nearly got ran over by him. Meanwhile, Awase falls head-first to the floor. Mister Kan walks inside, silently reprimanding All Might for his sudden entrance. All Might chuckles, nervously scratching his head. He greets us, "Uhm, good morning 1-B! I see you brought a teddy bear, Young Kodai! And… Uh... I apologize for the sudden noise..."

"All Might is here for your Hero Codenames and your internship offers. I would have done it myself, but he kept insisting that he does it instead," Vlad King explains, crossing his arms. All Might nods and taps the chalkboard/projector screen. Nothing happens. He does it again. Nothing happens. And again. Still nothing.

All Might whispers in a panicked voice, "It's not working, Vlad King! I rehearsed this three times and the board worked in every instance! Why isn't this working?!" As he says this, he aggressively taps the board, hoping that it'll turn on. Mister Kan sighs and grabs a remote from his desk, turning it on, and also completely embarasses All Might in the process. His two blonde hair tufts bend downwards in sadness.

"Here's your internship offers ranked from highest to lowest," Mister Kan says as the board projects our offers. I slightly stand up in my seat, seeing the board. The offers are:

Ibara Shiozaki: 177

Juzo Honenuki: 93

Itsuka Kendo: 61

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu: 54

Setsuna Tokage: 42

Togaru Kamakiri: 1

Manga Fukidashi: 1 (Grandmaster and The Count)

Sanji Inochi: 1

One offer?! From the board, there wasn't much of us… Only eight altogether. Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu are on there from participating in the tournament, Honenuki and Tokage are recommendation students, Itsuka is Master Kendo's granddaughter, but then that leaves Kamakiri, Manga, and I. All three of us sit at one offer. It's better than most of my friends though, who didn't even get offers.

All Might smiles, standing in front of the class, "Don't worry, young ones! If you don't see your name on the board, it doesn't mean you won't intern underneath amazing Heroes! Forty Hero Agencies are available to those who didn't receive offers, each of them specializing in different aspects of heroism. For your information, however, from recent events-"

Mister Kan takes over All Might's speech. He explains to us, "There was more offers given to you. From recent events, regarding Hifumi's suicide and Inochi's place in 1-B, many Hero Agencies decided to revoke them. For example, Inochi had three hundred fifty-five offers total. It's blatantly disgusting, but what we can do? I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything else, but let's make do with what we got."

Three hundred fifty-four offers gone… just like that… God, I had so many offers… It seems like the news is a lot more influential than I might've thought. These Pros value reputation and fame more than training the next generation. To think that they believed I could be a potential Pro only last week. Now, they completely forgot, like it never happened. But, I have one offer. That's enough.

"I, too, am sorry. Don't be distraught nor discouraged. Even though there are many voices out there who say that you're worthless, they are wrong. You are strong kids, no, strong _men and women_. One of these days, they'll see you for what you truly are. For now, keep smiling as if everything's A-OK. That's what true Heroes do," All Might cheers us up with a bright smile. At the last part, I think he was looking at me specifically, but I don't want to get arrogant about it. We, 1-B, smile back.

"Now!" he declares, standing next to a podium. Mister Kan starts to pass out whiteboards and markers. "This is the moment you've been waiting for! Hero Codenames! These names will define you as a Hero! Don't worry though, you can change them whenever you like! Choose wisely and-!"

"Done!" Pony exclaims, hiding her board against her belly. (Already?) All Might laughs and pats the podium, telling her to come on up. She skips there with a bright smile. Slowly, with anticipation, she reveals her name, "I wanna be… Horny!"

…

"Y-Young Pony… I-"

"All Might, this is who I am! The Equestrian Hero, Your Best Friend: Horny!"

"I-I'm not allowing you to choose that name!"

"All Might! No!"

"I am insisting that you don't-!"

"I'm Horny and you're gonna like it!"

(Awase mutters, "Dude, what the _fuck_.")

* * *

After a shouting match, Pony was forced to pick her name later.

* * *

"Tsuburaba! That's me." (Yes, we know.)

"I shall be the Scheming Hero: Vantablack!" (That's a fitting name, Kuroiro.)

"P-Plamo… I'm Plamo…" (It's taking all of Bondo's strength to stand up here.)

"Guess who I am~? Shemageeee~!" (Huh, she sung that. It's not as bad as I originally thought.)

"Emily." (Yanagi got up, said that, then sat back down.)

"Welp, I'm next," Itsuka volunteers herself, going up to the podium. She flips her sign over and says, "Battle Fist. It's a cute nickname that Setsuna gave me, and I liked it. I would've taken my dad's, but that's his name. I wanted to be something different." After she said that, she looks at me. I give her an encouraging smile.

"Rule. That's me. Rule." (That's a cute name. Of course, Yui brought her Teddy Bear with her.)

"I wish to be called 'Maria'." (An elegant name for an elegant woman. I'm sure Shiozaki picked it for a biblical allusion.)

"Spiral. That's it." (Simple and snappy. It's like what Kaibara said.)

"REAL STEEL! I'll be the hardest man out there!" (Please don't say that, Tetsutetsu. We don't want another Pony situation.)

"I'm Welder! I'm gonna weld the hell-I mean, _heck_ outta stuff!" (Awase really needs to watch his mouth around Shiozaki. I don't think Kamakiri has this problem.)

Speaking of Kamakiri, Kuroiro and Kaibara force him to step up. He grumbles and stomps over to the podium, lazily flipping his board. "Jack Mantis, you idiots happy now? That's my name." Jack Mantis?! He really chose the name from his operation?! So he _doesn't_ think I'm an annoying jerk! I raise my hand, but he snaps, "Don't you say anything, Quirkless. You too, Lizard Head an' Fists. Not a single thing."

"Gevaudan. It's a name of French origin." (I'm so glad Shishida explained it to us because I wouldn't have gotten it.)

"Mines, since you know… My Quirk is kinda like mines…" (Man, I feel bad for Shoda. He's the only normal student in 1-B.)

"I'll be known as Dragon Shroud." (Sounds Chinese, which I expected from Rin.)

"Kuhahahaha! I'm the Phantom Thief! I'll steal the show from 1-A one day!" (Monoma's exactly what I expected…)

"Comicman. It's… It's the only name I could come up with…" (Really? Shojo didn't help Manga with his name?)

"Yo, I'm Mudman! And… Yeah, that's all I got!" (I think Honenuki tried to crack a joke there, but failed.)

"Sounds like it's my turn~!" Setsuna exclaims, hopping up to the podium. In a dramatic and extravagant fashion, she turns her whiteboard over. "Lizardy! This snake can bear some nasty fangs, so watch out Villains!" She finishes her introduction with a wink and a jagged smile.

Lastly, it's my turn. I have a pretty good name. In fact, it's a nickname that Itsuka gave me earlier, but she forgot about it. In her defense, I almost got my arm torn off, so it's natural she'd forget. I stand up, hiding my board by tucking it underneath my arm. Awase pats my arm, cheering me forward. All Might smiles brightly, whispering, "You deserve this heroic moment, Young Inochi."

I stand in front of the podium, tapping my fingers against the whiteboard. I let the tension build up for a few seconds before I reveal myself, "I'm the Weaponry Hero: Armory. Itsuka called me this during Golden Week, and I liked the sound of it. And, wouldn't you know, I can use virtually any weapon in the books. Maybe, when I can use my Quirk, this name would change. Let's hope I can come up with a good one."

"That's a great name, Inochi! Describes you perfectly," Monoma says with a smirk. He leans forward in his chair. "If Armory is your first form, then your second will be a sight to behold. It'll surely be better than Midoriya and Bakugo." (At the mention of their names, I can feel All Might cringing.)

I chuckle, commenting, "I can only dream." Was it necessary to make a pun? Yes. Yes it was. I couldn't help but be ironic here.

Mister Kan ushers me to sit down. He announces, "And that's it. All Might, want to teach the class about Heroism Laws?"

"Hehe! About that, Vlad King, I would love to, except… I… Uh… Oh! I think I hear someone in danger! I'll just…" All Might runs out the door.

(Heh, to think All Might is afraid of laws of all things. Honestly, I'm afraid of laws too.) "Armory", huh? I'm Armory. That's what I am from now until I activate Dreams. Japan, I'm sorry, but I'm one step closer of becoming a Hero.

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

Name: Togaru Kamakiri

Quirk: Razor Sharp

Codename: Jack Mantis

Description: The son of Executioner Wasp. Claude wanted to pick him because, in the hands of other Pro Heroes, they wouldn't teach him about heroism. I am inclined to agree with him. Regardless of his blood, this boy wants to be a Hero. We'll teach him the ropes, and hopefully a few manners along the way. Let's be honest, Kamakiri swears way too much.

Name: Setsuna Tokage

Quirk: Lizard Tail Splitter

Codename: Lizardry

Description: The heiress of Tokage Industries, daughter of Fuyushiro Tokage. Speaking of which, he contacted me earlier to tell me that she'll be interning under me. I should be honored, but this man is far from it. Tokage, simply put, is a beautiful bird locked in a gilded cage in a house that's set ablazed. Since Hifumi's suicide, she became the media's enemy number one. Claude initially wanted her because "she was entertaining", but it became more than that. We wanted her so she could have a positive environment to learn in.

Name: Manga Fukidashi

Quirk: Comic

Codename: Comicman

Description: The twin brother of Shojo Fukidashi, one of the victims of Risai Tatchikutsu, also known as "Catharsis". I offered him an internship because it's the least I could do. I failed to find Catharsis despite the best of my abilities. Fortunately, Manga does not hold it against me. He's a kind man, despite being nerdy at times. I have to help him in his dream to become a Hero and protect his sister.

Name: Sanji Inochi

Quirk: N/A (Legally Quirkless)

Codename: Armory

Description: The first Quirkless man to enter the Hero Course, the disciple of Master Kendo. One of his close friends, Gran Torino, asked me to help with discovering the Shimura family tree to prevent it from being slaughtered by the world's most dangerous Villain: All For One. We failed. I offered an internship for him (his only offer) because he's in the same situation as Tokage. That, and I'm quite fond of him. (I also offered one to Itsuka Kendo, but she turned it down in favor of Uwabami.)

Note: From Gran Torino's information about the Shimuras (specifically: Nana Shimura) and Savant, I finally figured out the mystery behind All Might's Quirk and history. I wonder if Inochi and Kendo know about it, but I don't think so. Midoriya, from 1-A, seems to be the next holder. I hope that boy is ready, but that'll be naive. Midoriya will be thrown in a pit of fire, so we have to pray that he can crawl out as a new man.

Second note: What is Inochi's Quirk? It gave him the passive effect of Adoptive Muscle Memory, but there must be another purpose to it. Stated by his classmates, his eyes glowed white during the U.S.J. Incident, but his eyes are grey. I'm certain that Inochi knows what his Quirk is, but never revealed it. This begs the question: Is he faking his Quirklessness? Or, does he know that he simply cannot activate its true function, thus making his Quirk useless? From his personality, I choose the latter.

Third note: Claude and I gathered an odd group of students, all from 1-B. Kamakiri is loathed for being a Villain's son, but he's going unnoticed thanks to these two: Tokage and Inochi. As stated before, Tokage is under fire for Hifumi's death, and Inochi's admission to the Hero Course was a transcript error. As for Manga, surprisingly, he's the most normal out of the bunch. Well, normal for a man who was terrorized by a classmate/Villain. I predict, as a result of recruiting these teenagers, our Hero Agency will be criticized. I don't care though. These kids are the next generation.

Final note: I have a week to train these kids before they must get their Provisionals to continue further. We must teach them to strive as proper Heroes underneath constant pressure and scrutiny. That is the greatest lesson I can give, a lesson that 1-A wouldn't have. They must act together when needed, and act separately when it's called for. I won't squander their time, and I intend to make full use of it.

"Shindeka, our rascals are here," Claude brings to my attention. I look up from my paper, letting the sunlight clash with my vision. Down the pavement is four high school students: Three men, one women. Each of them are wearing their costumes and masks. From left to right: Comicman, Jack Mantis, Armory, Lizardy. It's time to start their training.

I give the paper to Claude, stepping out with my left foot first, my right hand holding my cane. I adjust my dress shirt with my left hand. All of this is simple routine, a little show for them. With a bright smile, I move a tuft of my black hair, which was blocking a part of my vision. And finally, I tap the concrete with my cane.

_Tap tap!_

"Welcome to 221B!"


	21. Heroes-In-Training

**Shihai Kuroiro**

Dark.

Glorious darkness, shrouding this battlefield with a blanket akin to night. This battlefield is one where I hide, shroud myself with the comfort of the absence of light. Warm, yes, the feeling is warm. I selfishly indulge in this feeling, resting my eternal body within shadows. One would think with a Quirk like mine, my body would be frozen similar to a man caught in a blizzard in the arctic. They're wrong. It's a pleasant feeling, like I'm drowning myself in an abyss, void of naught any light. My costume, the one that hides my true skin to my fellow comrades who call themselves my "friends", provide ample warmth as it's a cloak. Nearly all parts of my being are black like nothingness. This is the reason why I shall call myself the Scheming Hero: Vantablack!

For my internship, I am under the wing of a skilled and dangerous man. My mission: I must sneak to a tied-up hostage and rescue her, else she'll discover the final mystery we call "death". Much like everything, this task is harder than it seems. This battlefield I'm caught in, like a helpless fly trapped in a spiderweb, is a miniature version of a city at night. There's artificial aversions like lamp posts and the artificial city lights. Thus, my journey became much harder. I must jump, climb, soar across shadow to shadow, avoiding my weakness or else I'll be swiftly met with defeat. I already danced with defeat before, during the Sports Festival, I shall not be defeated again!

I emerge my head from my hiding place, silently searching for my target. The quiet noises of the city with the idle chatter of my mentors' workers make for a realistic simulation. Now, my mentor never divulged the details of this training. He never told me where my hostage will be, so I must find out on my own. Think, glorious schemer that I am! If I were to be a proper Hero, what would I do? The immediate answer is eavesdropping on shady individuals. Namely, a couple of men who're walking into an alleyway. The very alleyway I'm above. Fools. It seems like they aren't aware that this is my current dark domain!

I drag my head slightly into the wall, letting myself listen to their conversation. Two men, both wearing black trench coats and a hat. Maybe they imitate the yakuza? But, it is a tad amusing considering what they do for their real occupations. Nevertheless, these two start conversing underneath the apex of twilight.

"Is she okay?" says one.

"Probably," says the other.

"Stick to the script man! Stop acting like yourself!" yells the competent one. (Must this man have to be loud?)

"Oh! Uhm… Yeeeaaaaaaah. Perfectly fine. I mean, she isn't hiding in the… uhm… What was it…" the incompetent one stumbles and fumbles over his words, clearly never rehearsing his script beforehand.

"'Behind the building with the neon scarlet sign.' That's your line. Did you even practice them before we got out here?" criticizes the first man, nearly about to take the other man's trench coat and beat them with it.

"I was playing with dogs, man-"

"You know, I'm so glad this kid has free range to fight us, because I want him to kick you in your stupid skull! I swear, if there was an award for the most useless man in this agency, it wouldn't go to you. It would go to the dumpster because at least that can take the freaking trash out!"

The other man whimpers.

"Are you seriously crying?!"

"N-No… There's dust in my eye..."

"...Okay, I'm leaving. We were supposed to walk away a few seconds ago anyway, so let's go."

They depart…

This had brought me out of my immersion. My disappointment is immeasurable, but no complaints shall leave this tongue. However, I know my target despite… despite whatever that conversation was. Now, building with a neon scarlet sign… Aha! It's located across down the block to my left. My destination, my target. Perhaps these two knew I was above them, perhaps not, but they provided me with ample information. Thus, I, a swift shadow in the seeping night, dart across the building in front and become one with the black wall. Quickly, I move myself around the corner, racing across the building, dodging the spots of light that will surely spell my doom if they swallow me. I see the neon scarlet sign that contrasts with the colors of the city lights, the colors of dim yellow and darkest of dark black. Below me are individuals pretending to be average civilians in this noir-like setting, oblivious to the night racer above them.

Bouncing, leaping from lightless building to building, I make my way in the shadow of my target building unnoticed. I creep into the nearest alleyway that reeks of crime, soiling the darkness that they thrive in. I fully see the scope of their operations. Five men dressed in light grey coats with fake plastic guns. Down the alleyway is an open concrete lot. A woman dressed in scarlet is strapped to a chair unconscious. She is a beautiful woman, made to stand out in the midst of today's night. I would say this mission would be easy, but my mentor is nowhere to be seen. Him, of all men, should be out finding me, but I haven't caught a glimpse of him yet. It's worrying, considering what his Quirk is. It's a devilish thing, similar to rampant beasts told in fairy tales and myths. (Ah, aren't we living a life of myth itself? Perhaps in the future, they will spin yarns of the abyss crawler.)

Hmph, now it's not a time to think about miscellaneous things. Now is a time to strike like a bat soaring through the night. These men have flashlights, so it's wise to create little noise. If they shine those torches at me, I'll be forced out of my Quirk. Thus, I need to be quiet as a still village, when the moon is at its highest. Slowly, carefully, I move within the blackness of a wall, inching my way towards my target. I-!

_Clang!_

The sound of something metal rings throughout the alleyway. Blast! That was me, wasn't it? Immediately, the men went on alert! Quickly like trained soldiers, they drag their flashlights on the walls and roofs. They light up everything other than the very ground they walk on. Taking a deep breath, I emerge from my home and fall. Using their chatter and footsteps, my fall's noise is clouded. And so, I let the darkened ground take me as its own. I become black once again right next to a seemingly giant man. I briefly glance at where I once was. A man shines his light there. Ah, so it seems this was a wise decision.

"There's no one here. I'll go check up on the girl," says the man nearest to me. Oh, it seems like Fate made this man wear black shoes. I'm inclined to take her gift. It would be rude of me to decline. So, this man becomes my vehicle to a successful mission. He puts his flashlight down to his waist and briskly travels deeper into the alleyway like he done this plenty of times before. A few seconds that last an eternity went by before we're only a few meters away. This is it. I must make my escape here. Once I untie the hostage, the mission will automatically be considered a success.

So, I strike from the bottom!

_WHAM!_

With my fist, I uppercut the poor man, jumping out of his shoe. He yelps in pain before falling to the ground defeated. The scarlet woman wakes up and notices me. She yells, "Wait!" Curses! Why must she yell so loud?! For a fake hostage, she is an expert in getting herself in trouble! At once, the rest of the men notice my presence, shouting to apprehend me. Wait, what did she yell again?!

_STOMP!_

Oh, I remember. She yelled at me to wait, but it seems to be too late. I turn towards the direction of the stomp, and there he is: my mentor. He stands towering over me with blackened fur, wearing a white t-shirt and green shorts. He has bulging crimson eyes and sharpened claws, capable of killing man just from fear. At his height and strength, he has the potential to challenge All Might for good tumble. When I look at him closer, my mentor is a scary beast capable of tearing men apart. And so, I will become his next victim. Slowly, like a predator measuring his prey, he steps up to me with his claws high in the air. Then, he roars.

_ROOOOOOOAR!_

I stand there unfazed, saying, "Beowulf, is this necessary? I am already aware that I failed this training exercise." Beowulf whimpers, putting his claw down like a sad puppy. Well, he is an overgrown puppy. Despite his werewolf-like appearance, the man himself is quite soft and lazy. At once, all of the ceiling lights flicker on. The scarlet woman sighs and unties herself, patting Beowulf on the back before leaving.

Beowulf himself lowers his head, clenching his wolven-like muscles. Slowly, he shrinks. His fur turns paler until it reaches the consistency of an average Japanese man. His claws turn into regular fingernails, and his crimson eyes dims into blue. And now, the real Beowulf stands before me in clothes a few sizes larger than him. His long, wavy black hair covers the left side of his face, reaching down to his almost halfway to his chest. A single white fang hangs outside of his mouth on the top lip.

"You should've looked around at this lot first and notice that I was camping out here, but you did pretty well, Vantablack. I can see you being a proper Hero in no time," Beowulf compliments me with a soft smile. He yawns and lazily turns to his workers, gesturing them with an odd hand signal. I never seen it before, so it must be a custom signal suited for only this agency.

"Thank you, Beowulf. I shall be a warrior of the abyss," I reply, twisting my cloak. He laughs at my face. What's with that laughter? Is he making fun of the way I talk, or how I move? This is the same man whose Quirk allows him to turn into a werewolf. It's similar strength to Ryukyu, but she is much stronger considering she is able to turn into a dragon akin to Asian Pacific folklore.

"Yeah… Come on, let's be warriors somewhere else," he commands, leading me throughout the fake alleyways and buildings. It's amazing how he's able to have this place constructed. This place similar to the simulations at U.A., like Ground Beta. Anyhow, we walk upstairs and stop at a door. He warns, "As a Hero, you have to mostly wait for crime to come to you. It's natural for one to take up a hobby or help out society. So… uhm, I hope you aren't carrying any food."

That's correct. Beowulf's "hobby" is-!

_Woofwoofowoofowoof!_

Right as he opens the door, we nearly get run over by a massive pack of domesticated dogs of all kinds. Shiba inu, golden retriever, huskies, pugs, beadles, all of them. This! This is what he was gesturing to his workers! He was informing them that his pets will be released! Goodness, I was aware that he adored dogs, but how many does he have?! It's like an endless stream of fur and slobber! Barely, I hold onto the railing while my mentor is laughing like an insane imbecile! He exclaims like a fool, "This is doggy heaven for you, Kuroiro!"

After minutes of this stampede, it finally ends. God, it felt like these fiends would've taken my legs off. I look over the railing, watching the little rascals play. Even with a heart like mine, this is an adorable sight. Puppies are play-fighting with one another, guarded by their mothers and fathers. The workers bring out a large tub of toys and dog feed, letting them have at it. Heh, my classmates would enjoy this. I can only imagine how happy they would be, playing with Beowulf's hounds. No wonder this man is one of the most liked Heroes in Japan.

"It's always a heartwarming sight," Beowulf says, watching them alongside I. He sighs gleefully, batting his long hair to the side. When I take time to observe him, he's much like a dog himself. His hair seems soft like fur, and he has jagged teeth much like Tetsutetsu and Tokage. It's natural that he would take care of these creatures. "Y'know, guys like Endeavour take heroism too seriously. He's focusing on taking out Villains like they killed his family or something. Personally, I believe that heroism is the act of taking care of society's people, and occasionally taking out a few evildoers here and there. As an example of my belief, I'm caring for a few good boys and girls."

"So it seems," I reply, chuckling. I heard many understatements in my life, but he said the most arrogant one. I run my fingers along the railing, listening to the music of pups barking happily. "Beowulf, if I may ask, why did you become a Hero? I assume you originally didn't think about taking in the world's most fiercest army," I ask.

He laughs too, answering, "Nah, this is one of the benefits though. Really, I wanted to be a Hero so I could get girls… It's embarrassing, I know. You have no idea how much of a stupid guy I was when I was your age. Don't worry, I learned to embrace the child in me and not caring if people think I'm immature. I mean, why do they feel the need to gate-keep who is and isn't grown-up? Sounds egotistical if you ask me."

"Like the controversy surrounding my class?" I ask again, turning to him. By pondering about this man's logic, then I shouldn't stress over them? That I need to embrace the traits I have, ignoring the naysayers who disagree with me otherwise? Hmph, I knew Beowulf is smarter than he seems. It's always the laid-back men who are the wisest.

"Yeah, guess so. Look, Kuroiro, keep being you and don't let anyone stop you. Your fantastical way of talking makes you pretty dang unique," he advises me with a confident smile, putting a hand on his hip before his mouth twists into a circle. Beowulf, next, asks me, "Oh, since we're doing a Q and A, why _do_ you speak that way?"

Hehe…

"_You know, Big Bro, you're really funny when you talk like that!"_

"A small light, my younger sister, enjoyed my manner of speaking. I swore to her that I will continue to act in this manner. In fact, she's the reason why I sought to become a Pro Hero," I answer truthfully, hiding the whatever look I have. This tiny girl… I cannot count how many times she brightened my day.

"That's a better reason than mine. Now, I think we should get into a tuffle with a few pups, what d'ya say?" Beowulf offers, and I nod, accepting his offer. A slight smile forms on this dark face of mine. We walk down where a couple of shibas are guarding the stairs. Adorable little men, a couple of the most ferocious beings in Japan. No sane Villain would underestimate their power, else they'll be utterly obliterated.

Ah though... Hikari... my young sister… I shall be a Hero for you.

* * *

**Ibara Shiozaki**

"Son of a serial killer, an heiress tied to a suicide, and a Quirkless who never meant to be in the Hero Course. Your class has been awfully active, haven't they? It's all the reporters talk about nowadays," Kamui Woods says, putting his newspaper down. He shows me the latest headlines, created by Shoowaysha Publishing, authored by Chitose Kizuki: "Most Hated Class in Japan: 1-B!" This woman is overzealous when it comes to journalism. She is morally evil, using negativity to drive "headlines and clicks" as reporters call it, never caring who is hurt. I read tales of her deceit and deception. There was even one rumor that she is apart of an evil organization. Although that is not supported by evidence, I would not doubt it. She's a sinful woman indeed. Even Soruka isn't fond of her, and she is the most gracious woman I know.

"Yes, it's unfortunate… My friends are struggling because of the negative attention. They are wholly undeserving of it, so I pray that our circumstances may change for the better," I reply, folding my hands neatly at my waist. Simply, he nods and stands out of his desk. He stretches his shoulder before sighing. (Goodness, in such a short amount of time, my friends became demons to the public. Inochi told me about how he saw Hifumi's body. I pray that he can move on from the sight despite his everlasting smile. Some students, who also looked upon her body, needed therapy to cope with it. And Tokage… Despite how deceitful and flirtatious she can be, I would never wish this upon her. No, I would not even think about praying for divine retribution, because she's a kind soul. For a woman born with a silver spoon, blessed with many gifts, she is one of the most humble women I know. Thus, for her to deserve this kind of treatment is beyond unfair.)

"Yeah… Shiozaki, I'm sorry that I'm bringing this news to you on short notice, but Chitose Kizuki will be arriving in an hour or so for an interview. It's for me, but she doesn't know that you're my intern. Knowing her, she'll want you to join, and you don't say 'no' to this woman," Kamui makes it aware for me. Hmph, to think I would meet the woman herself. Once she catches a glimpse of me, she will spout all sorts of evil questions. It's a miracle that she doesn't stumble on her own words. Anyhow, he continues, "So, she'll-"

I finish his thought, a tad too rudely for my own taste, "Pry for answers about my classmates, yes? I can compose myself, Kamui Woods. Is there anything else you must inform me of?" He closes his eyes briefly for a brief second, noddin-

"His interview is also with me. This will be a grand opportunity to boost our popularity, don't you think, Kamui?" Mount Lady enters the room with her intern, Mineta from 1-A. He's a pervert, absorbed in his own lust. It must be the only reason why he yearned to be a Pro Hero, isn't it? (Need I to mention that he's carrying Mount Lady's bag like an indentured servant? _And_ staring lewdly at her from behind with a flustered face?)

"Somewhat. I see you brought your own intern: Grape Rush, correct? You do realize he's staring at you indecently?" Kamui brings this to her attention, snapping at Mineta. He whimpers and stands _beside_ her, carrying her purple purse, which is comically large for him. It seems he was blessed with height. Well, the lack of.

"Mhm, at least I don't have to lug around my bag," she chirps, gently patting Mineta's head. His face flushes into many shades of red, similar to a rose. Like an obedient servant, he lifts Mount Lady's bag in the air like Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders. Hmph, when it comes to women, Mineta is a sheep led on by voluptuous shepards. I do wonder how 1-A deals with him.

Ah, thinking of 1-A, they are an awfully vibrant class. Vibrant, as in having sins themselves. Even more so than my class. The greatest example is Bakugo, who shows an excessive amount of pride and wrath, especially to any of his competitors. It's blatantly appalling how he treats others. I pray that he humbles one day, else he'll drive everyone away. Additionally, I spoke to a few other members of 1-A, like Jiro, Iida, and Sero. All three of them apologized for recent events. It's kind of them, but I couldn't help but feel that they did not truly understood the situation that my class is in. And now, I'm speaking with Mineta. When I thought about my internship with Kamui Woods, this was not what I was expecting.

I sigh, commenting with my own insight, "For an internship, this is not how I envisioned this. Certainly, I did not imagine it with Mineta of all men. I pray that he'll find the salvation he looks for. If he manages to smother himself in bodies of women to achieve it, then so be it." Mount Lady rounds her mouth in shock and surprise while Kamui Woods chuckles. Mineta himself doesn't seem to process what I said. He's more or less staring at my legs..

"Kamui Woods, your intern is sassy. I knew she would be a good pick for you when she defeated Kaminari," she says, having a hand to her mouth and giggling. She takes her bag, digging out a few papers. From a glimpse, I notice that they are the questions that Kizuki will ask them. "Now, let's prepare for our interview. Maybe Maria, or even Grape Rush, can give us some advice."

"I'll do my best, Mount Lady! Plus ultra!" Mineta exclaims, raising his arms in the air. At least he's an enthusiastic man. Softly, I groan underneath my breath and shut my eyes. _Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. _Ah yes, the Golden Rule. Perhaps, if I practice kindness to Mineta and especially Kizuki, then perhaps they may reflect it back? One can only pray hard enough...

"I am Chitose Kizuki, the executive director and interviewer from Shoowaysha Publishing! I am glad to sit down and have an interview with Mount Lady and Kamui Woods! It seems we also have two unexpected guests! Minoru Mineta from Class 1-A, also known as 'Grape Rush', and Ibara Shiozaki from Class 1-B, also known as 'Maria'!" Kizuki starts the interview.

The four of us are on a stage set, like one from a sitcom, but it's made specifically for this interview. The back wall, the only wall, is white with the words "SHOOWASYHA PUBLISHING" are bolded in red lights. Below it is a wooden table with a couple of flower blue and white vases. The flowers themselves are artificial tulips and peonies. As for Kamui Woods and Mount Lady themselves, they're seated on the left side (in the camera's perspective, it's the right) and Kizuki on the right (the left in the camera's perspective) in beige armchairs. Mineta and I also sit in beige armchairs, behind our mentors.

Mineta whispers to me, "Shiozaki, hold my hand. I'm terrified of this woman. She is a demon personified! Look at her eyes!" In his own eyes, he's leaking tears of fear. (For once, I am inclined to agree with him.) He's quaking in his seat. To think a woman, of all things, could scare him. How horribly ironic. As a response, I shake my head, focusing on the interview.

"For the first question," Kizuki states, eyeing Kamui Woods in particular, "Kamui Woods, many analysts peg you to be a major contender to be in the top ten when the next Hero Billboard Chart hits. Is there any particular way you feel about this revelation?"

"I feel honored. I always took heroism seriously, knowing that if I make a mistake, then that would mean lives lost. It seems my diligence paid off though, considering how I'm a recent Pro starting out in the industry," Kamui Woods responds elegantly. I expect nothing less from a man like him. He's much like Father: humble and takes pride in his work.

"Well," Mount Lady interjects, crossing her legs, "Kamui Woods was always the no-nonsense kind of man. I mean, have we seen him interacting with the public? Having a little talk, exchange a high-five every now and then? Not really. So, who has more memorabilia? That would be me. The Billboards doesn't rank us _only_ on performance, you know. Popularity counts too." Ah, she turned the question to focus on her, also criticizing Kamui Woods too. She's shrewd when it comes to fame, isn't she?

Kamui Woods replies to her, tensing his muscles in his chair and stumbling on his words, "Wh-What? I remember the time where you stole a Villain's capture from me. Not to mention you flaunt your body around shamelessly. We saw how many men took pictures! I-"

"So? What about it?" Mount Lady interrupts, flashing a somewhat wicked smirk to Kamui, "there will always be Villains to fight. Anyway~! Let's move on to the next question, shall we?" I understand her a lot more clearly. Mount Lady is a woman who thrives under the camera, controlling the conversation. Before, when she was preparing with Kamui Woods, she told him to be natural. Really, she wants to dominate the interview, turning something that should be calm into a battle.

Kizuki moves on, focusing on Mount Lady, "Alright! For you, Mount Lady, on the topic of the recent Sports Festival… What was your experience? You posed as a bodyguard, but never experienced the festival itself. Did you expect Katsuki Bakugo to be the winner, much like most of the analysts?"

"Mhm. You can't deny the facts, that boy has skills. In fact, I believe he's interning under Best Jeanist as we speak. It's honestly too bad that I didn't watch the fights in person, but the TV screen was enough. I-"

"When Todoroki froze Sero, it got a little too close for comfort. It was… frightening to see his mountain of ice reaching out of the stadium," Kamui Woods admits, also interrupting Mount Lady. He holds onto his knees, still tense.

She tilts her head slightly. It seems that Kamui is trying to be the be the focus of the interview… I can feel the heated tension in the air between the both of them. Mount Lady chuckles, slinging her arm over the chair. "Todoroki definitely took us by surprise. Him and that Midoriya, right Kamui?"

He nods before sighing deeply…

And so, for the next thirty minutes, Kizuki asks these Heroes questions about recent events (not regarding Hifumi or 1-B), other Heroes, and their own careers. Kamui Woods and Mount Lady engaged in a war between one another, trying to out-match each other. At some points, Kizuki adds new information to let them fight further. It's one of the oddest (and frankly funniest) things I seen. For Mineta, even he's amused. We've been surprisingly silent throughout the interview. Perhaps Kizuki would not mention the controversy of 1-B.

"So, I have one more topic to discuss. It goes back to the Sports Festival," she tells them, flipping to another page in her notebook, "why wasn't the brawl between Sanji Inochi and Karisuma Suzuki was made public? We deserved to know, considering how Inochi is notorious in the news from his admission into 1-B."

What?! Mister Kan told us that their fight would be kept a secret! Who made her aware of it?! It must be one of the members of 1-D, isn't it? One of them revealed Inochi's circumstances regarding 1-B, so his fight with Suzuki was revealed along with it! It seems that Kamui Woods and Mount Lady knew, if Kizuki asked the way she did. She's forcibly putting them in a difficult situation! It's apparent, since their bodies shift uncomfortably. Curse this woman! She had an agenda this entire time, didn't she?!

"Uhm, I can't say. Inochi has a bunch of things on his plate at the moment. I'm… I'm sure Maria can attest to that," Mount Lady says, throwing me into the mix! I didn't ask for this! Kamui glares at her, knowing she made a terrible decision! He doesn't get a chance to add on as Kizuki fixes her attention onto me, expecting an answer.

I let out a sigh and answer, "Yes, he's battling with quite a lot. Despite what you- Pardon me, what _others _speak of him, Inochi is one of the kindest men that I'm blessed to befriend. It's morally evil to believe all these awful lies that are being spread." Kizuki seems to be taken back by my response, but I do not regret it. If I have a chance to absolve Inochi of his infamy, then I'll use it to the best of my abilities.

Kizuki combats, "That is a very passionate answer, Maria, but the public beg to differ. Last Friday, Inochi assaulted a popular online streamer. It's led to believe that he's a menace to society, especially with his fight with Suzuki. Inochi is lucky that he isn't being charged nor expelled. Do you have anything to say?"

"Of course I have something to say! Inochi told me himself that this man said perverted things while touching another one of my friends, Itsuka Kendo. While I may not approve of his violence, I _surely _understand why he did it. If you know him personally, then you would know that it takes a very special man to anger him!" I argue, leaning forward in my chair. Kamui Woods tells me with his eyes, _Calm down! She's getting to you! _Perhaps, but I won't stand for this slander! It's why I'm sitting in this chair, aren't I?!

Kizuki chuckles, leaning forward as well. She replies, still maintaining her composure, "What do you say about his transcript error then? U.A. stated that he wouldn't be removed from the Hero Course. Some criticize the decision, since they state that Inochi is taking valuable teaching from those who truly deserve it. After all, he is Quirkless-"

"Do you have a single bone of respect in your body?" I snap, scowling at Kizuki. She feints surprise by jerking back into her seat, but I know it's just an act. I grip at my white robe, letting my knuckles turn white. "We all saw his performance at the Sports Festival. His skill exceeds most individuals _with_ Quirks. Yet, you and other outlets spew this libel and slander that he's weak _and_ dangerous? How can you publish this twisted logic without hurting yourself in the process?"

"My, I'm merely reporting what the public thinks. Oh, I'm sure you have a strong opinion on Setsuna Tokage too? I heard there was an interesting nickname for her… What was it, 'Bitch Princess'? Is there a reason why she's dubbed this?" this evil woman asks with a slight smirk strewn on her devilish face! How _dare_ she refer to Tokage as that?!

I raise my voice, defending, "That awful nickname is yet another effect from the amount of hate being published! It's evil to make her out as the scapegoat! She was not the reason why Hifumi's father did what he did, or why Hifumi herself committed an irreversible act! It's ridiculous that we, 1-B, have to continue to fight against this!"

Kizuki clicks her tongue, waving her finger. "Remember, Maria, Shoowashya Publishing simply states the public opinion. As a moral woman, you understand that it's wrong to shoot the messenger. I simply don't understand why I am being attacked-"

I stand up. My hair floats itself in the air. Kamui Woods move back and so does Mount Lady. Mineta jumps behind his chair, being afraid for no apparent reason. "I see through your lies. You built your life upon the expense of others, like my class: _mere teenagers_. You are a villain through and through. I pray that the fires of Hell will relieve you of your sins. However, I believe that even the devil wouldn't accept you."

I storm off, leaving this accursed stage.

* * *

**Juzo Honenuki**

"Mister Yamamoto! I have your reports… Uhm, you have a meeting with the Minister of State for Heroism Media in thirty minutes. But first, Yuki-onna brought her intern, Mudman. I r-recommend that you speak to them," Mayor Yamamoto's intern lists off his duties. Poor guy. From the looks of him, he's in college. I'm thinking… he's majoring in government or political, considering he's an unpaid intern. Just like me, but my job is more exciting. If he is majoring in those areas, then why does he look so nervous? Shouldn't he be a ruthless man, gunning for Mayor Yamamoto's position? Eh, I'm letting those government drama TV shows get to me.

(Ah, about the government... the Minister of State for Heroism Media is coming. Kazuma Takehiko, isn't it? His job involves around social media and news around Pro Heroes. If I didn't know any better, then he's here because of the situation with my class. Any uneducated man would think that this position isn't significant, but it's _very_ important for one reason: trust. If a Pro Hero is revealed to be a scumbag who abuses their family, who is also a famous Hero, then the public will lose faith. Takehiko's job is to ensure that the populace wouldn't lose that faith because if they do, then society will slowly start to crumble.)

Man, I can't believe I'm meeting with the mayor of Musutafu, it doesn't seem as exciting as I originally thought. Maybe because, you know, my class is a little _hated_ at the moment. So, that's why I chose to intern with Yuki-onna because she's one of the Pro Heroes who specializes in protecting government officials. (Not sure if because she's useful or she's eye-candy, maybe both.) That way, I could talk to officials who can _really_ change Japan. I have a few ways that our society could be changed for the better, and Mayor Yamamoto can make that happen.

"Hello, Mayor Yamamoto. It's a pleasure to meet you once again," Yuki greets him, extending her gloved hand. Mayor Yamamoto smiles and shakes it, his eyes drifting towards me. Oh crud! Right! I take off my helmet and bow. (This metal can will kill me one of these days!) She introduces me, "As you already heard, this is my intern: Mudman. Despite his appearance, he's a gentle man." (Aw, hearing that from a beautiful woman like her? It's making me blush.)

Mayor Yamamoto nods and suddenly grasps my hand! Jeez! For a middle-aged man, he has an incredible grip! He says with a friendly face, "Juzo Honenuki, once I heard Yuki-onna was taking you on, I was thrilled! You must be a very strong man, being a recommendations student. Good grades, amazing Quirk, easy-going personality, you have all the necessary traits to be a solid Hero! It's a shame that your class is going through a tough period however."

I don't mean to be snarky, but it's a bit ironic coming from him. Mayor Yamamoto heavily supports the media's ability to criticize U.A. students. For him to say that "it's a shame", it's like saying he didn't expect this to happen! If anything, it's a bit patronizing… It reminds me of the stupid teachers back in junior high… They never took me seriously. Just because I wanted to be the class clown, doesn't mean I can't be serious! (I also see that the rumors about him being Hero-obsessed are true though. He analyzed me based on my potential to be a Pro. Literally first thing he commented on.

"Thank you, Mayor Yamamoto. With my friends, to say that we're shunned is a bit of an understatement. Actually, it's pretty much the greatest understatements in the history of understatements," I pop a joke, laughing at it. Mayor Yamamoto laughs too and pats my shoulder like we're long-time friends. He has a friendly aura to him, kinda like Inochi. But, Inochi isn't a politician, and everyone knows that politicians can be sneaky. That's why my hair's standing on the back of my neck.

He exclaims, "Maybe it is! Now, I don't want to be rude, but I can tell you want to ask me something. I could see it in your eyes. Consider it my Quirk! But really, no. My Quirk is an ant compared to yours." He's observant too… I look back at Yuki-onna, the gorgeous snow maiden. She puts a hand to her (large) breasts and smiles. Seems like I _can_ ask…

"I do… Uhm, forgive me if I come off as abrasive or rude, but I want to confront the problem with the media nowadays. I believe that it shouldn't be allowed for news outlets to demonize students such as myself, because it's frankly dangerous. Wherever I go, I get recognized for being a member of 1-B, but I'm the lucky one. My friends, Inochi and Tokage, they're the ones who're really suffering. I-"

"I'm not sure this is a joke," Mayor Yamamoto interrupts me. (Yeah, my instincts are firing off in my head. This is it…) He crosses his arms, saying, "To restrict the press goes against traditional values, even if you are teenagers. And besides, you will be the protectors of these very same people. They have every right to criticize the future generations of Pro Heroes no matter how old or young. I hope-"

"Mayor Yamamoto, I try to be a funny guy, but I'm not joking! There's people who're sending out death threats to my friends! We're getting harassed nearly everywhere we go! I just wanted… just wanted to have something that would ease this stress… It's hard enough trying to be a Hero, it's even harder when the people don't respect you for it!" I plead, but his look on his face doesn't give me hope. I should've known that this wouldn't work, but I tried… So much for funny guy Juzo Honenuki, huh? I should stick back to making awful puns...

He says what I think he's gonna say, "Heroism is a tough industry. You need mental endurance to be a Hero, so consider this a test. From what you said, you're admitting defeat. So, _Young Honenuki, _fasten your helmet tight to your head, because your life will get even harder from here on out. Show that you're a recommendations student, not a Quirkless or someone from the General Department."

And with that, Mayor Yamamoto pats my shoulder. He tells me to cheer up or something that completely differs from what he said. He mentions something to Yuki-onna before leaving with his intern. Good grief, I really messed up. No one takes me seriously in the first place, so why did I think Mayor Yamamoto would listen of all people? My jawless face and my jokes tell everyone that I'm just a guy who can't do anything more than quips.

Jeez… What a jerk... On camera, he seems like a guy who would pay for your tab, be your best man, and maybe even die for you! I never thought politicians would be _this _hellbent on their political views. (And I thought this is Japan!) He fits into the stereotype shown on TV shows! I never thought he would be so horribly patronizing like a father not taking his teenage son seriously. It's worse though… since he basically told me to buck up buttercup. Where does he draw the line between journalism and hate? To him, I think both are synonymous. He's such a hypocrite too. He doesn't respect anyone but students in the Hero Courses. Mayor Yamamoto is awful for letting this go on. I guess I can call him a "legal Villain" or something along those lines. I wonder what he thinks about Inochi then, since he's Quirkless. Ugh, I need to remind myself to never let him meet this guy..

"Mudman, come along. Let's sit outside and enjoy the summer breeze," Yuki-onna orders me, gesturing with her hand. Without a quip or a joke, I follow her. We go outside Musutafu City Hall. Yuki sits down on a bench that's right underneath a sakura tree, motioning me to sit down next to her. I do. Even if I'm sad, I can't pass up the opportunity to sit next to a jaw-dropping lady. (It's one of the other reasons why I chose her: She's a pretty woman. Yuki-onna wears a white kimono like Yanagi and Inochi, but it's accented with light blue. Her hair is light blue as well, but it can be easily mistaken for white. In contrast, her irises are pure white like she's a mythological creature. Wait, jeez Juzo, that is the exact reason _why_ she's named 'Yuki-onna' you idiot. Her Quirk reflects that. It's called 'Frost'. Whatever she touches with her hands, it turns into ice. It's similar to Todoroki's, but it's not nearly as destructive. I think… There's something greater about her Quirk. That's why she wears her gloves.)

"Honenuki, I know you mean well for your dear friends, but Mayor Yamamoto does not have the capacity to comprehend. He views your classmates as future Pro Heroes who he can shake hands with during an award ceremony. Even though I must guard him with my life, this is the truth I found," Yuki explains, closing her eyes. (She can do simple things like that and I'm already fallen for her. And, she's taking off her gloves...)

"It's not fair, Yuki-onna... That… That I get roped into this mess… I didn't even do anything wrong, and I'm getting treated just as bad as them…" I tell her, clutching on my helmet. Damnit Inochi… for our vice rep, you really are screwing things up for us, huh? Tokage too… I know both of you didn't mean to do this, but I never asked for this treatment!

"_It's a student from 1-B. Can't believe he's showing his face around. He looks like a freak, to be honest."_

"_Like hell 1-B will be good Heroes. All they do is kill their own. Jawless here can probably swallow a baby whole with that mouth of his."_

"_Such a disgusting guy. I didn't think he was human for a second."_

"_Why does he keep telling jokes? He's such an insensitive asshole. No one likes them."_

"I-I never thought U.A. would b-be like this… It's not what I thought it was, Y-Yuki," I stutter, letting a few tears drop on my visor. Why is this happening to me? I always got picked on for what I look like, but I never thought it would be this bad! I wanted to be a Hero to help others, making them laugh like how All Might always made me smile. I'm not smiling, I'm not laughing at my own jokes anymore! No one told me it was gonna be like this! No one told me that everyone would hate me! Nobody said that I would regret trying to become a Hero!

"Your delusions are fragile, aren't they?" Yuki-onna says as a sakura petal slowly lands on her bare palm. It turns light blue instantly, but it still has that delicate shape and form. She gently blows it away, letting it drift slowly through the air before it withers away into near-invisible dust. "Fragile. Deeply fragile, much like everything material. It hurts my heart to watch the moment when the young and vibrant see that their world is not what it seems. You are no exception, but you hide it, do you not?"

"Y-Yeah," I answer, wiping my tears away with my gloves, "I always looked kinda funny, but I pretended to not give a crap about it. I always hid that part of me behind my jokes, but it's t-too much… Nobody's laughing at my jokes, because they're laughing at me: the punch line. G-God, why do I want to be a Hero for people who don't even want me?"

Yuki-onna stands up and takes in a deep breath. (I never knew someone could stand so peacefully.) She tells me, staring up at the blue sky, "Stricken by grief, and so you become lost. This is the greatest trial for a Hero. On this very same path we overlook, I saw many a Hero who let the winter blizzard consume them. Some perish, some became what they despise the most. Juzo Honenuki, Mudman, I cannot tell you your motivations. Unlike others, you do not travel this blizzard by your lonesome. No, rather… you are accompanied by your companions. When the snow clears and the sun reaches its apex you and your friends shall find your answer. Then, you'll be one of the greatest Heroes in your generation."

My friends, huh?

"_You're a pretty funny guy, Honenuki! Keep telling those jokes and you'll have the entire country laughing at them."_

"_Honestly, you're annoyin' as hell. But, you ain't that bad compared to other pricks, like Quirkless an' Headband."_

"_Y'know Juzo, can you stop teasing me?! You're making Kamakiri laugh at me and I don't like it!"_

"_Chin up, Honenuki. I gotta admit, your little contest with Kamakiri was pretty funny. I needed that after Suzuki punted Sanji off The Fall."_

Yeah… My friends…

I gotta find my answer with them. Gosh, that sounds so cheesy… It's like a shonen anime that Manga watches, but she's right. I'm stuck in this crappy situation with my friends. Even if they hate my puns, they're stuck with me, and I'm stuck with them. They're the only ones who like me in this world, and I'm glad that I have them. Heh, I don't have to contemplate my reason for living just yet. I'll have that angsty episode some other time. Watch, one of these days, these people will see how beautiful this jawless man is. They'll watch, and then they'll weep.

"Yuki-onna, I think I fell in love with you," I half-joke, and I stand up. She laughs softly, having a finger to her mouth. Okay, I think I actually fell in love with her now. Even though I'm only a teenage guy and she's an adult, I- Yeah no, I just gotta keep dreaming. There's a woman out there, somewhere.

"I believe you have greater challenges than your love life, Honenuki. For example, the reporters?" she reminds me of the real issue here. Yeah, these glorified paparazzi needs to be taken down a notch. Maybe if I can't convince Mayor Yamamoto, then maybe I can convince someone else. I'm sure Tokage is connected to some pretty powerful people.

"You know it," I reply, putting on my helmet. It's snug as a bug in a rug. There, I'm no longer Juzo Honenuki. I am now Mudman. I say one of the corniest lines in existence, "I fight for my friends." (Manga would love this line.)

"Correct. Perhaps you could fight as my knight?"

"Abso-_freaking_-lutely."

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Don't worry mademoiselle, we'll find the thieves," The Count assures the lady. I never thought him and Grandmaster would resort to investigating recent robberies. I thought they solve cases that involve murder, but I guess those kinds are too few and too far apart. But, did we really have to go in the convenience store itself? There's people here, and-

"Think these kids can do anything?! One of them's freaking Quirkless!"

"The Bitch Princess is trying to play Hero... great."

"We got two Villains posing here."

And… they'll insult us for trying to help. Kamakiri snaps back, "Ey! We're tryin' to help ya! We could just leave an' never come fuckin' back, ever thought 'bout that? No, 'cuz you idiots are programmed to shout nothing but damn insults! I-"

"Jack Mantis, please stop," Grandmaster cuts in, sighing. He taps his cane, talking for him, "He _is_ right though. We have every capacity to refuse a citizen's cry for help if said citizen acts difficult. If you wish to not drive us away, then stay silent, would you please?" Our "victims" doesn't say anything more. Good, I didn't want to deal with another bout of harassment. Counting right now, that would be five today? God, being a Hero is tough business, and I'm only in my first-year. (I wish Itsuka was here with us.)

"Grandmaster," Manga walks out the door, rubbing his mask. "I saw the security footage. The bandits went to the right. Can't believe these guys brought guns! Where did they even get them from? America?" Jeez, where _did_ they get the guns from? The only way these three guys got their hands on pistols is from the black market or the yakuza. But still, we're in an age where Quirks exist. By the fact that they use guns, they're saying that their Quirks aren't that good.

"Eh, must be some shady-type deal. Anyway, we should hurry up and pursue them. Considering how this part of Musutafu has a decent amount of civilian traffic, they'll try their best to get the heck outta dodge and fast," Setsuna explains with a finger raised. It's a symbol of her awe-inspiring intelligence.

"Mhm, remember, all of you, except for Armory, are not permitted to fight with your Quirks. From that, we'll pair off. Lizardy, you're with me. Comicman, go with Claude. Jack Mantis and Armory will make the last pair. We'll travel through the alleyways to search for these men! Come!" Grandmaster orders, running out. Setsuna follows, then Manga and Count, and finally, Kamakiri and I. (Heh, I never thought being Quirkless would give me an advantage. If Kamakiri and I have to get into a fight, I can go all out. Doesn't mean I will, since "going all out" would mean I'm killing them. I'm not ready to do that if I have a choice.)

"Alright, Quirkless! Let's catch these fuckers!" Kamakiri yells. We run deeper into the shopping district. Luckily for us, it's a school day and it's an hour or so before noon. Not many people are out, but it's enough that it becomes a hassle to move through. What were the robbers thinking? Having guns will make them targets for weeks! Doesn't matter though. Students or not, we'll catch these criminals!

Even if we have to push a few civilians along the way.

"Hey?! Watch it!"

"Where the hell are you going?!"

"You maniacs!"

"Right… it's internship week…"

Ahead of us, Setsuna and Grandmaster duck into an alleyway to the right. Closer, but still ahead, Count yells at us to take the left. Him and Manga will cover the exits. With our orders, Kamakiri and I sharply turn in-between a couple of buildings, going into a series of alleyways and empty concrete lots. It's all the same color: dull grey. Grey walls, grey floors, grey everything. Not to mention dirty too… This district is one of the more unsavory parts of Musutafu, but it's still a decent place to live in. It's just that not many Heroes patrol here, especially in areas like where I'm standing in. Too many tight corridors and places where Villains can strike.

"Quirkless, think the asshats are hidin' out in one of these places?" Kamakiri asks, gesturing towards a dull green door with a gated window to its left. A weathered blue curtain is hiding the interior. (I used to live in a house like this for a few months or so. My foster mother, or guardian, was pretty neglectful. All these houses have the same layouts. That I know for a fact.) If I'm honest, if I was a shady person, I would live in a place like this. It's inconspicuous and it's out of the way. I'd be surprised if these criminals have a hideout like this. They could stash the goods then get the heck outta here. When the trouble dies down, they could get it back. Considering that they had guns, it meant that they have connections, so they're seasoned. The only question is: Which house is it? There must be a lookout...

I whisper to Kamakiri, "Yeah, we need to split up. Watch the windows closely, Jack Mantis. If you catch a man looking out it, then he's probably the lookout for our suspects. I wouldn't worry about catching the wrong man, because the people living here are most likely workers in the district. Once you find him, radio me. You can't fight with your Quirk. Oh, with that said, if worse comes to worse…" I unsheathe my wakizashi, handing him it. "Don't hesitate. As much as I don't like it, your life is more important than theirs."

"Roger, I've been meanin' to get some action," Kamakiri replies, holding my wakizashi tight with a smile. God, I don't think he truly understands what I'm trying to say. Damnit, we're not immortal! He will die if something goes wrong! "Let's find these idiots, aight?"

"Y-Yeah… Stay safe, Jack Mantis." I tell him before we separate. I search a few lots on my own, watching the windows carefully. To be honest, everything looks the same. It's hard to know which lot I cleared and didn't clear. Doesn't help that I don't catch any peepers. Damnit, I hope Kamakiri is doing okay. Man, imagine if Itsuka was here… I'd be so worried that I might die. Good thing she's with Uwabami with Yaoyorozu. Heh, I hope they're doing something useful.

"_No offense, you're my best friend and all, but I wanna try my own thing, you know? Be Battle Fist on my own accord. Even though you're a hapless buffoon, I know you are more than capable enough to take care of yourself, Sanji."_

That's what Itsuka said when we were picking out our internships… Well, she was. I only had the one offer. Considering what's going on, I'd thought she'll be more than thrilled to partner up with me, but it's her choice and I respect it.

Anyway, where the heck is those criminals? I still can't find the lookout… Maybe Grandmaster and Setsuna found them already, but we should've heard something by now. Ugh, this is taking a toll on my heart. I feel so damn anxious thinking that they could be right around the corner with their guns raised. Jeez, how many charges are they dealing with? Armed robbery, illegal possession of firearm, intent to use a deadly weapon, and soon, assault on minor(s) and Pro Hero(es). I'm sure there's more, but these guys are screwed as it is. I-!

_CLING!_

My eyes dart to the metallic noise. Tch, I think I found them. In front of me is a home with a dull blue door, just cracked open a little. Are they trying to lure me in? Or is this a diversion? Either way, I have to investigate. If I leave, then they could escape. If I go in, I have a chance of apprehending them. Damnit, it's time to call this in. I take out my radio that Grandmaster gave us. I turn it on and whisper, "Armory here. I'm investigating one of these houses that I don't know the name to. With any luck, our suspects are inside. I'm activating my GPS so you can locate me. Armory out."

(I sound so freaking profesional!)

_Click!_

I turn it off before I get any replies. Gotta stay quiet. Slowly, I approach the door. I call out, "This is Armory under the mentorship of Grandmaster and The Count! Surrender yourself or I'm walking inside!" Nothing. No response. Damnit, guess I really have to go inside don't I? Alright, calm yourself, Sanji. Three men with guns are inside, but we're in close quarters. It'll be mighty difficult for them to fire properly, so that works in my favor. Fighting out here in the empty lot is a lot more dangerous, even with my crossbow. Thank goodness that Hayami wove kevlar in my kimono, and I have metal plates as armor. I won't completely be defenseless.

Using the pads of my fingers, I push the door open. It creaks an awful noise, letting me take a look inside. It's the living room. There's a table lamp providing the only light, a green couch, a coffee table in front of it, and a TV. I know that, to the left, is an open counter to the kitchen. Down the left hallway, the only hallway, is the only bathroom (left door) and two bedrooms (right door and at the end of the hall).

With that, I walk inside. The air's different than before, like someone is already here. I'm in the right place. Now, where could they be? Maybe-!

_SLAM!_

Behind me, the door slams shut.

"DIEEEEE!" A man with short black hair, hiding behind the door, darts at me with a knife. Instinctively, I catch his knife-arm, gripping his collar. Damnit! Didn't even give me time to think, didn't you?! Without mercy, I throw him into the TV. He crashes against it, crushing the poor thing.

"Damnit! You fucking kid!" From behind the counter, a purple-haired man reveals himself with a gun. Before he has a chance to raise his piece, I grab the table lamp near me and hurl it at him. The ceramic shatters against his head, causing him to take a step backwards for a brief second. Shit, he still has the gun! I can't worry about the last guy else I'll get shot!

As Purple stands up, I leap over the counter with a soaring kick, nailing him in the chest. He gets knocked back against the sink and a few empty cabinets. (A refrigerator is to our right. Two sections: top and bottom.) Instantly, I grab his gun-arm and elbow the revolver out of his hand. It clatters to the floor, not going off thankfully. Purple struggles against me, but I nail him in the head with a nasty right hook. He spits out blood all over the counter before I grab him by the neck, slamming him face-first into the tiled floor. It cracks from the impact. One of purple's teeth slides across the floor. Yeah, he's knocked out all right.

Black roars and leaps over the counter with a sweeping kick. I roll out of the kitchen, dodging the kick while he nearly stumbles on his friend. He yells at me, "Fucking bastard! You ain't shit, you know that?!"

"Neither are you," I reply, standing up. That seems to anger him because he's charging at me with his right fist back. I stand there casually like I'm not impressed, because I'm really not. Before his punch comes into contact, I tilt my head to the side, pivoting myself away from him. His fist hits the wall with a few of his fingers breaking from the impact. He screams in pain. I comment, "You can't blame me for that. You did that on your own."

Before he could react, I grab his arm and twists it in one of the most painful positions imaginable. (His arm isn't broken, but I could shatter it if I wanted to.) Black screams even more right before I lift him up and slam him into the coffee table. He whimpers, which means he's still conscious. I say, "Now that, you can blame me for." Then, I knock him out by punching his skull. That's that.

"QUIRKLESS!" Kamakiri kicks down the door. I turn to him, leaning against a wall. He sees the mess I made and sighs. (Ah, he's still holding my wakizashi. Good, he didn't lose it. Hayami would've killed me then him.) "Looks like you found the fuckers. Wait, there's two. Where the hell is the other one?"

I shrug, telling him, "He didn't come out. He either left his friends behind or he's still in the house. I've been busy with these two, but-"

I hear a faint whisper. A whisper at the end of the hallway. "Goodbye, kid."

!

_SHIIING!_

_BANG!_

"INOCHI!"

"What… the fuck?"

"Sorry, you have to try better than that," I tell him, the last man. Blue hair with a scar across his cheek. Awfully smug looking… Well, he _was_ smug. I wiped it off his face after I cut his bullet in half. I spin my katana around my hand, pointing it at him. He's standing in the doorway of the room at the end of the hall. Crap, there's an open window behind him. Ugh, I have to try and ask him, "So, tell me: Wanna try again? Or, do you surrender?" (Gun: .38 revolver. Five rounds left.)

(If he runs, can I fire my crossbow in time? No, I can't. I'm holding my katana with my right, which is the same arm as my crossbow. Can't fire it, so we might have to give chase. Damnit, of all open windows, he has to have one?! That means I need to get ready to run. I gesture to Kamakiri to quietly go around the house. He does so, thankfully.)

Blue huffs and lowers his arm. As soon as he turns his head, I run. I dash towards him, quickly sheathing my katana. He's a stocky man, which means I'm faster! When he reach the window, half-way from climbing out, I'm nearly behind him. To make up for the distance, I jump forward, grabbing onto the window's ledge. With both of my two feet, I kick Blue outside where's Kamakiri's at with me going through the window with him. Blue flies through the air with his gun leaving his grasp, but that's not all unfortunately. Kamakiri smirks and does a spinning butterfly kick perfectly into Blue's jaw. As a result of this flawless teamwork, Blue falls to the ground with Kamakiri's foot on his back. He laughs and says, "Heya asshole. How does it feel to get your ass kicked by a Quirkless? Feels pretty fuckin' humiliatin' right? Good, you're lucky that this bastard didn't kill ya."

The rest of our group runs up to us. Grandmaster sighs and shakes his head. "Armory, you were quite reckless. Apprehending armed suspects alone? Thank goodness that you're more than competent at combat, else this would be a tragedy."

"Heh, sorry… Uhm, I'm pretty sure I gave two guys brain damage inside the house. We should get them to a hospital," I reply, scratching the back of my head (even though I have my hood and mask on).

"Good grief…"

"That's my Sanji."

"Why are you so terrifying and nice, Inochi?!"

"Armory, you gave me a lot of paperwork to do."

"Should I mention that Quirkless just fuckin' split a bullet in half?"

Blue, in the midst of everyone's comments, shouts, "Just arrest me already you assholes!"

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

Finally finished the necessary paperwork. Even though Inochi took care of the crime, it was messy considering the damage he dealt to the criminals. Thanks to him, I was somewhat interrogated by the officers who came by. I had to use exploit loopholes that are in place within the heroism laws. As a result, all of us got off scot-free. Despite their criticism of my teaching methods, we never technically broke any laws. These kids never used their Quirks within battle, especially Inochi. (No one expected a Quirkless man to be a Hero, after all.) Hmph, he's a troublesome boy though. I explicitly told him to wait for backup when he found the suspects, but he turned off his radio! However, this showed how truly skilled he is. To apprehend three suspects, three _armed_ suspects without sustaining an injury is masterful. Even though he's only a first-year, he did amazing on his first day of interning. It's like 1-A. He acted on his feet and took down the robbers, not hesitating for a second. Oh, thankfully, the police decided to keep this under wraps from the media. If the reporters lay their dirty fingers on this, then these kids will be criticized even further than before. Hopefully, the officers will find out how these criminals acquired their firearms. Anyway, today was a good day of teaching these kids. They didn't seem to mind the harassment. However, there is one issue that is particularly glaring: Where in the world are the kids?! One moment, they were standing in this very office and in the next, they disappeared! The day isn't over yet!

Oh, my door opens. Look who comes walking in.

"That's how Shindeka rescued me from the tree. It was… a severe blow to my pride, but don't worry! My pride may be in pieces, my IQ can be counted with my two hands, but Claude LeNoire is still relatively intact! But this popsicle? No." Claude eats the rest of his orange popsicle, tossing the popsicle stick in the trash. Our interns… they each have desserts in their hands. This man! Did he really do this?!

I stand out of my desk, scolding this imbecile, "Claude! You took them out for ice cream?! I had to do a stack of paperwork! You know how much I despise it!" Claude freezes up, raising his hands to show that he means no offense. Pity, because I am severely offended. Behind him, the kids are silently eating their cold snack.

"Well… Uhm, my prince, don't worry! I brought you your favorite: suika ba!" Claude pulls out… nothing. He pulls out nothing. He panics and looks back at our four troublesome kids. He loudly whispers, "Les jeunes… where's the suika ba? I swore I had it, but it seems I somehow misplaced it…"

"Oh, it fell out on the way here," Tokage answers as she chews on a strawberry ball of mochi. He immediately yelps at the news, shivering in fear.

"And you didn't think to tell me?!" he exclaims before whimpering in fear, turning around to face me. For sympathy, Claude takes off his fedora, revealing his wavy brown hair. A single curly tuft falls and lays just on the left side of his forehead. His fedora rests against his chest as he nervously chuckles, making an excuse, "It… It fell… I promise, I thought about you when I was eating that popsicle! That sounds a lot more dirtier than I thought, merde! I swear! I didn't mean to leave you all the work! I simply-"

"..."

"Why, perchance, are you taking out your revolver?"

"Don't worry, Claude. These are rubber bullets. Stand still so I can use you as target practice."

"What about the kids?! They're right-?! Kids?!" The kids are no longer behind him.

"Good luck, Count. I knew ya well," Kamakiri says farewell, leaving the room with his friends. Tokage salutes in honor of Claude's memory, pushing Inochi out of the room with Manga.

"Ehhhh?!"

"Don't be a child, Claude, stay still," I ask him, putting the bandage flatly on his back. He groans in pain, stretching his shoulder. (Idiot, that would only make the pain worse.) Claude proceeds to groan even louder. (Ugh, he was right. His IQ can be counted with his two hands. I wonder why I made him my partner.) "There, it should heal in a few days or so."

"Merci! Well, you didn't show me any," Claude jokes, laughing his heart out. He throws his white dress shirt on, hastily buttoning it. It's difficult to take him seriously when he's joking nearly everyday. He says, "Shindeka, I think I'm a father now. These four were already the death of me, especially Setsuna. I see that she inherited her father's cruelness." (This man is already on a first-name basis with her?!)

I sigh, supporting my head with my hand. "You would be a terrible father. But onto another topic, I'm sorry for shooting you endlessly with rubber pellets. I needed a way to let out some frustration after what happened earlier, and you were the nearest target." Claude laughs again and turns around. God, this man didn't even button his shirt right! I unbutton it for him, starting to fix this hot mess.

Claude hums, assuring, "I understand. Physically abusing your sidekick is one method of letting off some steam."

…

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding… Let's forgive and forget, Shindeka. Now, let's talk about our interns! Specifically, Manga and Sanji. You know what I'm going to say, correct?" he asks with his cheerfulness leaving his voice. Claude, for the first time in months, is being serious. How could he be serious when I'm re-buttoning his shirt? Tch, unbelievable. But, I know what he'll say. He mentioned Manga first.

"Risai Tatchikutsu, Catharsis. There's been two public suicides. In U.A., a girl hanged herself in 2-A. Then, there was a boy who jumped in front of a bullet train, being killed on impact. Is that what you wanted to talk about? Suicides?" I answer, finishing up his shirt. Claude adjusts it and grows a sad smile, holding my shoulder.

"Oui… He returned, Shindeka. This is his calling card to us and Manga. We need to tell them. There is no other explanation. We should start hunting for him, because all of us could be next. He's the type of man to finish what he started," Claude pleads, but I shake my head. I take his hand off of me, letting it rest on his lap.

"Not yet. This is Japan, after all. Suicides happen frequently, especially with teenagers. It's the sad state of our country, but it's our country nonetheless. Once I'm certain that Catharsis is behind these suicides, I'll tell you and you can gloat in my face all you want," I say, crossing my legs. Claude nods and sighs, begrudgingly going along with it. I'd thought he'll be happy with teasing me. It's the one thing that makes him the happiest man in the world.

He starts up a new conversation, "Fine, let's talk about Sanji. You know he saw Hifumi's body, but he appears to be relatively unbothered by it for the most part. He's still the kindest man in Japan, but there's something else. His smile… You see it, don't you?"

"Inochi is you, isn't he? Both of you share the same smile that contradicts something. You smile despite your body being heavily scarred. He smiles despite… well, I don't know. I'm a master at deduction, but I don't have enough information about him." I answer again. Claude stands up, having his back turned towards me. He stares at a wall that doesn't have particularly anything on it.

He recalls, "Do you remember the time you found me in that cursed prison? When you told me that you could prove that I was framed for Jeanne's assassination? I was overjoyed, to say the least. It was like God sent you to me." That was years ago… Twelve if I'm counting correctly. Twelve and a half. It was three years after I graduated from Shiketsu. When I heard that Jeanne d'Arc, a Pro Hero who named herself after the historical figure, was murdered. I knew it was from a Villain I was pursuing for at the time: Savant, a British man and he _was_ the world's fifth most dangerous Villain. He framed Claude, only a sidekick to Jeanne d'Arc, for the murder. When I first talked to him, he was depressed beyond relief, no longer believing in living. Yet, I helped him. Soon enough, his personality changed to a carefree man who enjoys life, but his smile often hides the pain he once felt, the scars he bore. I blamed Savant for putting them on his body...

"_Shindeka Oji, I heard about you. The world's best detective. That's why you have the epithet 'The Detective Hero', right? Well, consider me the Moriarty to your Sherlock!"_

Savant committed unthinkable crimes. No, he didn't commit them. Rather, he ordered them. He masterminded mass killings disguised as horrible accidents, murders as suicides, and many more despicable acts. It took nearly my sanity to finally corner him, and I killed him. That was five years ago. I made sure of it too. I put three bullets in his skull. That was the only crime I committed, and I don't regret it. What's one life compared to an entire continent? That's how dangerous he was. He controlled the crime enterprise of Europe, and it ironically took a Japanese man to defeat him. Before he died… I remember what he said.

"_G-Grandmaster… Congratulations, you killed me. You can live happily with your Watson in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. O-Or is it? You think I'm dangerous? You have no idea. There's a man who's smarter than even me, who knew I would die by your hand. He lived ever since Quirks came about. T-Tell me… All Might is __**one**_ _man who carries __**all**_ _of Japan's society, correct? The Symbol of Peace? Then, answer me this final question: What is All Might's greatest enemy?"_

"_All For One. He's the same man who put a hole in All Might's lung two years prior. That fight was hidden from the public's eye."_

"_C-Correct… You're one of the few in the world who truly knows the greatest Villain of all time. Y'know, everything's connected… We're all strings on a spider web, eventually leading back t-to the center. One of these days, All For One will return and shake the web. Who knows what strands might break when he comes?"_

All For One. At the beginning of my Hero career, Gran Torino came to me about the Shimuras. I, being an arrogant bastard, helped him. I thought I could solve the mystery of All Might's Quirk, but I got more than I bargained for. When Savant asked me that question, it all finally made sense. Savant controlled Europe, but even he was controlled. All For One… he's the true mastermind. If I didn't know any better, then he has his hands in nearly every part of the world. He isn't dead though. He isn't dead… All Might is in no shape to fight, not anymore. Midoriya has to carry the torch.

"Shindeka, are you reminiscing again?" Claude asks, bringing my mind back to our conversation. Oh, my mind drifted off. I was too invested in those memories. He laughs a soft laugh, saying, "Savant was a real bastard, wasn't he? Ever since you put a bullet in him, you never told me what you two talked about."

"And I never will," I reply, standing up with him. I stare at the wall too, which doesn't have anything on it. It's a simple beige wall. Bland, but it fits with the theme of the office. 221B, based off of Sherlock Holmes. I could never be as great as that fictional character, but I'll certainly be my own man. "Claude, thinking about all of this… It makes me wonder about our future. About _their_ future. Inochi… He shares the same darkness as you, yet he's determined to be a Hero. Do you believe he can do it? Do you believe he can handle our future?"

"You believed in me, didn't you?"

"I did, but-"

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Hey! Can we come in now?" Manga interrupts us. God, speak about timing… Claude smiles and puts his fedora back on.

"It's safe," he informs them, spinning around on his heels towards the door, "I assure you that Shindeka won't kill you."

"That's not what I'm afraid of…" Manga replies, walking inside with the rest of our interns. These four…. These four have to be our future.

Sanji Inochi. ("I'm glad you look fine, Count.")

Setsuna Tokage. ("That was a lot of shooting, not gonna lie.")

Togaru Kamakiri. ("Someone tried to call the fuckin' cops.")

Manga Fukidashi. ("What are we doing tomorrow?")

I smirk, telling them, "Heroism. After all, you _are _Heroes, aren't you?"

Inochi puts a hand to his chest, exclaiming, "You know it! We're Pro Heroes, Grandmaster! You won't have to worry." Heh, he has the enthusiasm that I see in Claude. He might not carry Japan's torch like Midoriya, but he'll carry his own. I'm certain that he'll be the best of us.


	22. The Return of Fear

**Shojo Fukidashi**

"And! And Inochi pretty much beat their asses up! He threw a dude who tried to stab him right into a TV! Then there was another guy with a gun, he tossed a lamp, jumped over the freaking counter, and smashed his face in! And with the other guy he hurled earlier, boom! Went right into a table! Oh! How could I forget! Inochi cut a bullet in half! In half! The police let him have it as a keepsake! God, I wish I could be a badass like him… Probably in another world. Just gotta die first and get transported," Manga recounts his first mission. I heard Jack Mantis helped take the last guy out too, but damn! Talk about determination and hard work! Sanji's able to reach that level of skill by training and natural talent. Too bad he got beat up by Suzuki… The world isn't fair.

"Manga, stop praying for a truck to ruin your day," I jokingly tease him, putting my finger up. Seriously though, that fight sounded amazing. It's ironic considering Quirkless people are stereotyped to be useless. Sanji is one of the best counterexamples in the world. Who else could beat three guys up in a badass way? All those articles and segments about him being unfit for 1-B are total bull. I swear, if they knew that he did these things, they would either be on his side, or double down. Knowing them, they're not only double down, they'll triple down! They'll make some up stupid excuse like, "Hur dur, Armory was violent. There was no need for violence!" Yeah, go try fighting three armed criminals and try to stop them without violence.

"Hmph. I wanna look like a normal person. I swear, Shojo, if I didn't have a Mutant-type Quirk, I would be the most handsome man in the world," Manga swears, but he's totally wrong. No matter what he looks like, comic head or not, he's still a nerd. I'm betting on that he's gonna spend all of his life alone, sad, and a virgin.

I blow raspberries, telling this stupid guy, "Nope. Doesn't matter if you're handsome. You fit into a specific niche that I call 'pathetic nerd'. Meanwhile, I'm the type of girl that a lot of guys want: Nerdy, cute, and-"

"Flat as that notepad you're writing on." Wow, this freaking asshole! He's one to talk! I bet he isn't packing anything! And, my chest might be small, but it's a lot better than big airbags flopping around all over the place! Hmph, I shouldn't listen to him. Manga is a classic big-breasted pervert.

I flick his forehead, leaving a tiny red mark on it. He yelps in pain and bats my hand away. Pfft, he needs to work out if I can hurt him. Anyway, I bring up my greatest counterargument, "Sure, I'm flat, but I have good legs. C'mon, you gotta admit it! I'm an attractive girl despite being locked in here for over a year."

"Never, that would be admitting defeat," Manga refuses my demands, sighing. Hmph, even though he's my brother, he knows that I'm attractive. Too bad spite is blinding his eyes. Well, I can't really say he has eyes. Ugh, I hate that spite gets in the way though. Oh! I don't hate it when I spite him. I got the perfect idea to further destroy his self-esteem and exploit his ever-growing insecurity.

"Alright, then I can say that you're one of the most ugliest men I know, and that's saying _a lot_. Your friends are a lot more handsomer," I insult him, completely firm in my decision. A lot of his friends are attractive. Even Kuroiro, despite being completely black. Personally, he's a bit too much of a dramatic vestige of the dark arts for my taste. Honenuki is surprisingly cute despite not having a lips.

"Ouch, that's hurtful. And please don't hit on my friends-"

"Nope!" I interrupt him much to his begging, but I'm his sister. My job is to make him despair as much as possible, so I say, "Let's see… Sanji is a pretty boy, like Todoroki, but a heck of a lot more buff and kind. Awase is cute, Tetsutetsu is a puppy who took the form of a human. Monoma is a pretty boy too, Kaibara's an ikeman. Rin-"

"Shut up! I am going to use my Quirk to blast you out of this house! I don't want to hear my sister being a pervert!" Manga pleads, grabbing my shoulders. I take his hands off of me and pout. Hehe, my plan executed perfectly and I got a classic Manga reaction: Threatening me with his Quirk.

"Well fine! Fine… I'll perv on my own time." I turn to the TV and up the volume. It's the news again… Ugh, they're talking about 1-B. They're getting all fussy about Sanji staying in 1-B and not getting switched out with another student. U.A. did the right thing when they decided to keep him in the Hero Course. But seriously?! Come on, can they talk about anything else?! Hell, I'll even take 1-A and Bakugo! That's positive at least instead of this negative trash! These assholes don't have anything nice to say about Sanji! How could they say those things to someone who's so pure-hearted?! God, because of the drama, jerks are harassing Manga. Only I can do that! And… And it's just like middle school.

"You know," I tell him with my eyes fixed to the TV, "it's like middle school, Manga. I didn't expect U.A. to become even worse though. It was one thing that our classmates said awful things, but it's another when the whole world agrees. Nothing really changed, hasn't it?"

Manga sighs, laying back on the couch. "I guess, but you're kinda wrong. Yeah, everything is worse, but it also gotten better. Back then, it was us against a school. Now, it's us, 1-B, against the world. And _man_, the world sucks."

"You know it. Until now, it never dawned on me that Japan are obsessed with Pro Heroes. If you guys, Heroes-in-training, don't fit in with their image of a Hero should be, then you'll be shunned into your home. It's the cost of having such a low crime rate compared to everyone else. And...things like Hifumi will happen..." A shiver goes down my spine. I hold my arm, grasping it tightly. Can't… Can't be thinking about that now… Ever since HIfumi died, things have been getting worse for me. God… can't be thinking about this… Not now.

Manga, being a dumbass, talks about her, "Yeah… It was scary. Inochi saw her body! Since then, he never mentioned a word of it to anyone. I… Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this! It's like a premonition, y'know? That… That… Damnit, let's just forget about it. I feel like I'm gonna shut down and cry..." I look at him. His legs are shaking like crazy, his hands are tightly gripping his pants, and he's on the verge of tears. His stupid tears…. I known him for all my life, but I could never figure out how he cries... God, I'm probably the same way now. Being twins with this guy is so stupid, but...

"Y-You can admit it, Manga… We're both scared. Lately, I feel like he's been lurking in the dark within every corner. R-Really, the only time I feel safe is when you're home because I'm not alone anymore… And, you're being trained to be a Hero like All Might! Still, I'm just worried that one day… I'll watch the news and see that a U.A. student got hurt, or worse..."

"God, Shojo… I'm not equipped to deal with these kinds of feelings! I-It makes me get all… all t-teary and my voice starts b-breaking up, like n-now… I-I hate you so much! W-Why did you have to be so honest all of the s-sudden?" Manga cracks up, wiping his tears away from his stupid face. Gosh, he's making me cry now! Damn you, tears! Why did you have to come in such a bad moment?!

I try my best to say, "I-I'm never pouring my heart out to you again, but for the love of God… Don't die on me. I-if you do, then I'm killing you myself." Manga sniffles and uses his sleeve to wipe away more tears. I take off my glasses and do the same. Aw great, now my vision is blurry and glossy...

"F-Fine… Just have more faith in me, would ya? Trust on Comicman to come home and deal with the worst sister in the world." Oh my God, he's going to make me irritated and sad! Hearing "Comicman" makes me wanna bang my head against a wall! It's such a stupid name! Why didn't he take any of my suggestions?! This proves that I'm a lot more creative than he is!

"Just, ugh! Just go to school already! Tell Grandmaster and Count that I said 'hello' or something! Them and the others! While y-you're at it, change your Hero name too! 'Comicman' is the perfect word to describe how uncreative you are!" I shout at him, taking his backpack and throwing it at him. But, since I can barely see without my glasses, it completely went past his head and slides up against a wall. This is why I'm not studying to be a Hero…

Without another word, Manga gets up and walks over to the wall, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He wipes his face again, heading to the door. Before he leaves, he turns back to me and sighs. "Hang in there for me. T-This nightmare will end before we know it, alright Shojo?"

"Y-Yeah… Go be a Hero with everyone else and come back home… You still have a life to live. Who knows, maybe you could get a girlfriend?"

"Maybe you could get a life?"

"Don't count on it… Now get out of here."

"See you later."

And he leaves… What an idiot...

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"I hate you."

"Sorry."

"You seriously cut a bullet in half?! What are you?!"

"Sanji Inochi."

"Wha-? Ugh, nevermind. I should've joined you. Uwabami picked me only for my looks! I mean, do I look like a model to you? Wait don't-!"

"Absolutely."

"Answer... Damnit, stop trying to fluster me! Let's just focus on this meeting alright?"

I smile, putting a hand on my hip and answering, "It's why I look a little bit more professional today." Professional as in: I'm still wearing the school uniform, but I ironed it, washed it, became a perfectionist for today only, and I made sure my hair isn't too messy. I had some bits of blood in my hair unfortunately. Took a while to clean that out. Curse my white hair! Why can't it be completely black?

Itsuka puffs her cheeks like a chipmunk, adjusting my tie slightly. She comments, "Sanji, you can look professional. You definitely have that mature look, but your personality is the least professional thing about you. And, 1-B is in a tough spot right now. We won't be taken seriously whatsoever."

"Yeah… Oh, what about if they hear that I sliced a bullet in half?" I ask after she lets go of my tie. Honestly, thank goodness for Master Kendo's teaching. My battle sense is honed, but I still have a ways to go. And about that bullet thing, I was lucky. If Blue didn't whisper, then I would've been shot. I reacted to the whisper, not the gun firing. My reaction speed isn't fast enough to deflect a stream of bullets unlike Master Kendo (let alone a single bullet), but I'm working my way up.

"It wasn't on the news. Even with that, they won't believe you. You're Quirkless, so uselessness is tacked onto that. God, when you can use your Quirk… I'll tell everybody, 'I told you that Sanji was amazing.' I'm just waiting for it to happen." She smiles at me with a light blush accompanying her. I awkwardly chuckle, scratching the back of my head.

"Eh, even then, you'll still be better than me." Itsuka tries to say something, but I say it first, "And no! No arguments! This is the law and I'm enforcing it." She groans and stops outside the student council room. Here we are. The rest of the class and vice class reps are inside, including Suzuki. We haven't talked to each other since the fight. I don't know how this will turn out, especially with some of the reps. Luckily, Itsuka and Setsuna informed me of everyone here.

Class 1-A: Tenya Iida and Momo Yaoyorozu. (The only two who're on our side.)

Class 1-B: Itsuka Kendo and Sanji Inochi. (You know, the class rep of 1-B is the best in the school. I'm fighting anyone who says otherwise.)

We're the Hero Courses. The other departments are natural enemies to us.

Class 1-C: Hitoshi Shinso and Mikoto Taira. (Shinso mind-controlled Ojiro and Shoda. Honestly, his Quirk is powerful.)

Class 1-D: Karisuma Suzuki and Shinzo Mantora. (This meeting is about Suzuki. Should I mention how similar Mantora's first name is compared to Shinso?)

Class 1-E: Kyoko Usami and Yukari Oma. (The class I was supposed to be in. I'm sure they feel strongly about me one way or another.)

The General Courses. This department probably hates us the most out of everyone.

Class 1-F: Naoto Otonashi and Inoue Matasuya. (They haven't brought on much attention to themselves.)

Class 1-G: Akime Nisehana and Hinoka Motoyoshi. (Nisehana humiliated Setsuna and Rin, so I know where they stand. I know where _Nisehana_ stand.)

Class 1-H: Shiba Kurogane and Hatsume Mei. (Shojo is supposed to be in 1-H. I remember Mei participating in the tournament and… Well, I'm sorry Iida.)

The Support Department. They're crafty people trying to be support engineers/scientists. These people think outside of the box. They think so much outside the box that they can't find it anymore. That's how crazy they are.

Class 1-I: Toichi Nobunaga and Ritsuka Sugai. (I heard that Class 1-I is managing a Pro Hero agency on their own.)

Class 1-J: Yuki Harukawa and Yasuhiro Tabuchi. (Setsuna told me that they're big fans of Shoowashya Publishing. Yeah… By that one sentence alone, I know what they're like.)

Class 1-K: Okichi Tokugawa and Arisa Sakuramatsu. (Okichi Tokugawa… Setsuna told me he transferred to U.A. after the Sports Festival. His father pulled some strings and got him in. Somehow, he's the class rep too! God, do I have to talk to Setsuna's future husband?)

This… This is the Management Department. They are notorious for being shrewd with anything involving business. Morality doesn't exist for them. Well, that's what the stereotypes say. I'm sure most of them are regular people, except for Okichi Tokugawa. He would fit the stereotype perfectly.

Anyway, that's twenty-two people total, including Itsuka and I. That's enough people for a class and then a couple leftover. Well, this will be chaotic as heck. Itsuka snaps her fingers in front of my face, asking and bringing me back to life, "Sanji, you with me? Are you ready to walk into hell?" Good question. Great question. _Absolutely not._

"Yup," I lie, adjusting my shirt. Gotta remind myself: This meeting is about Suzuki and I. Itsuka was wrong initially. She thought it was _just _going to be about Suzuki's position as class rep and his punishment. No, it's about me too. My own role as vice rep is at stake and my punishment is at the council's mercy. After all, I instigated the fight as well. Suzuki and I have to serve forty hours of community service. I'm supposed to serve mine after my internship. God though... It's going to be a cruel meeting. Who knows what people are after my blood? Suzuki will get let off easily while I get punished.

"Alright, let's go in," Itsuka says, opening the doorway to hell itself. We walk inside. A conference table is the main attraction with virtually every seat filled already. Each chair is accompanied with a nametag. My seat and Itsuka's are stuck in-between Yaoyorozu and Shinso. Now, on one wall is a giant whiteboard with the topics we need to discuss and vote on. The main thing I'm worried about is the fact that everyone is literally staring at us. We were the last ones here unfortunately. Surprisingly, being on time is considered late. God, this is so nerve-wracking. There's so many people here, and I can feel the emotions about to burst out. When the meeting finally get started, it'll be such a chaotic debate that I won't have time to think. I'd have to say what immediately comes to mind. This is an entirely different fight than three armed robbers.

Tokugawa snickers, greeting us first, "Sanji Inochi and Itsuka Kendo, surprised to see me? I needed to keep an eye on my dear Setsuna. Might as well go to the best school in Japan! However, I never realized how much of a beauty Itsuka is." This jerk! He doesn't get the right to call Itsuka by her first name.

Itsuka goes to say something, but I snap at him first, "Don't get chummy with her, Tokugawa. Please, I don't want to extend my community service hours to sixty." With what I said, I immediately get some looks.

Tokugawa laughs, putting a hand on his cheek. He asks like he knows how the world works, "Alright, I see where you stand. You're a respectable man, Inochi. Too bad no one else thinks of you as that." What does that suppose to mean?

"Let's sit down, Sanji." Itsuka says, forcing me in a chair in-between her and Yaoyorozu. I pout and cross my arms, greeting Mantora and Suzuki with my eyes. Mantora nods while Suzuki is glaring at me. Figured. We're still on bad terms. I can't blame myself. Out of everyone in U.A., he's the only person I despise. Itsuka suddenly tugs my shirt, whispering, "Look, don't cause another fight, okay? Let me do all the talking for you. We can get you an easy task for your community service."

"Alright, I'm leaving it in your hands."

Yaoyorozu clears her throat and announces, "It's time for the student council meeting to begin. The current topic for discussion is Suzuki's position as 1-D's representative, whether or not it should be revoked as a result of his fight with Inochi."

Here we go… This debate will be fast as a bullet. Actually no. This isn't a debate. This is a trial. The outcome will say which man is the least guilty. Too bad the jury are biased. There is justice here though. Just not the one I want. This trial will be too fast to keep thoughts swarming around in my head. I need to stay focused on what everyone says. Even though Itsuka will talk for me, I need to be ready if I need to speak.

* * *

Iida: "In my humble opinion, Suzuki ought to be removed from his position! One: He assaulted Inochi. Two: He inspired violent action against 1-B! Three: He abused his power as-!"

Shinso: "Do you really need to list all of your reasons?"

Iida: "I-!"

Oma: "I wouldn't answer him. Who knows if Shinso will use his Quirk on us."

Shinso: "I'm trustworthy. Promise."

Mantora: "We should let Suzuki speak for himself. He's here too, y'know."

Suzuki: "I don't really care. Remove me, remove me not. Doesn't matter. But, remember that Inochi started the fight. Iida is simply supporting his Hero Course friends."

Otonashi: "That's true. In my opinion, Suzuki should stay here. No offense 1-B, but what he said is right. Even if he admitted to taking advantage of Hifumi's grief, he's right. That Bitch Princess-"

Itsuka: "Excuse me?"

Otonashi: "Ahem, _Tokage _killed Hifumi and ruined her family's life. I-"

Itsuka: "We both know that's not true, Otonashi. The blame lies on her father, not on her. She had nothing to do with this!"

Nisehana: "She let it happen. She's just as guilty as her dad. I'd watch her if I were you, Kendo. She'll stick a knife in your back before you can even blink. There's a lot of loyal animals out there, but a snake isn't one. It's why the devil is a serpent, right?"

Kurogane: "Mei, what are you doing?"

Mei: "What d'ya think? I don't even know why I'm here."

Taira: "Why did you-? You know what, never mind. Everyone, we can talk about if Bitch Pr- I mean, Tokage is at fault or not later. Suzuki can either stay here or get kicked out. We might as well vote now and get it over with."

Matasuya: "Yeah, else we'll get sidetracked hard. I'm for Suzuki staying here."

Harukawa: "Sure, might as well."

Sakuramatsu: "Alright, fine with me."

Iida: "Okay! Who else votes in favor of Suzuki?"

Out of eighteen who haven't voted yet, seven voted in favor of Suzuki. That's ten votes total, with three (Itsuka, Iida, and Yaoyorozu) against it. Eight abstained, including myself, Tokugawa, Mantora, and Suzuki. Majority rules.

Yaoyorozu: "Then it's settled. Suzuki will stay as 1-D's representative. Now, it's for the next topic: Inochi's place as 1-B's vice representative."

Tabuchi: "Kick him out. I read Shoowashya's article on the fight. Inochi went to Gym Gamma to beat Suzuki. He didn't try to peacefully resolve things, no, he decided to fight him. And 1-B calls Inochi a 'good person'. 'Good person' my ass."

Sugai: "You're kinda getting extreme, Tabuchi..."

Tabuchi: "And you aren't?! We're in the Management Department, but imagine if you're in the General Courses. This bastard is Quirkless, yet he got into U.A. from a transcript error! And he's still in 1-B! How is that fair to you?"

Oma: "It explains why my class has nineteen students. I should've made the connections. In my opinion, Inochi should be placed back in 1-E.."

Usami: "Yeah, this isn't fair. I don't know why he gets to sit in that chair, getting training that someone with an actual Quirk could use. He's wasting U.A.'s time and ruining his friends' lives. I'd bet he was oblivious to this entire thing-"

Tokugawa: "Nope. Inochi very well knew. From my father, he told me that Fuyushiro Tokage informed Inochi of this error during Golden Week. In fact, despite the media's pressure, him and the other investors want Inochi to stay in for reasons I can't disclose. Well, I can say one reason though: He has potential."

Oma: "Right, 'potential'. You call punching a man 'potential'? What about getting in a fight? What do you say about that, Tokugawa?"

Tokugawa: "He knows how to fight."

Usami: "That's arguable. Inochi is still Quirkless. What if he fights an actual Villain? What happens then? I'd say, for his own safety, demote him to General Courses."

Itsuka: "For his own safety? Really? He could fight anyone in this room and win. Any other excuses you got? Tell me: Do you have anything else to say about him? Anything good?"

Tabuchi: "Why would we say anything good about him? His entire life is a mistake. Right from when he was born, when his parents made him a foster child, and when U.A. accepted him. I don't know why he's still here."

Itsuka: "Say that again and I'll-!"

Yaoroyozu: "Kendo, sit down."

Itsuka: "Ugh, unbelievable. Iida, do you have anything to say? You've been quiet."

Iida: "I… I do. Yes, Inochi instigated the fight against Suzuki, but I heard nothing but kind words from Midoriya. He should remain as 1-B's vice representative. However, as with all of you. I am disgusted by the things you say about him! How could you say such awful things to a man sitting at this very table?! We're students at U.A.! We are-!"

Usami: "Shut up, Iida. We don't want your drabble about heroism."

Iida: "You-!"

Usami: "You should worry about yourself rather than Inochi. Like, worrying about your brother. I heard he'll never be a Hero again. Stain crippled him, right? That's why you were away during the end of the Sports Festival?"

Iida: "..." Iida takes off his glasses.

Usami: "If I were you, I would be supporting him. But, you're not. What kind of brother are you-?"

_CRACK!_

Iida slams his hands against the table, destroying his glasses. It… It cuts his hands. He clears his throat. "I'm… I'm sorry. Yaoyorozu, I have to excuse myself. Please, continue the meeting without me."

Me: "Iida, I-!"

Iida: "Inochi, please forgive me, but I have to leave." He leaves.

Yaoyorozu: "Iida… Goodness, are you people done arguing about this? You-!"

Motoyoshi: "Nisehana has something to say."

Nisehana: "Thank you, Motoyoshi. Now, I'm sure most of us agree that Inochi should have his position revoked. Do we need a vote for this? We know the outcome."

Yaoyorozu: "We're voting. Everyone, raise your hands if you want Inochi to remain as 1-B's vice representative."

Four votes: Tokugawa, Mantora, Itsuka, and Yaoyorozu.

Yaoyorozu: "Those abstain?"

Seven votes: Me, Suzuki, Kurogane, Sakuramatsu, Hatsume, Shinso, and Nobunaga.

Yaoyorozu: "It's...settled. Ten votes to four, Inochi is removed...:"

Usami: "Good. Oh, and Tokugawa? Why did you vote for Inochi?"

Tokugawa: "Frankly, he might be a measly Quirkless, but my God! You commoners are exactly what I'd expected."

Nisehana: "And that is…?"

Tokugawa: "Loud and opinionated. No wonder Stain is slaughtering beloved Heroes. Women like you are the reason why."

Nisehana: "Hmph, doesn't matter. Inochi is no longer 1-B's vice rep."

Itsuka whispers to me, "I'm sorry… Guess we couldn't win, huh?"

I whisper back, "You did your best."

Harukawa: "Hey, Inochi. Why are you whispering? Got something to say?"

Tabuchi: "Mhm. How does it feel being revoked? Man, Iida says that you're a good guy, but I don't see it. All I see is a brooding man ready to jump at me."

Mantora: "I wouldn't agitate him. He fought nearly all of 1-D without a Quirk."

Suzuki: "Tabuchi, I hate Inochi, but he isn't weak. Not anymore. Listen to Mantora."

Tabuchi: "Suzuki? Really? I wouldn't even call Inochi a man! He's constantly hiding behind Bitch Princess's wealth to escape punishment! Not to mention Kendo! She's more of a man than he is! Inochi had to resort to assaulting a man when he least expected it! Y'know why? The guy irritated Inochi. Inochi doesn't have his emotions in check! If I could, I would expel Inochi right here!"

Itsuka: "You-!"

Nobunaga: "That kinda sounds like jealousy, Tabuchi. I know you're in Management, but still."

Nisehana: "It's not jealousy, it's justice. He should've never been allowed to participate in the Entrance Exam. And, when are we going to talk about Bitch Princess? Where's the justice for Hifumi? Her father? Her mother lost her entire family, yet no one is doing a damned thing about it. Fuyushiro Tokage is no better than a Villain, and he's raising his daughter to be one. We need to stop them."

Itsuka: "How can you say that?! Nisehana, you're no better than a self-righteous punk! You think you can fix the world when you don't even know how it works!"

Nisehana: "What about you? You're the most self-righteous woman here. I heard you almost punched Kamakiri, correct? The son of the Executioner Wasp? What do you have to say about that?"

Itsuka: "..."

Nisehana: "As I thought. You keep blinding yourself to true justice to support your friends. Unbelievable. One of these days, your blindness will lead you off a cliff."

Yaoyorozu: "We need to-"

Oma: "You know, we should let Inochi talk. I only heard him say one thing so far, so let's make him talk. C'mon, do you have anything to say?"

Me: "What do you want me to say?"

Usami: "Why are you still trying to be a Hero?"

Me: "A lot of people asked me that question. Time and time again, I'll answer. I want to save people. I don't care that I'm Quirkless, because I'll save people regardless of it. Even you, Usami. I'll save you."

Usami: "..."

Oma: "Really? You still have the guts to say that-?!"

Tokugawa: "Here sits a man surrounded by wolves. He doesn't flee, but rather stare at the hounds with an unwavering gaze. That's when he realizes that they are not bloodthirsty wolves, but rather, they're cowardly hyenas searching for an easy meal. Once realized, the hyenas run with their tails tucked beneath their legs."

Tabuchi: "Oh my God, Tokugawa! Shut up! You're not helping! All of us know that he won't be anything in life! Yet, there's still some of us here defending him! Especially Kendo!"

Itsuka: "Because if you actually knew him, you wouldn't be talking!"

Tabuchi stands up. "Shut the hell up! Go bitch somewhere else you-!"

I stand up to face him. "Sit down."

Tabuchi: "...!" He does what I ask without a word. I sit down as well with Itsuka stunned in silence.

Tokugawa: "And so the hyena runs when the sitting man stands."

Yaoyorozu: "May we please continue?"

Me: "Please, Yaoyorozu."

Suzuki: "Let's get this over with."

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"Hey pretty boy, are you okay?" I ask Sanji, who's currently putting his hood and mask on. For such an adorable man, he actually looks intimidating. I mean, you can't see his face. All you see is a man walking up to you with metal armor and a katana. If anyone could intimidate a criminal into giving up from looks alone, he could do it. It didn't stop the three jerks from yesterday though. They certainly learned their lesson. But today… I feel his intimidating presence. He doesn't turn that on at all!

It's because of the meeting. From it, Inochi is no longer the vice class representative. Almost everyone there ganged up on him. Thank goodness that he wasn't suspended though. He only has to serve community service. For Suzuki, he has to tutor elementary kids while Inochi has to clean up Musutafu from litter. It's more of a punishment for Inochi, since he'll be out in public. I'm so sorry he had to go to his execution.

Sanji tightens his right bracer (crossbow), answering, "I'm fine. The meeting didn't go so hot for me. Itsuka's brooding as we speak." He sighs, being disappointed in himself. Aw, Itsuka told me he stood up one time to snap back at an asshole. If the meeting wasn't depressing, then I would say it's very attractive for a do-gooder to get angry. But, right now isn't the time nor the place.

"Sorry man," Manga comments, strapping his comic panel mask on. That is a very redundant part of his costume. How can he see through it? "Anyway, being vice rep doesn't really matter. But… who is this Okichi Tokugawa guy? All I know is that he's a rich boy who got transferred in." Actually, both of the reps get special privileges in U.A., especially for the Hero Course reps. Like food, internship opportunities, and special events just for them. Sanji deserves it, but life doesn't work that way. It seems like U.A. wants to create a council full of drama though, because that's all it'll amount to.

Oh right, Okichi! At the mention of his name, Sanji audibly groans. Hehe, he's protective of me. I have my very own knight who'll keep me safe. Samurai, if we're going Japanese. I feel like a real noble in the Sengoku period. I inform my little Manga, "He's my future husband. My dad is making us have an arranged Quirk Marriage. Don't tell anyone." With that, Manga's head goes "!" like a real anime expression. Impressive.

"What?! How could you get married before I did?!" he shouts, nearly sending his mask off before correcting himself, "I mean, _wow_. That's surprising. I guess you two don't like him much." Manga nervously laughs, readjusting his mask. Ugh, "don't like" is not enough to describe my relationship with him. He's the very stereotype of an entitled rich brat who's pretentious as hell. Thank goodness I learned humility from Mom. She's my savior in this world. Without her, I would be just like Okichi. But, he can be a decent guy at times. He did stood up for Inochi, but only because the others were asshats.

"She deserves better than Tokugawa, and besides, she has her eye on someone else," Sanji teases, looking at me. Even with his face mask, I can tell he's smiling. Manga's head turns into a question mark, looking between Sanji and I. He scratches his head and I'm assuming he's trying to figure out who I like. Hehe, if he figures out that it's Shiozaki, then he's a lot smarter than he looks. She's a badass too. Yesterday, she snapped at Chitose Kizuki herself on live TV. I mean, it made her look bad and 1-B even worse, but I love her for it! She doesn't give a damn about what anyone thinks! No one will ruin her classmates' name on her watch!

"It's Rin," Manga guesses and he's completely wrong!

"Nope! Try-"

"Inochi."

"I love him, but not like that. You should-"

"Awase?"

"Okay, are you even-"

"Monoma!"

"Are you serious-?!"

"Kaibara?!"

"Wow, he's clearly not into women-!"

"it's gotta be Shishida!"

"Manga, no. Stop gues-!

"It's Shiozaki," Kamakiri suddenly says, walking inside the office. Well, I always knew he could figure it out! Underneath that angsty personality is a man who doesn't take two shits from anybody. It's not hard for him to see pass somebody's mask and get to the root of their true self. And at that comment, Sanji snickers while Manga goes completely silent, staring at me in complete bewilderment.

I giggle, giving Kamakiri one of my proud smiles. I exclaim with a little jump in the air, "Ding ding ding! I have a crush on none other than Ibara Shiozaki. Why, Kamakiri, tell the audience how you came to this answer!"

Kamakiri lowers his head in annoyance, saying, "Look, Lizard Head… It was fuckin' obvious. If you didn't like Vines, then call me the fuckin' Pope." Wow, he answered in the only way he could. Hmm...

"Angry Mantis Boy, if yain't cashin' dem feel-feels 'bout Horns, den ya're a sack o' shite," I say, imitating his accent. Sanji looks confused, Manga even more confused than him, while Kamakiri is tired of my shit. He raises his finger and opens his mouth, but he just walks to a wall and bangs his head against it.

_BANG!_

"...You broke him," Sanji says, staring at Kamakiri who bangs his head again, "you broke the man. You finally did it." Welp, that's Kamakiri off the list. Now, I broke Manga and Awase before. Out of all the boys, Monoma and Sanji are the hardest to crack. Monoma because… well… do I even need to explain? And Sanji dealt with me for months, so he built up a resistance against this lizard.

"Should I even ask why Jack Mantis is trying to hurt himself?" Grandmaster walks in with The Count. There's the couple of the hour! Well, I don't know. These two are really close, but I don't know if they love each other or not. It's hard to tell. Once he walks in, Kamakiri takes his head off and grunts.

Sanji answers for me, "Well, Sets-"

"SHE'S A LESBIAN! WHAT THE HELL?!" Manga shouts at the top of his lungs. Huh, it took him _that_ long to process it? Considering his sister is a fujoshi, I'm surprised that he's surprised, but it _is_ Manga. He's a disappointment. (Oh right, Shojo! Gosh, I saw a picture of Shojo a week or so ago. She's cute in a nerdy way. I can't believe she's Manga's twin sister. Shojo might be flat, but her legs are really nice.)

"Wow Manga, I believe Hawaii didn't hear you. Why don't you shout louder? Like, for example, shouting while sticking your head out a window, where I'm conveniently behind your twig-like body," I subtly threaten him, crossing my arms. This idiot shrinks his head into his shoulders and shamefully turns away. Grandmaster sighs and puts a hand on his head while The Count laughs a dad laugh.

"Guess it's true! You really learn one new thing everyday," Count comments, putting his arm around me. I catch a glimpse of his scarred arm hiding underneath his black sleeve before I push him away. He laughs again with a sassy hand on his hip.

"Can we focus?" Grandmaster asks us, walking up to his desk. That's dad number two. He's the serious dad and also the one who has to deal with fun dad. As an example: Serious dad shot the hell outta fun dad yesterday. Anyway, Grandmaster pulls out a file and throws it on a table. Like a magician, it naturally opens up to reveal a case file. It's dubbed, "The Still Statues of Shinjuku".

He explains what we're doing today, "This is a case that I solved a few years ago in Shinjuku. Now, for today's exercise, you will be solving it. The four of you must find the culprit within… two hours. If you fail to bring the Villain to justice, then Claude and I will subject you to something… interesting tomorrow. Use your time wisely, as you will not get any hints. Good luck." And, being a _great_ (awful) mentors, they leave the room. God, we only get a measly file? I thought it'll be much cool-

"Why is the room going blue?!" Manga shouts, and well, I can't say he's lying because the room is literally going blue. A projector on the ceiling reveals itself, spouting a bright blue light that covers the entire room. It's so bright that I can't see what else is going on, but I know exactly what that projector is. It's the latest technology in projectors after all! It's able to create lifelike projections/holograms. Is it able to recreate a crime scene? Absolutely, if the customer can design a crime scene.

After thirty seconds of blinding light (I'm probably legally blind now), it clears. The office turned into a dark interrogation room like one in a police station. A single metal table stands in the middle with a chair. On this table is a file, the same one from before. While, on the concrete walls, there's nothing. Nothing…yet! Sanji takes off his hood and mask to see better. "So… How do we do this?" he asks, cluelessly looking around.

"Watch," I tell him, walking up to the table and tapping the file. An interactive display hovers over it. Hmm, it details the actual murder but it's too small for everyone to read at once, so I push it towards the back wall and expanding it to encompass it. There we go! That's what I want. Manga goes "ooo" like he hasn't seen this before. Wait, he probably _hasn't_. This piece of technology is incredibly expensive. Anyway, I read the case out loud for everyone:

"In June, a middle-aged Japanese man was found encased with stone in his apartment in Shinjuku. Efforts to rescue him from his stone prison failed, as he shattered upon touch. Throughout seven months, there was six more instances of stone-encased men. The case was solved by Shindeka Oji (Codename: Grandmaster) before there was an eight victim. For today's exercise, you will be placed in Grandmaster's role in the case. Find the Villain before time runs out."

On the ceiling, big red numbers appear. "2:00:00". Welp, it's counting down. That's our time limit alright. The walls light up with information. On the left has details about the victims themselves, their life, Quirks, family, et cetera. Meanwhile, the right has information on the Villain itself, which isn't much. The only detail there is they have a Quirk that could turn people into stone, and the police gave this Villain a name: Medusa. Lastly, the front wall is where we can submit our answer. The back is just a door. Now, we can add in information, cherry-pick some things, expand, extract, basically: We have free reign here.

"Lizard Head, you're the prodigy here. Think you can figure this shit out within the hour? You're smart enough," Kamakiri actually compliments me, and he's right. I should be able to figure this out on my own. Even faster with other people too. Sanji might not be book-smart, but he's smart enough to have a useful perspective on this case. Kamakiri too. And Manga? Eh, I don't know. He's Manga.

"Yeah! Let me get to work! If you wanna ask anything or say something useful, just do it. I'm not _that_ full of myself," I tell them with a little wink before I get to work. Sanji has the timeline, adding new events when I tell him too, Manga is theorizing who the Villain is, while Kamakiri is going over statements from witnesses and the police. I'm compiling all the information in my little brilliant brain of mine. From what I gathered, Medusa really likes turning men into stone. All of the victims were Japanese men in their early twenties to early thirties. In terms of education, they all went to college, had friends, family, basically an average man. None of them were Pro Heroes or anything like that too. Just average civilians. On social media, they were even more average. So, I think that this Medusa is a woman just like in the myths. I tell Manga to update their gender to a her.

As for the witnesses, the persons/people who discovered the body weren't suspicious. They were all either shocked, amazed, or scared outta their minds. The police didn't find anything suspicious either, so that's a dead end. For the victims' friends, there were two friends who had connections with a couple of the victims, but that's it. I wouldn't call them viable suspects either because one was studying abroad in America and the other was in Kyoto. Damn, so who killed these guys? We have an hour and a half left, and we only figured out Medusa's gender based on her victims. Hmm… Wait a second!

I yell at Kamakiri, "Jack Mantis! Since we're technically Grandmaster, we should have access to the Quirk Registry List of Japan! Can you pull it up? We might be able to find our stone cold mistress." He huffs as a response and stares at a wall. Oh, he's trying to figure out how to pull it up. Right, he has no experience with this projector.

"Uhm… Hey projector! Show me the fuckin' Quirk Registry List of Japan!" Kamakiri shouts at the ceiling. Nothing happens. Hmph, I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as the "fucking Quirk Registry List of Japan".

Sanji scratches his head, suggesting, "Maybe you should say 'please'. Being polite goes a long way, Jack Mantis." Kamakiri rolls his eyes at him.

"Fuckin' fine. Projector, may you show us the Quirk Registry List of Japan… _Please_," he corrects himself. I swear if this works-

"Showing: Quirk Registry List of Japan," a robotic female voice says. It actually worked! Oh, I love that voice already! Kamakiri groans and bangs his head against a wall littered with information. It disperses around his head, perfectly ruining the format of neat text. What a monster. Manga takes up the role of list searcher. First, he looks through any civilians with a Quirk relating to stone. No dice. Then Villains. Nothing. Heroes? Nada. He uses other keywords like "paralysis", "frozen", "Medusa", and words like that. Did he get anything? Not yet. I tell him to keep trying though despite it being mostly a dead end as well. We have a little over an hour left. Gosh, the clock is going by too fast!

Sanji sighs, swiping through the victims' descriptions again. He talks out loud, "The only connection I can see is these are young men who have good jobs straight out of college. They fit into society well and don't bother anyone. What kind of deranged sexist would go after these guys?"

"Some crazy lady, that's for sure. But, you're right though. I don't see any other connections, Sanji. There has to be something there, but I'm not seeing it," I say, taking a look at the friends and family of the victims. They all say the same thing: Victim was a good man, a bit of an otaku though. Victim was kind, didn't hurt anyone. Victim was kinda pervy, but harmless. Victim only watched anime, wouldn't hurt a fly. Victim was lonely.

"Yeah, I took a look deeper into their online status. All of them got adware, but that's it. Social media-wise, nothing much. I mean, victim number three was in a group called 'Thick Thighs Appreciation Club', but that's about it." Pfft, what?! That's hilarious. Oh. this is a little off-topic, but I wonder what part of a woman does Sanji appreciate? I know for a fact that Manga is a lover of big breasts considering the "manga" he reads in the corner. As for me, I have a little preference towards legs.

I giggle, commenting, "Sounds like a group Awase or Tsuburaba would be interested in. Too bad for number three though. Thick thighs didn't save his life, but we need to move on. What do you think we should look at? We only got an hour left."

"We checked the Quirk Registry List and got nothing. Medusa picked young men like apples, that we know for sure. She wasn't one of their friends or family, so she was a random woman. Did we check the U.H.N's website of the world's most dangerous Villains? Maybe she could be on the list. Or any list."

Manga, being the guy in charge of lists, says, "Yup, checked that already. Got absolutely jack. By the way, do you know who's the world's most dangerous Villain? It's classified, and the only information is they're based in Japan." Man, I've been wondering about that too. It makes sense that Japan has the greatest Hero and worst/greatest Villain. In the Enlightenment, France was the most influential country. Then came Britain with its colonization and imperialism. The last era before Quirks was… Well, the historians call it the "Buffer Era". During that time, nothing major happened. The most influential country then was the United States. When Quirks came into existence, it was Japan's turn because we are freaking amazing. When France was a big dog, there was a phrase. "When France sneezes, Europe catches a cold." Today, Japan has a phrase of its own. "When Japan blows up, the world will feel its shockwaves."

"It'll be me if we don't solve this fuckin' thing," Kamakiri says in the only way he can. He's by himself trying to work with the projector, but failing horribly. I think he's trying to zoom in on a piece of information, but it keeps flying all over the place. If Manga didn't help him, then Kamakiri would've ripped the projector from the ceiling and smash it to pieces.

"Back on topic… We only got forty minutes left. We need to think like Grandmaster. What process would he take during this?" Sanji asks all of us with a hand gesture. Hmm, what would Grandmaster think? We have all the information laid out in front of us, so there's gotta be that single connection that ties these victims together. The connection that isn't just men. So, for twenty minutes, we ask each other questions and possible theories. It didn't lead to anywhere though. We're still stuck! Damnit, we got twenty minutes until we get the special punishment that our mentors whipped up. God, what is it _what_ is it?! We can look at sexist blogs, but there's simply too many to count! We don't have that kind of time! What about profiling women who looks like Medusa in Greek myth? No, we can't do that! I really don't want to know what Grandmaster and Count have in plan for us! I'm just a little girl in a skintight suit! You know what, I think I need to be a Christian and start praying for a miracle. Shiozaki, I'm gonna be Catholic just like you!

Manga, being frustrated, slams his hands against the metal table. It's only a soft _thud_. Twig-like body, weak arms. I feel bad for him. He exclaims, "Well, we're screwed! Grandmaster will kill us tomorrow! I just wanna watch anime and pass away. That's how I wanna go out."

...

Wait a second?!

"'Watch anime and pass away'? That's it! I think I figured out the connection! Thank you, Manga! You aren't completely useless!" I exclaim before I nearly run into the wall containing the victim's information. I flip to the photos of the victims' apartments. Yeah! The connection's there! It's all there! I see it now! Sanji is about to ask me something, but I put my hand over his mouth.

I yell at him, "Shut up! This is big brain mode for Setsuna Tokage! Now! Now, each and every one of these victims are young men, right?! Young men who would join stuff like 'Thick Thighs Appreciation Club'. You know why? Because they love anime and manga. That's their life! Now, what else does all of these men have in common?"

"They're fuckin' lonely," Kamakiri says, hitting the nail with the best hammer in town! That's exactly it!

"Yup! Anime nerds are usually lonely like Manga!" ("Can you stop stereotyping me..." Nope! Sorry Manga,) "they are more perverted than the average person! As a result, they don't date or have sex with any girl. The only love they have is a body pillow! But, they couldn't take it anymore! No amount of virtual girls could satisfy their nerdy lust! So-!"

Sanji finishes for me, "Ads! The victims had adware on their computer! The virus could've shown an unsavory ad for escorting! Being unaware and fearless, they'll click on it and get an escort! Unfortunately, their escort turned out to be a femme fatale who turned them into stone! That means-"

"We gotta check the victims' bank charges or whatever it's called! I'll pull it up!" Manga exclaims, running towards the list wall. He shouts at the projector to pull up records of charges made to each of the victims. The last charge for each poor horny men was a wired transaction of 30,000 yen. Seven men seriously fell victim to this woman, huh? But, we got Medusa. We definitely got her now.

I ask the projector, "Hey, find out the recipient of these transactions please." And with that, it displays the profile of a black-haired woman with shades on. Her Quirk is unknown, but her name isn't. Looks like Yukiko Ishikiken is Medusa. I take a look at our timer. We have ten minutes left until it ends. The men in the room turn to me with the look that says, _Put the answer in._

With a little hop in my step, I walk over to the front wall with a little blank textbox. I write "Yukiko Ishikiken" in there and hit the submit button or whatever it is. The box… it turns green! Hell yeah! We did it!

"Wooo! Fuckin' finally! I hate this piece of shit projector!"

"Being a nerd did something useful!"

"I always knew we could do it. Think-?"

A blue light blinds us again, but it's much shorter than last time. Within five seconds, we're back in Grandmaster's lovely little office. The four of us wait for Grandmaster and The Count to walk back in… But… uhm… They haven't walked in yet. That's weird. I thought they would wait for us outside the room. Where are they?

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"Grandmaster, The Count, I'm glad you could come," Detective Naomasa greets us. Behind him is two police cars and an ambulance. The block is cut off to commuters. A few prying eyes stare at us from the windows. All they would see is the police trying to console a sobbing woman, a bloody car, and a body draped in a white blanket. Detective Naomasa, or True Man, fills us in, "About fifteen minutes ago, a male high school student jumped in front of a moving car. He died on impact. We are ruling this as a suicide, but you beg to differ, don't you?"

I nod, explaining, "I suspect that this suicide was caused by something else. Just last Friday, Hifumi Osuhashi hanged herself in 2-A's classroom. Last Sunday, a boy jumped in front of a moving bullet train in front of countless of civilians, including children. Today, Tuesday, another boy jumped in front of a car. Three public suicides within a span of five days? There could only be one explanation."

"Risai Tatchikutsu, also known as Catharsis. He came out of hiding after a year of evading Shindeka. Mon Dieu… Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is enemy action," Claude says the rest, putting my previous thoughts in a simple analogy. Hmph, I know exactly why this boy evaded me. Catharsis is too reckless, so someone else hid him. Who? Well, it's the very man who All Might fights against. It has to be him. Couldn't be anyone else _but_ this man.

"_All For One will return and shake the web. Who knows what strands might break when he comes?"_

Be quiet, Savant.

Naomasa takes his hat off, turning to the covered body of the boy. He says, "I heard about him. He caused a middle school girl to jump off of a roof, right? A year ago? It must be pretty upsetting, because you didn't bring your interns here."

"One of my interns is the girl's twin brother," I answer truthfully. There is no reason to lie. Even if I wanted to, Detective Naomasa could detect it with his Quirk. His eyes go wide before he takes off his hat, putting it against his chest.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. You can find Catharsis, right? Kids are dying because of this heartless man," Naomasa asks. I sure hope so. Risai Tatchikutsu is one of the worst human beings out there. A man who wants to rid the world of the weak, forcing them to kill themselves. He's a sociopath by no other definition. Luckily, he's reckless. Knowing him, he'll taunt me. I'll be able to find him, but it'll mean walking into his trap.

Claude answers, taking off his hat as well, "No matter what, Detective Naomasa. This bastard will go to Tartarus. No more futures will be ruined because of him. For Shindeka and I though, we have to tell our kids. They need to know."

"Because the media thinks one of them was the cause of Hifumi's suicide… That's why Catharsis targeted her. He's going after 1-B," Naomasa deduces, looking back to the deceased boy. The woman, who was forced to run him over, is on her knees sobbing hysterically. If the media makes light of the recent suicides, then who knows what could happen? The likely scenario is Catharsis would speed up his actions, killing more students before a Hero inevitably catches him. Maybe he works for the League of Villains? This could bring a light on Japan's suicide rate. They want to destroy this society, but that would mean All For One is back. God, I hope he isn't back. Anyway, focus. Eventually, Catharsis will target Manga and Shojo for revenge, maybe even the rest of my kids. They'll be in danger.

I tightly grip my cane, telling Naomasa, "Do not, under any circumstances, reveal this to the reporters just yet. I'll speak to the Hero Public Safety Commission for their orders about this case. For now, this is a simple suicide that coincidentally happened in a close time range with the others. I'll report any information to you as Claude and I try to find Catharsis. You should keep your men on watch for suicides." Since Stain's attack on Ingenium, the police force is stretched thin throughout the city. They're not as effective as Pro Heroes, but they'll waver Stain. He's a man ruled on ideals and principals, the type of man who would ponder killing an officer of the law. It'll limit areas where he can strike. If Catharsis is well-known, the police will be forced to stretch even thinner. It'll make for a tragedy.

"Alright, I can handle the rest from here. You two should go back to 221B and tell your interns. They'll be-"

"OH MY GOD!"

A man yells from across the street. What in the world could he be-?!

"Shindeka! A girl's on the roof!" Claude shouts, running towards the building. What?! Catharsis is here?! Damn it all! There's no time to worry about him! This girl is about to jump! Naomasa yells at the police and the first responders to prepare a net for her to land, but there's no time to bring it out! My Quirk! Wait, no! I can't use my Quirk! Even with the consequences it'll bring to my body, the laws of physics will still apply! What on earth could we do?!

Quickly, I run behind Claude, but it's too late. Before we reach the building, before the emergency responders could think about doing anything, the girl falls. Claude leans forward, activating Aftershadow to boost himself forward and leaving a Shadow behind him, but it's not enough. Time seems to slow as she falls. She doesn't scream. She doesn't say anything. The look on her eyes say it all: She's already dead. Catharsis murdered her mind. The air goes silent despite the wails of the police siren, the cries of the nearby civilians, Claude screaming at the girl, it wasn't enough to break the silence. And so, she falls.

_THUD!_

She crashed against the asphalt with blood already pooling from underneath her body face-down, coloring the dull grey with a sickening red. Her face, the only part I see, is caved in from the impact. It's hard to tell if she was even human to begin with. Claude, seeing he failed, falls to his knees, slamming his fist against the ground. I turn away from the sight, looking around the area. Naomasa yells for someone to put a blanket over her. The officers tell any civilians to look away, trying to maintain order. Damnit... Catharsis is getting bold. He's getting confident with his killings. I don't see him anywhere, but I can feel his presence.

This is a taunt. A taunt from him to me. It says, "I returned, and came back more vile than ever."

Four. Four murders in five days. By hanging, by train, by car, and by falling. The last one happened thirty seconds ago right in front of us.

Catharsis is written all over this. "Grandmaster, think you can find me when I'm right under your nose?"

* * *

**Manga Fukidashi**

_Click!_

"Finally! We've been waitin' for half an hour! Where the hell were you two?" Kamakiri exclaims, jumping up to his feet once Grandmaster and Count walks inside. Man, these two ditched us. I'd thought that they would observe us and take notes, but nope! This entire exercise was an excuse for them to do who knows what? Tokage was going on a conspiracy theory about how these two were actually dating and doing "things" that two guys do when they like each other very much. She didn't say the word directly, but she was using a lot of metaphors and implications. For the most part, I plugged my ears and made noises to drown her out. I'm not dealing with another Shojo. I had enough of one fujoshi, not dealing with another.

Grandmaster and Count though, they don't look happy. I exchange a bit of a worried (that's a lie. I'm terrified) glance with Tokage and Inochi. A bead of sweat trickles down my big white head as they stare at directly me. Okay, I think I'm in trouble! What did I do to deserve such a look?! I tried helping out with the case! Honestly, I did more work than Kamakiri since he didn't know how to use the dang projector! I swear, if it wasn't for me, then he would've broke it! If anything, I did these two a favor!

"Grandmaster, Count, what's wrong?" Inochi asks them, taking a step forward. Thank goodness he's asking for me! I don't have the confidence to ask them myself! Damnit, I goofed up on something! Was it emptying the trash? I wanted to do them a favor! But, I must've done _that_ wrong! I even asked one of the employees here! They told me what to do! Were they lying the entire time?! Did they want to see me suffer?!

"Sit down. We have something important to tell you," Grandmaster says. Immediately, we find a place to sit. I'm sharing the couch with Inochi and Kamakiri while Tokage is taking a nice comfy chair all to herself. I am squished in-between two guys who can use swords! One of them is literally an anime protagonist and the other is the hot-headed friend! What did I do to deserve this?! I mean, they won't kill me, but they can be _really_ scary! Grandmaster and The Count stand in front of us. C'mon, I just wanna know why they're trying to scare me! What's going on inside their heads? They never looked like this before! It must be really serious.

The Count speaks up, "Earlier, Shindeka and I came from a crime scene. If you didn't know already, there was a double suicide. A boy jumped in front of a woman's car. About fifteen minutes later, a girl jumped off of a roof to her death. We were there when the second suicide happened."

Suicide? That… No...

"Oh my God…" Tokage mutters underneath her breath. Inochi looks emotionless from the news, and Kamakiri is gritting his teeth.

Grandmaster continues, "The Hero Public Safety Commission concluded that this will be the official report sent out to the public. The boy's death spurred on another girl to commit the same act. It was the worst cast of coincidence, but-"

"But, that ain't official? What the fuck is goin' on, Grandmaster? Why the hell is the Commission coverin' this up?!" Kamakiri interrupts, glaring at him and The Count. God, why couldn't this double suicide be a coincidence? I wish that it was the official report, because… Oh God, please don't tell me…

He clears his throat, answering Kamakiri, "Because, unofficially, these suicides are not suicides. These are murders committed by a Villain. His Quirk causes the traumatized to kill themselves. In fact… Tokage, his first victim was Hifumi Osuhashi. He forced her to hang herself from 2-A's ceiling."

I should've known...

"...!" Tokage gasps, putting a hand over her mouth. Behind her domino mask, a few tears well up in her eyes. She stutters, "H-Hifumi?! Did this man really made Hifumi commit suicide?! It's not my fault?! Oh my God, it's not my fault… It's not my fault…" Inochi gets up and immediately comforts her without a word.

"Who is he?! This fucker is targetin' us for a reason! Is he workin' for the League of Villains? That's the only damn explanation since Shigaraki an' his gang tried to kill 1-A," Kamakiri asks him, his eyes gazing at Tokage and Inochi for a second or so before focusing his attention on Grandmaster again.

It's him… It's gotta be him…

"Maybe," The Count says, instead of Grandmaster, "but… Dieu. Manga knows who this man is. His name is Risai Tatchikuts-"

At the sound of his name, I fall forward. The Count grabs me before I hit my head against the table. He yells if I'm okay, but I can barely hear him. An intense tingling sensation spreads throughout my limbs. I can't move them. I can't move them… In my throat, the only thing that comes out is a pitiful whimper. Everyone else is saying my name, even Kamakiri. He uses my actual name instead of some stupid nickname. But, he sounds so far away. Everyone sounds so far away...

Risai… Risai Tatchikutsu. He's back… He really is back… After a year of living in mortal terror, he's actually back to kill me. He wants to finish what he started… Oh God, Shojo! He's going to hurt Shojo again! I have to go home! I can't let him hurt her! Not again! I grab The Count by his collar, lifting myself up.

"S-Shojo… I need to go back to Shoj-"

I fall again. My legs… I can't move my legs. I try to use my weak arms to push my off of the floor, but I can't. I'm stuck like a rock. God, I'm so scared, but I have to go back… I have to tell her… I have to-

Everything goes dark. The last thing I hear is everyone's voice yelling my name.


	23. The Killing Spree

**Manga Fukidashi**

It happened in seventh grade.

During middle school, Shojo and I weren't that popular since y'know, we were hopeless nerds—and still are—who were engrossed with a reality that wasn't the world we live in. We weren't normal to our classmates. Not by a long shot. Especially me. I wasn't born with a flattering Mutant-type Quirk. Everyone saw me as some type of freak, trying to mess around with my head. They called me names, bullied me, humiliated me, the usual things. To the guys, I was a loser.. Then, there was Shojo. Compared to me, I was lucky. The girls in our class were cruel to her. Shojo was always a shameless idiot, so they took advantage of that. They went around school and spread awful rumors about her, like she was sleeping around with the boys, or she creepily took pictures of them. It wasn't true. It was never _true_, but they didn't care. With those rumors, Shojo was called certain things and was treated as sub-human. Yet, even with those comments, she never once tried to fight back. At home, when she thought I was asleep, I would hear her cry. One time, I had enough and tried to do something. So I told the girls off, but that went as well as it could've. The girls laughed at me; the boys threatened to beat me up if I ever did that again. Listening to them, I didn't. If our teacher refused to stop this, then there was no hope for us. There was no hope for a better life.

That was our journey throughout middle school. Back then, Mom and Dad were at home more often. We got our nerdiness from them, so they encouraged us to be ourselves. They said to us, "Don't ever be afraid of being yourself." However, that wasn't the words I needed to hear. What I wanted to hear was, "Be strong, because there'll be a time when the pain stops, and the world won't shun you anymore." I don't blame Mom and Dad for our treatment though. I love them, even though they're going on more work trips lately. Shojo and I try to call them everyday if they weren't busy. And, I know that they're proud of us for just surviving day-by-day. Knowing that, it was the only thing that kept me going sometimes. If it wasn't for my parents, I would've went into a corner and curled myself to sleep.

Can't believe that it wasn't the worst of it. I wished it was, but life hated us like that. It sent the devil incarnate disguised as an angel to be one of my classmates: Risai Tatchikutsu. In school, we didn't know what his Quirk was, but it didn't matter. He was seemingly a normal guy, but he was one of my bullies. He was the cruelest of them all. Tatchikutsu never cared about other people's feelings, especially mine and Shojo's. One second, he was a normal blue-haired guy. The second afterwards, he would push me around and verbally abuse me, showing his devil horns. After countless times, I finally understood him. He kept calling me a "weakling". Tatchikutsu was one of those "the strong should fear the weak" type of guys, and he was willing to prove it. If you ask me, he was aroused or entertained by the thought of hurting others. I should've seen the signs that he was a Villain, but I didn't. By far, Tatchikutsu was much worse than Suzuki. Suzuki is a narcissist, but he's willing to change thanks to Inochi. There was no way in hell that Tatchikutsu could change. If he could, he would kill change if it was a living being. I should've seen how evil he was! But I couldn't! I was too afraid of everything and everyone! They were all the same as Tatchikutsu!

I was—and still am—the joke character. No one expected anything great for me. The only thing they expected is me screaming at the first sight of a spider. It was how I was born, I guess. It was really bad sometimes. Whenever a person would even glance at me, I would turn my head away and shake. I would never interact with anyone outside the teachers or Shojo. Fear always had a constant hold on my life, like claws digging into me and not letting go. Even now. Even today, but it's gotten better. Yet, I never thought Tatchikutsu would come back. I remember the day.

His first act, his first _public_ act was an attempt to murder Shojo. I remember the day clearly like a page of a manga.

It was October 22, a Wednesday. It was free period. We went outside to hang out in the courtyard. The same thing happened like all the other days: Everyone separated into their own friend groups. The girls talked about the latest gossip, the boys caught each other up on the latest Pro Hero news, and I chatted with Shojo about the latest volume of a pretty damn good manga. I was pretty mad at the ending of the volume since it was total bullshit while Shojo annoyingly loved it. That was the peaceful start before everything went to hell. About ten minutes into free period, one of my classmates walked up to us. I instinctively flinched and looked away anywhere but him. Still, he said, "Hey Fukidashi, mind if I borrow you?"

"U-Uhm… Kinda," I replied, but he didn't take that as the right answer.

"Come on! Let's have a little chat!" he implored and forced me up. He acted like we were best friends since elementary school, putting an arm around me and walking us to his friends. I couldn't do anything to stop him, as I didn't have the courage or strength of a hundred men. Against my will, he sat me down at his table. Him and three other guys talked about Pro Heroes and how about they'll take the U.A. Entrance Exam next year. It was all these guys cared about.

One of his friends asked me, "Fukidashi, think you'll try to take the Entrance Exam? Anyone could take it, even Quirkless, but like hell one of them is gonna get into the Hero Course." At the time, I never thought about becoming a Pro Hero. It was a pipe dream, like becoming a famous idol or a world-renowned olympian. It was something that only the determined could achieve, and I was far from it. All I wanted to do was fantasize about different worlds.

"D-Dunno… I don't… I don't see myself becoming one," I answered, looking back at Shojo. A few of the girls were talking her up. That was when my mental alarm rang in my head. I _knew_ that they were up to no good. These girls would never interact with Shojo otherwise unless they wanted something. I got out of my seat, but my classmates stopped me from standing up. One of them, again, put his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. He trapped me like a viper, waiting to sink his fangs into my skinny neck. I couldn't do anything to get out.

"Where are you going? It's a bit rude to get up in the middle of a conversation," he ridiculed me, but I didn't care. I had to go back to Shojo, but before I knew it, the girls led her off somewhere in the school. My classmate sat me down again and went on about heroism. I didn't listen to him or his friends. They might've asked me a few things, but I didn't hear them. My mind was shooting off panicked questions, being worried about Shojo's safety. I was so worried about her, more worried than talking to guys who didn't even care about me. I wished that I could awaken to some greater power within me, so I could beat up these guys and save my sister because… was so useless and weak. That feeling…that gaping feeling in my chest grew larger as time went by. Seconds felt like hours, and I really could only think about Shojo. The rest of the world was locked off to me. I couldn't scratch that itchy feeling of danger away. Consider it a gut feeling or a premonition.

I didn't know how much time had passed until I heard a scream. I knew it was Shojo. The only thing similar about us is how we scream. The guys grabbed me, but I was skinny and frighty enough to slip away. I ran inside the building. Everyone behind me laughed, but I didn't care. I booked it straight towards her, following the giggles and jeers from the girls. I turned left and ran straight down a hall to a staircase, where I found Shojo. She… She was covered in wet trash. Her school uniform was soaked, being the same color as dirt and mud. Once I saw… I just snapped. I yelled at the top of my lungs, telling the girls off about being miserable wretches. I never thought I could say those words, let alone yelling loud as I did. Didn't do anything. Nothing. They laughed at me. That only made me angrier, so I started to yell again, but I felt my arms being pinned against my back. I turned around and saw the same guys from earlier. If a smirk could kill someone, then I would've died a hundred times over. He said to me, "Think you should learn some respect, Fukidashi."

He pushed me forward, practically lifting me up off of the ground. I shouted at him to bring me back to Shojo, but he didn't listen. Him and his friends laughed at me like how the girls did. Before I knew it, they pushed me outside and closed the door, locking me out. They left after making fun of me some more. At this point, I was so angry. I felt like my head was gonna explode from how heated it was. I was tempted to use my Quirk to blow the door down. I could've done it. I had the ability too, but it was illegal. If I followed the law—if I was a good person—then it would've been proof that I'm the better man. In hindsight, I should've blown the door down like the big bad wolf. Just in case, I tried to open the door, even jiggling the handle. No luck. I could've gone to the office at another entrance, but I would have to tell the truth and face punishment for skipping school because the rules here are stupid. If I told the truth, would it do anything? The teachers wouldn't believe me, and even if they did, word would get out. Everything was hell enough, so it wasn't an option. I knew that this school had really bad security though, because I could walk into the courtyard by climbing a fence. It was the only option I had. It was the only painless option. So, I walked around the school, watching out for any teacher patrols. In my stupid enlarged head, I was panicking so damn much about Shojo. I didn't know if those bullies would hurt her more, so I picked up my pace. When I'm thinking about this now, I should've called her, but I wasn't thinking logically at the time. I mean, how the heck could I?! My sister just got humiliated by some of the world's most evil classmates! I tried fighting them, but it never worked! The only thing I could do is comfort her and be her brother.

I guess… I should've… I should've been faster.

For ten minutes, I finally made it back to the courtyard. (It was a nice sight to see, honestly. The courtyard—it was massive—was connected to the back of my school. There was a small forest with a stream if I went down the traill. Never went there though. Who knows what could lie in those woods?) Before I climbed the fence, I heard someone exclaim, "Hey, is that Fukidashi up there?" At first, I was confused since I was on the ground, but I looked up… God, I looked up at the roof. I saw Shojo there with her arms stretched out to the side. The first thing I saw though… was her eyes. It was empty. It was so empty, like she was already dead. A girl exclaimed, "Oh my God, is she gonna jump?!"

"No way! She can't be serious!"

"I didn't think she would end it all!"

"Get a teacher! Anyone! Get a freaking teacher! She's going to kill herself!"

There were a few people that actually helped, running inside to get the teachers. The rest stood around and watched. Some even took their phones out and decided to take a video. Then, there was me.

I was screaming.

My voice was so powerful that I knocked down the fence. It was a simple scream, but it had a force of a wrecking ball. For a moment, I was shocked at my own power, but I couldn't stay still. I ran into the courtyard, yelling at Shojo. I begged her to stop, but she didn't listen. She didn't listen… Everyone saw me coming and moved out of the way. I was still screaming for her, but she never listened. Instead… Instead she simply leaned forward and let gravity take her. That was when everyone started to scream with me. The noise, the noise in that soul-shattering moment rose tenfold. I was the loudest out of all of them.

Y'know, it seemed like time slowed down. I always read that in books, that whenever something big and dangerous is about to happen, time always seemed to crawl like a snail. I never believed it myself, but back then… I became a believer. Shojo fell. The building became a blur of grey and blue while Shojo was the only thing that was crystal clear. I was still running, but I knew I couldn't make it in time. Every tenth of a second, she got closer to the ground where I would lose her forever. I didn't want to be alone without her. I _don't_ want to be alone. Out of everything in the world, I care about Shojo the most.

In that awful second, I vividly remember the single thought in my mind, "_I would do anything to save her."_

It came to life. Before Shojo hit the ground, before she would die, I used my Quirk to send out a platform. It was… It was an Onomatopoeia, the sound of something hitting a pillow. I yelled hard enough for it to come to life, loud enough to make it as large as possible, covering nearly the width of the courtyard. But, it worked. Thank God that it worked. Shojo landed in my Onomatopoeia. I ended up falling to my knees, scraping them against the pavement, but I ignored the pain. I practically crawled to my Onomatopoeia, climbing on top where Shojo was. Barely, with the only amount of strength I had, I flipped her over so I could see her face. Something wet hit her cheeks, and that was when I knew that I was crying. No, that isn't right… I was sobbing. I lifted her up slightly, my arms getting wet and dirty from her soaked clothes. Her glasses, despite my soft Onomatopoeia, was cracked. I begged her to answer why she wanted to kill herself.

She said one word before going unconscious, "T-Tatchi...kutsu…"

Later that day, Shojo was sent to the hospital and a manhunt was on the way for Tatchikutsu. Mom, Dad, and I stayed in the hospital with her. The doctors said she was perfectly fine physically-speaking. Mentally though? That was another story. They said that if I didn't save her, then she would've died. To this day, I honestly don't know how I saved her, but I'm glad. Even though she's the worst, I can't imagine my life without her. Me and our parents. I couldn't even describe how Mom took the news. She was crying so much that it physically hurt her with every breath, and Dad was yelling at the police to find Tatchikutsu. I was… I was stunned. I didn't know how to process what just happened. It was like my world fell apart, but it was holding together by the tiniest of seams.

So, I just sat there, alone, in Shojo's room, right next to her bed where she slept. I buried my hands in my head for the longest time, muttering nonsense about...about I don't know what. I went over what just happened a thousand times, and I couldn't make sense of it all. The only thing I knew for sure that Shojo was alive, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. But, she was living in pain. I knew that when she woke up, she would hurt. She would cry. Each day would be awful for her, but I was ready to make it easier. In fact… What really sealed in that promise was from _them_.

Grandmaster and The Count walked inside the room. I swear, these guys were saviors. Angels sent from God, even though I'm not a Christian! They haven't changed their costumes one bit since seventh grade. Grandmaster sported that detective look while The Count looked like someone who would sell cheap watches in a dark alleyway at night. Anyway, Grandmaster walked up to me with a soft smile and said, "Mister Fukidashi, I'm Shindeka Oji, also known as Grandmaster. I'm taking over the case for Risai Tatchikutsu, who is now calling himself 'Catharsis'. I'm sorry for what happened, but we'll find him and put him to justice. For you and your sister."

I simply nodded while he explained to me Tatchikutsu's case. Apparently, Shojo wasn't his first victim. Throughout last year, in sixth grade, there were three cases of extremely public suicides. From Shojo's attempt and what she said before she went unconscious, it revealed the culprit for Grandmaster. "It broke the case wide open." That was how Grandmaster put it, and it gave me hope. From The Count's jokes to try to cheer me up, and Grandmaster's confident words, I had hope that Tatchikutsu would get what's coming. Obviously, it didn't work out, but I finally looked forward to the future. I never did that before.

In fact, I wanted to give that feeling to Shojo. Even though she never said it, I knew she didn't have hope for the future. She never had hope, but I wanted to give her that. After Grandmaster and Count left, I remember looking at her while she peacefully slept. I thought about the prank, before it happened. I remember the conversation about U.A. and the Entrance Exam. That was the day I vowed to myself that I wanted to be a Hero. I knew I couldn't be the greatest Hero, but I wanted to be the kind of Hero that made the future look bright. And… And I wanted to protect Shojo. That's why… That's why I want to be a Hero. My bones might tremble, quaking in absolute terror, but I still wanna reach my dream no matter what.

A year went by, and Tatchikutsu wasn't found despite Grandmaster's efforts. For all of our eighth grade year, Shojo became a shut-in as a result of what happened. She was afraid of going outside, but she was happy. Our school gave her online homework and classes, while I had to go directly there. I still got bullied, but wasn't as bad as before. No one would bring up Shojo or Tatchikutsu for good reasons. I did my best to ignore it, so I could focus on training to be a Pro. Naturally, I told Shojo about it and she was thrilled. We started to train my Quirk by straining my voice, thus strengthening it. I still have flashbacks from the brutality, but it worked.

When the Entrance Exam came around, I did well on the written portion and crushed some robots in the practical. I got thirty freaking points! Didn't make it to the top ten, but I passed! I more than passed! Shojo and I were so happy! Mom and Dad too! Finally, life seemed like it was going our way again! In fact, when I came to 1-B, I even ran into Inochi and Kendo. From first glance, they seem like wonderful people. I wanted to be their friend, so I didn't want to be called "Fukidashi". I wanted them to use my first name. They did it without a second thought. I never thought that I would have friends. That these people—these strong people—would call me—a scrawny nerd—their friend. I was happily wrong.

Then, we fast-forward to today, and here we are.

Tatchikutsu's back. I've never… I thought I was… I'm…

"I'm scared."

* * *

"Manga… How do we find him?" Inochi asks me, his voice being still, unmoving. I've never seen him look so angry! And I thought his fight with Suzuki was scary enough! He's beyond that level now! Tokage tries to calm him down by holding his arm, but Inochi growls, "How do we find Tatchikutsu?!"

Oh God! I think I'm gonna pass out again!

"Quirkless! Calm the hell down! You're yellin' at Manga of all fuckin' people!" Kamakiri shouts at him, somehow being the voice of reason. Inochi slams his hands on the coffee table, nearly breaking it. He stomps to the other side of the room and pushes his hands through his hair. God, he's really angry…

"I'm sorry for yelling… It's not like me to do that… Grandmaster, Count, how do we find Tatchikutsu and put him in a cell?" Inochi asks them this time with his voice having emotion this time. I shakily nod, taking his apology. It's kinda surprising that Inochi, the kindest man in 1-B, would get angry like that _for me_. He really values me his friends. Well, as far as shonen protagonists go, he's typical. I can't ask for a better one.

Grandmaster answers, "Frankly, we don't know. The Commission ordered us to not reveal him to the public, but that's all they said. It's much more likely that he finds us first than we find him. Fortunately, he's a sociopath. At some point, he'll be bored of his killings and does something different. For example, he could bless us with a written taunt, but we would have to wait for-"

"Wait? We can't wait, Grandmaster! Tatchikutsu killed Hifumi and three others! Who knows how many more will he kill?!" Tokage protests, snapping her mask off her face. She doesn't have a way to capture him? She's the smartest person in our class… A hundred thoughts should be going through her head! "He's the type of guy that Shigaraki would want, right? Strong killing the weak? Typical Villain behavior! He has to be in the League of Villains! That means they're uhm...uhh, what is it…?"

"You're goin' blank, Lizard Head," Kamakiri says, sighing. He puts a hand over his mouth like he's thinking before he gives his own opinion, "Doesn't fuckin' matter if Catharsis is in the League. I ain't a genius, but if Grandmaster says we can't fuckin' find him, then _we can't fuckin' find him_. This son of a bitch has to come to _us_, so instead of worryin' 'bout where he is, we hafta prepare for him. Manga, you agree with me, right?"

…

"I don't know," I confess, looking down at my palm, but there's nothing in it. There's only my weak hands. I glance up at everyone and take their faces in. Inochi, Tokage, Grandmaster, Count, and Kamakiri. All of them are worried, angry, and desperate. As far as internships go, this has gotta be the worst in history. "I-I'm terrified, guys… You don't know how t-terrifying he is! One touch a-and we're dead! J-Jeez, this is coming f-from a guy who's trying to be a Hero… Guess I'm the worst there is..."

I try my best to laugh, but the only thing I do is cry.

"Manga…" Inochi says, walking up and kneeling in front of me, "I know. We'll come out alive, I promise. No matter what, we'll put Tatchikutsu in Tartarus. He won't hurt anyone anymore." I nod with a sniffle. It's like I can feel Tatchikutsu watching me already. Ugh, I'm such a stupid mess right now...

I manage to get reply, "I-I'll do anything to p-protect Shojo…" Inochi nods back and stands up, facing Grandmaster and Count again. Finally, I stand up with the rest of my friends. My legs are shaking, getting tingly again, but I'm not gonna fall. I'm not gonna fall… I have to be a Hero.

Tokage says, putting a hand on my shoulder, "Alright, Grandmaster… You're our mentor here. What do we have to do? It's a possibility that Tatchikutsu would attack us without warning, especially Manga and Shojo."

The Count nods at Grandmaster, signaling something. At least, that's what I think. My vision is blurry from my tears. Grandmaster tells us, "Wait. He won't attack us yet. The next few days will be excruciating painful. Not from training, but from paranoia and guilt. Under no circumstances are you to share what happened here to anyone else, especially your friends and family. What we said here stays in this room. We are under orders from the Hero Public Safety Commission. They fear that, if Tatchikutsu is named, mass hysteria will spread. Even more so since Stain is active. We don't have a choice in this matter. If you need to lie, say that we are working on a sensitive case and you are simply stressed. As for you, Manga, I will contact your parents and hopefully, they'll arrive back in Japan soon. I will be working together with the police on this case, so I'll update you on any new information. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I hear."

"Yup… Loud and clear."

"I understand…"

"G-Got it…"

Mom and Dad are coming back home… It'll be nice to see them again from their work trip… Shojo will be happy, but… but I'll have to tell her that… that Tatchikutsu is back. I don't wanna imagine the conversation...

The Count finally says something, "Go home and spend some time with your family. You deserve some peace after today. Don't worry about a thing, so please: Go enjoy being teenagers in this crazy world." We're teenagers? That's right… It's hard to believe we're teenagers since we're living in this "crazy world". Y'know, I would enjoy being a normal kid for once.

We nod and say goodbye to them, walking out of the office. We're completely silent as we head back home in our costumes. I finally stopped crying, but all I can think about is Shojo. I can already feel my tears coming back just from imagining how she'll react, and how she'll be alone when Tatchikutsu is out. Ugh, U.A. didn't train me for this yet. We got thrown into the fryer without a warning. I don't know how everyone else is reacting to it though. Inochi is always terrifying when he's angry, Tokage got the biggest revelation of her life, and Kamakiri is Kamakiri with his dad issues. At least I'm not alone... Not anymore.

Before we go on our separate ways, Inochi says, "Manga, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. If Shojo wants to talk to someone, tell her that she can call me, Setsuna, or even Kamakiri. I want to let her know that we're here for her even if the world's falling apart around us."

"Yeah… I will. Take care of yourself, Inochi."

"You too. See you tomorrow."

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

Day four of my internship. Got three more miserable days to go. Tatchikutsu upped his body count to six. Earlier today, a college student was found in her dorm room with her wrists cut open. Where in the hell does this bastard find these people? It's like he has a fuckin' sixth sense for findin' the troubled an' depressed. Maybe Shigaraki put him up to it, I dunno. The League's objective is to destroy this so-called "Hero Society", so the best they can fuckin' do is kill the youth. What's the purpose of it? Blowin' up the issue that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the modern world? Well, it's fuckin' workin' alright. The news caught wind of the recent suicides, shiftin' the topic from how awful 1-B is to theorizin' the cause of the suicides. They talked to the police about it, an' naturally, they said that these victims were spurred on from one another. Hifumi was the beginning, an' the news blew her up. So naturally, one boy wanted to do the same, an' another, an' another, an' so on. It ain't a fuckin' bad excuse actually. It's really damn good, puttin' the blame on the annoyin' news rather than exposin' the real culprit. But yesterday, Grandmaster said that this could be Shigaraki's plan. He wanted to let Japan know of "their own arrogance" or some shit like that. Does it look like I'm a damn philosopher? No, I'm the fuckin' son of a Villain. Besides, everyone is also focused on Stain, so that's pretty fuckin' bad. Heard he crippled Iida's brother. I feel sorry for that robotic bastard.

Ugh, what a cruel world that I'm simply blessed to live in. At least the stars ain't so ugly. Poor city bastards, I live in the suburbs. I get to see some of the stars, an' it's finally peaceful. There ain't any insults flyin' at me, no crooked glares, no whispers, nothin'. Nothin' at all… No one tellin' me that I ain't right for a Hero, forcin' me to fit into their perfect little image of what one should be. Does it look like I'm gonna be the next All Might? Hell no. Who gave them the right to decide that? I'll be a fuckin' Hero to show those bastards. My _own_ Hero. I ain't gonna slice anyone's head off like Dad. Instead, I'll be blowin' their minds, makin' them regret sayin' those fuckin' things to me.

Without anythin' much to do, I toss around a baseball between my hands back'n forth. Been a long while since I played baseball. Fuckin' hate it. The only good thing that came outta it was my speed. I'm the fastest guy in 1-B, Inochi said it himself. He might be Quirkless, but I gotta admit: He ain't a weak Quirkless. The fastest girl would be Pony, naturally. She _is_ a fuckin' horse. A mantis like me ain't as fast as her. Hmph, I was thinkin' about baseball, right? Can't believe I wasted all those years growin' up to play such a stupid sport. At least it ain't American football 'cuz Americans are fuckin' insane. Really. Damn. Insane. I got first-hand experience in the form of Pony Tsunotori. Jeez, the amount of shit I can say 'bout her. I don't know how a girl could be so innocent, but she fuckin' takes the cake. Well, there wouldn't be a cake 'cuz she would eat the damn thing in one bite. So damn annoyin'...

Why of all men in the known universe would she bother me? She knows that I'm an asshole, who I'm related to, but she doesn't give two shits 'bout it. It ain't like I got a choice; she chose for me. Best I can do is make sure no shifty assholes hurt her like what happened in the Sports Festival. Can't believe I actually fuckin' hugged her. What in the hell was I thinkin'?! Fuck… One of these days, Pony will run away from me like everyone else. It's only a matter of time at this point. It's all 'cuz of Dad, that fucker. In Shiozaki's terms, he's the fuckin' scapegoat of my problems, an' that's Goddamn right! Ma got left behind with a little shit for a son all 'cuz of him! He's why I'm livin' my life shunned from everyone! That bastard!

"_Y'know, kiddo, I'll always be proud of ya."_

"Raaah!"

I throw the baseball at the stars… Fuck, who the hell knows where that's goin'? Tch, I sit back down. This whole situation is fucked. Society hates us, a Villain's tryin' to kill us, school's torturin' us, an' what else? Right, there's a fuckin' group that's hellbent on destroyin' Japan. Fuck me sideways… Whenever Japan has an explosion, the whole world will feel its shockwaves or somethin'. What the fuck do I know? I ain't All Might who can level cities with a punch. I'm just a boy who can grow blades outta my body. I-

_BZZT! BZZT!_

My phone's ringin' besides me. I take a look at- Fuck, it's Pony. The lock screen's showin' me a picture of her smilin'. How can her mouth be that wide? Eh, don't care. It's the only flatterin' picture I got of her. The rest are way too damn goofy. I pick it up an' answer, "Horns, you should be doin' your homework."

"That's why I'm calling you! I frickin' hate Heroism Laws or whatever the heck it's called! I can't remember any of the court cases or memorize what laws does what. That, and what the freaking heck is the U.H.M. laws?! Is that the one where you can't use chemical weapons in war?! Or is it the nuke one?! I dunno! I feel like I'm gonna blow Mustuafu up!"

"We definitely don't need a repeat of World War Two, Horns. An' uhm… Fuck, I think the U.H.N. shit is… Y'know what, I dunno either. Why are you callin' me anyway? Lizard Head knows all this crap, not me. Fists too! Or maybe Broadway! Practically the entire class, 'cept for Airhead and Headband, are smarter than me!" If I could bet money, then I'd bet it on the reason why Pony's callin' me...

I hear Pony huffin' and puffin' on the other side. Bet her cheeks are two times bigger than normal. Kinda wished I could see it. "Kamakiri, can your best friend talk to you without being questioned?! And besides, you've been looking kinda down lately. I know it's from that mystery case with Grandmaster, but I wanted to know if you're okay…" Knew it. She just wanted to talk to me. Also, this girl just called herself 'my best friend'.

"I'm fine," I growl, lookin' inside the house. Ma is cookin' dinner. The TV's on. It ain't the news, thank God. We both are sick of that shit. Ugh, I tell Pony, "The job's stressful. Y'know, I got thrown in the deep end, it might as well be the damn ocean. How's your interning comin' along? You survivin'?"

"Yup yup! I get to take care of horses and all kinds of cute animals! I'm in my natural habitat, Kamakiri!" Pony exclaims. It probably ain't a good idea to distract her from homework, 'cuz when she's distracted… _she's distracted_. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! Do you know that bunny island? I went there and got completely swarmed by fluffiness! It was heaven! You shoulda been there!"

I sigh, replyin', "I ain't too good with animals. Shouldn't you be doin' your homework? I know how you are, Horns." With that said, she decides to huff even louder than before. Damnit, she figured out that I wanted to get rid of her.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily! C'mon, let's do our homework together! We're gonna talk whether you like it or not, so we might as well be productive!" Pony lays down the freakin' law. Hmph, I can't do nothin' against this girl, an' it's better than doin' my homework the morning of.

"Fine…" I head inside. Frankly, I don't have the guts to lie to myself. It was nice havin' Pony call me, even though she's the most irritatin' girl in 1-B. It almost made me forget that the asshole Catharsis is out there.

I'll fuckin' get you, you bastard.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

Day five, two days of my internship left. Risai Tatchikutsu murdered two more people. One girl was found dead in a pool right before midnight; and, a boy a few hours after that, hanging from a telephone pole. The news are in an uproar about the suicides, calling upon the Heroes to make public statements about suicide prevention. All Might himself is said to make a small speech in the auditorium tomorrow. Internationally, the world is criticizing Japan for its spree of public suicides. They're calling this the "Suicide Spree of Musutafu". The scientists of the world are saying that from the pressure that Japan puts on its teenagers and Heroes-in-training is too much for them to handle. It became fuel for certain groups to ignite reforms. Seems like Tatchikutsu's plan is working. If he wants to destroy "Hero Society", this is one way to do it. Dad, though, is dealing with it just fine. He's just as affected since...Hifumi, but he isn't stressed out about it. He made public announcements for his company to actively acknowledge the suicide hotline, put up suicide prevention posters, the entire ballpark. I can guess why though. Dad is just like me: We're geniuses. Dad must've predicted that Hifumi would kill herself, so he had a plan prepared for it. It's just that…that the plan had to be executed in the first place is the tragedy…

Additionally, last night… Stain and a few Nomus, presumably created by the League, was defeated by Endeavour and Gran Torino. Shigaraki must be angry that Stain's getting all the attention, but the suicides… Even though the Commission is covering it up, there's attention. God, never mind. Midoriya, Todoroki, and Iida also fought Stain. Officially, they didn't do much. Unofficially, Iida went vigilante and chased after Stain. Midoriya and Todoroki saved his life. How do I know? Dad, of course. He told me.

At school, everyone is talking about it. With Stain's defeat, the suicides are the second hottest topic. Even though Stain is gone, all those people killed in the past few weeks… It's depressing. I wish I could tell everyone that the suicides were forced by Tatchikutsu, but I can't. The Commission ordered us. Thus, at the moment, we're waiting for Tatchikutsu to get bored of killing teenagers while Japan goes crazy about it. Even Mister Kan had to make a speech today about the topic of suicide. None of us wanted that as a morning treat, especially since I know the truth. Manga sank in his chair, Sanji looked unbelievably angry, and Kamakiri was about to swear his head off. It seems that not even Mister Kan and the others know that Tatchikutsu is behind the suicides. It's that sensitive.

And at school... Nisehana, Tabuchi, they all blame me. Okichi supports me, but we barely talk as it is. It's impossible to count how many times I was harassed when I was walking the halls or even just going to the bathroom! They said that all these people are dying because of me! That I'm killing them myself! It's not true! I know for a fact that it isn't true! But… But it still hurts. Sanji, if he was there, would always usher us away, but I'm alone most of the time. God, if he knew that I was crying myself to sleep most nights, that I see Hifumi every time I look at a mirror… I'm sure he would kill Nisehana and my other bullies. Him _and_ Itsuka… I wanted Dad to do something about it, but he can't. It's an issue that only U.A. can handle, but what can they do? Expel the entire school? That's ridiculous. Even though Dad is so powerful, this is the one time he can't do anything. Everyday, he would just rub my head, tell me to have a good day at school, and that's that… It's for my future.

"_Everything I do, it's for you and your future. That's our endgame, Setsuna. When you're the same age as I am, you'll look back and be thankful for what I'm doing. There's always a method in my madness."_

You know, I doubt sometimes—especially about Okichi—but whatever my Dad says, I do. I'll be an awful daughter if I don't do what he says. All those hours of endless studying, training, being a perfect heiress, it's all coming together. In U.A., I'm finally going to see the fruits of my labor. The schedule that Dad puts me by, it'll be worth it. By no means that I'm a normal girl, so I gotta be my best at being abnormal. I only got one dad, so I have to make him proud. It's my life after all.

"Setsuna, are you alright?" That voice doesn't belong to Dad, however. It belongs to a stunning woman that I call "Mother". Right, I'm in the living room, sitting across from Mom. We're watching the news. Do we have to watch this? I for one am completely tired of the same old drivel.

"Yeah… Just thinking about Dad. Is he here yet?" I ask. She shakes her head, having her attention on the news. It's…depressing to say the least. The segment airing is about the recent suicides. They have the pictures and names of all of the current victims. On the bottom, there's a bar with the suicide hotline number. The broadcasters are practically begging people to get help. If only they knew…

"Your father's out. He's with the board about what's happening. Can you believe it, sweetheart? So many young men and women are ending their lives… Personally, it's unimaginable thinking that we had a hand in this. Shiro is handling it like he always does though," Mom tells me, crossing her arms with a sweet little smile that would make any daughter happy. Despite her and Dad having a Quirk Marriage, I could tell that Dad genuinely loves her, and she loves him.

I add on to the last part, "Yeah… Dad is a realist. He thinks of every possibility, no matter how dark or improbable it might be. I try to think like that, but I can't plan things like he does. In fact, the only time he didn't predict something was…" Sanji. No one could predict that Sanji would get into 1-B. It wasn't considered a possibility, but human errors have their ways. I swear, this handsome boy has the devil's own luck.

"Heh, I can tell who's on your mind. He was there when it all started, right? Didn't he see Hifumi's body with Amajiki? Someone as young as him shouldn't see things like that." Yeah… No one should see things like that, but I don't think Sanji's "no one". Back then, when I reached him with everyone else… There was a blank look in his eyes—a twisted look. It wasn't like everyone else at the time. Their eyes were wide open like life threw a left hook, reminding them that they're still living in this world. Sanji's was completely different, like he wasn't bothered by the fact he saw Hifumi hung by her neck. I ignored it, because he's still the Sanji I love. At times though, I worry about him. I've known Sanji since eighth grade, but I'm only getting to know _all_ of him. His secrets, how he acts in certain situations, et cetera. So far, it's drastically different than his sweetheart-self.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm glad that Dad likes him now. Since you know, he punched Sanji for fake-dating me. That wasn't the proudest moment in my life," I recount, cringing slightly. It was totally my fault. Good thing Sanji is a masochist. I'm not gonna sound like Kazeha now, but Sanji just can't get enough of pain. Trains every night for it. It's another thing that contrasts his kind personality.

"He always does what's best for your future," Mom tells me with a cute little giggle before sighing. "Especially with his Quirk engineering project. Since Hifumi, everyone forgot about it. His metaology branch is researching day and night to artificially enhance the very things that make us, _us_. It'll revolutionize the field." Heh, I honestly did forget about it. Dad is funding the biggest project in metaology. Quirk Purists are obviously against it, but he isn't letting them stop this project. He told me that all kinds of scientists throughout the world are volunteering to work on this. Heck, even Japan's government is helping him fund it. David Shield—awesome guy— was able to research a way to enhance existing Quirks, but never thought about changing the biological makeup of Quirks. Once Dad finds a way to remove a Quirk's flaws and enhances its strengths, then Pro Heroes throughout the world would be unstoppable. I know that Mayor Yamamoto full-handedly supports this. That's good, but to be honest, Yamamoto is a complete asshole. Honenuki met him during his internship and tried to convince him to let the news stop harassing us. He failed because Yamamoto is one of the most fevered men when it comes to Heroes and politics. He absolutely despises Quirkless people and any students that aren't Hero students. I cannot let him talk to Sanji.

"Mhm, Dad is a pretty great man. I wished that he was here more often though. It's been tough, Mom. So many people hate us," I tell her, turning my attention away from the TV and back to her.

"I know, but you still have your friends. Before you can blink, it'll pass. The future will surely be better. We'll continue to live happily like it was before the gala," Mom says, having her hands gently folded on her lap. She's such an angel…but, those aren't the words I needed to hear. The words I needed to hear was…

"Mom, I-"

"You are the best daughter I could ever ask for. Thank you, Setsuna. Please, keep being the wonderful woman I know you are."

"...You're welcome, Mom. I'll keep being the best for you and D-Dad."

Never mind. I should think about the future. Just… Just the future. I stand up and give Mom a big hug before I tell her that I'm going back to my room. She kisses my forehead and lets me go. Slowly, I walk back, trying my best to remain composed. When I head inside, I shut the door and sit down on my bed. It's… nice… I…

"_Bitch Princess, hang yourself with Hifumi."_

"_How many more are gonna die? How many more will you kill?"_

"_Go ahead and kill yourself already. I'm waiting for the day I hear about it on TV."_

I bury my face in a pillow and start sobbing.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

Day six. Tomorrow is the last day of the internship. In total, Tatchikutsu murdered nine people. The latest one took a while for the police to find. They found his body floating in the river after he jumped off of a bridge. Today, All Might gave a speech in the auditorium about how life is precious. Us, U.A. students, can talk to Hound Dog or any of the staff about any mental health issues. It's not gonna work though. As insulting as this sounds, those kinds of issues are a disability. A disability like Quirklessness or being blind. Any disability would guarantee all sorts of bullying and harassment in Japan. Those types of people—they're the nail that sticks out—so they have to get hammered in. It's…ironic. When I think about it, Quirks are the single thing that makes a man unique, stand out from the rest. Yet, being Quirkless is the only color in a world that's black and white. That's me, as one single man. What about us? 1-B? We're one giant nail that Japan needs a spaceship-sized hammer to pound us flat. We're a class made from outsiders.. 1-A though, they're the perfect image of a Hero. Japan loves them, especially Bakugo despite his temperament. Meanwhile at 1-B? Ha. That's the biggest difference, and men like Monoma are trying to make up for it. Does it matter though? We don't have the public's hearts, but we have each other's.

It's surreal though… Almost a week went by. Manga is beyond stressed from Tatchikutsu's return, Shojo even more so. Everyday, I get a call from her. I just let her talk. I listen, then I say what she needs to hear. Ever since Manga told her that Tatchikutsu's back, she's scared. No, there's no word in the dictionary that can properly describe how scared she is. She told me that she feels like she's being stalked. The only time she feels safe is when Manga's back home. I wish I can tell Itsuka about it, but I can't do that either. She keeps complaining that Uwabami is wasting her time with the constant commercials, and that she should've went with me. When I told her that I'm stressed out over "a sensitive case", she literally rambled for thirty minutes about what she thinks is the "appropriate action". Never mind the fact that I never told her a single detail about the case, only that it's sensitive. Hayami ended up telling me that Itsuka's frustrated and "yearns for a good punching". God, if she knew that all of our lives are constantly in danger… Can't worry about that now. I need to focus on catching Tatchikutsu.

Personally, I don't agree with the H.P.S.C.'s plan to hide Tatchikutsu's identity. He murdered nine teenagers already. Japan is crying out! I could feel it on the streets! Before Tatchikutsu, I got used to the sound of children laughing on the shoulders of their fathers, pointing, smiling at the image of Pro Heroes fighting the Villains, saving the everyday civilian. After he came, I don't hear it anymore. It's like a shroud covered the entire city, dampening the joy and peace we once had. It's better now with Stain's defeat, thanks to Midoriya. Before his defeat however, not many people felt safe walking out on the streets. They feared that they'll see Stain murder a beloved Hero, running them through with his katana, or they'll see a young man falling from the sky like God sent him down. We should've illuminated Tatchikutsu to the spotlight to the point that there won't be any shadows to cloak him. Then, Musutafu and all of Japan would've united together against him! Imagine the Pros vowing to bring this vile bastard to Tartarus, invoking hope and peace in Japan's hearts! Without hope's warm grasp taking over the bodies of that keep Japan afloat, we would all be walking aimlessly in a tundra of buildings and cars! As Heroes, we have to inspire this feeling in everyone's chests! There, we could reach the stars and go wherever God takes us! To help those like Shojo, who shouldn't be trapped in her own home! That's what Heroes are! I promise! I promise that I'll save and protect my friends who I hold dear, defeating any Villain who even thinks about hurting them! It's the only thing my body is made for. Not for me to live, but for others to thrive.

It's the only thing I'm good for.

"Sanji," Master Kendo calls me from across the living room. I stop staring out the window, staring up at the starless night sky. I miss the stars. The light pollution in Musutafu is too much. One of these days, I should take Itsuka out for stargazing. Not sure if she would enjoy it though. He asks, "How's your internship with Grandmaster? And don't change the subject this time. I want to know. It'll be a secret between us."

I briefly glance at Itsuka and Hayami, who're in the garage working on their golden motorcycle. Itsuka has her permit to drive, so we don't have to walk to school. I'm not looking forward to it. In fact, I am _absolutely_ terrified for my life. Bah, I'm getting off-topic. They won't hear us. I… I guess I can talk about it with him, but not be too detailed about it. I'll be vague, but Master Kendo should know what I'm talking about. So, I sit on the couch closest to his personal chair. I tell him, "Alright… Master Kendo, people are getting hurt."

He doesn't reply.

"Even though I don't have my Provisionals yet, I could still do something. Because of the Commission, we're under strict orders. I see its consequences everywhere I go. I could've prevented _deaths_. The heroism class in U.A. didn't prepare me for this, I-"

"School can't teach you instinct," Master Kendo interrupts me, sitting up in his chair, "from the looks of it, your instincts are going off the charts. Look Sanji, you're young. With that comes inexperience and naivete. Look, the Commission has been advising Heroes ever since Heroes existed. Imagine if you could look at the world with a pair of glasses. You're seeing it in a pink lense with sunshines and rainbows. The H.P.S.C. swapped that out for something that's gloomier and down to earth. But, you know what? Doesn't freaking matter. You can't predict the future. You can only take the path that might lead to the better one and hope for the best."

"That's true, but the Commission doesn't place trust in the people. Yes, they follow the pack. They have a herd mentality, but the Commission doesn't take advantage of it. If it was revealed that Tatchi-" I stop myself before I accidentally reveal Tatchikutsu. I'm under- No. I am under orders, but I'll go against them. Just for Master Kendo. Just for him. I tell my master with a hushed voice, ensuring that Itsuka and Hayami wouldn't hear us, "Tatchikutsu. The recent suicides aren't suicides. They're murders by Risai Tatchikutsu—a Villain. No one else knows except for you, 221B, and the Commission."

Master Kendo sits up in his chair, taken aback by the news. He increases the TV's volume so our conversation would be drowned out. He says to me, "Now I understand. You're dealing with guilt, aren't you? Nine people are stacked on your shoulders, including Hifumi Osuhashi. Tell me why you want Tatchikutsu's name to be revealed to Japan."

"We're Heroes. We have to ensure the happiness of Japan's citizens, but that's the very thing the Commission is sacrificing. They believe his identity will cause mass hysteria, but the suicides are producing the exact same thing. If his name was revealed, Japan will band together. That's what I believe. They can blame everything on a single person and they'll be overjoyed when he's caught. Because-"

"You've been the scapegoat for the past few weeks. You're the example that it could work," he finishes my sentence. "Good heavens, Sanji. This wouldn't bring those nine kids back. Nothing you can do will ease that guilt off of your shoulders no matter how many excuses you tell yourself. The only thing you can do is find Tatchikutsu and put that bastard behind bars. Stop focusing on the 'what-ifs' and focus on what's currently possible. That way, no more kids would have to die."

"What if… What if it's impossible to put a man like him behind bars? Do I kill him?" I ask. Catharsis is a dangerous Quirk. It amplifies existing traumatic memories. From Shojo's personal experience, the first seconds are tremendous head pain before she re-experienced a traumatic memory. That means with one finger touch, I'm dead. I can't fight in pain, so Tatchikutsu could have a chance to kill me. How would I restrain him anyway? I would have to break his hands, amputate them to prevent him from using his Quirk. It's nearly impossible…

"Without hesitation. It's war, Sanji. Since Heroes came out, it's always been war. It's not like World War One because the battleground is in broad daylight, in the cities, even in your own backyard. You don't know when you'll be attacked, and you don't know when you'd be forced to kill a Villain."

I promise him, "I'm the only person who can kill him then. I won't let my friends do it. If I have to be the first man in my grade to kill someone, then so be it."

"Sanji, you can't be prepared to kill someone. It never gets easier. Blood will be on your hands-"

"Better stained on mine than someone else's. You said it yourself, Master Kendo. It's war."

"Sanji… I-"

_BZZZZT!_

My phone's ringing. I take it out and it's Grandmaster. This must be it. It's the calm before the typhoon. I stand up from my seat and answer, "Grandmaster, it's Tatchikutsu isn't it? I'll be there."

"Please. Come to the office immediately," he answers before hanging up. This is it. No one else has to die. We can finally get Tatchikutsu and put a stop to him. Shojo and all my friends will no longer be troubled by him.

"I have to go, Master Kendo. I don't know if I'm fighting Tatchikutsu tonight or tomorrow night, but I'll come home safe. I promise," I tell him.

"You still have a life to live, so please come back home safe," he says before I go into the garage. I put my black sneakers on. Itsuka and Hayami are still working on their bike. A lot of tools are strewn on the garage floor.

Itsuka notices me coming in and says, "Sanji, where are you going at this hour? Is it about that case with Grandmaster?"

"Yeah, I have to go. I might not be back until really late, but let's hope everything works out," I explain. I try to sound cheerful like I always am, but I can tell that I have dread in my voice.

"Come back safe, Sanji. If you get hurt again, I'm going to kill you," Hayami teases me, trying to lift my mood up. I laugh a little bit, but not even that can lighten my spirits.

"Roger. See you guys later."

* * *

"Nabu District. Tomorrow at 23:30. Find me Grandmaster."

That's what the taunt said. The six of us—Grandmaster, The Count, Kamakiri, Setsuna, Manga, and I—are around in the office. The taunt is on Grandmaster's desk written in blood. It's not red ink. It's blood. Grandmaster said that one of his employees found the letter in the mailbox. It's in Nabu, huh?

"Nabu? I don't remember what kind of district is that. I know it's in Tokyo," Setsuna says, almost putting her finger on the letter before pulling it back. Grandmaster looks at me for an explanation. So he knows.

"It's in Tokyo," I start to explain. "Ever heard of 'Burakumin'—the untouchables? Before, it was the disabled, immigrants, or people who did unclean jobs. That was the past. In Nabu, you can say it's filled with those kind of people, but they turned into low-time Villains and thugs, then there's the yakuza. You would see that a lot of them are Quirkless actually. It's practically considered a disability nowadays. It's the perfect spot if you want to commit crimes to be honest. There's barely any police and Pro Heroes patrolling there. One thing's for certain in Nabu though: These people take care of their own. Be kind to them and they'll reciprocate. They are the few who experienced the worst in life, and they're trying their best."

"Quirkless, why the fuck do you know that?" Kamakiri asks me, rubbing his light green hair. Manga and Setsuna seem pretty surprised that I know so much about Nabu. Heh, it is kinda suspicious how I know so much about Nabu.

Grandmaster answers for me, "The Nabu District has a large amount of foster children. From Inochi's file, he lived there for approximately three or four months before moving to KIbo. He has experience living there."

"You could say that… I wasn't a criminal or anything. I kept to myself and everyone respected that. Quirkless let other Quirkless be, y'know? It wasn't an action movie placed in the slums. It was more like a dragged out TV show that never got to its climax," I tell them, crossing my arms and sighing. When I think about it, I lived in all kinds of places. I bounced around in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, before landing myself in Kibo where everything started. I lived below the poverty line, right at it, and above it, then went beyond with the Kendos. "Heh… I never realized how many places I lived in until now. That's the life of a foster kid."

"Uhm… Okay… Guess you have to be our guide when we go there tomorrow," Manga says, awkwardly rubbing his arms. He was so quiet that I could barely hear him. I don't know what's going through his head. If I had to guess, it'll be fear and hope mixing together, but Manga isn't letting himself have too much hope just in case.

"Kids, only Shindeka and I are going. You four are staying here in Musutafu," The Count tells us. Eh? What in the hell is he talking about?! Why aren't we going to Nabu?! All six of us have to take down Tatchikutsu together! Count and Grandmaster are strong Heroes for sure, but it's Tatchikutsu! He's dangerous!

"The Count, why are we staying-?!"

"Let us explain first, Inochi," Grandmaster stops me. I stop and quietly let him explain while I'm fidgeting my fingers. "I told Detective Naomasa about this. He agreed to send a patrol officers into Nabu along with Claude and I. The main reason I'm not letting you go is because of Shojo. Don't you see it?" See what? Tatchikutsu wants to murder us, so… he would kill people in Nabu? That doesn't make sense. If he wants to kill us, then he'll be here in Musutafu.

Setsuna deduces, "The taunt could a distraction. You'd be forced away from Musutafu while Tatchikutsu would enact his real plans—killing us. Specifically, he would kill Shojo. That's what you want. You want us to stay here in Musutafu so we can protect her and potentially stop Tatchikutsu."

"Yes, that's right. If this is a trap, Tatchikutsu needs to know that his taunt worked, so that's why Claude and I are going to Nabu. As for you four, you need to stay in Shojo's home. He could either attack, with him seeing you four as more targets, or he could flee. If he does attack..,you won't have any help. No police, no Heroes. No one else can help you else this trap wouldn't work. You're on your own. You have to be prepared for a fight. You cannot let him lay a single finger on you at all costs, even if it means killing him. Once he steps foot inside that home, he forfeits his right to live," Grandmaster says, looking at me directly. That's right. I'll kill him if I have to. I'm the only one who could do it.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this, but I'll be ready! I promise! I psyched myself up for this! I have no fear!" Manga promises us, but it sounds like he's saying that for himself. Kamakiri shakes his head like he's disappointed.

"Cartoony, we're all fuckin' scared here. Y'know what we're dealin' with? A fuckin' sociopath who gets off on seein' people killin' themselves! Use your damn fear to beat this bastard's brains in, 'cuz I'm sure as hell usin' mine to slice 'im into bits," Kamakiri scolds him, and frankly, I agree. I'm scared. I'm afraid that someone will get hurt, but I'm taking my fear and running with it. Manga stares at Kamakiri, bewildered, but slowly, he nods without a word following it.

"Y-Yeah… He's the reason why everyone hates me. We need to stop him so life could return back to normal. No more being afraid, no more crying. Everything can be peaceful like it was before," Setsuna says, laying a hand on her chest and closing her eyes. She wants the harassment to stop. I want to hug her so much, but this isn't an appropriate time to do that.

Manga speaks up this time, "We can finally be regular high school students after this. I can read in peace… And, if everything goes so well, Shojo might even come out of the house and finally join us at U.A.! That's… That's my hope."

"Hell, if we're bein' optimistic 'bout this, people ain't gonna see me as a Villain's kid no longer. Maybe they'll see me as just a guy who's really fuckin' angry all the damn time. At least I ain't that asshole Bakugo," Kamakiri comments, laughing to himself. Heh, everyone's sharing their hopes huh? Well, it's my turn now.

I say to everyone, "I want to walk on the streets of Musutafu and see everyone smiling, knowing that they can walk free without worry. Where I know that all my friends are happy and safe. That's what I want. Even if I bring frowns, I won't mind, because to them, I'm the most terrible thing in the city. Not Tatchikutsu, not Stain, no one. Only me."

The Count laughs, putting his arm over Kamakiri and I, exclaiming, "From this point on, you are Heroes. I don't care what anyone else thinks! Because of what you'll do, Japan will be safer. Now, go home and rest. Tomorrow will be one of the most important days of your lives. Prepare for it. Shindeka and I are counting on you."

Manga assures them, "Alright, we won't let you down. We're doing this for Shojo!"

Kamakiri repeats, "For Shojo."

Setsuna does the same. "For Shojo."

I close my eyes. "For Shojo."


	24. The Night We Waited For

**Sanji Inochi**

"Full Cowling! Five Percent!"

_WHOOSH!_

A small gust of wind batters my body as Midoriya activates his new Super Move. Red vines illuminate his skin. A red "X" is formed over his face, his green eyes glowing like neon. Sputters of green lightning surrounds him, electricity for Midoriya's Quirk—whatever it is. This is the new move he developed during his internship with someone named "Gran Torino". Instead of blowing his limbs to pieces, he's able to channel his power evenly throughout his body. It's similar to Suzuki's Quirk: Nine Tails. With each tail, his power and strength increases. The same can be said for Midoriya. I can assume that one hundred percent of his power will lead to buildings being completely leveled.

"Quirkless Power! One Hundred Percent!" I shout my own Super Move as well. Midoriya stifles a laugh as he moves a foot back. Alright! Quirkless versus Quirk! This won't be like Suzuki! I actually stand a chance against Midoriya. Compared to me, he's still a bit unskilled in martial arts, so I need to rely on my prediction and reflexes to win me this fight. I need to challenge myself for my fight with Catharsis tonight!

_CRACKLE!_

Green electricity crackle the walls and floor before he charges forward with his right fist back, soaring through the air. Knew it! Almost all fist fights start off with an open right hook! Midoriya's faster than me, but my reflexes are strong enough to counter! I can handle him at Five Percent! I stomp my left foot and transfer its energy throughout my body, rotating my waist to put all of my force into a left jab towards Midoriya's face!

_PIVOT!_

He dodged to my left?! In mid-air?! Oh come on!

_KICK!_

Flipping horizontally in the air, his heel connects with my back. Damn it! Full Cowling really does enhance his strength! I sputter the the remaining air in my lungs as Midoriya lands back on the ground. Immediately, he jumps against a wall, planting his feet flat on it before using it as a launchpad. He flies towards me with a foot coming at me like a high-speed missile. I put my hands together with my palm out, catching his foot. It slams against my hands, knocking them against my chest. It stings, but I crumpled the force by bending my elbow. Unluckily for him, I have his body under control. I move my back hand off and grab Midoriya by his baggy gym pants, hurling him into a wall.

_CRACK!_

My toss was strong enough to crack the wall! Here's my chance! Without giving Midoriya time to recover, I dash forward, using the speed and momentum to bust his face in with a right punch! I yell, "Rrrraaaaaah!"

_WHAM!_

Or not! His head jerks to the side just at the last second! This is where he'll land a few good hits on me! Just gotta take it! He knees me in the gut, staggering me back a few steps. Midoriya gets himself outta the wall and does a somersault backwards, using the tip of his right foot to kick my chin up, snapping my head upwards towards the ceiling. He's in the perfect place to launch off again! Knowing that, I'll be able to counter perfectly! As my head lowers back where I can see Midoriya, I spin around on the ball of my left foot at the same time he launches again. I parry his body away from me, using his momentum and velocity against him. It works like a charm! I dodged the attack and put him in an unfavorable position! Once it sets in that he's flying uncontrollably into the opposite wall, he moves himself where his back takes the brunt of the damage.

_SLAM!_

A small cloud of dust erupts from the impact. I say, "Midoriya! Given up yet?!"

"Not a chance!" he shouts back before I see green lightning striking in the cloud. Great! He's still kicking! He's-?!

"Detroit!"

Crap! He emerges from the smoke and dust! His green hair has electricity flowing through it! There's no way I can defend myself in time! He'll-!

_SMASH!_

He lands a straightforward punch into my cheek. It was so powerful that I can feel my muscles rippling throughout my entire body. Just what kind of power does Midoriya has? Heh, doesn't matter whatsoever! it's not nearly the worst I felt! Far from it! I say, "You have to punch harder than that, Midoriya!"

Shock goes through his eyes before I wipe it away with an uppercut. He gets lifted up in the air slightly, which I make ample use of. While he has no control over himself, I run my right fist back and charge it into his gut. His body bends inwards before snapping back into the wall again with a loud _CRACK_! Midoriya bounces off of it like a ball. This is my chance! I turn my body ninety degrees and kick Midoriya in his head with my right foot, forcibly smacking him against the wall again. He groans in pain, his arms flopping to his side. He taps the wall, signaling that he concedes the fight. I take my foot off of him and help him up. "Sorry about that Midoriya. Thanks for showing me Full Cowling though."

"Y-Yeah… Even with Full Cowling, I still couldn't beat you," Midoriya replies as dusts himself off. Now that's spar is done, I'm gonna have to do another one with Master Kendo because he doesn't like it when we break his Dojo. "Inochi, I said it before, but your skills are amazing despite being Quirkless."

"It's nothing really. That spar didn't mean much. If we want to gauge our skills, then we need to fight without holding back. That means costumes and unrestrained use of our—well, _your_ Quirk. If that happens, then I'd probably kill you," I tell him, being completely honest. Weapons are no joke. Oh right, I remember now! People have been calling me the Hero version of Stain, and Midoriya fought him. In that case, he has experience in fighting sword-wielding men who can and will kill.

Midoriya laughs, rubbing his hair. "Yeah, I'm waiting on when you get to use your Quirk. Anyway, what should I work on? I tried my best to use the walls to my advantage, but you adapted to it fast. You could tell when I was going to do it and used my momentum against me."

"That's right. You should stick to developing your Quirk with Master Kendo though. Out of me, Itsuka, and Ojiro, you spent the most time with him lately. I'd ask him for advice considering he knows more about your Quirk than I do," I say, rubbing my cheek where he just Detroit Smashed me. It stings a little, but it's not as painful as other things I felt. Ever since Midoriya came to the Dojo, Master Kendo has been focused on training him.

He clenches a fist, hovering it over his chest. "That's true… Thanks to him and Gran Torino, I've been able to fight Stain and survive. I feel like I'm at a place where I can develop my power in new ways."

"Mhm. Lucky you," I compliment him with a bit of a playfully jealous tone. His fight with Stain though… Thank goodness he's alive. I wouldn't be able to beat Stain even though we have similar equipment and junk. How did Midoriya do it? I ask him, "If I can ask… How was the fight with Stain? I know he wasn't your first Villain fight, but he's been killing Pro Heroes for a while now. I'm glad you, Todoroki, and Iida stopped him."

"Thank you, and uhm… It was hard. His Quirk was really dangerous. If we even get scratched by him, he could immobile us and…you know...kill us," he tells me. It's similar to Catharsis in a way. If I get touched by one finger—just one—I would die. Did Midoriya ever…?

"Did you ever thought about, if worse came to worst, that you'd be forced to kill him? That it either meant your life or your friends' lives versus his?" I ask him again. Midoriya stands still just as a ray of light shines through the open window, hitting his back, illuminating his entire figure in the warm sun. He's staring at me like he never considered the possibility before, as if his eyes are saying, _What are you asking, Inochi?_

Did he ever once consider that he could lose his life? Even in U.S.J., those Villains were trying to kill him. Even with Stain, who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone—a teenager even. The threat of death is a constant reminder that we're still human. Despite soaring across buildings, flying higher than where skyscrapers meet the clouds, we're still human. It's true that Midoriya is trained to subdue, but I'm not. I'm not. Honestly, I don't want to kill, but it doesn't mean I can't do it. It's the peace that I accepted when everything happened. The only reason I'm asking Midoriya is because I want his view on this.

"We're supposed to be Heroes, Inochi. We save people. We don't kill them, _especially _Villains! I can't imagine myself killing someone. It goes against everything about heroism. Why are you asking me this?" Midoriya combats, disgusted that I even brought the idea up to him. He's a noble man. Everyday, I'm reminded why All Might took an interest in him. Midoriya even named his own Super Moves after All Might's.

I bow my head slightly, apologizing, "Sorry, I think sometimes. In this career, we could lose our lives at any second. At some point, we have to confront that reality. We, over everyone else in Japan, have a choice that affects if a man lives or dies."

"I won't let it get to that point," he promises me. "I'll defeat the Villains so I don't have to decide that. That's why I'm training to be the greatest Hero like All Might! You need to train so you won't have to think about that anymore!" I need to train…? Gosh, Midoriya. If you said that to anyone else, they'd be so insulted. I mean, I'm not like you. I don't have a Quirk that's perfect for heroism. I can't even use mine no matter how heroic it sounds!

I say, not raising my voice, "We're two pretty different men, Midoriya. I'm training to be a Hero, so I can save others with a smile on their faces. If I have to kill a Villain to save them, I'll do it. Guess I can't be the greatest Hero by saying that, but I'm not training to be the greatest."

"Inochi, we're still Heroes…" Midoriya tells me again. "You can't go saying things like that when you don't know what it truly means. You can't say that you'll kill someone when you wanna save others! That's being a hypocrite! It's the exact opposite of what heroism is about!" He steps closer to me with his green hair swaying slightly. That's the type of heroism he believes in: saving the innocent and defeating the Villains. There's one golden rule above it all—Heroes don't kill. I agree. Heroes don't kill _unless_ they have to. For Midoriya, the golden rule is absolute.

"Midoriya, the world needs Heroes when All Might retires. We need to act for the people. I-"

"Then don't act like Stain! You can't be a killer like him! The people won't accept you! You're supposed to be better than that! You're Armory! A Hero!"

…

Alright.

I drape a towel over my shoulders, making my way to the door. Midoriya stands in the middle of his room alone. Before I leave, I say, "And you're Deku. You can do anything, right? Then put your lip service into reality. Make a world where I wouldn't be forced to kill a man in order to protect my friends."

"Inochi! I-!"

"Call me 'Stain'; call me 'Armory'. It doesn't matter. Seems like I'm both in your eyes. Thanks for the spar, Midoriya. See you 'round."

* * *

I leave Midoriya's room, closing the door behind me.

"Sanji, you're fuming."

"No, I'm not."

_WHACK!_

"That dummy says otherwise." Itsuka touches my shoulder, turning me around so we can face each other. Why does she have to see me like this? It's unbecoming. "You rarely get angry, so tell me what's going on."

"Stress, so I'm doing what comes naturally—training," I answer, taking one hand gently wobble my training dummy. It's beaten and battered from me whacking it with a quarterstaff. If it was a real person, then this dummy wouldn't have a head. It'd be _dead _from its skull being smashed in and his brain becoming a slush.

"You're not stressed. You're eerily calm under stress like I am. Beating a dummy into oblivion? That's anger," she says, calling me out. I can't hide it now. "Is it Midoriya again? I heard you stomping out of his room. What did he say to make you angry?"

I lean my quarterstaff against the dummy, sighing. "Just...different ideals I guess. Being compared to Stain isn't the best feeling in the world. I admit that I had it coming, so I don't know what I'm supposed to expect."

She assures me, "You aren't Stain. You're far from that Hero-killing monster, Sanji. I-"

"I know. You don't have to tell me that," I say with a little laugh in my voice. "I'm just angry that everything happened. This case that we were assigned to… It's crazy, Itsuka. So freaking crazy…" Everyone else can agree. Setsuna is up in her fancy suite, Kamakiri's at home with his mom, and Manga is doing his best to comfort Shojo. Their parents aren't back home yet. They're in Italy and there's a spree of Villain attacks lately. They say that one of the attacks is similar to the Busan Bombing. A couple of decades ago, a Villain bombed a large part of Busan with one single explosion. So, Italy closed the airports. They'll reopen them today luckily.

"I can tell… Manga isn't in the mood to read any of his mangas, Kamakiri's a lot more grumpy, and Setsuna's…you know how she is," she trails off, shaking her head. Itsuka puts a hand on her chest, her face growing worry and concern. "What's going on in your internship? The 'this case is too sensitive to talk about' excuse is getting old. Tell me the truth and nothing but the truth." Damnit, she's going straight into the heart of the issue. What do I say? I told Master Kendo about it, but her? If I tell her everything, she'd beg to be brought along. There's no way I'm letting Itsuka fight Tatchikutsu

I hide it—that's the only thing I can do, "We're under orders from the Hero Public Safety Commission to not reveal any details-"

"Damnit Sanji!" Itsuka shouts, grabbing me by my shirt. She pulls me close, nearly tearing my shirt apart. "To hell with the Commission! If you're in danger, then I can't just overlook it! Tell me what's going on! Please!" I can't look at her. I can't, but...the one short second I did… I swear she had tears in her eyes.

"I...I…" I stutter. Damnit! Why can't I say anything? I could talk so clearly with others, but not her. I don't wanna lie to Itsuka, but she can't get hurt! I can't forgive myself if anything happens to her, and...and she feels the exact same way with me.

Itsuka groans, pushing me back. She runs her hand down her ponytail. I can see her veins popping out on her hands. "The suicides. It's about the suicides, isn't it? There's no way that so many people would kill themselves in public! It has to be a Villain! That's why every time the Suicide Spree is mentioned, you tense up! When you left last night, you finally know where he is don't you? What's his name, Sanji?" She figured it out...

"Tatchikutsu… Risai Tatchikutsu. He works for the League, most likely. His Quirk, Catharsis, forces people to kill themselves by touch. His Villain Name shares the same name as his Quirk," I reveal, looking away. God, she doesn't even know about Hifumi! And about Shojo! It makes my blood boil even thinking about it! She doesn't know how much of a vile bastard he is!

I tell her with anger flooding out of my mouth, "He killed Hifumi. He's the reason why the public is against us! He murdered nine—_NINE—_people! Everyday, I hear about the suicides on the news! Everyday, I guilt myself over their deaths, knowing that there could've been a way to stop Tatchikutsu before the Suicide Spree would even have a name!" I punch the dummy so hard that it flies five meters into the back wall. My quarterstaff clatters to the floor, rolling around in front of my feet.

"He's…" I pause. There's a lump in my throat. I swallow it before continuing, "He's the _fucker _who made Shojo try to kill herself—Manga's _sister_. That's why she's a shut-in. Catharsis did all of this!" Itsuka watches me shout, watching me yell. I never did this before, especially not in front of her. But, I don't have a doubt in my mind that Tatchikutsu deserves death. He killed people in the most inhumane way possible; he hurt my _friends_. I'll make sure he ends up in Tartarus or a bodybag. Admitting this would make me no better than Stain, but so what? Once I'm finished with him, he wouldn't be able to _use_ his Quirk anymore. To think he was born as an average boy to a loving family.

"Sanji, I'm sorry," she apologizes, but she has nothing to apologize for.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I-!"

_Bzzt! _

My phone. I take it out, and it's Manga. He texted me, "pls get here asap. tatchikutsu's coming in a few hrs"

"You have to go, don't you?" Itsuka softly asks. She holds her shoulder, comforting herself. I nod. The only thing I do is nod. "You know what I'm gonna say… I know what you'll say after it…" Seems like we both know.

"I'm sorry. I know Uwabami shirked her duty as a mentor, and I know that you defend yourself, more than that—but I'm not letting you come with me."

"There's really no way I can come with you?"

"No. _Please_, stay here with Master Kendo and Hayami. I can handle Tatchikutsu with everyone else. I'm not the shy man you once knew," I insist, lowering my voice. She's been protecting me ever since we met. I don't mind; I never minded. I need to return the favor.

"I know… I know…" Itsuka replies, her voice getting even softer. She bows her head down just enough where her hair is hiding her eyes. There's… There's nothing else I can say. I have to go… I have to fight Tatchikutsu.

I start to turn around-!

…

Itsuka hugs me. She's...hugging me. She rests her head on the space in-between my neck and shoulder. Without thinking about it, I return the hug and rest my own head on hers. From my arm around her back, it bends forward, letting her breasts press against my chest, but I don't mind. This hug... It's different than when Setsuna does it. It's much more tender. I never thought a person could feel so warm...

I mutter, "Itsuka…"

"I hate how stubborn you are," she says just barely above a whisper.

"Yeah… If I get hurt—if you see me in a hospital bed—you won't forgive me, will you?"

"If you get hurt, I won't forgive myself."

"And if you get hurt, I'll never forgive myself."

"Sanji… Don't say that."

"It's the truth."

"Don't…. Jeez, assure me—_promise_ me—that you won't die."

"I promise I won't. I'll come back home alive."

She pulls her head off of my shoulder, staring into my eyes. Even though she looks so sad, she's still beautiful. Itsuka makes me promise, "_Please_. You're the best out of all of us."

"I'm not, but I will. You can count on me, Battle Fist."

"I know. Go get that bastard, Armory. Take care of our friends while I'm not there," she tells me, separating from our hug. She puts a quarterstaff in my hands and pats my shoulder, smiling.

She says to me, "Go be a Hero."

* * *

**Shojo Fukidashi**

I sing, "A little onion! A big knife! Chop it up, mince it, and slide it right off!"

"Shojo."

"Yummy yummy rice! Open the cooker and get the steamy-steaminess out!"

"Shojo."

"Uh-oh! Gotta check on the broth so it doesn't blow! So it won't go-!"

"SHOJO!"

"BAH?! Don't sneak up on a girl with a knife! I know how to use it!" I shout at Manga, nearly slicing his stupidly big head off. He jumps back and waves his hands all over the place, almost knocking a pot off the counter. Jeez! Not only he's a nerd, he's a clumsy nerd! That makes for a death sentence.

"Chill! Chill! Inochi and the others are coming soon! I just wanted to check up on the feast, but you know..." There's only one correct opinion for my singing. Will Manga say it? No, he's an idiot of the highest caliber. "You…" Yes, Manga? "Sing…" Finish the sentence. "Good?"

"Manga, is that a question mark at the end of the sentence? Or am I imagining it? Of course, I could be the crazy girl with a razor sharp kitchen knife in her hands, capable of cutting the one hair on your chest like soft butter," I hypothetically say, taking a paper towel and running my knife through it. Yup, it's sharper than sharp. I might not be an expert in swordsmanship, but I am an expert in kitchen knives. I can mince an entire onion in three seconds _with _my eyes closed.

"Oh! Uhm! Totally an exclamation mark! You sing as well as a pop star! Or even Komori!" Manga corrects himself, laughing nervously. I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult. I never heard Komori sing before.

Ugh, it's no use. I put my knife down and also checking on the broth. Yup, all good. It's not gonna explode in my face. I ask Manga, "How long 'till Tatchikutsu? If everything goes well, we could invite him to dinner, and he won't force us to slit our own wrists." When I heard that Tatchikutsu might arrive here tonight… I panicked, honestly. I made sure the windows were shut tight, the backyard screen door is secured, the front door is secured, and stuff like that. The only thing that's stopping me from curling up in a corner is cooking, which is what I'm doing right now. If it wasn't for cooking, I'd be crying my eyes out.

"Four and a half hours. Grandmaster and Count are talking with the Commission before they patrol Nabu with the police. I'm pretty scared, y'know? It's not a good place to be in even though Inochi says otherwise. I dunno how he deals with all this crap being thrown at us," he answers with his back finding a wall to lean against. There's really one answer for that: Sanji Inochi is our main character in shining armor. No matter what happens, he's always standing tall. His morals are similar to a saint, he's handsome, a badass—he fills out all of the criteria. Yet, this is about us. Tatchikutsu fell into his lap, but we always had a connection with him. He's the reason that Manga wants to be a Hero, and the reason why I'm stuck at home. With Tokage, he killed Hifumi.

"Yeah… How are you holding up, Manga? Got your voice loud and ready? You can blow this house down if you wanted to," I check up on him. His body might be weak, but his Quirk isn't. It's one of the best in his class. He could tear the entire school down if he was determined enough.

"Not planning to, but yeah. It's in ship-shape. Anyway, is the food almost done? I'm getting hungry," Manga says in a bit of a jerkish tone. Hmph, I may be the chef in the house, but it wouldn't kill him to pick up a few tricks. Actually, it will. I can't trust him with a knife.

"Eat some snacks, maybe a protein bar? Your arms need it."

"Go screw yourself! I'm-!"

_Dododooo!_

That's the doorbell! It took an entire day to program it to my favorite anime opening. Manga groans and droops his head, shambling over to the door. I walk out of the kitchen as I see a trio of Heroes—Sanji Inochi, Setsuna Tokage, and Togaru Kamakiri. They aren't wearing their costumes, but flowy gym clothes. Sanji is the only person who brought something, which is a wooden quarterstaff. If he spins that thing around, he'll whack all of the pictures off the walls. I already met him, but I haven't met Tokage and Kamakiri yet. They look...pretty much like I expected. Tokage is a cute girl with a bit of a mastermind-like smile while Kamakiri is grumpy. He's totally a tsundere. Good thing he has a pure-hearted love interest.

Once they come inside, they immediately turn to me. Sanji smiles, Tokage blushes lightly and waves, while Kamakiri huffs in acknowledgement. Manga says, "C'mon guys, introduce yourselves to Shojo."

"Alright," Sanji says, putting his quarterstaff in the corner of the living room, "happy to meet you again, Shojo."

"Great to see that Manga's mutation doesn't run in the family. Oh, please call me 'Setsuna', hehe." Setsuna giggles, coyly putting a finger to her mouth. Then for some reason, Kamakiri slaps the back of her head.

"Ignore Lizard Head flirtin' with ya. You probably heard shit 'bout me already, so I ain't gonna go too deep. Thanks for the eggrolls durin'... What the hell was it called again?" _Operation Jack Mantis_, and Setsuna was flirting with me? Should I be flattered?

Setsuna says, rubbing her head, "Kamakiri, the name is literally your Hero Name. How did you forget? It's the very moment when you fell in love with-"

"Don't you finish that sentence. I had enough of your constant teasin'. Just what in the hell is wrong with you?" Kamakiri replies, raising his voice. Sanji and Manga move to the other side of the room while these two are starting to go at it.

"Honey, a lot of things. Tatchikutsu, saving Shojo, getting Sanji and Itsuka together, and what else…? Oh right, _you._ Maybe if you lighten up, Pony will return your affections!" Setsuna smirks, poking Kamakiri's chest. He's so much taller than she is, but Setsuna has guts. While that's going on, Sanji is cringing to himself.

"Bitch, I don't got any affections. The only affections is when Horns's stalkin' me! Have you fuckin' seen how many times she tries to hug me? You do it all the time with Quirkless!"

Manga takes a glass of water off of a table and quietly sips it.

"Yeah! There's a difference between my loving hugs and when she does it. She hasn't told me yet, but she's smitten with you."

"'_Yet_.' Oh my fuckin' God, you are one insane little girl. This is almost as bad as you teasin' Quirkless an' Fists. You are obsessed with them."

"For a good reason! Have you seen how cute they are? We all know that Itsuka developed a crush on him after the Sports Festival. I've been telling Sanji that but he doesn't believe me! C'mon Sanji! Do you believe it?"

Sanji clears his throat and says, "What's the right answer?"

"Yes! The right answer is 'yes'! You're supposed to believe me! I'm your trusted companion! Your unwavering ally no matter how dark the days get! And I'm your wingwoman! Your love life is high on my priority list!" Setsuna exclaims as Manga takes a louder sip. Kamakiri throws his arms up in the air. He points down to the couch and I bat my hand, letting him flop down face-first.

"Tokage, you need a new priority list," Manga admits. Setsuna lays a hand across her breasts and acts fake-offended. I know the feeling. To have Manga say that is more than insulting. Not from his words, but from what kind of a person he is. Unfortunately, Setsuna doesn't have a witty comeback. She pouts, crosses her arms, and turns her back towards Manga. I think this is a good time to go back into the kitchen.

"I'll just...watch the food," I tell them.

Setsuna pops up, "Need a hand?" She-?! What the hell?!

"Put your fuckin' hand back, Lizard Head!"

"Cartoony, why are we watchin' this trash again?" Kamakiri asks, and frankly—he's right. This anime is trash, but Manga likes it for some reason. It's not exactly good entertainment after dinner. Maybe because the big sister character has big breasts. The only good thing about this anime is the protagonist. He's cute, but he's way too much of a dense guy. It's like all the other harem animes. "I watched this shit with Pony once, an' she fuckin' hated it. If she hates this, then you should too." Wait what?

"You watched it with _Pony?_ This? This anime?" I ask him. In the next episode, one of the girls gets stripped by the protagonist "by accident". There's nothing covering her lady parts other than steam! I haven't met Pony personally, but Manga tells me she's one of the most innocent girls in 1-B.

"She forced me to watch it at her house," Kamakiri admits, glaring at Setsuna. Oh boy, the things that she'll say about this.

She asks, "Did you meet her parents?"

"...Yea."

"How did it go?"

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri at the Tsunotori Household**

"Honey, I made your favorite! Oh, Pony brought one of her classmates home! You should meet him!" Mama Tsunotori tells Papa Tsunotori.

"Fine, and stop exclaiming so much. It's dizzying."

"Okay! I love you, honey," she whispers.

"Ugh, go set up the table with Pony."

"Roger that!"

Mama Tsunotori salutes before skippin' off. I hear Papa mutterin', "Annoying."

Papa Tsunotori puts down his suitcase, pullin' up a chair in front of me. He talks to me with his eyes, _Togaru Kamakiri, my daughter is adorable, right?_

_A real fuckin' angel, Papa Tsunotori._

_Glad we're in agreement, and we don't use language in this house._

_Sorry 'bout that._

"Dad! Kamakiri! Why are you two talking with your eyes?"

* * *

"Wasn't that bad, Lizard Head. Ain't bad at all. An' no, all we did was watch anime. We didn't do none of that sexual shit, you perverted freak," Kamakiri tells Setsuna off. I need to have my own input here because I _have_ to say something.

"Kamakiri, no offense, but you and Pony are adorable together. I love relationships where the male tsundere falls in love with a cute girl. It's such a good trope! That's why I'm personally rooting for ya," I throw in my two cents, practically in awe that this trope is happening in real life. Kamakiri's eyes are shouting a bunch of profanities at me. They're silent, but it's the loudest thing in the room.

Setsuna giggles, high-fiving me. "If Shojo agrees, then it's meant to be." That's absolutely right. Anyway, the other two boys are sitting across the room. Manga is sulking by himself. He's on his phone, probably reading Grandmaster's messages. As for Sanji, he's staring at his phone with his fingers going nuts. Setsuna notices and asks, "Sanji, who are you texting? You've been on your phone ever since Shojo brought dinner out."

He picks his head up and answers, "Huh? Oh! Uhm… It's Itsuka. I meant to tell you guys that she...she figured out what our case is." Eh? She found out? Manga told me she cares about everyone just as much as Sanji. If she knows, then why isn't she here with us? I know she's with Uwabami, but we could've used her help.

"What? Kendo knows? Why didn't you bring her along, Inochi? She's your best friend," Manga asks, also picking his head up. With Sanji and Kendo, their relationship is really close from what I heard. If what Setsuna says is true, then she likes Sanji. But, that's besides the point. I need to listen to what Sanji says.

Sanji groans and pressed his phone against his forehead, shutting his eyes. "I didn't want her to get hurt if Tatchikutsu comes. That's why I decided not to let her come."

"You're not worried that she'll stroll up here regardless?" It's Setsuna's turn to ask. Sanji shakes his head and sighs.

"No. She trusts me and my decision. Still, I've been texting her updates just so I could ease her fears and mine. I'm more scared about everyone's well-being than my own, y'know?" he tells us, checking his phone again. He quickly texts something to her, chuckling a little. "Gosh, a few weeks ago—I wouldn't expect to fight a Villain from the League."

"Inochi," Kamakiri gets his attention, using his real name, "we'll get you home to your girlfriend. I'm not the type of romantic who stresses over relationships, but I'm with Lizard Head 'bout this one. In fact, I'm bettin' money that you an' Fists will hook up on your birthday. July 24th, right?" Sanji laughs, nodding.

"Personally, I got money on Itsuka's birthday," Setsuna confesses, putting her hands together and sighing. "I can already imagine the love confession! On a fall evening, the leaves beautiful drizzled down onto the dirt-stricken pavement. They followed down the path where a handsome boy with black and white hair! Sanji knew that today was the day. Today was going to be the day where he confessed his undying love to Itsuka! He knew that he only has one chance to perfect this breathtaking moment—if not, it'll be utterly soul-shattering, earth-breaking, heart-crumbling, and-!"

"Tokage, that's a stupid way to confess," Manga calls her out once again. This time, I'm inclined to agree.

"Yeah. Personally, I would imagine the confession a different way," I state, readying my brain to imagine a flawless love confession. All my hours of reading shojo manga and playing otomes will pay off! I put my fingers together like a picture frame, putting Sanji in the middle. "Now, Sanji Inochi knew Itsuka Kendo is important to him. He valued her more than he valued himself. Sanji thought this way with all of his friends, but Itsuka was different. Ever since that fateful day he moved to Musutafu, he knew she was different. Their bond wasn't something similar to brother and sister; it was more than that. That was why he asked Itsuka to meet him on a hilltop overlooking Musutafu. The stars were beautifully out, dazzling the sky. But, it wasn't as beautiful as the woman he loved. So-"

"Glasses, this ain't fanfiction. This is real life. It's pretty damn creepy that you're imaginin' real people—your friends—in these situations. I mean, I'm rootin' for these two idiots, but even I have boundaries," Kamakiri scolds me, and I'm very offended! Setsuna and I are kindred souls! I wanna imagine my friends in these weird situations without criticism!

"Wow… You know, I think Sanji should describe his ideal setting. After all, Shojo and I agree that Sanji is the one confessing. Not because he's the man, but because he's the soft and vulnerable one," Setsuna suggests, and I completely agree. I nod and hum, turning to Sanji. He's just staring at us. I don't think he heard what she said… His eyes are completely blank. "Oh, never mind. He's spacing out again. Manga, snap him outta it."

"You do it. If I snap him out, he's gonna punch me in the face. I don't want my teeth smashed in," Manga says, crossing his arms.

"What teeth? You don't have teeth! I don't understand how your anatomy works!" Setsuna nearly gets out of her spot, looking like she's gonna shake Manga's head to death.

"About that," I say, sitting her back down, "he has teeth, but you don't wanna know how his mouth looks. Trust me, I have trauma from the image. Even more trauma than I have now. No need to give Tatchikutsu more fuel-"

"What about him?" Sanji comes back to life, rapidly searching for him. Once he realizes he isn't here, he sighs and relaxes himself. "Never mind… What were you guys talking about earlier? I spaced out when Setsuna went on about fall leaves or something."

"Confessions, Sanji! If you had to confess to someone—maybe Kendo—how would you imagine it?" I ask him, crossing my legs. Kamakiri tries to fight against it, but Setsuna immediately shuts him up by flying one of her hands to his mouth. Manga, in fear of his life, puts his hands up. Sanji reluctantly nods after taking a glance at his phone.

He takes a deep breath before describing, "If I had to confess to someone, it'll be on a snowy night, when everyone is asleep. The snow would make everything hauntingly eerie, yet beautiful like a picture in a storybook—one that a father would read to his child as they lay on their soft white bed that's the same shade as a cloud. That's why the place I'll confess in would be breathtaking, regardless if it's made by man or God. The snowflakes, each unique and mesmerizing in their own right, would drift, waving in the slight wind like a mother rocking her newborn to sleep—singing a soft, gentle lullaby. We would stand on a snow-stricken ground, becoming one with the horizon with snow draping our bodies. That's when I would confess. I wouldn't disturb the serenity that nature blessed the night with. My voice would be as quiet as a snowflake falling with its own. That's how I'd imagine it."

"Damnit, my brilliant brain of mine is not creative!"

"Same, I can't describe it as good as that."

"Quirkless, what the fuck?"  
"I'm gonna change the channel."

Manga changes the channel to…! The news. He switched it to the freaking news of all things. It was probably an accident, but everything about him is an accident. Kamakiri groans and throws a pillow at Manga ("OW!"), Setsuna too ("STOP DOING THAT!"). Aw man, I don't have any pillows to whack him with! Maybe my hand will do! ("ACK?! STOP ABUSING YOUR BROTHER!")

Manga grabs a pillow and raises it over his head, but Sanji takes it from him. He asks, "Manga, did you check Grandmaster's last message?" Okay, when did serious Sanji appear? He sounds on edge.

"Uh, yeah," Manga replies, taking his phone out, "He replied...an hour ago. We have thirty minutes left until Tatchikutsu strikes…"

"He went dark. Look at the bottom bar. It says, 'There were reports of fighting in Nabu, Tokyo.' And listen to what the news is talking about!" Sanji raises his voice to the point his throat goes raw. He points to the TV. The newscasters are reporting that...that the Suicide Spree claimed its tenth victim. A college boy was said to have stabbed himself in the gut with a kitchen knife a few hours ago. The police, and his roommates, confirmed that it was a suicide. There's a number for suicide hotline prevention on one of the sidebars. You'd think the worst part is the suicide, but no. It's not. The worst part is that the table of newscasters are focusing on the cause of the Suicide Spree, the very first victim: Hifumi Osuhashi.

They're slandering the Tokages. They retell the story of the gala's shooting and how Fuyushiro Tokage is suing the Osuhashi family. They say that it was immoral especially since Hifumi was rendered Quirkless from her chemotherapy. One of them says, and I quote, "It's disgusting that U.A. High School was allowed to be the start of the Suicide Spree. Along with the situation with Sanji Inochi, U.A. should be held accountable for their gross incompetence with their application process and with their students." It always circles back to 1-B. Even with their fancy words, there's a rotten message behind it. This… This is the reason why I hate the world.

This is why I bury my head in mangas and animes. I don't wanna focus on how miserable my world is. It's constantly prejudiced, belittling their own who doesn't deserve it. It's an awful place to live in. I completely understand why the Villains wanna tear it down. If you have a villainous Quirk? If you look like a Villain? You'd be told that until the day you decide to be what they believe you to be. If you're Quirkless? If you seem so hopeless to them? You don't have a future. You believe that you will never have a future, so why bother living? Why bother living in a world that doesn't want you in it? That's why Tatchikutsu targeted me. He knew how much I despised this world. Because of it, I'm locked in with the only world I know for the past year—my home. I'm afraid of the outside world, y'know? Not from how introverted I am, but how evil it can be. I already seen how ruthless it is towards my friends. They send death threats, calling for them to kill themselves, sending a stream of endless hate. Where's the humanity in that? In a world of Heroes and Villains, why is the average man worse than the both of them? I admire that my friends are still trying to be Heroes, but what's the point if the world hates them? Many become Heroes so they can be famous—they can be celebrities. Saving people is a show. There's nothing noble in that. Yet, they're still trying. Maybe they're trying to be Heroes in spite of the world? Or maybe...they're fighting to be a different kind of Heroes? I don't know. I always thought humans were inherently selfish, acting for only their own interests, but they aren't like that. Especially them, especially Manga. Manga wanted to be a Hero because of me. He never told me that himself—at least not directly—but that's not selfish. He was the only man who wasn't like the others...until I met 1-B. I haven't met most of them, but they're still determined to be the next generation of Pro Heroes. They might be doing it out of selfish desires, like spite or fame, but they're fighting against society. Not like Villains. They're fighting in their own way, never once wavering. What does that make me? I gave up a long time ago but…

"Sanji, where are you going?

I see. Society breeds all things, especially the worst that man can give to the world.

"Checking that the attack won't be premature, Setsuna. Kamakiri, toss me my quarterstaff."

Prejudice.

"Roger."

Hate.

_TOSS!_

"Thanks. I'll bash Tatchikutsu's head in if we're lucky. Don't worry Shojo, we'll keep you safe no matter what."

Shame.

"If you find the fucker, don't kill him without me."

I take off my glasses. Setsuna's besides me with a blurry, but gleaming smile that shines.

"Kamakiri, I'm not gonna wait for you."

I suffered and despaired for as long as I can remember. Misery was always clear,but happiness isn't. Maybe I had to experience the evils that mankind had offered to me so I could enjoy the best that it has. After waiting for so long, I have hope for a better future. I would've never discovered it on my own if it wasn't for these four Heroes.

"You stingy bastard! Lemme cut him up."

It makes me feel like I could go outside again…

"Kamakiri-"

"Hey Sanji," I get his attention. He's blurry as heckl, but I can still see his fluffy white hair with black streaks. "Thanks for everything."

"You don't have to thank me. Let's hope that Grandmaster and Count are okay."

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"Sir, there's a lot of thugs staring at us. Are you sure they won't attack?"

"I'm sure, because if they do, It's suicide. The only thing they'll do is glare and spread the word around Nabu. It'll be more unnerving since we're heading towards the hideout of the Nabu Yakuza. Don't make any arrests. We are not here for them. We're here for Catharsis," I tell Officer Nobisuke, a tan-skinned man. Out of the three officers, he's the youngest along with Doji. His eyes and instincts are jumpy like a hyperactive child. It's his first mission out. Sergeant Koi is the senior of the three here. He's one of the largest men I seen and talks sternly. Finally, there's Officer Doji who has a pair of demon/oni horns growing at the top of her head. From the looks of it, she joined the force along with Nobisuke. She has her arms linked with him in comfort, and that it'll "make them look natural".

Normally, Pro Heroes are the only law enforcement that's allowed to use their Quirks. Not with these three officers. In the Police Force, there is a special forces team called "Quirk Assault Team", also known as Q.A.T.. They are called upon when the situation calls for individuals who are more than mere police officers, but less than Pro Heroes. This is one of those situations. Each officer has their own callsign and designation, which is similar to a Hero Codename. Unlike Hero Codenames, it's only one word.

Fukoro Nobisuke is designated as "Whip", which shares the same name as his Quirk. He's able to turn anything into a whip. The longer the object, the better. It still maintains its brittleness however.

Maomi Doji is designated as "Oni". Like Nobisuke, it shares the same name of her Quirk: Oni, an Accumulation/Emitter-type. Her horns being her source of power. She can emit energy projectiles from her hands, but she says she can do more than that.

Nagaishi Koi is designated as "Boss", which symbolizes his position in the Q.A.T.. His Quirk is Concrete, a Hardening-type that turns his body into something akin to concrete. He becomes immobile however.

Officer Doji asks in a hushed voice, "Who's the one who revealed the headquarters of Nabu Yakuza? We haven't pinned a charge on them yet, but it's one step closer to nailing these bastards."

Claude answers for me, "If we reveal him, would you get disgusted? You think of this poor saps as 'bastards' anyhow. They're humans just like us. They were born in the wrong circumstances and casted aside by society." He's speaking from experience. When he was framed for Jeanne's murder, all of France called for his head. When I disproved it, they never formally apologized. It's one of the reasons he moved to Japan.

"The Count is right. Doji, treat everybody here like people. Treat them like animals, then expect them to bite your hand off," Seta speaks, tipping his hat when we pass a man leaning against a wall. The officers aren't dressed in their police uniforms, but in coats like Claude and I. Still, the residents here can sniff that we are not one of their own.

"Roger that, sir…" Doji mutters underneath her breath, regretting what she said.

"The Count," Officer Nobisuke gets his attention, his voice trembling slightly, "it's Armory, correct? He's a foster child, so it makes sense for him to bounce around Japan. One of his homes was bound to be in Nabu since… since this district has the highest percentage of Quirkless in all of Tokyo."

"That's right," I confirm his thoughts. "Armory gave us example, the Nabu Yakuza is mainly comprised of Quirkless, and that they take care of their own. If I could name a place that respects 1-B, then this district would be it."

"Some good news, finally. Now, calm your nerves Officer Nobi. Or, are you intentionally nervous so Officer Doji could hook her arm around yours? She's a pretty woman, so I understand," Claude jokes when the time nor the place calls for one. However, Doji and Nobisuke immediately separate with flushed cheeks. Seta rolls his eyes, pulling up his black coat.

"We're officers of the law, not schoolchildren. We were trusted to bring in the culprit of the Suicide Spree, so get it together," Koi scolds them for their unprofessional behavior. They clear their throats and straighten their posture, exclaiming in a whisper, "Yessir!" That will only reveal that we are, in fact, officers and Pro Heroes, but we were already figured out. I check my watch. We have less than a half hour before he strikes. Koi taps my shoulder, asking me, "Grandmaster, do you think your interns can handle this Villain? If this is a distraction for us, then are they prepared to take the bastard down?"

"They are. They have more than enough motivation, and I know that one of them is prepared to kill Catharsis if necessary. From what they experienced, they've grown more mature," I tell him, rapping the tips of my fingers against my cane. My kids can handle Catharsis. Tokage is on recon, Manga has the most powerful Quirk offensively, Kamakiri can aid Inochi in combat, and Inochi himself is the unsaid leader. I can see it in his eyes. He's willing to do what it takes to protect his friends. I have to ask myself though: If Master Kendo knew that Catharsis was groomed by All For One, who knows what would happen? Shigaraki is connected to All For One somehow. Would he let his disciples become a Hero after his wife's death?

"That's one way of putting it," Doji comments, crossing her arms. "Considering everything, 1-B would be more mature than 1-A. I mean, have you seen Bakugo? All that guy thinks about is winning. Don't know how he'll be a rational Hero with that attitude. Right, Sergeant Koi?"

"He could be a good Hero. Remind me Nobisuke, you were enrolled in U.A., right?" Koi asks. Claude silently groans to himself, looking around for any possible ambushes or attacks. He's much more vigilant. Ah, we're nearing the hideout. There's a lot more eyes on us, and those eyes have blunt weapons ready at hand.

"In Class D, yeah. Wasn't good enough to be a Hero for all three years, not even in college. I wasn't smart and strong enough to transfer into the Hero Course," Nobisuke recalls. He glances briefly at Doji before looking away.

"Yeah, Fukoro- I mean, Nobisuke. At least you settled with me and the Quirk Assault Team. Friends at childhood and friends at work," Doji says. She hesitated just slightly before her last sentence. These two imbeciles… I understand Koi's frustration. For members of the Q.A.T., they are not professional whatsoever. Much like my partner ninety percent of times.

"Yeah Maomi…" Nobisuke glances at Koi who is glaring daggers into them and quickly corrects himself, "I mean Doji! Doji…"

"How are you two even agents?!" Koi starts on his rant. Meanwhile, Claude and I are stopped in front of a courtyard that's seen better days. This is the hideout considering twelve men are present with bats, pipes, and such. All of them must be Quirkless.

"Training! Lots of training, sir!"  
"Yeah! We'll work on our professionalism! We focused way too much on training for our own good! S-Sir!"

("Officers, we have a situation," Claude says, getting into position.)

"You are lucky that Grandmaster and Count are here! If they weren't, I would've torn you two to shreds a few blocks back!"

"We'll act better, sir! Please, I like this coat!"

"Y-Yeah! Nobisuke and I will try to act like actual officers! Please, don't pummel us, sir!"

_TAP TAP!_

"Officers!" I yell, tapping my cane. They look at me, glance to the twelve men behind us, then back at me. "We have a more pressing issue than professionalism." The twelve Yakuza decides that this is the right time to charge in. Well, this should stop them. From my coat, I pull out my .38 revolver and point it at them. They immediately stop in their tracks. "Are you fools done now?"

"Shit, the yakuza has a gun!"  
"The girl has horns!"

"The big guy's five times our size!"

"The fedora guy looks mean!"

"The tan guy's...tan!"

"Really?! Is that all you yakuzas have to say about me?" Nobisuke shouts, taking out two batons and turning them into whips. He whips it around himself, nearly taking my head off doing so. Doji, meanwhile, seems like she's terrified. Not from the yakuza, but from him.

"Fuck! The tan guy can turn things into whips!"

"Are you idiots done? We're not yakuza! You are in the presence of the Quirk Assault Team, who's accompanying Grandmaster and The Count! _Pro Heroes_! Stand down or we'll arrest every one of you!" Koi roars, stepping forward and stomping his foot down. The pavement cracks from the impact. Immediately, the twelve yakuzas stand down, lowering their weapons and falling to their knees. I put my revolver back in my coat as Claude takes the situation off of Koi's hands.

He paces back and forth, playfully patting some heads before saying, "Where's Sasori, the leader of your little gang? We would like to speak to him regarding the wellbeing of the Nabu District. Don't try to do anything funny either. Most, if not all of you, are Quirkless. You're strong men, you have the numbers, but we have the advantage of Quirks."

"Did Inochi send you here? I didn't know that kid was a snitch," one of the men says out loud. Claude walks over and whacks him.

"He did, but don't call him that. Do you know about the Suicide Sprees, correct? There's a culprit, a Villain, behind them. He told us the location so Nabu wouldn't be affected by the Villain's actions," Claude corrects him, which makes the twelve men murmur with one another. I only hear bits and pieces from the conjoined words and sentences. It seems they weren't aware that Catharsis is behind these murders. That leaves two possibilities: Sasori is the only man who knows about Catharsis, or the Nabu Yakuza has nothing to do with the incoming attack.

"Who this fucker? No one ain't got the right to make kids kill themselves like that, naw man!" another man says, patting his chest. The man next to him does the same, and then the next man… Good grief, they're acting like gorillas. Enthusiastic and somewhat moral gorillas, but still. I look at Claude, but he shrugs his shoulders. He puts a finger to his lips, immediately hushing the men.

Claude gives them the truth, "Risai Tatchikutsu. Villain Name: Catharsis. Congrats, you are one of the few people who know the truth. Now, where in the world is Sasori?"

"Right here," Sasori introduces himself. There's barely any light here, but it illuminates his bald head. This is Sasori, the leader of the Nabu Yakuza. His Quirk is Scorpion Tail, a Mutant-type. It's obvious what his Quirk gives him. At his presence, the twelve men shoot back to their feet, making way for their boss. He has an intimidating aura, but he's not here to intimidate us. I can tell from the look in his eyes. He wants to help us in any way possible. So Inochi was right. Do not provoke the residents of Nabu and they'll show the same respect. Yet, I don't have a clue as to why they thought we were an opposing yakuza. I thought it was obvious that we were Pro Heroes and police. "Welcome to Nabu. Sorry that these jackasses thought you were rivals. Y'here 'bout Catharsis, right? Good, 'cause he tried to enlist my help earlier. As you can tell already, I turned that rat fucker down."

"Is he working with the League?" Koi asks. From his posture and tone, he's waiting for a reason to arrest Sasori. Nobisuke and Doji are waiting for his orders with Nobisuke being more vigilant.

"Probably, but not anymore. From our last and only conversation, sounded like him and Shiggy are on bad terms. Mighta explain why the League sent Nomus out to kill Stain and those 1-A kids," Sasori answers without hesitation. I understand him now. His heart is committed to help bring down Catharsis. Good, because I think I know what Catharsis is planning. He had a falling out with the League. Thus, Shigaraki cannot take credit for the Suicide Spree, which was the motive behind the Hosu attack. Why did they have a falling out? Catharsis went on a killing spree against Shigaraki's wishes. Sure, he might have allowed him to murder Hifumi, but so many teenagers at once? That was overboard, and the League wasn't credited to the attack as well thanks to the Commission keeping Catharsis's identiy under wraps. Shigaraki was peeved along with any of his allies, even more with Stain. That isolated Catharsis from the League. At that point, he didn't have a choice but to enact his endgame: killing us. That explained the taunt he sent us. He's sour. Perhaps he wants to prove to Shigaraki that he can kill U.A. students? Perhaps not. His motive is unclear, but he's following through with his actions. Now, what other questions can I ask? We only have a limited amount of time before the attack.

"Hmm, what did he ask of you?" I ask about the contents of their conversation. Hopefully, it'll reeval just exactly what Catharsis is planning.

"He wanted my ass to murder you guys, but I refused. He said that I'd 'get some help', but didn't go into detail. Sorry, that motherfucker is smart. He knew that if I refused, I'd talk to you." Damnit. Nothing can be easy, can it?

"Hey boss, why didn't you tell us 'bout Catharsis? Nabu could be in some real shit, y'know!" a man exclaims, stepping out of line. Sasori rolls his eyes and pushes him back in place, patting his shoulder.

"I was lazy. I mean, we ain't gonna let Nabu get torn up more than it already is. Besides, we got the Q.A.T. here _and_ Pros. Whether they like our crusty asses or not, we're gonna fight whatever the hell that son of a monkey bitch has in plan for us numbskulls. Quirkless or not, we're fucking badasses."

"Like Armory?" Doji compares, putting a hand on her hip. Sasori laughs and nods.

He explains, "Like fucking Armory! That's a good ass name for Sanji. I always liked the kid! Quiet, but has a damn good heart! The reporters on their ivory tower don't know shit 'bout him. The people of Nabu got his back. He makes the Quirkless here look like beautiful angels. How he doing, Grandmaster?"

I truthfully answer, "He's prepared to kill Catharsis, so he's doing well. Never knew he was quiet, however. Out of my interns, he's the most extroverted of them all."

"Eh? Hold up. One: He was a quiet kid, always hiding underneath his hoodie. Two: He's gonna kill Catharsis? Sanji's only a fricken kid!" Sasori says, his tone changing. Did he take on a fatherly role to him?

"He's matured, Sasori. He's not the shy little boy you knew him as," Claude tells him, tipping his hat. Sasori groans and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. He offers one to Claude, which he gladly takes, and then to me. I kindly refuse. I do smoke, but not at this moment. There's more troubling matters. Damn, I think I'm able to confirm that Catharsis is aiming to attack Shojo and the others. If he asked Sasori to ambush me, then he won't attack me himself. He planned to take my party out in Nabu by the Nabu Yakuza and Shojo in Musutafu by his own hands. I must force his plan to go awry. We can't stay here any longer. We have to leave as soon as possible. But! My partner is currently having a smoke with our supposed enemy. Pity.

Before I announce our next orders, Nobisuke steps up to Claude and Sasori. Koi watches him carefully as he asks, "Sasori, I'm not particularly fond of the yakuza, but I was hoping you could help me with something."

"Sure, kid. Shoot. But don't actually shoot me. I'm having a smoke after all! Gotta have some courtesy," he accepts, breathing a cloud of cigarette smoke off to the side. I can smell the tobacco from where I'm standing.

"Fuko, don't ask him," Doji voices her concern, being side-to-side with her partner. Koi's in the back, grumbling. "I'm sorry, Sasori, but Fukoro _hates_ the yakuza. It's taking every ounce of him to not lash out."

"Don't say that, Maomi. Sasori, I need to know if you seen this symbol," Nobisuke says, showing him a picture. I move myself so I can see it clearly. It's a… It's a drawing that Nobisuke drew. It's a symbol that originates from the yakuza, but their power has been delegated from crimelords to petty thugs. However, I have never seen the symbol before despite its origins. It's an eight-pointed star, but there's some sort of four-leafed flower in the middle. It has roots in Buddhism considering there's the high possibility of referencing the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. But, no recorded yakuza ever used that symbol. Nobisuke informs him, "This symbol was branded into one of the member's skin. I don't know the group's name."

Sasori looks long and hard into the picture before shaking his head. He drops his cigarette butt and stomps it out. "Nope. Think Grandmaster doesn't know either from the look on his face. Must be some really secret shit, sorry bud. Why you ask?" A secret Villain group? That's the only possibility. I know about All For One, but not this group in particular. Strange, I would've heard about it by now. What kind of yakuza—if it even is yakuza—group be Buddhist extremists?

Nobisuke says, "The man-"

Doji tugs on his shoulder. "You don't have to say it."

He continues anyway, "The man who wore this symbol murdered my uncle." Hmm? Nobisuke's uncle was murdered by them? It seems I need to keep an ear out for yet another band of Villains. They'll either fall into two categories: working with All For One or working against him.

Sasori sputters a cough out, wiping something off of his shirt. Koi clears his throat, sounding like a growling bear. "Nobisuke, Doji, it's time to move on. Grandmaster, what's our next orders? You've been silent for awhile."

"Immediately, we move to the Fukidashi household," I tell them, turning to Claude next who's enjoying his smoke, "put that cigarette out Claude, we need to leave."

"Fine fine… Thank you for the smoke break, Sasori. Hate to leave you with whatever Catharsis is planning, but our kids need us. I-!"

_ROAR!_

What in the world?!

"Is that a lion or my stomach?" Sasori asks, gesturing for his men to get on guard. Koi yells at us to prepare for our hidden threat. I pull out my revolver, scanning the windows and rooftops. Nothing. Damnit, Sasori needs to put lights up there otherwise he's open for an attack. An attack like the one we're experiencing right now. Doji's horns turn from a navy blue to scarlet red, raising her hands. Koi takes off his large coat, revealing his olympic-built chest.

_CRASH!_

Outside the courtyard, on the middle of the street, lies a large quadrupedal being. It's not human, not anymore. Because, this being has an overextended jaw with shark-like teeth and an exposed brain. The only clothes it has is a cloth over its crotch. It appears that Catharsis stole a Nomu from the League, and this Nomu is the size of an American black bear. The main body is even larger than Koi's chest, and its legs are as thick as a tree. The Nomu's similar to the one that All Might fought in the U.S.J. Incident, being black-skinned, unlike the ones in Hosu. The other Nomus in Hosu had light skin, and thus was weaker. Black-skinned Nomus are stronger, I gather. What kind of Quirks does this monstrosity has? Shark-Like Teeth, a Bear-like Body, and Super Regeneration most likely.

_ROOOOAR!_

It-?!

_WHOOOSH!_

Wind-Producing Roars?! That's another Quirk! The winds have a high enough force to shatter the surrounding lights! Damnit, now we're fighting blind! I shout at Sasori, "Get some light in here immediately! Spotlights, torches, anything!"

He nods, yelling orders to his men, "You heard the man! If you don't wanna die, get some fucking light in here ASAP!"

"Shindeka! What about the kids?!" Claude worries, throwing his fedora to the side.

I tell him as the Nomu start prowling closer to the courtyard, "They're strong! We can trust them! As for us, we cannot let this Nomu wreck havoc upon Nabu! We have to stop it here!"

"It's charging! Everyone! Move outta the way!" Koi warns.

_ROAR!_

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

It's time.

We turned the TV off. I liked the noise, but it's a distraction. We need the ability to hear without the TV blaring at us. The silence is depressing, but we needed to do it. Now, Setsuna's on reconnaissance, splitting her eyes and ears to all parts of the house. The rest of us are in the living room silently waiting. Grandmaster went dark an hour or so ago. He's in Nabu with The Count and three officers from the Quirk Assault Team. They fell into Tatchikutsu's trap. God, I hope they make it out okay. I texted Itsuka about everything. She said she told Hayami about what's happening, and now both of them are completely stressed. Master Kendo already knows, but he blames me for making his daughter and granddaughter panic. Eventually, I told Itsuka that I'll stop texting her to focus on catching Tatchikutsu. The last thing she sent me was, "Come back safe."

"Team leader," Kamakiri says, breaking the silence. Guess he's talking to me. "On a scale of one to ten, how fucked are we?"

"We don't have any long-ranged Quirks except for Manga's, but Comic is pretty destructive. My opinion is six," Shojo says, which warrants Manga to shove her a little. She squeaks from the suddenness. "H-Hey! It's the truth!"

Manga defends, "Have _some_ faith! Six is too high! We might die from a single finger from Tatchikutsu, rendering close combat fighters almost completely useless, but we can still defeat him! Even though the only fights are good in close combat… Why didn't you bring your crossbow, Inochi?"

"Close combat, remember? Ranged weapons aren't terrific when your opponent is face-to-face with you. Tatchikutsu will do no matter what to close the gap. With my quarterstaff, I could have him at a distance, but still in melee range," I explain, giving the floor a little tap with my staff.

Kamakiri sarcastically says, "You idiots are givin' me a lotta hope right now. Good thing that Lizard Head can't hear us. She-"

"That's where you're wrong, Kamakiri. I hear you loud and clear, but I'm kinda hearing everything else at the moment. Still no Tatchikutsu unfortunately," Setsuna reveals herself. She doesn't have a top half of a head currently. The four of us aren't trying to focus on how freaky she looks. "Hmm, Manga… How late is the attack?"

"Ten minutes late. God, I want Tatchikutsu to get this over with already. It's terrifying to wait for our inevitable doom. I'd rather have a giant 'BOOM' or a-!"

_HONK! HONK! HONK!_

"AH!"  
"GEH?!"

Shojo and Manga really are twins…

Anyway, I ask, looking out a window, "Does a car alarm count?" A car alarm is going off across the street, but I don't see anyone. I say, "How much do we wanna bet that the alarm is a coincidence? Setsuna, go investigate."

"Roger, I'm pulling my eyes and ears outta the backyard. Someone should cover that area," she says. Just in the moonlight, I catch shadowed pieces of Setsuna flying to the front yard. Kamakiri grunts and does what Setsuna says, staring out the screen door. Good, he's not going outside. As for the front, the owners of the home check their screeching car. I don't see anyone else other than those two. Damnit. "The alarm was either a distraction or a coincidence. I'm pegging it a distraction."

_CLICK!_

It's a distraction.

The house goes dark. Setsuna recalls her eyes and ears to her, reforming her face. I stand Manga up, putting my hand over his mouth—wherever that is. He was on the verge of screaming. Shojo too, but she's muffling herself with a pillow. After Manga calms down a little, he shakily says, "Th-The power box! It's… It's in the backyard!"

I nod. Wait! Kamakiri's over there! He hears us and nods, growing a blade out of his right forearm. He...unlocks the screen door?! Crap, not yet! Not yet! I yell at Kamakiri, not bothering to whisper, "Don't open the screen door! Tatchikutsu's outside!" We can't even see the backyard! The lights are out!

"Wait, what?! Fuck!" Kamakiri jumps back, but the door slams open. Right before our eyes, a man our age knocks Kamakiri onto his stomach. He pulls him up to one knee, holding a knife over his throat. It's him. Damnit!

It's him!

Risai Tatchikutsu!

Shojo couldn't help but scream, stumbling over the couch. She hides herself in the kitchen doorway. Silently, I whisper to her, "Give me a kitchen knife." And she looks for one. Setsuna and Manga stand beside me as we stare at Tatchikutsu. The only light that illuminates him is the light from the moon. He has long and spiky blue hair that goes slightly down his back. His eyes are the same color, but darker. It's glowing.

"Tatchi...kutsu…" Manga mutters. Then, he yells, "Tatchikutsu!"

"Catharsis," he corrects us. Like a bastard, he taps Kamakiri's neck with the blunt of his knife. It's a combat knife that a soldier would use. Large blade and sharp.

"Let go of me you sick motherfucker! I swear to God, I'll tear your ass to pieces!" Kamakiri threatens, trying to struggle against him. Catharsis makes it known that it's futile by pressing the blade against his neck, drawing a tiny amount of blood. He stops, glaring at us like he's saying, _Take this asshole down._

Shojo comes back and hands a kitchen knife to me. I hold it in my right hand with my quarterstaff in my left. Catharsis chuckles, his eyes locking with mine. "Sanji Inochi." Then at Setsuna's. "Setsuna Tokage." Manga and Shojo. "Manga and Shojo Fukidashi." And looks down at Kamakiri. "Togaru Kamakiri."

"Is there a point to this?" I ask, gripping the knife tightly. I only have one chance. If I mess up, then all of us are dead.

"Yes, I wanted to know the names of the people I kill tonight. I thought I'd only kill the Fukidashi twins, but three U.A. students? That's more entertaining. Oh, Grandmaster and Count too? Even better. They're fighting one of the League's best Nomus," he tells us. Damnit, a Nomu? They can handle a Nomu, hopefully.

"You stole it, didn't you?" Setsuna steps forward. "I would understand that Shigaraki would hand you a Nomu, but why did he send three of them to Hosu a few days before? Obviously, he was fighting for attention because of Stain's recent appearance. He's the hottest topic with the Suicide Spree second. But, the League wasn't credited for that, wasn't it? That's why the Commission kept it a secret. They drove a wedge between you and the League, and now you're acting out."

"Oh shut up!" Catharsis cries out in anger. I barely notice that he's holding his knife tighter. "You're one to talk, Tokage. I'm a scapegoat for your issues. You don't want to admit to yourself that you helped kill Hifumi Osuhashi!" Is what Setsuna said is true? Catharsis is acting against the League? Maybe that's why he decided to strike tonight. He has no protection and time. He's rushing.

"That's bullshit! You made her hang herself in U.A.! You're the one who killed her! Not me! Not Dad! Only you!" she reacts.

"Who think placed those traumatic memories in her mind? It wasn't me. My Quirk is most effective on the traumatized; it doesn't do anything to normal people. So, it has to be you and your father. You made her depressed. It's like gravity. All it takes is one simple push and-" Catharsis whistles for dramatic effect, his voice going deeper before he mimics a _thud_. "You're crueler than me, honestly. They call you 'Bitch Princess' right? So sad…"

"Stop it!" she yells. "I don't care! I'll treat you like any other Villain! I'll-!"

"Lizard Head, it's no use arguin' against this blue-haired freak. Just do the right fuckin' thing an' end him! At least I'm better than this _prick_!" Kamakiri insults, glaring up at him. He could've used his Quirk by now, but he can't. I see why. Catharsis has another hand on his neck. If Kamakiri tries to escape, then Catharsis will activate his Quirk.

"It's admirable that you want to be better than your father. You talk a little like him, though. You sure you're different than him?" he exploits Kamakiri, who only growls as a response. Kamakiri jerks his body like he was gonna attack, but relaxes himself. Good… I assure him with my eyes, _Stay calm. We'll save you._

Manga, who was right beside Shojo, moves in front of her. He says, "Why are you doing this? Are you that obsessed with the strong and weak?"

"I am. Surprised you're not vomiting out of fear, Fukidashi. It has to be taking every ounce of strength for you to not fall down right now, right? Stop acting like you're a strong man, because you're still the weak little man from junior high. You and your sister. I don't know how you can be a Hero with your cowardice holding you back! Disgusting," Catharsis says, deepening his voice to be more threatening. He clicks his tongue too.

Manga responds, "Shut up already! I won't let you destroy Japan _and_ hurt my friends!"

"Don't give me that spiel, Fukidashi. Japan deserves to be destroyed. You see the average civilians? They became entitled, pampered by the so-called 'Heroes' that protect them. They worship them, throwing away everyone else that don't fit their image of a true Pro Hero—a reality TV star like those in America. Face it, these people are weak; they became lazy, being hopped up on their entertainers. They even have the gull to order their Heroes around like puppets on a string. If we can destroy this pretty little world of yours, we can create a new one where the weak no longer leeches off of the strong, but rather, the strong rule as their rightful place. If I'm honest, I'm surprised you aren't against it. You've been dragged through the mud, being insulted by bratty men and women, yet you still want to be their Hero. You're brainwashed—all of you are—and it's pitiful. But, not Shojo. If anyone, she hates the world more than I do."

With those words...

"No I don't! The world might be cruel, but it isn't all terrible!" Shojo exclaims, holding onto Manga's shoulder. "But, you won't see that, won't you Catharsis? All you want to do is burn the world down to make your own utopia! The strong and the weak is just an excuse for you to exterminate everyone!"

Catharsis is taken aback from Shojo's outburst, but he laughs. "Oh Fukidashi, you're just another disappointment. Just like Shigaraki! I thought we had the potential to build a world, but he's just an immature, narrow-minded fool! His master has connections all over the globe: billionaires, politicians, and other Villains—but he never made use of them!"

"Shigaraki's...master?" Setsuna asks. There's someone higher than even Shigaraki? That explains the Nomus! And how they were able to attack U.A. so easily!

He nods and confirms, "Shigaraki's master, yes. He's the one who hid me from Grandmaster. I've been killing for him for the past year until he put me under Shigaraki's command. Everything is connected to him, you know. It's like a spider web. Once _he_ comes back, who knows what strands might break?"

Setsuna whispers to me, "This has gotten a lot bigger than I thought. From how Shigaraki's master sounds, the League will be Japan's biggest threat yet."

"Uh huh. Is that all? How about I ask a question myself, to Inochi. Are you gonna say anything? You look like you have plenty to say," Catharsis calls me out. Kamakiri is still tense, but he's holding on. Thank God he isn't saying anything else. I assure him again, _I'll get you out of this alive._

I huff, stepping closer to him and Kamakiri. We're about seven or eight meters away. "Why do you make the traumatized kill themselves?"

He answers, "They're weak. Everyday, I see these pitiful people. They self-loathe so much that they're are trapped in their own mind. I'm giving them a only bit of strength and courage for them to kill themselves. Too bad Fukidashi didn't try to commit suicide again. She-!"

"Be quiet," I mumble, being loud enough for him to hear my voice.

"Okay, all of you have said that to me! Don't like what I say? You know it's true, Inochi-!"

"It's not. These troubled people are stronger than you'll ever be. They suffered through the worst that society has to offer! What have you been through, Catharsis? Your life has been pampered just like the society you loathe! You claim to be strong?! You're nothing! You're an idealistically weak man lashing out for not being special at life! That's why I'll stop you! You killed countless innocents, but you shouldn't have hurt my friends! I promise that you'll-!"

"I'll what?!" Catharsis shouts, pointing his knife at me. "Tell me, _Hero_! I'll what?! You're weak! You can't even see your flaws in protecting this failing world! So come on! What do you promise me?! To lock me in Tartarus?!"

"No." Carefully, I raise my knife. Manga and Setsuna get in position to fight. "I promise that I'll rip every tendon from your bones."

"What-?!"

_THROW!_

From Grandmaster's file about him, Risai Tatchikutsu was raised by a normal family. He had a loving mother and a caring father. He isn't anyone special in terms of birth. By calling out Catharsis's own faults in his ideals and in his own upbringing, he aimed his knife at me. It lessened the stress off of Kamakiri. As a result, Catharsis became angrier and much more erratic, allowing me to take control. He imprinted in his mind that I'm like most Heroes who is absolutely against killing. That's why he was put off-guard when I promised that I would tear him apart—which I want to do. This bastard deserves all the pain I'll inflict on him. That's why I manipulated him into an opening. That's why I let him talk for as long as I did. I needed to know everything about him. Now, it's time for him to pay. The dead are calling for their tribute.

As soon as I threw my knife, Kamakiri forces himself downwards. Catharsis, without having any time to react, gets a knife embedded in his shoulder. Damnit, I missed his head. He cries in pain as Kamakiri starts to frees himself from his arms, standing up. I make my move, charging forward with my quarterstaff, but-!

Catharsis shouts, "Damn you! I won't let you go that easily!" Barely with his free hand still wrapped around Kamakirit's neck, he-?!

"Grhk?!" Kamakiri gasps for air, his blade painfully retracting into his skin. I catch him as he falls into my arms, spasming. He screams louder than I thought a person can scream. Shit! _Shit!_

"You killed him," Catharsis says, fleeing outside. Damn it all! I try to shake Kamakiri out of it, but it's no use! Catharsis is taking affect on him! It starts with a tremendous head pain before his mind gets tortured! Damn you Catharsis! I can't let Kamakiri die! I can't let one of my friends die! I promised!

I barely hear Shojo screaming in fear, crashing her back against the wall. "ARG! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT FUCKIN' STOP!" he strains words out, clenching his teeth so hard that his gums start to bleed. Damnit! _Fuck!_ I need to stay here, but Catharsis is in the backyard! I have to stop him!

I put Kamakiri down, yelling at everyone else, "Keep him restrained! I'm going outside and make that son of a bitch pay!" Before they can stop me, I sprint outside with my quarterstaff at hand. I shout, "CATHARSIS! COME OUT!"

I constantly spin around in the middle of the backyard, searching for every dark crevice and shadow. The wooden picket fence doesn't show any signs of tampering, so he's still here! He's here somewhere here! "CATHARSIS! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

I spin around. I spin around again and again. Nothing! I can't see anything! I-!

"Pathetic. You're pathetic."

He-?!

He snuck behind me. I turn around.

I turn around and find his hand around my neck.


	25. A Good Man's Terror

**Day 6, the final batch of chapters. It completes the Risai Tatchikutsu/Catharsis Arc along with a reflection chapter. If you're reading this (and didn't skip around; you actually read CH1-24), then you get to see what happens to poor Kamakiri and Sanji. **

**So, at this point and time, school is a thing. This fanfic was originally a weekly piece but it was impossible to keep up with the schedule while juggling school. As a result, chapters will be out when it's out. I hope to release—at minimum—2 chapters a month. I hope to release Chapter 27 next Saturday, the 28th. Anyway, hope you enjoy Chapter 25! **

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

"Hey kiddo, wake up."

"Dad…?"

"Togaru, it ain't a good place to sleep. 'Specially not now."

"But-"

"Don't talk back to me. Get up."

Dad takes my hand an' lifts me up to my feet. I ain't in Shojo's anymore. I'm… Well, I dunno where the fuck I am. We're standin' in a grassfield with all kinds of flowers an' one random-ass tree. Wait, fuck! Fuck! We were bein' torn apart by Catharsis! I think he fuckin' got me, but… but why the hell am I in…wherever I am?

"Dad," I call 'im, lookin' 'round this mess, "I dunno why the fuck you're 'ere, but I gotta get back. We're bein' attacked by a fuckin' Villain! The asshole's tryin' to kill me!"

"Look 'round, Togaru. It's pretty, isn't it? The city can't beat this," Dad replies, ignorin' what I just said. Who the hell cares 'bout some Goddamn flowers when there's an evil bastard with a Quirk that'll kill us in a fingersnap?!

"I don't fuckin' care! I have to fight-!"

"Do you remember? I took us to this place. I mean, we went through two flat tires an' a lotta walkin', but we made it alright. Your ma said the pain was worth it _just _to have this sight. All worth the pain an' sufferin'. Made me happy, y'know?" Dad says, takin' a deep breath in. I stop hollerin' an' look at this field… Did I really go to this place? It's startin' to feel familiar now…

I...

"Strike three! Yoooooou're out!" A boy appears in front of us. This boy, with two hooked blades growin' outta his cheeks, is holdin' a wooden baseball bat that was a little too heavy from him. He keeps on puttin' it on his shoulders, doin' his damn best to balance it like a seesaw. He looks pretty damn depressed, 'cuz he just got struck out by his paps, who's only standin' a few meters away with a baseball mitt. This type of dad didn't know the meanin' of the word "mercy", even with his own flesh an' blood. You could see the way this motherfucker looked. He loves the fact that he's messin' with his son all the damn time. His wife though? She ain't too happy 'bout it. She's sittin' in the shade that the single tree provides all peaceful-like, watchin' her dysfunctional men go at it.

"Mamoru, you're too hard on him. Look at his face! He's miserable!" she points out. Little Togaru, small an' frail, grudges over where the baseball's at an' picks it up. His dad laughs like a madman, doin' what madmen do—walkin' over and kissin' his wife's head. Even a blind man could see that this man loved his wife more than anythin' in the world.

"Here," the boy says with attitude—the little shit—placin' the ball in his dad's hands. His dad does what every dad does: rubbin' his son's fluffy green hair. The kid ain't takin' it too lightly, 'cuz his face is all poutin' an' agitated like an angry puppy. He didn't like that his dad was bullyin' the hell outta him, or that he didn't like the fact that he's bein' treated as a kid. This boy thought he was all strong an' tough, wise beyon' his years—which could be counted on one hand. A real arrogant piece of work, he was.

"Heh, I'll be nice to ya! Promise. You'll get to hit it real nice an' hard! Now, c'mon! Get ready!" his dad ensures, lettin' his son run a few meters away. The boy puts his bat over his shoulder, gettin' proper position just like his dad taught him. Back straight, shoulders back, legs apart, all the mumbo jumbo. "Alright! Here it comes! Three! Two! An' a one!" Off the ball goes, goin' so freakin' slow, but it was like a fastball to the kid. With a big wind-up, the kid becomes a little superstar an' swings his bat real nice an' hard. It cracks the air 'round 'im, goin' a hundred past the tree. The kid might be full of his own bullshit, but he had some game.

The kid exclaims like a superstar, holdin' his arms up in the air in victory, "Homerun! I did it!" He runs to his smilin' dad, who picks him right up from the grass. He spins 'em 'round like a carousel. A few trampled flowers paid the price, but the kid's happy. The kid was happy... The mom an' wife of these numbnuts? She joins in on the huggin'. They're happy with life. It was like nothin' could ever ruin this moment; no one outside could ruin this family. That doesn't mean shit 'bout the family itself.

I turn to Dad, askin', "Why? Is this my fuckin' traumatic memory or some shit? I don't wanna remember this damnit! I have bigger fish to fry than some random fuckin' memory comin' from who-the-hell knows where?!"

"Togaru, you buried this memory for a long time. It was a happy memory. We laughed so much, laid in a bed of flowers, got our clothes all dirtied up, you even tried to climb the damn tree. Your mother was so happy. We were happy, yet you buried it. Why?"

"'Cuz of you! Why the fuck do I want to remind myself of how you faked bein' a dad an' a husband?! You pretended to love us while you were slicin' off heads! You pretended to be this amazin' man while you were one of the worst fuckin' Villains alive! They compare you to Stain for cryin' out loud! Guess what?! Your body count caught up to you! From all the people you killed, you were executed! The dead wanted their fuckin' blood an' they got it! You're with them now!"

I feel a few tears tricklin' down my cheeks.

"You betrayed us, you sick sonofabitch. You betrayed your own son."

"I did. Kiddo-"

"Don't call me that. You don't deserve to call me that." I wipe a few tears off my cheeks. The memory stopped playing. It's just us clowns.

"_Togaru_, I truly loved you an' your mom. You two meant the world to me, so I had to keep ya outta my mess. I made sure that you were happy."

"You shoulda fuckin' known that you'll get caught, then. You couldn't keep Ma an' I happy for the rest of time, y'know! You're just a cruel bastard…"

"I know, but I tried my best. Spendin' time with you was the best years of my life. Believe me. Killin' was just an itch I had to satisfy; something that forced me. I didn't force ya to be a Villain. Hell, I didn't force you to be like me."

"Everyone else did. That's all they saw. Once you got locked up, my friends at school turned their backs at me. They thought I was gonna dice 'em up just like you. Everyone thought that I was no better than a fuckin' killer. You forced me to that hell! You left your family alone to agonize in their own grief an' pain!"

"..." Dad looks away.

"Do you have anythin' to say to me?! I've been tortured by you for nearly ten years! Ten fuckin' years! I wasn't Togaru Kamakiri! I was just the son of the Executioner Wasp! All 'cuz of you! You're the one person I hate more than anythin' else! Not even Catharsis can match up to show shitty you are!"

"That's wrong, kiddo."

"What…?"

"You don't hate me."

"I do. Don't try an' convince me. I always hated your guts."

"Don't do that to yourself. Don't lie. You still love me, don't you?"

"..."

"Alright, tell me then: What do you see when you look at me?"

"..."

"Togaru, what do you _see?_"

"I…" I get choked up on my own tears.

"Togaru-!"

"Me! Goddamnit, I see me! Is that what you want? Is that what you wanted to hear, you bastard?! I look like you! We talk the same, we share the same face, we share every-_fuckin'_-thing with each other! We even have the same _Quirks_! Every time I remember you, all I think is how so fuckin' similar we are! We did everythin' together too! After school, in the mornin', at night, everythin'! Do you want me to say that I fuckin' loved you? I did! Okay?! I did! I _hate_ myself for that! I was a fuckin' idiot for ever lovin' a father like you!"

Dad turns around and stares at me. He ain't glarin'. He ain't disappointed. He's just...starin'. "Togaru, a son shouldn't hate 'imself for lovin' his father."

"I… I was a-alone," my voice cracks.

"Not anymore. You're tryna be a Hero, right? You have friends—_true_ friends. Don't push them away anymore. They can be the family that I couldn't give ya."

"They won't accept me…"

"They already have. Open your heart, would ya? 'Specially for Pony. Your ma would love some grandchildren."

Everythin' gets brighter. I'm gonna come back to the real world… No, not yet! Dad's still here!

"Sh-Shut up! I don't need this shit from you!"

"Hehe, just teasin'. C'mon Jack Mantis, you got a world to save. Gotta prove yain't like me, right?"

"Y-Yeah… I'll be a Hero, okay?! I'll be better than you've ever been!"

My world gets even brighter. Dad smiles—it's just how I remembered it.

"You already are."

He's gone. I'm back in the real world now. Do I feel like I wanna kill myself? No, that's fuckin' stupid. I have a Villain to kill...if Manga and Tokage stop fuckin' restrainin' me.

"KAMAKIRI'S AWAKE!"

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Pathetic. You were always pathetic."

"Ghrk?!"

My head splits open. I drop my quarterstaff, stumbling black. Shojo! She's-! God! She's inside! She's inside! With every ounce of my strength, I turn to her. In between my screams of pain, I tell her, screaming, "INSIDE! STAY… INSIDE! SHOJO!" Before my vision gets darker, I see a flash of her clothes going inside. I think she ran inside… Geh! I clutch my head, stepping towards Catharsis. His Quirk is like putting a hammer to my skull, pounding on it non-stop! It hurts so much! But I can't die! I won't! I won't let him kill me! This bastard will pay for what he did to Kamakiri! To Shojo! To everyone!

I'll make him suffer for what he did!

"CATHAR...SIS!"

I stomp the ground, causing the dirt to crack beneath my feet. Catharsis smiles, laughing at my pain and misery. Everything hurts. Everything hurts! God, what can I do?! I scream again before I no longer see him. I can't see anything. Everything's black, _everything's black_… Until… Until my eyes were forced open, my body feels like it's being thrown into a rough sea before light hits my eyes. It's…?! My Mindscape?! But, something's different! It's not pure white like other times! There's a splash of navy blue swimming in the floor. This is Catharsis, isn't it?! Catharsis, the Quirk, is trying to penetrate my mind, trying to expose the worst memories out of me. Yet, there's a reason why I haven't killed myself yet! My Quirk, Dreams, it's a Mental-type just like his! Catharsis attacks the mind much like Shinso's Quirk, but mine doesn't! Instead of attacking the mind, my Quirk allows me to go into my own! Dreams isn't meant to assault the mind! It's meant to protect it! It's the ultimate failsafe against Quirks like Catharsis! That means there's a way to purge myself from him! I go down on my knees, my head still ringing in pain. I close my eyes and push my hands against the floor, concentrating on ridding this disease that plagued my head! That's when I feel a warm glow overtaking me before my eyes shoot back open. I feel the moon's light on me, illuminating my face. There's a wide smile across my lips.

Catharsis looks surprised. Nothing like this had happened before. "Impossible! No one could be immune to my Quirk!" I laugh, stepping forward closer towards him. The pain from before… It's not that bad anymore. It was the headache that would make a man beg for mercy, but now it's freeing. I move my fingers off of my left eye, so I can see Catharsis in full view. In his pupils, I see a terrified man. In the reflection of his eyes, I see me.

My eyes are glowing white.

"I told you that I'll tear every tendon from your bones!" I threaten with my voice going raw, chuckling again as the pain fades away completely. Of all Quirks to be immune against, it's his. I need to make him think that I'm completely immune to Catharsis though. I'm not immune against the pain! If he tries to use his Quirk again, I'll experience another splitting headache! I need to use his fear against him, make him think that I'm immune to both Catharsis and the migraine!

"Get back!" Catharsis yells, taking my kitchen knife out of his shoulder and throwing it into my own. I didn't have time to react. Damnit, a sharp pain envelops my right arm, crawling, itching to my hand. I feel my blood trickling down from the blade, but I don't care. Pain is nothing to me. I turn to him moving backwards, moving closer to the wooden picket fence. I rest my arms at my sides before yelling, sprinting up to Catharsis. I tackle him, ending up lifting him up off of the ground as we go through a wooden fence. We tumble into a neighbor's yard with me on top of him. His combat knife falls out of his hand, landing next to us.

"Do you remember how many people you killed?!" I roar as my hands find themselves around his neck, choking the air out of his throat. I feel every bone in his throat. They're rigid and hard, and yet so easy to break. I could break his neck right here, make him paralyzed or even kill him. No, I won't.

"Hifumi Osuhashi! You killed her! Not Setsuna, not Suzuki, no one! Only _you_!" Catharsis takes his fingers and scratch at my arms, at my face, but it does nothing. His pale face starts to turn blue just like his hair. Tears are running down his face.

"You'll pay for every soul you damned to Hell! And I'm _coming with you!_" He tries to pick his head up, doing anything he can to gain leverage. I stop him by slamming his skull against the dirt. Somehow, I haven't squeezed all of his air out. I feel words trying to make their way up his throat.

He squeaks, "D-Die!"

He-?!

_SLICE!_

He ripped the kitchen knife out of my shoulder. I jump to the side with him nearly stabbing me in the neck. He did cut me pretty good at the side, but I'm alive. I won't bleed out. I pick up Catharsis's combat knife and brandish it. Guess we're on equal grounds now. I should've broken his neck when I had the chance. Catharsis slowly stands back up, putting one hand to his throat. He says after he coughs, "Damn you! I always preferred the weak killing themselves, but I'm not against killing you with my own hands!" Catharsis charges in with his blade aiming for my chest. I turn myself to the side and slice his right eye open. He cries in pain, stumbling back with a hand clutching his face. He only has one working eye now. Catharsis is slow. He's terrible at physical combat. His Quirk is the only notable thing about him. That's all he is.

Yet, he's still trying to kill me. He wipes his hand off of his face, splattering his blood on the dark grass. Catharsis is angry. He's acting on emotion as fuel for his attacks. I am too, but it's taking every little bit of restraint of me to not charge in. It's still a knife fight. Whoever wins this fight gets to go home in an ambulance and the loser gets a gravestone. I have to remain vigilant even if it is Catharsis. "RAAAAH!" he screams a battlecry, running in again with his knife back. He thrusts it towards my chest, but I stop him by catching his wrist. With his other hand, he tries to punch me in the jaw. Using my hand—the one with the knife—I tear his knuckles open.

This is it.

I grip his wrist tightly, sending my knife into his upper arm. Catharsis's blood starts to stain the blade crimson red. He struggles in my grasp, howling in absolute pain. Still holding onto his knife and wrist, I snap his elbow inwards.

_CRACK!_

He screams louder than I thought a man could scream. Just by holding his arm like this is enough to torture someone. The pain he's feeling is akin to an elephant sitting on your arm. That's how painful it is. Even more so since I shattered it so badly that a piece of bone pokes out of the back of his elbow. It's busted open with his skin cracked, flesh and muscles exposed to the outside air, being accompanied by blood pouring out. This is the pain that he inflicted upon his victims. His knife falls right behind my foot. I couldn't help but smile, moving my face closer to his. "This is what you deserve, Catharsis."

Catharsis takes a few deep breaths before spitting at me. He replies, "So...do..._you_!" He-?!

_BITE!_

Geh?! Catharsis nearly tears my ear off with his mouth. I manage to force him away by kneeing him in the gut a few steps back. Damnit! That hurts a lot! My ear's still attached to my head, just by a tendon! Damnit! Even with a broken arm, he can do this?! Catharsis clicks his tongue, ripping the knife out of his shoulder with his good hand. He charges in-?!

_TRIP!_

The kitchen knife! It was still on the ground! I forgot about it! Because of it, my foot slipped on the blade and I tripped! I'm flat on my back! Damnit! Catharsis charged in and impaled my right foot with his combat knife. An indescribable pain bawls throughout my body. I feel the blade slipping out of my foot. I see him—I just see him—above me. Instinctively, I raise my hand to defend myself.

_SHUNK!_

Doesn't matter. He impales my hand too, embedding it in the grass. It's stuck. I can't get it out. I can't move my body anymore. It won't move. My vision blurs as the pain starts to fade away again. Catharsis appears on top of me with his combat knife pointed at my chest. He laughs and says, "I win."

No… Not yet… With my only remaining strength, I push my other arm against his. It's the only thing that's stopping Catharsis from killing me. My arm though… I can feel it getting weaker...

"_Look at you, Sanji! Being 1-B's big brother!"_

The knife is closer to my chest.

"_Remember, you are the stars of your own light, your own story."_

I can't die…

"_Please. You're the best out of all of us."_

I'm sorry...everyone...

The last thing I hear is...

* * *

**Shojo Fukidashi**

_WHACK!_

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" I hit Tatchikutsu off of Sanji with his quarterstaff. He tumbles beside him, coughing up blood. Oh God! I really just did that! I… I don't know how to use this staff like how Sanji does, but I wasn't gonna let Tatchikutsu kill him! He's exactly what this cruel world needs! Shit! Tatchikutsu's standing up! He turns around! Oh God! I'm backing up! There's no way I can beat him! The good thing is: I got his attention! Sanji's safe! He's bleeding badly, but he's safe! I saved him!

"Fukidashi? You're outside? Huh… You were so pathetic back in middle school…so weak… But now, you had the guts to hit me?" Tatchikutsu takes a step forward with his arms creepily calm at his side. What happened to his eye?! To his arm?! What did Sanji do to him?!

I take a step back, waving my weapon at him. Shit, I feel something wet running down my face! Oh, that's just tears! _Just_ tears! "Shut up! I won't hesitate! I'll hit you again! Promise! I-!"

"How did it feel? Falling? I knew how much you wanted to die. Everyone made fun of you. Called you a 'whore', vandalized your things, you had it worst out of all of us. Frankly, I pitied you…"

…!

N-No! I can't remember that! He told me that he was doing me a favor, but damnit! I don't wanna remember it! Not anymore! Not any-freaking-more! Oh God, how did I even run outside in the first place?!

"I… I…!" I stutter in-between my sobs, still barely holding my knife at him. My head hurts. Even though I don't wanna remember, I am. I remember how he tried to kill me! This sick bastard tried to take me away from my family! "You're just a disgusting fucker! You should die! Die like how you killed all those people!"

"Those are strong words coming from you. Did this Hero, who tried to kill me, inspire you? What about your brother? Oh, I forgot… 'Go Beyond, Plus Ultra.' Are you having a 'Plus Ultra' moment right now? Are you going beyond your fear to kill me? You can't… We both know that it takes one finger. Only one finger and you'll be wishing to die, but I won't let you. I'll torture you until you don't even know your own name," Tatchikutsu says, moving even closer. I inch back, almost tripping on something. Oh God, where is everyone else?! They're with Kamakiri, but I don't know what happened to him! I-!

"That's enough, Catharsis."

Oh thank God! It's Manga! He puts a hand on my shoulder before stepping closer to Tatchikutsu. Setsuna and Kamakiri—he's alive—run over to Sanji. Everyone's here… I won't die… I'm not gonna die... Manga says to Tatchikutsu, "I won't let you terrify me into submission. Not anymore."

"Other Fukidashi? This is even more surprising… Just like your sister, you used to be so quiet and weak. I'm sensing something different about you. What happened to the weakling I know?" Tatchikutsu asks him. Manga looks at me and nods. It's like he's saying, _I got this now, Shojo. You don't have to worry anymore._

Manga puts a hand to his chest and answers, "He's still here, but he's gonna beat your ass."

"Really?"

"Yes really! Y'know, when I saw Shojo running out to stop you, that's when I realized that, even if she's scared, she was acting on her feet to save Inochi! Catharsis, I am absolutely petrified, but I'm letting my fear give me the strength to defeat you! No matter what, I'll be a Hero and strike you down! For this world and especially for my friends!"

Manga…?

"Ugh, you're still adamant on fighting for this world? The same world that chews you and spits you out like trash?! Come on, Fukidashi, this world is pathetic! The strong are ruled on the weak's whim! This entire society are purebred idiots! You know I'm right!" Tatchikutsu argues, pointing his knife at Manga, but he doesn't look scared. Before, the Manga I know would faint in this situation. Now, he's standing tall like a true Hero.

Manga, the crazy guy, actually steps towards Tatchikutsu! He says the words within his heart, "Then I'll change the world! We're the next generation, Catharsis! Not only will we become the pillars that hold up Japan, we'll change society for the better! I won't stop until my voice pierces the skies and go beyond that! Y'know why?! Because we're Heroes!"

Tatchikutsu swipes at the air, about to charge at Manga. He snaps, "Shut up! Just shut up! I'll make you weak again! I'll kill you and this beloved society of yours! I'll kill all of you!" And he dashes, but it won't work. Tatchikutsu's Quirk works on direct contact, while Manga excels at long-ranged combat. He-!

_CLASP!_

Doesn't use his Quirk. Manga catches Tatchikutsu's wrist, the knife centimeters away from his face. Manga says, "Catharsis, when seeing you face-to-face, I finally got to see how worthless you are."

_PUNCH!_

Manga knocks him out. Tatchikutsu goes limp, falling to the ground. He's...unconscious. Oh my God, Manga actually did it! He actually defeated Tatchikutsu! Not with his Quirk, but with his own strength! Kamakiri cheers, clapping his hands together. "Congrats Cartoony! We should focus on tryin' to not let Quirkless die here!"

Setsuna agrees, "Yeah! We need the police here stat! I-!"

_WEE-WOOO!_

_WEE-WOOO!_

From above my neighbor's home, I see red and blue lights. Setsuna and Kamakiri yell for help; I hear someone yelling back. It's Grandmaster's voice. "They're over there!"

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

Risai Tatchikutsu, Catharsis, had two failed attacks. One attack was in Nabu. A Nomu tried to kill Grandmaster, The Count, three Q.A.T. agents, and the Nabu Yakuza. The only casualty was the Nomu, whose head was shot in the head three times by Grandmaster. The second attack was against his interns—my friends. Catharsis is heavily injured, and so is Sanji. Catharsis has a broken right arm, cracked bones in his neck, sliced right eye, and several bruises. Sanji's injures… I repeat them to myself for God knows how long. Large cut on his neck, left ear almost bitten off, left hand was impaled, right foot too, and several more cuts. Sanji had to go through all that… They were the only two heavily injured out of the attack though. Setsuna's fine, Manga, and Shojo too. Kamakiri was hit by Catharsis, but it didn't do anything to him other than a massive headache. I need to thank Shojo for saving Sanji's life. If it wasn't for her, I… I would've lost him. But, she's talking with Grandmaster with Manga. Now, Sanji just finished surgery. The doctors said he'll be fine. For Catharsis, he lived too unfortunately.

God, Sanji promised that he'll make it out of his alive and well. He's alive, but he's sure as hell not well! I should've gone with him. I would've betrayed his trust, but it's better than hearing that he's in the hospital! When Mom had that phone call in the middle of the night, she knew what had happened to him. I knew what happened… Sanji is supposed to be the best of us, but he keeps getting hurt. I should've been there.

"Kendos," The Count makes himself known. He's wearing a dirty black overcoat and his arm is in a sling. He looks like a complete mess. "Forgive me for my incompetence. Your boy shouldn't have gone through such pain to defeat Catharsis." He… He goes to his knees and puts his head down… A dogeza. He's doing a dogeza.

Mom sniffles, wiping her tears away. "Get up damnit! It's not your fault… Sanji's alive. Thank God that he's alive." She raises her hand, but decides against it. Using her strength, she pulls The Count back up to his feet. Grandpa stands up too, sighing.

"Count, tell us about what's gonna happen. We know about Catharsis, but what about… Well, damn near everything? There's a lot of loose ends to tie up," Grandpa asks as he holds Mom. Claude sighs and puts his fedora to his chest, letting his slick brown hair out. It's the same color as the dirt littering it.

"As of tomorrow, the Commission will go public about Catharsis's role in the Suicide Spree. Shindeka will be spokesman. Luckily, the attacks in Nabu and at the Fukidashi household went nearly unnoticed in the grand scheme of things. Thus, the official statement is: Grandmaster and The Count cooperated with the Commission to apprehend Catharsis. The interns were crucial to his safe capture despite injuries.

"Unofficially, you know what happened. Mon Dieu… All of the kids are alive. The Fukidashi twins are shakened, but standing. Better yet, their parents are here too, finally. Setsuna and Togaru are well as well can be, even with Togaru being affected by Catharsis. As for Sanji… You three know that he was also affected by Catharsis, right?" What? Sanji attacked by Catharsis too? Why didn't he…you know? Why didn't he kill himself? Setsuna told me that he kept fighting after screaming in pain. It was different than when Kamakiri was hit too. He was spasming, but Sanji was still standing—at least that's what Shojo said to Setsuna. I know he has a high endurance, but that can't be the only factor. Was it… Was it his Quirk?

I think out loud, "He fought Catharsis, right? The man, not the Quirk. Kamakiri had spasms, but Sanji didn't. The only way he could've pulled through is...his Quirk. Catharsis is a Mental-type Quirk that attacks the mind, so maybe…"

"Sanji's Quirk is also a Mental-type, but it protects the mind," Mom finishes my thought. She laughs through her tears. "Oh my God, Sanji is a lucky man! Of all Quirks to be immune against Catharsis, it had to be his!" Grandpa comforts her by patting her back, laughing too.

Count smiles with a little dots of blood staining his white teeth. He says, "Guess 1-B finally defeated their first Villain. Anyway, after Catharsis fully recovers, he'll go to Tartarus for the rest of his life. This was a good internship. Actually..." The Count stares at me specifically. I know what he'll say next. It's obvious. "There's word that first-years will have workplace training after you receive their Provisionals, Master Kendo and Miss Hayami. So, Shindeka and I… We decided—once your kids receive their Provisionals—that we want them to continue interning under us, especially you, Itsuka Kendo. I know you refused our first offer, but we're giving you a second one. Of course, your mother or grandfather can decline for your safety and Sanji's."

I look at Mom and Grandpa for an answer. I already know that Sanji wouldn't hesitate to accept, so I'm accepting the offer, yet it's ultimately their decision. We're just teenagers, even though I don't feel like it. Grandpa sighs and says, "It's her decision, Hayami."

"I know… Everyday, I'm seeing more and more of her father in her," Mom reminisces, taking a firm hold of my hand. She trusts me. Jeez, here I thought that she still thought of me as a six-year old. She's confident that I'll make the right decision, but she's afraid that I'll go missing like Dad. It caused her so much pain, and if she loses me too, then I don't know what would happen to her. She asks me, "You're taking the offer, aren't you?"

"If Sanji is—and he will—then yes," I confirm and turn to Count. He has a soft smile on his lips, not showing any teeth this time. I think his lip is cut too. Poor man. He's like Sanji. Even in pain, he still smiles. I say, "I'll see you after the Provisionals. Maybe Setsuna and the others will join us?"

"Let's hope. Anyway, I need to check on Shindeka and the twins. Have a good...whatever the time of day it is. I'm exhausted," Count bids farewell with a dry laugh. He limps down the hall with his back straight and strong. Mom sighs and puts her arm around me. I lay my head on her shoulder while Grandpa is looking out a window.

"Itsuka honey," Mom quietly comforts me. "I always wondered why you went with Uwabami instead of Grandmaster. Why did you?" Uwabami… Right, I still can't believe she made Yaoyorozu and I be her assistants. The commercials were stupid. I don't wanna be a celebrity like Mount Lady. That's not the kind of Hero I wanna be. Really, I went with Uwabami to have some space for myself. We were always together, and for this instance, I needed to be alone. It was a stupid thing to do. If I hadn't picked Uwabami—if I had picked Grandmaster—Sanji wouldn't be in a hospital bed again. I picked her because…

I lift my head up. I remember how Mom and Dad met. In the courtyard at U.A., Dad was in 1-A with a couple of his friends. They were talking about usual boy things. Things that Awase and Tsuburaba would talk about. Then wouldn't you know? 1-F, a Support Department class, comes in and mingles with 1-A. That's when my Dad saw the most beautiful woman in the world. Her name was Hayami Kendo, daughter of Master Kendo. He announced to his friends, "_I'm going to marry that girl."_ Grandpa said it took years for him to warm up to Dad, even after he got married to Mom. It was a joke, of course. He said that after he disappeared. I knew he was trying to cheer us up, especially when Mom was so depressed.

When Grandpa met Grandma Tatemi, they were in the same class along with Recovery Girl, Nana, and a couple of others. Grandpa also had a friendly rivalry which was "one-sided". He kept bragging that he was a master martial arts, being "self-taught and everything". Then, he met his future wife. They were best friends before they became lovers. Somehow, they didn't confess to each other until graduation. At least, that's what Recovery Girl told Sanji and I. "_Saki was an arrogant twit, but he had a good heart,"_ she said. They opened up Master Kendo's Dojo, was somehow close friends with All Might when he was a student, had Mom, and enjoyed life. Until… Until Grandma died. Then, there's Sanji and I.

"_Do you have a little crush on Sanji? You've been looking at him_ _**mighty**_ _differently than before."_

Mom waits for my answer. I tell her, being quiet enough that no one else hears, "I… I wanted to have some space away from Sanji. N-Not because I hate him, but because needed to sort my feelings about him. Guess you were right, Mom…" When Sanji and I first met, I knew I had to protect him. He was so nervous, stuttering in every sentence. It was just a friendship, kinda like a big sister protecting his little brother—despite the fact that he's technically older than me by a couple of months. When he saved me from Gera though, everything about him changed. He was strong enough that he could protect me like I could protect him. Guess that was when I started to see him as more than just a friend. Thinking on it now, it was impossible to not have feelings about him. Sanji is a handsome man. Kind, goofy, and so annoyingly selfless. I knew that I liked him was...earlier today, actually. Right before he left, I hugged him. That's when I knew.

"Well," Mom says, looking out into the hall where Sanji's room is, "I wish you figured out your feelings at a better time. I-"

"Sasaki, you arrogant twit!" Recovery Girl?!

"Chiyo? What are you-?!" Recovery Girl smacks Grandpa over the head, twisting his ear. He yelps and pulls her hand off of him. "Why are you calling me an 'arrogant twit' again?!"

Recovery Girl explains, "Your boy nearly got himself killed! Hayami sweetie, I need to _talk_ to your idiot-of-a-father about proper teaching. Good heavens, at least he's better than Toshi. Come, Saki!" Against Grandpa's will, he gets dragged down the hall. He's stronger than Recovery Girl, but I don't think he wants to anger her more.

"I… I think I should follow them. If Sanji's awake, go ahead and greet him," Mom says with a wink. I nod. She chases after Grandpa and Recovery Girl, who's parting the hallway like one of those religious figures that Shiozaki talks about. Jeez, she can't help but to tease me, huh? It's better than Setsuna. If I told her, then she would freak the hell out. I need to talk to her later. Not about Sanji, but about...everything in general. Today is just crazy.

Anyway, I wait.

* * *

"G'early morning, sunshine."

Sanji lays in his bed. Gosh, he looks terrible. His belly is covered in bandages, his right foot is elevated and bandaged, left ear is stitched back onto his skull, and there's some more stitches. I never seen him look so injured before. How did Catharsis do this to him? Sanji is a much better fighter, but I guess anything can happen in a fight.

"Itsuka…" he says with a pained smile. Good thing he can still move his arms, and his adorable face isn't covered up. "How's...everyone? Catharsis...is he dead? Did I kill him?"

Being upbeat, I summarize, "Unfortunately, no. He survived. Everyone survived because of you, though! Kamakiri is alive, mentally and physically! Catharsis did nothing to him! Manga even knocked the asshole out when you couldn't. Oh, Mom and Grandpa are currently talking to Recovery Girl right now, so they'll be here soon. Grandmaster and Count survived their ambush too. They're taking care of everything for us. They… They even want us to continue interning under them after we get our Provisionals. That's about everything." I didn't cover the stuff about his Quirk, but I'm sure he knows already. I need to talk to him about it some other time.

"Us?" Sanji questions, trying his best to pull his head up. "Itsuka, you're-?"

I interrupt, confirming his suspicions with a nod, "Yup, you're not leaving my sight. Look what happened to you, Sanji. Think I'll let you end up in a hospital bed again? No way in hell."

Sanji chuckles, then groans in pain. Aw, it hurts when he laughs. "I'm glad to have you then." His usual look, which had a soft smile that he carried everywhere he went, turns to concern. "Don't try to sound so upbeat though. I still remember our conversation before I left. You're not forgiving yourself for this, are you?" He…? Ugh, damnit. Why can't we act happy for once? It's way too depressing right now. Of course I don't forgive myself! Because of my stupid feelings and inability to protect him, he almost died.

I tell him, "Sanji, you were almost _killed_. You promised that you would come out of it _safely_. This isn't safe!" Wait, I can't blame him! Why am I blaming him for this? He might be an idiot, but I did this. I apologize, "W-Wait, I shouldn't blame you. I-"

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I was really angry when I fought Catharsis. I thought he killed Kamakiri, so I almost killed him out of anger, but I gotten reckless. To be honest, even though getting angry is a selfish thing to do, I don't regret it. Catharsis is a disgusting man that deserves something worse than Tartarus. I'm glad I made him feel some amount of pain," he says, looking off into the distance slightly. I can't lie, but Sanji scares me when he talks like that. It's so different from his everyday self. He makes everyone happy, but he's also willing to kill a man in order to ensure it. I would too, honestly.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean it's your fault. You're human just like us," I try to comfort him, even putting a hand on his right arm. It's bandaged in some areas, so I'm being gentle. "Getting angry is our job. You did what any of us would do, Sanji. If I was in your position, I wouldn't stop beating Catharsis until his head matches the consistency of dirt."

"Still, it's my fault because I ended up here," he insists.

I insist more than him, "It's mine because I didn't come with you."

We don't say anything else. We're at an impasse. Neither of us can forgive ourselves. I don't blame him for being angry; he doesn't blame me for not coming. I blame myself for not going with him; he blames himself for getting hurt. We're two dumb dorks. I… Jeez… I scooch my chair closer to him and I slide my hand over his, taking hold of it. I know he doesn't mind me touching him since Setsuna acts like Sanji is a climbing wall. We also held each other a couple of times too. However, it's different today. It's not like before.

Sanji accepts my forwardness, squeezing my hand. "Guess we can't forgive ourselves, huh? It's a bit funny when you think about it."

I laugh, replying, "Yeah… Normally, I would yell at you for being a selfless idiot, but if I was with Grandmaster and you weren't… I would do the exact same thing. I wouldn't let you come with me."

"Heh, so now what?" he asks.

I cheekily answers, "Well, I'm not letting go of your hand until you forgive yourself." It might be an excuse for me to hold him.

"I'm not letting go of yours until _you_ forgive yourself," he fights back.

"Wow, are you really doing this?"

"Yup."

"Then, I'll never forgive myself."

"Neither will I."

I yawn. God, I stayed up all night. Caffeine is wearing off on me. Sanji laughs again, and subsequently groans. "Tired, huh? Did you stay up all night?"

"Of course I did. I haven't gotten any sleep yet," I reply.

"Sleep then. You need it."

"I'm keeping you company. You can't sleep like a normal person."

"Yeah, but you're a normal person—relatively. Get some sleep. We can talk another day." This jerk… Wish I could wipe that smile off his face, but I'm too tired to fight him.

"Fine… I give in," I concede this fight, putting my chin on his bedrest. I'm still holding his hand. It's warm. It's really warm. I don't wanna let go, but Sanji might feel otherwise. "Are you...gonna keep holding my hand?"

"Yeah, I am. I'd let you hold me anywhere. Even if you wanted to use me as a pillow, I wouldn't mind. Whatever makes you comfortable and happy, I'd be satisfied." If I wanted to use him as a pillow? Well, it's rude to not take him up on the offer.

I rest my head on his good shoulder. His hospital gown isn't the softest thing in the world, neither is his shoulder, but it's warm just like his hand. I hear Sanji chuckling to himself, then groaning again. How many times will he laugh? "Stop laughing, you're hurting yourself."

"Alright… Sleep well."

"Mhm…"

I drift to sleep.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"What were you thinking?!"

…

"You went and fought off a Villain without telling me?! Catharsis of all men?! God, I'm going to ruin Grandmaster for not informing me about this! You could've gotten yourself killed, Setsuna! I knew I shouldn't have let you 'stay at Manga's'. I knew something was off when you vaguely described this case, but I didn't expect _this_!"

Mom comes to my defense, "Fuyushiro, you're being too hard on her. She did what a Hero's supposed to do. You can't blame her-"

"She never told me about this! She never said that she would go off and defeat a Villain, nearly costing her life doing so! This could've very well ruined everything if it went awry. Thank goodness that it didn't! Setsuna, do you have anything to say for yourself?!"

I gulp, standing back from Dad. I barely answer without bursting into tears, "I… I had to, Dad! Catharsis killed ten people and many more considering he worked for Shigaraki!"

"Shigaraki? Of course he was with the League! This explains the rumored Nomu sightings in Nabu! Why didn't Grandmaster tell me about this?" he roars, standing tall over me. God…

"The Commission ordered him! They ordered us!" I step back, shrinking. I beg him, "Please don't ruin Grandmaster! He's a good man! If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have defeated Catharsis! We wouldn't have more information about the League! Like Shigaraki's master!"

"Shigaraki's master…? What do you know about him?" Dad asks, his tone getting even more stern, but quieter. Why is he asking me about him out of everything that happened? From Catharsis's own words, it sounds like his master is inactive.

I say, "I-I don't know. He's not active in Japan, I don't think… Catharsis told me that he had a lot of connections. It sounds like he's a really dangerous Villain." If… If I think about this—without crying—then the League can seriously cause some damage… I mean, Shigaraki's master sounds like a dangerous Villain. He might be on the U.H.N.'s list of the "World's Most Dangerous Villains". I remember that number one lives in Japan- Wait… Don't tell me… Shigaraki's master _is_ the World's Most Dangerous Villain?! There's no other explanation! Someone with a lot of connections _has _to fit that profile!

"Hmph. Setsuna, whenever you decide to take part in a scheme like this, tell me. From now on, I'm going to watch you very closely. Remember: You're the heiress to this family. You'll be a Hero _for_ this family. Today, you could've died and ruined it, so please don't forget that," Dad tells me before putting a hand on Mom's shoulder, walking away into his study. Wait, I have to know!

"Dad!" I stop him. He turns his head slightly towards me, his eyes asking me why I said his name. I ask, "Shigaraki's master… You know him, don't you? What… What are we dealing with here?"

"Never speak about him to me or your friends. That's all I'll say about him," Dad orders before going into his study, slamming his door shut. It rattles the walls, nearly taking a painting off. What is this guy? I never seen Dad dismiss a subject like that before! This actually means Shigaraki's master is the most powerful Villain in the _world_! God, if Dad is like this, then I can't let Sanji and the others talk about him. U.H.N. made him classified for a reason, so we better keep him that way. Never mind that I lost a bit of my freedom today! This is more important. Never mind that… that I'm a bit more of a disappointment...

"Setsuna… I-"

"I'll be in my room if you need me, Mom," I tell her before I walk away. She doesn't say anything. She doesn't pull me into a loving hug. She does none of that. I shut myself in my room, staggering over to my bed. Just look at me, being a disobedient daughter. So much for being a perfect heiress. Hell, I'm far from perfect. Everyone hates me still, and I don't know if that'll change when Grandmaster makes his official statement on the suicides. Knowing them, they'll still hate me. That's how life goes. It's not fair, and I can't make it fair. I can't do anything despite being in the one percent of one percent. Heh, I couldn't even do anything to save Hifumi. Tatchikutsu's right. He was the push that sent Hifumi over the edge, while I helped put her there by doing nothing. And I call myself a "Hero" too… If Nisehana or Tabuchi saw me now, they would laugh and say, "I told you so." They would relish in the fact that I wanted to take Tatchikutsu down for a selfish reason: I would stop being hated. That's all I want. I love Sanji, I love all of my friends, but it's not enough. It hurts when nearly everyone I meet has a negative opinion of me. It's so selfish—Sanji would say that—but I don't want to get harassed everywhere I go. I can't be a good of a person as him. I care about the media, my reputation, I care about all of that. Compared to Sanji, I would make for a Hero with awful ideals. I'm already a bad daughter anyhow. Just...to no longer get harassed… Is that too much to ask?

_Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!_

My phone's ringing. I unplug the charger and… Oh, this is a nice surprise. It's Kamakiri. Must be important if it's him calling me. Maybe he'll tell me that he likes Pony. I know for a fact that Itsuka likes Sanji despite her denying it. I greet him, pepping myself up, "Jack Mantis, is there a Villain on the loose?"

"Nah, just me." (That's a great response,) "So Lizard Head, I needed to talk to someone. Fists is outta the question, Quirkless is awake, but y'know, he's cut up, an' I don't wanna deal with Horns. That leaves you. Congrats on bein' the lucky woman to talk to me," Kamakiri says with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Aw, what did I do to be blessed by his presence?

"Let me guess: You like Pony? Summer's coming, Kamakiri. It's buzzing with romance-"

"Shut up, you can deal your own shit 'bout Vines," he turns the situation around on me. Ugh, I only have a simple crush on her. It's not like Itsuka who's in love with every part of Sanji. "Any-freakin'-way, how's your mornin' comin' along? My ma didn't stop huggin' the hell outta me until a few minutes ago. I'd bet your dad was thrilled that his little girl finally defeated her first Villain."

He's totally thrilled...

"Well first of all, you're helping me on this crush. And second, you… you could say that," I say, hesitating briefly when I talked about Dad. Heh, it's ironic that Kamakiri mentioned him considering his own father. We're like night and day, yin and yang. I love my dad, but he hates his. "Kamakiri, I gotta ask: What was it like being a son of a serial-killing father?"

I hear him sighing, falling back on something soft. Must be his bed. I'm surprised he didn't snap at me for even mentioning him. "Tokage, I didn't live my childhood trainin' to be a Villain. Fuck, if you took a look at us, you couldn't even tell that my dad _was_ a Villain. He was just…any normal dad." Tokage? He used my last name? Oh, he's getting serious.

"Sounds like… Sounds like you miss him, honestly. I thought you hated his guts since he basically cemented your reputation for life," I say, not trying to pry nor push too much. Kamakiri does one loud breath. He sounds like he's rolling over.

"Yeah an' no. I hate him 'cuz of that, but also… 'cuz he was a good dad. When I was little, I used to play baseball a whole bunch with 'im. He even coached my team before he got arrested. It was our lil' thing we did together, an' I enjoyed it so damn much. I hate myself for lovin' the bastard, but how couldn't I? God… Mamoru Kamakiri was a fuckin' awful human bein', but he was a great father." Hearing these words from him… These soft yet vulgar words, it's so emotional! I thought Kamakiri had a heart of stone!

"K-Kamakiri…" I stutter, crying a little. Oh jeez, how could this angry man make me cry? That's why he's been acting so grumpy! If I was with him, I would hug him. He would probably kill me, but it'll be worth it! "If Pony heard this, I swear she'd just… just hug you and never let go!"

He grumbles before going quiet for a few seconds. I let him go quiet, because he must be thinking about her. When he's finally ready to talk, he says, "Sorry 'bout the Battle Trials. I was a real piece of shit back then. Y'know, Pony was bullied back in America. She told me that she wanted to be a Hero so people like her didn't have to be alone an' friendless. I dunno why she's so damn hellbent on bein' my friend though. Y'know why?"

I tell him after sniffling, "Kamakiri, can you count how many times she sat next to you at lunch? How many pictures you have of her on your phone? When she's with the girls and I, she talks about you half the time. Ask yourself: Is Pony your friend because she wants to validate herself as a Hero? Or, does this adorable girl genuinely wants you to not be alone?"

"..." he lets out another breath before snickering. It seems he already got his answer. "Alright, think I know. See ya at school tomorrow. Try not to takeover U.A. like a mastermind, alright? Y'hear me, Tokage?"

"It's 'Setsuna', Togaru," I correct him.

Togaru groans, sounding like he's ready to throw his phone out the window. "Fine, _Setsuna_. Ya still 'Lizard Head' to me." And finally, he hangs up. To think that I'd be friends with the son of the Executioner Wasp? Nah, that's wrong. I'm friends with the Pro Hero called 'Jack Mantis'. I predict that a few days from now—maybe at the carnival coming up—he'll admit that he has a crush on Pony. Or, maybe Pony admits it first.

Heh, this kind of talk definitely cheered me up. To think that only a few hours ago, we were fighting a Villain. Well, it's time to hit the hay even though it's morning.

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"Where's your partner?" Master Kendo asks, letting himself in my office. Frankly, I thought he was Claude, but I actually wanted to speak with him. I couldn't at the hospital since him and the Kendos were overseeing Inochi. Thanks to Recovery Girl, he's able to make a full recovery, albeit with a slight numbness for a little while. She did get into a shouting match with Master Kendo, however. Not an ideal situation to speak in.

I answer, putting together a stack of forms and papers. "Don't know. Knowing Claude, he's most likely out on the roof, having a cigarette. I'm itching for a smoke as well, but I need to prepare for the official statement regarding Catharsis and the recent suicides. I came you wanted to speak to me about it _and_ One For All, correct? I know, Master Kendo. The secret's safe. Not even Claude knows, and I trust him with my life."

Master Kendo sighs and closes the blinds, making sure no one hears nor sees our conversation. He says, "I appreciate that you're teaching the kids about heroism, but Sanji nearly got himself killed."

"I'm sorry, but he's safe. No mental trauma whatsoever. Speaking of which, you know that Catharsis didn't work on him, correct? From Shojo's statement, she heard him screaming, but she saw his eyes glowing bright white. It's his Quirk, Master Kendo. His Quirk made him immune," I explain to him, going over a few theories in my head. Inochi's Quirk is certainly a Mental-type. One that acts as a wall against Mental-type Quirks that attack the mind. Quite useful and incredibly situational. But, that is a passive effect most likely. What is the active effect of Inochi's Quirk? That remains a mystery still.

"Count told me about it. What about you? Fighting a Nomu in the Nabu District seemed like it was tough," he asks, leaning against a wall.

I chuckle, answering, "Everyone survived. Unfortunately, I fear that this isn't the worst attack yet. From All Might's words that Shigaraki is 'childish', so he's peeved. He'll do something big soon, knowing one of his most powerful allies is arrested, and Stain is the main topic instead of him. Shigaraki must've sent out those Nomus in Hosu City for a reason."

"Yeah… I'm guessing you know about Midoriya? He took down Stain with a couple of his classmates. He's the one that Toshinori picked to be the next holder. Thanks to Sorahiko, he got his power under control with Full Cowling. I can finally teach him, along with Toshi, about martial arts and how to properly use his gift," he informs me. Full Cowling? It must be a restrictive form where Midoriya doesn't use one hundred percent of One For All. Finally. During the Sports Festival, he was more than destructive. It amazes me that All Might never destroyed an entire city on accident during his prime.

I advise him, adjusting my sling slightly, "It's good that you're helping him train. What about your children? They know that All For One exists. Soon, they'll figure out the mystery, especially since Midoriya is one of their close friends. You need to tell them, or they'll harbor animosity." Let's see: Inochi and Kendo know that All For One exists, and they'll discover, despite not knowing his actual name, that he's the World's Most Dangerous Villain. They know that Midoriya's Quirk is unknown along with All Might. On the deep dark web of the internet, there's rumors of a Quirk that could take other Quirks. Then, they'll figure out All For One and All Might are connected. Once they conclude that All Might is the opposite of his nemesis, they'll know the main function of One For All—the ability to willingly transfer One For All to a holder. When they realize that Nana Shimura was All Might's mentor, the answer will be astoundingly obvious. It won't be long until they can figure it out. Maybe even Tokage will help them, which will definitely speed up the progress.

Master Kendo replies, "I haven't even told my daughter yet, but I will. The secret isn't dangerous anymore. All For One is dead thanks to Toshinori, but-"

Hmm?

"What? All For One is alive," I correct him, putting my stack of papers down. I turn to him, and he doesn't look like he believes me. He should know that All For One is alive, correct? Yes, All Might did defeat him seven years ago, but he isn't dead. Savant told me he would return. Catharsis said he was protected by All For One for a year, and that Shigaraki is his student. I thought Master Kendo knew that!

"No, Toshi sent me a letter stating that he was dead. He crushed his head. Sorahiko told me he was defeated. There's no possible way that he's alive-"

"They lied to you," I tell him, facing him fully, "Five years ago, Savant told me All For One would return. Just hours before this conversation, Catharsis told the kids that All For One would return. Also that he's Shigaraki's master. I thought you knew, Master Kendo. I'm sorry that I have to tell you this." With him backing the League's development, they just became a group that will quickly rise to the top of the food chain. It's only a matter of time.

Master Kendo goes silent, dead silent. He's thinking, pondering about this. I can only imagine the fury that's building inside of him. All Might and Gran Torino lied to him for some reason. Perhaps they wanted to spare his feelings, letting him believe that All For One is dead? Only they could answer that question. After a minute, he finally says, "This secret was always a curse, Grandmaster. A lot of good men and women died—including my wife—because of it. I thought it wasn't dangerous anymore, but thanks to those jackasses lying to me, it still _is_ thanks to All For One and All For One Junior. God, what the hell were they thinking?! This could kill my daughter and my boy! You know that! You worked with Sora about the Shimuras!"

"Indeed I did. All For One slaughtered Nana Shimura's bloodline, starting with her son's family fifteen years ago. It took five years if I believe. Five years until he ended the last family distantly related to her: the Tsukigamis. So Master Kendo, what will you do now? You have every right to be upset, but I'm sure All Might and Gran Torino wanted you to have peace," I voice their possible motives, leaning against my desk and crossing my arms. He sighs and runs his hand through his grey beard. Hmph, the Tsukigamis… They are a peculiar family. Their Quirks are a secret. The Japan Quirk Registry List listed their Quirks as "Classified". Only high-ranking government officials know what their Quirks are and any U.H.N. officials. Fifteen years ago, the U.H.N. refused to help Gran Torino about warning Nana Shimura's bloodline. He was forced to come to me. The United Hero Nations are a crooked bunch. They have power, but they believe that they can use it to order the world around. They can't. The world goes along with what's convenient, and the U.H.N. was exactly that. They don't have any real pull, but they're fighting for it.

"Psh, so much for Toshi being the Symbol of Peace then. I'm going to yell at them, but it won't stop me from training Midoriya. All Might haven't told him yet about All For One either, so that's another thing to be pissed at. Thanks for letting me know, Grandmaster," Master Kendo thanks me with a small elderly smile. So different than when he was younger. To think I used to watch him on TV when I was younger. Him and All Might. To be frank, I thought he'd be furious, but he isn't.

"Mhm. Say, do you think Midoriya's ready to take on All Might's mantle? Those are big shoes to fill. He'll have to fight greater Villains, more powerful ones. In fact, one would say that All Might took advantage of a boy's dreams and gave him an impossibly large burden to carry," I ask him. With the Quirk Singularity theory, Midoriya would face Villains that All Might couldn't even imagine. Even though One For All gets stronger each time it's passed, so does Quirks throughout time. When I was younger, people couldn't imagine a Quirk like Nine Tails, the Quirk that Karisuma Suzuki has. To transform into a giant fox? That's honestly too surreal to imagine.

Master Kendo chuckles, putting a hand on his hip. "I would say he is, since he _did_ defeat Stain. We're experiencing the rise of the next All Might here, Grandmaster, and his name is 'Deku'. Even when the weight of One For All crushes his shoulders, he'll persevere. After all, 'Deku' doesn't mean 'good for nothing', but-"

"It means he's capable of doing anything. A boy that can defy fate and make it his own. Triumph over all obstacles, overcoming any boulders in his path. That's the Hero I'd imagine he'll be. Greater than all of us combined; someone who can truly change the world. We have a long road ahead of us, Master Kendo. Whenever you need help, you're free to contact me. For now, I really need to prepare for the statement, and for you to prepare Inochi and Kendo for the news. Please, train them to be Heroes they wish to be."

He nods, walking up to me. He shakes my hand with a smile. "I will. My kids might not be as good as Midoriya, but they'll be great Heroes on their own accord. I'll talk to you later, Grandmaster. Have a good day."

Master Kendo turns around and leaves, his footsteps clacking his way out of my agency.

* * *

**Manga Fukidashi**

"The house is actually intact. I'd thought we would come back to a ruined home," Mom says, and that's true. In fights that take place in the suburbs, the protagonist's home usually ends up destroyed. Not for me! Inochi had the decency to take the fight outside. He almost died because of it and ruined one of Shojo's knives, but he's a decent guy.

"Yup. Good thing you didn't have to call your insurance," Shojo comments, sighing. She looks around the living room and just…takes it in. Yup, it was a nightmare to fight in my own home, but I won. I actually won. Seems like years ago, but it's only about what? Ten hours? Seven? It was a long night. My heart was pounding so much too. I thought I would have to get used to the feeling for the rest of my years.

"Heh, yeah… I'm glad you two are safe. Shojo honey, are you okay though? You did hit Tatchikutsu," Mom says, turning to her. Dad, meanwhile, is going outside to check on our backyard. It's just a broken fence, but who knows what else happened? I'm just glad that I get to see daylight again.

"Mom, to be honest, I would whack Tatchikutsu a hundred times if I weren't afraid. Not because I'm a psychopath, but because of the things he did to me, so yeah, I'm fine. Call it a 'catharsis' if you will," Shojo replies and I'm already doubting why I even saved her.

I scold her, "Shojo, it hasn't been a full day and you're already making jokes. Do you want me to joke about how you went outside after a year? Because I will! I don't know what jokes I can make, but you bet your ass I can!" Mom sighs and rolls her eyes. Not even a day back for her too, and she's already dealing with our rivalry.

"For a big guy who defeated him, you can't even make a joke about it? Psh, it goes to show that you aren't clever just like your name. 'Comicman'? Seriously? I have one hundred different reasons why that name is an abomination." Oh my God, are we seriously gonna start a fight over this?! Now of all times?! Jeez! I-

"The fight really got blood everywhere, but that's about it," Dad thankfully interrupts us. He smiles at Shojo, saying, "Hey sweetheart. Since everything's calm now, how did the fresh air feel? You got to ride in a car after almost two years."

"Eh, it wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good. Dad, I _was_ a meter away from dying. I was in fight or flight mode for goodness sake! I mean, I'm still kinda scared of going outside still. Even with Tatchikutsu's gone, the bullies aren't. You know how the public is against Manga and 1-B! There's a lot of evil people out there who are worse than the everyday Villain!" Shojo's still afraid, huh? Well, a part of her must agree with Tatchikutsu. I still remember what he said to her. Shojo doesn't have any hope for the world. Well, until 1-B came along.. Society has its faults, but we're Heroes. We can seal up those cracks for good.

"Shojo," I say, making sure she knows I'm smiling even with my dumb head, "don't you remember what I said? Before I blasted Tatchikutsu with my Quirk? C'mon, you gotta remember."

Shojo stands there for a few seconds, closing her eyes and remembering. A small smile forms on her nerdy little face. "Yeah, I do. How did it go again? 'Not only will we become the pillars that hold up Japan, we'll change society for the better. I won't stop until my voice pierces the skies and go beyond that.' You sounded like a real shonen protagonist there, Manga. Are you sure that you're the same brother I know?"

I laugh, scratching my head. "Frankly, I have no freaking clue. But, ever since I defeated Tatchikutsu, my shoulders feel a little lighter than before. I believe in those words though—one hundred percent! One day, we'll be adults. We gotta improve society, making it so that Villains can't complain about it. I mean, we might be fathers and mothers, so our kids have to thrive in a world that'll accept them."

"It's a lot of work, Manga. The 'society' part not the 'kids' because you're not having any. Anyway~, that's besides the point! We have to change the people's hearts. Make it that they won't be obsessed by heroism so much, and we can't sacrifice who we are as people. Can we really do that? Can _you_ do that?" Shojo asks, crossing her arms. Mom and Dad watches our conversation, letting us talk about our future.

I answer, "You'll never know, and besides! We have friends now! Did you forget that Sanji almost got killed for us? We don't have to do it alone. We can change the world with them. One step at a time, one dream at a time. And I know—I definitely know—that we get to live in a brand new Japan. Why? Because power of friendship rules over everything. That's how I know we'll do it."

"Jeez, you aren't afraid, are you? Wow, what _really_ happened to my brother? He used to be so scared and frightened at everything! Even Mom and Dad are surprised! Did you get a 'Plus Ultra' moment?"

"And even further beyond. Oh, who says I'm not afraid? I am freaking _terrified_, but we gotta do it despite our fear," I tell her, looking at Mom and Dad. They look at me back with hope shining in their eyes. I ask, "Y'know, all this society talk makes me a little bit hungry. I know it's still morning, but can we go out and get some ice cream?"

"Of course. We all need ice cream," Dad accepts, walking to the door with Mom. I follow them. Dad turns the handle and goes outside with a gentle wind swaying a tree on our front yard. Mom goes out with him, but I don't see Shojo. I turn behind me and see her, still standing in the living room with an uncertain look.

I offer my hand. "Shojo, are you coming with?"

"Uhm… Outside is… uhm-"

"One step at a time, Shojo. It's just one measly step."

"_God_, fine. I'm coming with you."

She takes my hand.


	26. All Around The Carousel

**Sanji Inochi**

My father was a frail man.

He was thin and sickly. Wherever he walked, he had a limp, favoring his right leg over his left. His hair was short and prickly to the touch. That's all I can remember about his appearance. I can't remember how his face looked, or how one of his gentle smiles was hooked around his lips. His voice though… I remember it. Dad was always calm, being content with what life had given him. When he said one word, he meant a hundred.

When my brother was training out in the backyard, Dad and I sat on the porch, watching him. I heard the sound of the sink running and the clanging of metal pots behind us, which meant that Mom was washing the dishes. A day like this… It felt so normal, yet I felt that something was missing. No, _I feel_ that something is missing. There was something wrong with our way of life, but I don't know what.

"Papa," I said, looking beside me. Dad was staring at my brother with a soft smile on his face. He was blurry, but I could tell he was smiling.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" he replied, not taking his eyes off of him. My brother seemed like he was my age today. I was his five year old little brother.

"Why does Big Bro train so much? When I eat lunch, I see him training. When I go to bed, I hear him training. When I wake up the next day, he's still training! What's up with that?" I asked, growing more annoyed with each sentence.

"Hehe, that's how your brother is. He trains day and night to push his body to the limits. He wants to protect you and—if God is merciful—he'll become a Pro Hero too."

"Like All Might? He's the Symbol of Peace!" I exclaimed.

At the mention of All Might's name, he tensed his body. He looked at me before hesitating to say, "Yes…like All Might. Instead of becoming the Symbol of Peace, he'll become a different symbol."

"Like what?"

"Symbol of Dreams, maybe? The Wielder of Dreams? There's many epithets he could adopt," Dad told me, playfully shaking his head.

"I have no idea what that word means! But uh…" I had a finger on my chin, thinking for a second or two. "Papa, did you have the same dream as Big Bro? Whenever you look at him, it's kinda like you're remembering something." Dad's eyes widened, but then his face went soft. He put his hand on my head, ruffling my hair.

He said, "What did I do to be blessed with such an observant son? To answer your question, I did. I once carried his ideals when I was his age. Little one, there's much you don't know about me, or about our family. I pray that I can tell you the entire story one day—you and your brother."

"Huh. Y'know… Big Bro looks up at the sky like there's something up there, but nothing's there! Why does he do that?"

"That's him missing what we once had. Like I said, I'll explain everything to you once it's the right time," he promised. Dad looked up at the sky too, and so did I. There was only clouds up there. "The world isn't as kind as you might think it is. People die to those that are undeserving to be called 'human beings', vanquishing their dreams to ash. You see, that's why Pro Heroes exist. They exist not from a kind world, but from a ruthless one."

"That's why Big Bro wants to be a Hero, right? He's gonna defeat those evil Villains?"

"I pray he will. He's the first…" Dad hesitated before continuing, "He's the first heir who sought out heroism as his path in life. He's meant to give life to this world."

I asked him, "What about me?"

Dad stopped looking at the sky to look at me instead. He replied, "What about you? Well, what do you want your future to be? What do you want to see your world as?"

My world… I...

"Sanji, you alright? You're staring off into the distance," Itsuka says, standing in front of her dad's motorcycle. Earlier, at some point last week, she got her permit. I forgot during all the excitement with Catharsis. And with that excitement, I remembered my father. I woke up in the hospital, and I got hit with that memory. It seemed so much clearer than the others. After Golden Week, I remembered my brother waking me up. During the Obstacle Race, he was comforting me. And now, my dad spoke to me about my brother. I remembered it again when Itsuka was telling me about her own father. I can't stop thinking about it. My family… "Earth to Sanji! What's going on in your head? It's a bit rude to space out when I'm talking about Dad."

"Sorry, I was… Never mind. It's nothing," I tell her, trying my best to hide the anxiety in my voice. My hand—the one that Catharsis impaled—moves just a centimeter before pain flares. Itsuka notices it and approaches me, grabbing it. With how fast she moved towards me, I'd think that she would yank my hand off, but she's gentle with it.

"Did you train last night?" Itsuka interrogates me, her tone being calm, yet serious. There's a scar on the palm of my hand. It's diagonal, going left to right. It's about a few centimeters long, and there's a matching scar on the back. I could've sworn that I saw scars on Dad's chest. Maybe my brother also had scars? I don't know… He wanted to be a Pro Hero, but he's not. Instead, I took his place. We were exactly like each other. We trained everyday with rarely any rest.

"I did," I confess. Itsuka rolls her eyes and nearly lets out a groan. Her grip on my hand tightens. I won't tell her this, but I trained to try to make sense of my memory. Didn't work though. I finally know what my brother was like, how my mother hummed, and the words that my father said like he was telling me this yesterday. It's the first time I can properly hear my family, even though I can't remember their faces. How did I ever forget them? My brother had the same Quirk as me! Dad too! I _know_ the three of us share the same Quirks! Our family...what is it? I have no relatives to answer that question! No family friends, no neighbors who knew who we were! Nothing! How could I ever forget them? I don't even know their names...

"You were almost _killed _by Catharsis. It sounds like a perfect situation to rest to—let's say—not worsen your injuries? Recovery Girl said you were lucky that you didn't get nerve damage! God, I don't understand how you aren't killing yourself over this. Even though Mom and I are against it, you never once collapsed from overexhaustion," she scolds. Itsuka lets go of my hand and rubs her head in frustration. My endurance… I probably inherited it from my father.

"I was blessed with superhuman endurance, I guess. You shouldn't worry about me so much though. If I could survive nerve damage, then I can survive my training regimen. I've been doing this for-"

She finishes, "Three years, I know. But, that won't make me _not_ worry about you. Worrying about everyone is my job. There's a reason why Setsuna and Pony call me 'the big sister of 1-B'. I think Komori said, 'Kendo, you're the tough-loving sister. You put everyone in line, but you're amazing doing it.'"

"Oh right, Komori said that I'm the big brother. 'Inochi, you're the type of brother who everyone hangs with.' She also explained some other things, but I spaced out during it," I admit. In my defense, I was really distracted by Honenuki explaining metaology to Rin. It was...dramatic and overly-simplified.

"That sounds like you," Hayami says, coming up from behind. She giggles and crouches down next to the motorcycle, inspecting it. "Everything's all good with the bike? Else, I'm not letting you drive on that thing. I had to convince the H.P.S.C that you won't kill yourself and Sanji. That, and I barely got you a parking pass," Hayami tells us. Right, Hero Vehicles. If a Pro Hero—a student in this case—wants a custom-made vehicle for heroism, they have to ask the Hero Public Safety Commission. They have to accept the application, then the Hero is allowed to their vehicle be modified for heroism. I'm pretty sure Itsuka is the only first-year with a Hero Vehicle at the moment.

"Don't worry Mom, it's fine. I assure you, Sanji and I will get to school safe and sound. I know how to drive, right?" Itsuka turns to me.

"Famous last words…" I mutter underneath my breath just loud enough for them to hear. Itsuka playfully punches my shoulder, calling me a jerk. I laugh it off, putting my helmet on. She does the same with her gorgeous green helmet. Hayami rubs hers, and she bats mine for some reason.

Smiling, she says, "Sanji, I'm looking into doing the same for you. I already got the motorcycle ordered, just gotta wait until it comes before I can start tinkering and when you get your permit. Kids at U.A. will be jealous that you got a badass Hero Vehicle made by yours truly." As much as I like the sound of a Hero Vehicle of my own…a motorcycle might be a little much. I can use my Adoptive Muscle Memory to drive perfectly, but I don't exactly trust myself to keep my bike safe.

"You know I wouldn't brag," I reply, hearing Itsuka revving up. On that note, I sit behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. She tenses slightly. Her feet kicks up the pedals and I find my own foot rest. God, I need to start praying for my safety. I trust Itsuka. I do, but this? I'm a bit skeptical to say the least. What would Shiozaki say as a prayer? Maybe "God, may You bring this lost and troubled soul to its safe haven"? Wait, I'm going to U.A.! That's the exact opposite of a safe haven! I-?!

Hayami salutes.

Oh God.

_VROOOOOOOOM!_

* * *

**Shojo Fukidashi**

"I'M AT FREAKING U.A.!"

"And you're screaming."

"AND I'M SCREAMING!"

"Can you _not _embarrass me on your first day? Or not be you?"

"Hmph, idiot," I scoff, looking away at my stupid brother. I can't help but being me! Who knew that the fresh air is freeing? My ponytail's swaying like a leaf in the wind! And U.A. is massive! It looks like an architect's nightmare, but it looks cool! Not to mention that there's all kinds of students around! Wait, I can call them my "schoolmates"! That's an actual word I can use now! There's some cute guys, weird Mutant-type Quirks, and a few of Manga's classmates. One of them is Kuroiro because his Quirk makes him stick out like a sore thumb. No offense, but he's very black. Oh, I can get their opinion on something! Manga didn't even bother to give his earlier. I point them out and say, "Those are your classmates right? I need to introduce myself!" Manga panics, evident by his stupid head, and tries to stop me. Too bad for him though. I'm already running over there.

"Hey! You three!" I get their attention—Shihai Kuroiro, Yosetsu Awase, and Kosei Tsuburaba. Three boys that I wanted to see. Awase is the first to turn around and his eyes go wide as saucers. He couldn't believe that II'm, the once-hermit, is here.

"Shojo?! Thought you were a shut-in! But, thank freaking God that you're safe from Tatchikutsu or whatever the hell his name is." he says with a cute grin. I laugh, hopping up and down slightly. But yeah, thank freaking God that Tatchikutsu is gone! That asshole is being shipped away to Tartarus. Grandmaster's statement to the public gave Japan well-needed closure, but he didn't dive into extreme detail about Tatchikutsu's arrest. It didn't do much for 1-B's reputation, but they're not the main focus now! It's all about Stain and his viral video about his past. It has a lot of angst, but I can see some truth in it. It's not gonna convince me to start killing Pros though. I remember what Manga said. We have to change the world with our two powerful voices, helping the public instead of tearing it apart. There has to be someone who can turn this awful world right.

Manga finally catches up to me right as when Tsuburaba exclaims, "Woah, you're Shojo? Awase was actually right about you being cute!"

Eh?

"Excuse me?"

"It hasn't been a minute and I already want to murder my friends."

Awase slaps the back of Tsuburaba's head. He clears his throat, jerking his head at Kuroiro. He's either choking on something or he's trying to change the conversation. I'm flattered though… Guys who think I'm cute? It makes me wanna blush. Kuroiro eventually catches on and clears his throat too. "Awase meant to speak about your mutations. You do not share the same features as your fantastical bookworm of a brother. It's a pleasant surprise. Manga must be an envious man," Kuroiro nails it right on the head, crossing his arms with a slight head nod. Manga huffs from being called out like the jealous idiot he is.

"You have no idea. Now, I need to ask you guys an important question: my legs. Do they look good in these thigh-highs?" I put one of my legs forward, showcasing them. Kuroiro's face turns grey and Tsuburaba sputters out a swirly ball of Solid Air. Awase, being a gentleman, crouches down and stares at my leg. Namely, the thigh area.

"In my opinion, they're-"

Manga walks up and kicks Awase center of his face. Awase doesn't move a muscle—since Manga is the weakest student in 1-B and all—but he felt the pain in his heart. He threatens, "Watch where your eyes wander, Awase."

Awase gently pushes Manga's foot off of him with a single finger, laughing nervously. "Alright, sorry." He looks around for a segway into a different conversation, which becomes Tsuburaba. His solid ball of air is getting larger and larger by the second. "Airhead, close your mouth."

"Haaaah..." Tsuburaba doesn't comply. Awase forcibly shuts his mouth with his hands, turning to Kuroiro. Darn, guess I'm not getting an opinion thanks to Manga.

"This idiot is out of commision. What about you, Kuroiro? what do you think about this?" Awase taps Kuroiro's shoulder. The dark, brooding man whose name could cause a catastrophe runs his hand through his ashen white hair, facing us with a grimace that could decimate the lands. I know that grimace well. He's trying his best to not be seduced by my thighs.

"I'd rather speak about something else other than a woman's legs. Such as our internships for example. It seems that Grandmaster and Count was vibrant with action considering Catharsis was behind the recent suicides. Thank you for apprehending him, Manga," Kuroiro says, bowing his head slightly. Heh, they don't know that Manga was the one who defeated Tatchikutsu himself. Well, with Sanji's help… I'm glad he's okay.

Manga replies, scratching his head, "I-I didn't do it alone. I had Inochi, Tokage, and Kamakiri with me. Even Shojo helped a little." I nudge him with my shoulder with my trademarked giggle. He rolls his head, being the equivalent of an eye roll from him. "Anyway… How was your internship, Kuroiro? I heard you went with Beowulf." Beowulf? Oh, I love him! His Hero Agency doubles as a dog shelter! He has so many cute dogs there! People go there everyday to adopt a pup! Kuroiro is so lucky that he got to intern under him!

"Indeed. Beowulf taught me lessons about the industry and ways to improve my Quirk usage. Additionally, he-?!"

_BURST!_

What the?! A puppy popped out of Kuroiro's backpack! He climbs on top of his head, barking wildly! Oh my God, he's so cute! Kuroiro adopted a schipperke! His fur is all black and fluffy! His little tongue is so adorable! Kuroiro yelps and grabs his puppy off of his head. "Kagesuke?! You fiend! You hid in my bag?! How did I not notice you, you cur?!"

Kagesuke, being the best fluff of fur, just starts gnawing on his finger. Kuroiro huffs and holds his puppy in his arms. "I adopted a hound as you can see. His name is Kagesuke, and he's a fiendish mutt. Do not ask me how he appeared in my bag."

Okay, instead of asking that, I ask, "Can I hold your fiendish mutt?"

"No, Kagesuke's a hyper beast. I fear that—if I release my hold—he'll run into the night. My apologies, Shojo." What?! It's day! Damn Kuroiro! Actually, it's not like I wanted to hold a fluffy puppy anyway. Have him lick my face with his slobbery tongue and give me lots of love. Yeah, I don't want that in life! No way! I'm totally not upset!

"Kuroiro, you made Shojo mad," Tsuburaba says, snapping out of his trance! He's a complete liar though. I'm not mad! I'm freaking splendid!

I cross my arms and huff, calling him out, "Hmph, I'm totally happy. I have no idea why you're such a liar, Tsuburaba." Awase snickers and wacks him over the head again. Tsuburaba grumbles, whispering something. I can't hear what he's whispering about. Ugh, I loved the time when whispers were loud enough where I can hear them. Isn't that how necessary information is revealed to move the story along? By eavesdropping?

"Okay… Should we head inside now? It's getting hot," Manga asks, tugging at his collar. I gotta say, he looks unflattering with a plain white dress shirt on. His tie doesn't help either because it's completely messed up. How will he get a girlfriend with that lousy get-up on? Super-?!

_VROOOOOOOM! VROOOOOM!_

Is that a motorcycle?

"Holy shit, look at that bike!" Awase exclaims. Kagesuke hides himself in Kuroiro's hair as a golden motorcycle drives through the U.A. Barrier. The driver and their passenger slow down as they roll closer to the main building. Man, that looks like a Hero Vehicle. One of the seniors must've gotten one for their birthday or something. It's pretty badass though. Us five—six including Kagesuke—go up. The driver, a woman since men typically don't wear skirts, parks in a student space and turns her bike off. She hops down, sees us, and...waves? She has a green and yellow helmet on. Wait, that color scheme... Her friend gets off too, stumbling around slightly. It's kinda goofy actually… Wait... Oh my God! It's Sanji! Who else would wear a black and white helmet?! It's his color scheme! The lady is Kendo! She's driving this thing?!

Sanji takes his helmet off and nearly falls from vertigo. He groans, saying, "Itsuka, you drove way too fast…" Kendo puts a hand on Sanji's collar, forcing him upright before smiling at us. She takes off her shining helmet to let her ponytail fly free in the wind.

"Holy shit…" Awase mutters underneath his breath.

"When I thought she couldn't be even more scary…" That's Tsuburaba.  
"I hope she will not crash that vehicle." Kuroiro.

"Wait, did Inochi put his arms around Kendo then?" Manga's asking the real questions though.

"Yeah yeah, my bike's cool. I know! It's my Hero Vehicle if you couldn't tell already. My mom is currently fixing one up for Sanji too," Kendo tells us, her eyes briefly staring at Kagesuke, who's still on Kuroiro's head, before sighing. Wonder how long she notices until I'm here? Or Sanji? But, much like Manga, I'm wondering if she'll admit that Sanji's arms were wrapped around her.

"Yup, we'll be the first students who have Hero Vehicles. And uhm, why is there a puppy on your head, Kuroiro?" Sanji asks, completely focused on Kagesuke. He hasn't noticed me yet. I'm simply biding my time.

"He snuck himself into my dark pouch, Inochi. Hmph, to think that you'll gain even more tools for your crusade. You're getting more powerful by the day."

"It's just a motorcycle! I mean, it's not like I'm gonna use it to fly or something. Right Shojo? You agree with me?" Sanji asks me. Poor guy, my presence hasn't hit him yet. I won't say anything. Watch! Three...two...one! "Shojo, are you...gonna say anything? Manga told me you were going to school today." That wasn't the reaction I was expecting!

"What?! I wanted this to be a surprise! Manga, you asshole!" I grab Manga by his tie and try to strangle this douchebag by his collar! He shoves his hand against my face, forcing my glasses to painfully be squished against my eyes! Ugh! Even though he's freaking weak, I'm just as weak as him! I struggle to hold on, but our fight had to end from Kendo dragging me back. "Let go of me! I need to kill Manga!"

"Some other day, Shojo. You need to get to 1-H," Kendo tells me, and I absolutely don't approve! I might be going to school, but I'm not ready to meet my class! People in the Support Department are nuts! I can't meet them! Not alone, at least! Oh God, Kendo's dragging me inside! I reach my hand out to the boys! They aren't helping me! Not even Sanji!

"Manga! I'm being woman-handled! Why aren't you stopping this?!" I shout at him as I enter U.A. for the first time. I sure hope it looks nice because all I can see is the floor! Kendo decides to be completely tired of me and throws me over her shoulder. "Ack?! Kendo! Stop using your tomboyish strength on me! It's no fair!"

"Kendo, keep doing what you're doing. The sound of Shojo being tortured is a good sound to hear," Manga submits me to utter death! I can hear betrayal in my ears! It's the sound of my heart shattering into a million pieces! No! I can't die here! Refusing my death, I punch Kendo's back in hammer fist, but I'm not doing anything! Damnit, her back is a rock!

"Damn you brother of mine!" I raise my fist at him, but he's just far away where I can't just knock him out! Besides, Kendo has an iron grip around me! This woman is too much! Not only she can ride a beautiful motorcycle, she's strong as hell! How does Sanji live with her?! I-!

"Hey, there's Hatsume! Go introduce yourself, Shojo," Kendo tells me and puts me back down. Oh God, I watched Hatsume during the Sports Festival! She's the one who humiliated Iida in front of the entire nation! Hatsume's reading a magazine about Hero Costumes. God, how do I introduce myself?!

"Kendo, I need your-?! Kendo?!" She's hiding behind a corner with everyone else! She's even holding Kagesuke! Kuroiro, you bastard! Awase nods, Tsuburaba smiles, Kuroiro doesn't look like he has faith in me, Manga clearly doesn't have any faith in me, and Sanji is giving me a thumbs up.

"You can do this, Shojo!" he assures me. Well, he _tries_ to assure me. No offense to Hastume, but her eyes are a bit freaky! I know her Quirk makes her eyes have crosshairs in them, but they still look out of the ordinary! Ugh, I gotta get over this hurdle! It's one measly step at a time… Only one step. If I could stab Tatchikutsu in the back, then I can surely handle a woman! Right, just gotta walk up while my heart's pounding!

Alright… Right foot, left foot, _click clack_, _ba-dump ba-dump_. Gotta do that again, matching my footsteps with the rhythm of my beating heart. Soon enough, I'm standing in front of Hatsume with my hands resting at my waist. I try to greet her, "Uhm… Hi... I'm your c-classmate…"

"Eh?" Hatsume looks up from her magazine. Oh, there's her freaky eyes staring at me! She can definitely zoom in and see the dread in them! "I already know my classmates... Oh! You must be Fukidashi! Heard that you were a shut-in! Didn't that Catharsis got to ya? Glad to see you're A-OK though!"

"Y-Yeah! I am live! I mean, I'm alive not 'live'... Uh… Hand!" I stick my hand out. Hatsume shakes it without a care on her face. Jeez, when I'm looking at her now, her dreadlocks could knock me out! They look like a baseball bat!

"Say, your brother's Manga Fukidashi, right? He's the guy with the weird head. Seems like a pretty neat guy with a neater Quirk."

"Yeah- Wait, he's not neat! He's the exact opposite of 'neat'! He's un-neat. I-I mean, he might be a Hero, but his Name sucks… C-Can't believe I helped design his costume. It wasn't my best work-"

"Did you say '_costume'_?!" Oh my God, Hatsume nearly shoves her face into mine! Why is she so close?! "What's his costume like?!" I back away, but she moves closer. "Did you create any inventions for him?! He could need a voice amplifying gadget for his Quirk! It'll be stronger and his voice will last longer!"

I stammer, "Uhm! Uh! I guess?!"

_RIIIING!_

Hatsume exclaims, "Shoot, we gotta get to class! C'mon Fukidsahi, you're gonna tell me all about your brother's costume!"

"W-Wait! Don't yank me so-! AHHHHHHH!"

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Kuhahahaha! With Catharsis's defeat, we're one step closer to evening the score against 1-A! Inochi, thank you for arresting that man! It must've been a trying time for you and the others. How _did_ you defeat Catharsis anyhow?" Monoma asks me. I should've known he ask this. I thought it was something innocuous like Kagesuke but nope! It had to be about Tatchikutsu…

I stare at my scar before closing my fist. "Can't say how exactly, but it wasn't me who defeated Tatchikutsu. It was Manga. He pulled through and saved all of our lives, especially mine." I look at Setsuna and Kamakiri. Setsuna has Itsuka and Yui off in the corner of the room. She peeks a few glances at me. Meanwhile, Kamakiri seems a lot more sociable ever since the attack. In fact, he approached Pony, not the other way around. Catharsis did something to him. Something positive. Lastly is Manga—the best of us. He's laughing along with Rin and Honenuki.

"I'm glad. It's such a shame that the media is paying attention to Stain's video more than the culprit who murdered all those people. Especially…Hifumi. Even though everyone knows that Tokage wasn't the reason she committed suicide, she's still hated. At least it wasn't as intense as before," Monoma replies, looking at Setsuna as well. Yeah… A lot of people still vilify Setsuna, but it's not as bad before Catharsis became known. Comments turned into dirty looks. It seems sad that I'm happy about this, but it's a major step up. She told me that her dad is satisfied with what happened, but I couldn't help but feel that she was hiding something. At least she's smiling. She seems really excited about whatever she's talking about with Itsuka and Yui.

"Yeah… I know you think differently, but I don't care about attention. Why do you care so much anyway? You've been after 1-A ever since Golden Week. In fact, you insult them every time you see them. What did you say to Kirishima earlier? Oh right… 'You picked up less trash than Tetsutetsu, which is ironic considering how similar 1-A is to litter.'"

"Mhm, and Kendo had to stop me, yes. Inochi, I'm not as a heroic man as you are. You are the gleaming image of a perfect Hero, akin to All Might. I carry the sin of vanity as Shiozaki would put it. Yet, we're very much the same kind of person, aren't we? Without you or the others, I'm effectively Quirkless. How can I Copy others when I don't have friends to call my own? How can you copy physical tasks when none would present themselves? We are very much similar in many ways, but why do we have such different ideals when it comes to heroism?

"Sanji Inochi, the selfless man who fights to ensure the public's safety while Neito Monoma struggles tooth and nail to shine in the limelight. Inochi, I see in your eyes that you fought against discrimination. So have I. Countless times, many have told me that I can't become a Hero without the help of others. I can't go out onto the streets of Musutafu and defeat a Villain like how All Might does it. It's impossible, but my hopes never faltered. I never resented what I've been given. So, in order to be the Hero I wished to be, it was necessary to resort to unseemly tactics. It's a double standard, however. The Hero Course glares at me for such tactics while yours practically went ignored. Do you remember Golden Week? Against 1-D? You punched Kazeha—a nymphomaniac _woman_—in the face. Not only that, you took a man as a human shield against the android that is Yibiju. Wasn't honorable in society's views, correct? Yet, you were praised though. Why? You're Quirkless. Those tactics were necessary, but I have a Quirk, and thus, it wasn't necessary. I'm not complaining though. There's other factors at play here. We're similar at the basic level, but astronomically different at a higher level.

"But I haven't answered your question. Why do I care so much about attention despite the media digging our graves? We need it to be great Heroes. Take our internship offers. Without attention, we wouldn't have earned them. Take All Might. His fame led to the birth of millions of children's dreams, including yours, correct? We can't be hated Heroes, Inochi. Why would we save the public when the public detests us? Throw us away like trash? We need them as much as they need us. That is the nature of Pro Heroes! We aren't heroes like in those comic books in America or mangas that Manga reads. It's true that we save people, but we are actors in a stage that's called 'Japan'. That is what we are, Inochi. We're entertainers and celebrities. Some value it more than heroes themselves, while others value heroes more than entertainers. We know where you stand, and I know where I stand.

"Then, there's 1-A. Fate picked them, didn't she? You can say that I'm jealous of 1-A. Fame and glory was given to them. They never earned it. It fell right into their lap. Once they got a taste, they became gluttons. In Golden Week—instead of evacuating Gym Gamma—they fought Suzuki instead of trained _Heroes_. In U.S.J., the Villains fell into their hands. During the Sports Festival, they displayed just how destructive they are. And with Stain, I have no doubt that Iida had revenge in his heart. Yet, they turn around and say that they're Heroes just like All Might. Sure, they were forced into some examples, but they didn't follow the rules of society. Yet, we do. We follow society's rules to a T, but we're the outcasts! We're the ones who're being shamed. Do you think it's fair that 1-A is adored by the world for their selfishness, and yet when we do selfless acts, we get ridiculed?

"Inochi, you're ridiculed for being Quirkless yet you the strongest man I know! You fought a Villain within society's rules, but no one cares for it! They care about the incident where a Villain was defeated outside it. Do I need to go on about Kamakiri, Tokage, or the others? Honenuki told me that even Mayor Yamamoto himself is against you! We are the side characters swept aside for the main cast! We're the underdogs in this story, Inochi. Will we ever reach to the top? Afraid not. The main characters have the stage—Midoriya and Bakugo. But, we have to be determined to make our own story. I have no doubt that you're the center. I'm sure Manga and Shojo would agree that you're the heroic protagonist in collective journey of 1-B's tales. After all, with a man with mystery is bound to have the most interesting story."

My God... That was a long speech. At some point, I kinda spaced out but I pinched myself back to the sound of Monoma's voice. Joking aside, I understand. He said many things, pointing out the flaws in our world. We were talking about the duality of selfish desires versus selfless ones. I can't go on a rant like he did, but I can surely go on a mini-rant.

I sigh, looking out the window. "Monoma, I understand plenty. But, what if we were 1-A? I know Midoriya enough to know that he has a strong desire to be a Hero. He's selfless because despite societal rules, he fights to save others. He fought to defeat Suzuki. He fought to defeat Stain. There's something admirable about someone who does the right things at the expense of their own, even if he's wrong in the eyes of the law. That's a popular trope, isn't it? I admit though, you're right. 1-A _did_ have everything handed to them, and they made the best of it. Back to what I said earlier, we would do the exact same thing as them. You know it; I know it. Deep down, all of us are very selfish people. We want to be a Hero for our own validations, giving ourselves excuses otherwise. We want to be Heroes so we can say, 'I'm a good person.' Yet, good people who say that aren't good people. That's why I yearn to be as selfless as possible. I'm willing to throw away my heart, my body, and soul to achieve it."

Monoma stares at me. He stares at me for a few seconds, but I can tell his thoughts are running for an eternity. I watch as his eyes flip back to life. He puts a hand on my shoulder and laughs. "You really are a perfect image of a Hero. Now-"

"Hahaha!" Kaibara erupts in laughter across the room. He smacks his leg, leaning against Shishida slightly. He's talking to Shoda and Yanagi about something funny. I rarely get to see him like this. Monoma is… Oh, he became captive to it. That smile on his face… It's awfully obvious where his thoughts are at.

So I say his thoughts out loud, "You want Kaibara to ravage you."

"What?! No! Why in the world would you think that?! Let alone saying it?!" Monoma raises his voice at me. His face is completely red. Did I just do the impossible? Did I just fluster _the_ Neito Monoma? Good. All he's thinking about is becoming a new man.

"Monoma, I seen the way you looked at him. Those eyes don't belong to a friend, but as a man who wants another man. Something more than mere friends, but closer than that. More intimate. Hearts sharing one another's you can say. I'd imagine that's how you'd put it," I explain my reasoning. Monoma goes silent and shys his head away from me.

"D-Damn you, Inochi… When did you suddenly become so cruel? I could say many things about you and your love life, but you somehow made my mind go blank," he damns me. Great! My words are more effective than I thought.

"You're welcome. Now, back on this Kaibara thing. You can tell me about it. I'm not gonna judge, and I'm sure as heck not Setsuna. We both know she would blab about it to the entire class."

"Ugh, that's true. I'm on the cusp of revealing the fact that she's a lesbian. Anyway, would you really trouble yourself over my worries? It's not life-threatening like Catharsis." Monoma asks me. For shame, he should know me better than that.

I accept his worries, "Yup. Your troubles are mine, even if it's boy troubles. Heh, it makes me wonder how I seem in your eyes—since we're both men and all."

Monoma shrugs, leaning back against the window. "You're a handsome man. With how you act, you become that more desirable. Honestly though, if you were a woman, all of the men would swoon over you. You just have a...feminine charm about you, but it doesn't sacrifice any masculinity."

"Thanks for telling me. Now! On my honor, I'll figure out if Kaibara fancies you. Count on Armory!" I announce, but he put a hand over my mouth.

He pleads, "Don't announce it _that_ loud! Are you insane? I don't need Kendo 'helping' me! She'll mess things up!"

"Bwwrey," I apologize with a muffled voice.

"Tch…" He takes his mouth off right as Kuroiro and Komori are chasing Kagesuke around the room. Wow, Kuroiro is really going after him. He's trying to use his Quirk and everything… Komori's literally jumping over desks—and people—to try and catch Kagesuke...

"Throw my backpack at him, Komori! It's black! I'll go inside and grab Kagesuke!"

"I might hurt him! Go inside Kagesuke yourself! He's black too!"

"I'll hurt Kagesuke! What about growing mushrooms to stop him?!"

"Here?! It'll be too small and weak or too big and strong! I can't control the size just yet!"

"Curses! Kendo! Lend us your aid!"

"You have it under control, Kuroiro."

"Curse you!"

"Kendo, whyyyy?! Kagesuke's way too fast!"  
"The fiend's heading towards the door! He'll escape!"

_BAM!_

"Kuroiro. Komori," Mister Kan says, standing in the doorway. Kagesuke bumped his head into Mister Kan's sole. Without a single word, he picks Kagesuke up and cradles him. "So I heard from All Might that you brought a puppy to school." Kuroiro and Komori bow in unison. The rest of us slowly take our seats while these two explain everything.

Komori says, "I couldn't help but to pet him! He's too cute! One moment, he was in my arms and in the next, he jumped out!"

"He's a feisty mutt. He hid himself in my sacred bag and stowed himself to school. Please forgive me, Mister Kan," Kuroiro begs for forgiveness in a soft tone. Mister Kan huffs and…? He brings a large bag out? Where was he hiding _that_? Kuroiro asks, "Eh, what's this?"

"Dog treats and toys. Take care of our new class mascot."

Komori speaks up, "Is that why you were late? So you can buy this for Kagesuke?"

"Yes, what kind of a teacher do you think I am?"

…

* * *

After the last class of the day—Heroism—everyone slowly pack up and leave. We make plans to meet up at the carnival in Musutafu City Park. It'll be a nice break after our internships. But...

"Young Inochi, can you stay back?" All Might asks me right before I leave the room with Itsuka. He has a soft smile on his face. It's not the gleaming one that he normally uses.

Itsuka tells me after patting my arm, "I'll meet you outside." She quickly hurries herself out of class. Must be worried about her motorcycle, but U.A. has competent security. No sane person would ever think about trashing her bike unless they have a deathwish. Anyway, I walk up to All Might who's standing at his desk. I know what he wants to ask me.

I tell him, "Midoriya's training is going fine. Full Cowling is a pretty good Super Move. Master Kendo can finally start training him. I-"

"I'm not here to talk about Young Midoriya. I'm here to talk about you. The past week has been quite a time, especially with Catharsis," All Might corrects with a gentle voice. Has it only been a week? Guess it has. The student council meeting, Catharsis's killing spree, and fighting him. It all happened in a week. "In all of my years, Young Inochi… I never seen a class so vilified by the public, but I also never seen a class so close in camaraderie and friendship. You're leading them well."

"It's not me, All Might. It's Itsuka. She's the one who keeps everyone in line, including me—especially me. I wouldn't keep order like she does. You know how strong she is too. She's Hayami's daughter, Master Kendo's granddaughter! She's been leading us ever since she stepped foot in 1-B. I can't count how many times she led me towards the right path," I tell him with a hand clenched against my chest. It's the same hand that Catharsis scarred. All Might sees it.

"Directly, yes. She's a terrific leader, but don't count yourself out. Young Inochi, your resolve is extraordinary. Despite being Quirkless, despite the media, despite Young Osuhashi, and despite Catharsis, you're still standing tall with a smile as if you're saying, 'I'm A-OK!' I see it in your classmates' eyes. Your strength is inspiring them. There's a reason why they call you '1-B's big brother'. They all look up to you as one. They go to you for support."

"All Might… I'm not-"

"That's something that you have and I don't. I'm the Symbol of Peace for Japan—a role model for children to look up to, but those connections are distant. They see me as a mantle—a representation of heroism. There's no interpersonal connection there—no relationship between one heart to another. Yet, you have that. Young Inochi, your kindness and goodwill reminds others of someone positive in their life."

Someone positive in their lives?

I remember. I remember that Itsuka told me that I reminded her of Kaito. Master Kendo and Hayami often compared me to Tatemi. During _Operation Jack Mantis_, Tohru, Shiozaki's father, talked to me about Hanako, his late wife. It seemed like he saw something in me that reminded Tohru of her. And All Might himself...

"All Might, I reminded you of someone in your life, didn't I? You told me once. It was… It was your mentor. I don't know how I could be like her, since she helped create the best Pro Hero the world has seen."

"Heh, don't sell yourself so short. You're right however. My mentor was a kind woman and… and she was like a mother to me..." All Might stops himself. He faces the chalkboard and puts his hand against it. "I'm sorry for getting sentimental all of the sudden. Please, keep being an inspiration to everyone you meet. I hope to see you as a rising Pro Hero."

"I will, All Might. Thank you for telling me this," I say, bowing. I never thought he would pull me back to say that, but I'm glad. If All Might says those things about me, then I'm doing something good. I take my exit as All Might packs his belongings up. I follow my usual route outside where Itsuka's waiting for me. She's leaning against her beloved motorcycle with her arms crossed. Once she spots me, she tosses my helmet at me. I catch it like a breeze.

"What did All Might talk to you about?" she asks.

"Nothing much. He wanted to thank me for what I've been doing lately. Well, what we've been doing. You can guess how the conversation went," I say with a little chuckle rising in my voice. She laughs too and punches my shoulder.

"I can already imagine. Did he say anything about Grandpa though? You know that there's a big mystery in our house. It's gnawing at me, Sanji."

"I know, but Master Kendo will tell us on his own time. Don't try acting like Grandmaster. But if you want to sate your craving, ask someone, I'm not gonna uncover my family's secrets unlike you." I wince immediately after I said that.

"I'm taking some offense to that, and no I can't. Mom will get mad at me if I do. She warned me that something bad happened, but she doesn't wanna find out! What if this 'something bad' affects us too?"

I sigh, putting a hand on my hip. "Sorry, but I doubt it. It was thirty years ago, right? Maybe more? I don't think their past will affect us. And if it did, we'd be hit by it already."

"Wha-? You know what, I'm gonna convince you some other time. We gotta go home so we can meet with everyone else at the carnival," she ends our conversation with a pout, putting her helmet on. I do the same. Gosh, I can feel her irritation coming off of her like flies. Anyway, we get on her bike. Casually, I wrap my arms around her waist, which causes her to tense up again.

"Hmph, let's get going," she says.

"Yup yup."

* * *

Tigers wear the faces of children, the ringing of bells and the honking of horns become the music to combat, the eyes of plushies staring down at us like lost souls flowing on the underworld's river, the sound of maniacal laughter is commonplace. This… This is the sound of battle! It's bloody war! No matter what, I will not lose to this evil creature!

"I will fire into your abysmal mouth until you feel the pain of your lungs being drowned to the utter brim! I will subject your body to the worst death possible! But no! I won't let you die just yet! I guarantee that you will feel true agony before I allow you to die! You hear me?! You will know true suffering by my hands! Hahahaha!"

_SPEW!_

"Dude, chill." Huh?! Awase?! He's a thing!

_POP!_

"The... The crazy kid wins. Please, just take your bear and leave," the carnival attendant says, tossing me a small panda. Awase lets go of his gun and puts a hand on my shoulder. I just… I'm just hugging my cute panda.

"You really hate clowns," Honenuki comments. Okay, when did everyone else get here? The last minute was blurry. Honenuki, Awase, Pony, and Yanagi are with me. And, they have a look as if they're staring at a serial killer. I'm not a serial killer! I'm just…a serial clown killer. There's a difference.

Yanagi takes Pony's hand and says, "This was a pleasant game. I'll be off. Come, Pony." Oh my God, Pony looks terrified. Her mouth is wide open as she just...just stumbles away. Awase shakes his head like he's saying, _You have problems _before leaving me with Honenuki_._ We leave so the next batch of carnival-goers can play.

"You can scratch murder off your bucket list, Inochi. At least you got a panda-ized version of you as a prize," Honenuki jokes. Guess I'm really am a panda, huh? Color-wise anyway. I'm not chubby nor gluttonous as a panda.

I laugh, hugging it, "Yup. It's not the most legal thing in the world. Speaking of legality, I heard that you spent most of your time in Musutafu City Hall, right? Fun fact: I almost died there. Hifumi's… Hifumi's father happened."

"Yeah…" Honenuki groans, putting a hand to his head. "Mayor Yamamoto is a jerk. His monkey suit is cutting oxygen from his brain. Wait no, he only wants to breathe the air of Heroes and Hero Course students. If he catches a whiff of that dirty Quirkless air, he'll spit it out like gum. I finally know why so many Hero Agencies surround City Hall. It's all about appearances and money."

"Dang, seems like you learned a lot. Yuki-onna was a good teacher, huh?" I ask. Honenuki didn't do much fighting from the sounds of it, but he did do lots of studying it seems. In the Heroism Laws test, he was the only person who got a perfect score. Even Setsuna got a question wrong.

His cheeks flush slightly. "You bet… She was a gorgeous woman, Inochi. Really though, I know the inner workings of our local government. Did you know that the city has a say in the vetting process in U.A.? Along with investors, they have first say of who gets considered to enter the Hero Course. Not only that, but the city gets to know every little thing about us. U.A. can't keep anything a secret or else Mayor Yamamoto will revoke its funding."

I reply, looking around the carnival as I'm doing so, "I knew the first part, but not the second one. Mayor Yamamoto really gets to know every secret we have? That sounds a bit...shady, no? Sure, our lives are bound to be exposed to the public, but _every_ little detail?"

"Every detail," Honenuki repeats. "Every stinking detail. Normally, it's illegal since it's a major invasion of privacy. But, the law only applies to the average civilian. It doesn't apply to Heroes-in-Training or Pro Heroes. If a Pro wants to set up shop in Musutafu, they have to sign a paper that's exactly that in order to get some starting cash. Here's the thing—that contact is like one hundred pages long with legal jargon. No one has the time or energy to go through it, so they'll sign the papers without even reading it. You think invasion of privacy is bad? How about being enslaved to Mayor Yamamoto for the next five years? It was a brisk read though."

Wait, what?

"Honenuki, you _read_ the contact? You said it was one hundred pages long! With legal jargon!" How does he do that? I can't even understand any words that are beyond "prosecutor" and "plaintiff".

Honenuki laughs, clacking his teeth. "Kekeke! Naturally! I have a glossary of law inside my thick skull. Honestly, it wasn't the most complicated thing to read. To the average guy though? It's like figuring out rocket science. That's the worst part of it." He stops.

He stops in the middle of the road, staring up at the sky. I check in, "You okay? It's not like you to admire the sky like me."

"Heh, not really." He stops staring to look at me. "Mayor Yamamoto hates you. I eavesdropped on his private conversations. He abhors the fact that got you into 1-B. All because you're Quirkless. Even better, he loves the fact that the media is eating us whole. 'It's the freedom of the press,' he says. The ideal might be correct in a way, but it's sure as hell isn't right. Sure, we can criticize Endeavour for his abrasiveness, but do we want to criticize high school students who's just about to go out in the world? We might as well criticize a five-year old boy for drawing on the walls with a crayon. Or a newborn baby for crying."

"...Uhm, don't you think he has a bit of a point though? We're going to be the next generation of Heroes. Even though I don't like the criticism—if you can even call it that—we put this burden on our own shoulders. We have to act like adults even if the world treats us like children. It's the freedom of the press, which means they're free to publish nearly anything."

"_Nearly_ everything. I like to make jokes Inochi—I really do—but I don't hear a joke coming from you. I know you don't know much about laws. I don't blame you for it, but these reporters and newscasters are a centimeter from calling for our heads on social media. Some already are. Nothing is being done about it. It's technically illegal, but it's not being enforced. Japan might have the lowest crime rate in the entire world, yet it's the country that's obsessed with Pro Heroes. Mayor Yamamoto is one of these people, and the Prime Minister too," he says with conviction in his voice. When did he have this side of him? I always knew him as a funny guy, but this is a completely different version. I'm definitely out of my realm here...

"Honenuki," I answer him, my voice firm. "With those words, you have a world pictured in your head. What is it?"

Honenuki chuckles, pushing up his imaginary glasses. "Laws are the foundations of society. They enforce the morals that we have. Right now, they're enforcing the fact that they can say almost anything to the next generation of Heroes. Death threats, constant insults, the whole kilometer. To change that, we have to change the law. It'll take years, but we can do it. We won't be alive to see the fruits of our labor, but our children's children's children will see it. I just want a world where we can grow in peace, Inochi. We might be celebrities, but let's keep it to a reasonable amount."

"Alright, I don't know nearly as much as you do, but I trust you. One of these days, you have to tutor me in practical law," I say with a smile. He smiles back, cackling again.

He responds with his teeth still clacking against each other, "You betcha. I'm gonna keep interning with Yuki-onna too. Someone has to keep an eye out on the current going-ons in Musutafu. If not me, then who? No one else—that's the answer. I know 1-A is clueless. All they're focused about is U.A., not the world."

"Heh, don't act like Monoma. Anyway, I'm gonna go off and find some of the others. Catch you later, Honenuki," I bid him farewell, walking away into the crowd.

I think I heard him mutter to himself. He said, "I might be lost in a crowd of strangers, but I'm not lost anymore. Is that what you wanted, Yuki-onna?"

I'm alone. There's only me, myself, and I. To be exact—me, myself, I, and my panda. I'm wandering now after leaving Honenuki behind. Uhm, I take a gander and a wander around the carnival. It's a jolly place filled with families, couples, and friends. There's all kinds of games everywhere. Pop the balloon, crane games, basketball, American football, actual football, test your strength, face-painting, they even set up a rollercoaster! All of my friends are out and about. Just for today, I can feel that no one is judging us for being 1-B despite what Honenuki said. We are having fun just as they are. Now, let's see what else I can do? I have money and tickets to do whatever the heck I want. Oh, there's a stall where you can fire a bb gun into moving targets.

I approach the stall, and what do you know, Mantora's there. He's firing the gun quite expertly like a trained soldier. He managed to activate the bonus round which consists of a ton of moving targets, large and small. Deadeye Mantora knocks them down all the same. The attendant smiles and gives him the largest prize there: A plushie of Wash. The lid can be zipped open to reveal an empty space. That's how large this thing is. Mantora laughs and bats his hair, cradling his gun. I approach him. "Hey, nice shooting there Mantora. Here for fun like the rest of us?"

"Mhm. Oh, I'm taking Kazeha out," he...answers? I don't like the way he's holding that gun now.

I ask again, "With that rifle or on a date?"

"Yes." Even though his bangs are covering his eyes, I can tell he has a dead serious expression on his face. I should leave him be.

"Have fun," I tell him as I make my speedy exit. Okay, I'm making a mental note to myself that I should warn Kazeha. Now, what next? Aha! Shiozaki and Bondo are playing the "Gone Fishing" game. It's where you have to catch a robotic fish using magnets. Larger the fish equals better the prize. I walk up to the stand and give the attendant a game ticket. In exchange, he gives me a toy fishing pole. Alright! Let's catch some fish! I swing my pole back and cast it in the small pool of water. I see a pretty big angler fish in the middle, so I'm aiming for that. Shiozaki and Bondo are peacefully fishing. I start up a conversation, "Finally something peaceful. No more Catharsis, no more Stain."

"Y-Yeah… You have that scar on your hand b-because of him, right?" Bondo asks, looking at it with one of his eye-holes. Shiozaki peeks at it too, having some of her focus on the game.

"And a few other scars. Shiozaki, what do you think about it? Since all those people...they were forced to commit suicide." Again, in Catholicism, suicide is one of the worst things a person can do. Sends their soul straight to Hell I believe.

"They have peace now, thanks to you and the others. I pray that their souls are resting kindly with the Lord. Oh, may I ask about Setsuna? I was with her earlier, but she had to leave suddenly." Eh? She had to leave early? I didn't get to see her yet. It must be from her dad. I remember that he puts her on a strict schedule of some kind. Right, she told me to not say anything about it…

I answer, "Heiress troubles, probably. Compared to us, she has a larger burden on her shoulders. In fact, I'm pretty sure the I-Expo is coming up right after the semester ends, so if I take a guess… It's preparation for it."

"I-Expo? Oh! That's the! Uhm...th-the event with David Shield… Is 1-B going to it? It sounds fun," Bondo exclaims after he pulls out a medium-sized fish. The attendant gives him a stuffed doll of All Might in his costume. Looking heroic as always, All Might. Meanwhile, I'm still trying to get this angler fish. The pool's deeper than I thought it would be.

"Heh, why wouldn't we? Our class can get invitations to the reception party and other things. It'll be a nice vacation from the Finals," I say, easing my line to the middle. Almost there, but not quite enough. Itsuka told me that Setsuna knows the Shields personally. In fact, they were supposed to come to the gala all those weeks ago, but they got caught up in something. Jeez, I swear if I-Expo gets attacked by a Villain…

"Y-Yeah… Anyway, I'll c-catch you guys later," Bondo stammers. He walks away and almost crashes into a man. Aw, Bondo… I was like him when I came to Musutafu. I'm glad that I got rid of my stuttering.

After he leaves, it's just Shiozaki and I. A peaceful sigh comes from her as we simply fish. Just us and a pool. I relax my body, just focusing on the moment. Shiozaki giggles and says, "Inochi, I wonder… What do you think about Stain? You saw his video, correct? It's the only thing the reporters are focusing on."

"Wasn't the best entertainment," I reply without taking my eyes off of my rod. "Personally, Stain is still a serial killer through and through. I like the concept of heroism; I fight for it everyday, but Stain romanticized it. When he didn't like how today's Heroes represent it, he lashed out like an angry suitor."

"That's true, but don't you agree with some parts of his views?" Shiozaki asks, not taking her eyes off either. I… Yeah, I do. Catharsis, despite being a disgusting human being, made some convincing points as well. I understand them. I understand where they're coming from, but that doesn't excuse what they did. They murdered and killed for them. Yet, I almost killed him for my own ideals. What does that make me?

"I guess… I guess I do. Some Heroes out there are corrupt; our society has flaws, all of it is true. It's true. 1-B isn't liked because of one hundred things. Out of the entirety of U.A., we can't deny that society has cracks, else we're lying to ourselves. But, should we destroy everything that's good to fix the bad?" I say, looking around. I see a few who're wearing Stain's mask. It's a tattered red cloth that goes over the eyes. That's right… The only thing Stain saw was the tattered red. He never saw the other colors that Japan has.

Shiozaki tells me, "Of course not. God gave us this world, Inochi. I for one am fighting so our world will be fair and honest. There's too many injustices in the world, too many sins planted in people's hearts. If left unchecked, they'll grow into seeds for a world that only the devil plays in. It's how Stain came to be."

"Yeah. That's why you criticize others so much, right Shiozaki? You want them to plant seeds to grow a healthy world," I ask, finally looking at her. There's a small tender smile on her lips. Still, she doesn't glance at me.

"We're the next generation, Inochi. If not us, then it'll certainly won't be our children, or theirs. Our friends are wonderful people, but their temptations could get out of control. Like Monoma, who wants pride more than anything else. Or the wrathful Kamakiri. I'm a hypocrite myself for pointing their flaws out, considering I'm one of the most flawed here."

"Don't say that. You mean well. Criticizing your friends is a way to make them better people. It's better than how the media does it, which is barely criticism. You're a sweet woman, and I'm sure Setsuna would say it a hundred times."

"Heh, don't make me rant about her. I almost did with Kizuki during my internship. She might be a jovial woman, but she's one of the most humble ones I know with how she was born," she comments. There's a little smile on her face. Man, why did Setsuna leave so early? She needs to she this. "Now Inochi, I never seen a man who's tempted by something else. Not money, fame, or any of that. Frankly, I'm a bit concerned. We've seen how a man could change from an innocent soul to a darkened one for the sake of heroism."

"What do you mean? I'm not gonna change into Stain if that's what you're saying. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding, but people compare me with him too much for my taste," I apologize before she looks offended. Luckily, she doesn't.

"I'm not, but don't underestimate how much a man could change. One moment, he could be the greatest man in the world. In the next-"

_Clink!_

I pull up my fishing rod, revealing the monstrous angler fish dangling from my magnet. Its robotic tail flickers back and forth as its fanged mouth looks like it can slice a man's finger right off. Shiozaki finishes her sentence, "He could be something unrecognizable. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and the things you throw away will be strewn along the sides. Don't become that man."

She's staring at me. Her eyes begging me like she's saying, _Please, I'm afraid that you'll change too much for your desires._

"I won't walk that road, Shiozaki-" I stop myself. Carefully, I stand up and say, "_Ibara_, I won't. Together, with our friends, we'll shape society into something that we can be proud of." I put the rod down, and the attendant lets me pick my prize. It's a giant stuffed dolphin or a giant stuffed chocolate donut. Looks like I'm going with a donut. Immediately, I stuff myself in the donut hole because that's this thing's only purpose. I gotta lighten the mood somehow. It worked, because Ibara's laughing. Her laugh is so sweet. I remember though… I'm pretty close to a sinless man, but what changed in her thoughts about me? She's not the "holier than thou" kind of woman anymore. She matured. We both did.

She adds on, "With our God-given hands, Sanji. Thank you for this talk. You're a wise man."

"You're a wise woman," I counter, trying my best to balance my panda bear on my donut. That's a thought I never expected to have. I nod as my goodbye, leaving Shiozaki to fish by herself. I walk for awhile with my donut around my waist. I see a few of my friends. Shoda is throwing American footballs into holes, Shishida is playing whack-a-mole, and Kuroiro is chasing Kagesuke around with Komori. Oh! Itsuka's playing the "Test Your Might!" machine against Gera. A punching bag hangs from it and it counts up from zero to nine hundred ninety-nine. They're fighting to see who's the stronger woman. Yui's watching them with a pile of stuffed animals in her arms. Let's see who's winning!

Like a stealthy ninja, I inch forward to approach them from behind. The beans in my donut are loud, but it's not louder than the carnival itself. Gera has a high score of nine hundred flat while Itsuka's preparing one of her knockout punches. She hasn't noticed me yet! Neither has Gera and Yui! Alright, it's time to do this! I become a roaring dragon, yelling, "Don't mess up-!"

_THUD!_

"Sanji?!"

"God, you almost took my head off! Remind me to not scare you…" I say, sitting flat on the ground. I expected that she would instinctively punch me, but I didn't realize just how fast she can punch. I barely had time to dodge. Gera nearly spits all over the place while Yui casually takes my panda from me. Her eyes say, _You don't deserve this. _Itsuka sighs and helps me up, taking my donut off of me.

"You donut!" Itsuka insults me as she whacks my head with my own donut. "You know that there's clowns here!" She whacks me again. "Why did you get the bright idea to scare me?!" And again. "You know that there's clowns here! I'm on edge!" Maybe this is the last time? "You got that?!" Nope. This must be the last time.

"I'm not getting that donut back, aren't I?"

_WHACK!_

"You're ridiculous…" Itsuka complains after I stop seeing stars in my eyes. Mental note: Stuffed donuts make for a good blunt weapon. She tosses my donut over Yui's head who accepts it without a word. Not only she has an army of plushies, she also has a donut around her like a hula-hoop. Meanwhile, Gera leans against the machine with a smug look on her face. Or, she's having a stroke. My vision isn't the best right now. "Now, I need to beat Gera, alright? Go scare someone else."

"Ouch. Rejection hurts, Inochi," Gera needlessly comments as I trudge away… I go deeper into the carnival after I give Yui a good head pat. She deserves it. Anyway, I'm a bit closer to the rollercoaster. It's much bigger than it seems actually. It's as high as a three-story building, maybe four. Not to mention that there's a steep hill. Perfect for thrillseekers, I'd say. Manga and a few of the guys are there. From how they're standing, the crew's trying to convince Manga to go on the coaster. Knew he was afraid. He could defeat a Villain, but he can't defeat a rollercoaster.

I approach them with a carefree smile, not trying to scare Manga this time. "Yo, trying to convince Manga to go up there?" Manga's head nearly jumps out of his neck, extending a meter or two up in the air. He screams just as the current rollercoaster-goers scream as well. Wonder where Shojo is? Probably with the girls.

"Yup. It's not working out so well," Awase says, putting a hand on Manga's head. Slowly, he presses down and shrinks it.

Tetsutetsu exclaims, "Maybe you could convince him, Inochi! Something like this is nothing compared to an actual Villain!"

"Uhm, I'll just go on the ride with Kaibara while you guys figure this out," Rin says, but Tetsutetsu isn't letting him and Kaibara leave. Tsuburaba puts a hand on his chin. Oh God, he's having one of his ideas. The entire carnival will blow up, won't it?

"Manga!" Tsuburaba grabs him by his shoulders, forcing him to look up at the ride. Manga struggles like a mental patient to escape. No use. His Quirk may be strong, but his body isn't. "It's not that tall! We dealt with way worse!"

"Not tall?! That thing isn't tall?! That thing's taller than Mount Lady! What the hell do you mean, Tsuburaba?! I almost died once! I'm not gonna die again!" Manga shouts as the next batch gets on.

"Don't you go comparing her to this! This rollercoaster does _not_ have...ahem, _ass_ets like Mount Lady. Manga, you gotta conquer your fear and go on this ride of a lifetime! It's what men do! We are men, right?!" Tsuburaba yells, looking at the rest of us for our approval. Is he asking us if we're men?

"Hell yeah! We're men!" Tetsutetsu pumps his fist in the air.

"Sure, I guess. We're men." Kaibara crosses his arms. He keeps glancing at the line.

"I just wanna go on the rollercoaster…" Rin shuts his eyes and bows his head down.

"As men, we gotta ride this bastard's brains out." Awase slams his fists together. Guess it's my turn.

"Uhm, yeah! I really hope we're men! Otherwise, I need to ask my mom a lot of questions!" I try my best to sound like a real man! It's just my normal voice, but I hope to God that it's manly!

Awase reminds me, "Inochi, you're a foster kid."

"Exactly. So please, don't make me ask my mom," I plead. Manga watches the current riders climb to the top of the hill. He's visibly shaking and tears are leaking out of his head. When the first car just, _just _tip slightly downwards towards the slope... Manga faints. I announce, "Manga's out."

* * *

"Huh…?" Manga looks around and sees us. "Why are we laying on the ground?"

"You fainted from looking at the rollercoaster, so we took you underneath this tree," I answer, having my hands resting at the back of my head.

"Mhm. Everyone thinks we're just five bros chilling," Tetsutetsu adds, sighing in peaceful broness. That's a word that I just made up, but it's the only word that can describe this. Too bad Kaibara and Rin left us.

"Yup. Five guys relaxing in the shade. Can't get any better than this," Awase says, yawning and cracking his neck.

"Should've brought a pillow," Tsuburaba complains. He picks out a few blades of grass out of his hair.

Manga deadpans, "I hate all of you."

* * *

"Inochi."

"That's what I'm called," I respond with a nice fluff of cotton candy in my hands. Manga scoffs in disappointment, staring at the carousel. Shojo, Pony, and Yui ride on their own uniquely colorful unicorns. Pony's on a horse, so she's right at home, and Yui is Yui. Shojo—most of all—has a beautiful grin that's brighter than the rainbow lights of the carousel. Kamakiri is watching them. I ask Manga, "Shojo seems really happy, doesn't she?"

"You should've heard her screaming earlier. She went into the hall of mirrors with Kendo and freaking Monoma scared them. I was forced to swear that I didn't hear Kendo screaming, which by the way, she didn't." Heh, sounds like her. That also explains why I haven't seen Monoma around. He's probably lying in a ditch somewhere.

"And I swear that she isn't afraid of clowns, which by the way, she isn't," I go along with the joke, laughing at it. I take a bite of my sweet blue cotton candy. It's sweet and dissolves instantly when it hits my tongue. Manga is just...staring. He's staring at the carousel, not focusing on anything specific.

"Inochi, are you afraid of anything?" he asks right as I have my mouth over a big chunk of my treat. Uhm…

After I awkwardly swallow it, I answer, "Not really. You know me by now. I'm not afraid of most things."

He asks again, "Even dying? You… You went outside to fight Tatchikutsu without even thinking. You even fought three armed men with only swords and a crossbow. Did you ever think about that you could die?" Heh, that's a loaded question. The only time when I knew that I was going to die was...a long time ago.

"No. I was worried about you, Shojo, everyone! I've never been a guy who stresses out about dying. Not even when I almost got shot," I tell him, finishing the rest of my cotton candy and throwing it into the trash.

Manga insists, "What about killing someone? You said that you don't wanna kill a man, but you never said that you can't." Where are these questions coming from? Why is he asking me about dying and killing? I understand that we almost died, but…

Nevermind. Truthfully, I say, "That's right. When I fought Catharsis, it was either his life or ours. I would've killed him without hesitation, and I almost did. Why are you asking me this? It's not a typical topic for carnivals."

"Well, I wanna know the difference between us. You're the fearless protagonist while I'm the comic relief afraid of everything. Our dynamic didn't change, y'know? The only thing that changed is the way I think. Before, I looked at the world as traps waiting to snare me; now, I see it as opportunities to grow. It's a bit ironic that I'm saying this after I fainted, but I don't care! Even though I'm afraid, I wanna change the world! I wanna be a Hero like Grandmaster and All Might!"

"Heh, seems like you're using your fear for good. That's pretty inspiring of you, Manga. You sure that you're not the protagonist here?" I comment as Pony starts to stand on her pony's back. Kamakiri is currently shouting at her to sit down.

"Hehe, that's what great about you. You always try to cheer everyone up. Inochi, you're a great friend," Manga says. His face has a little smiley face. I'm glad he thinks of me as that. I try my best everyday. "You _are_ the scariest man I know, though. Killing someone? Man, I can't imagine that," he admits right afterwards.

"Scary thought, I know. Anyway, remind me… You inspired Shojo to go to school today, didn't you?" I change the subject. The lady herself is joining the rebellion with Pony. She's standing on top. Making Kamakiri go insane. The two rebels are trying to convince Yui to join their cause.

"Yeah, although I hate Shojo, she's still my sister. That's why I want to be a Hero, actually. I became a Hero just for her. It's stupidly cheesy and I'll never admit it to her face, but I think she knows. I think she knows…" he trails off as we listen to Shojo and Pony's maniacal laughter.

It reminds me of what All Might said… I understand now.

I say to him, "Like I said, you're an inspirational man. That's the difference between us. You said it yourself: I'm fearless. Manga, you can inspire others using your fear as a tool. I can't do that. Imagine if we have to fight a Villain, and you're the first man running in. What does that say to everyone else? It says, 'If Manga, the man who's afraid of everything, is the first person who runs in, then what does that say about us? Let's follow him.' That's your power. It's the power unique to only Manga Fukidashi and no one else, especially Sanji Inochi and All Might."

"I-Inochi… I…"

"Please, you should call me by my first name now. We've been friends long enough." A small hearty laugh—like the one The Count has—comes out. Manga doesn't say anything else, but he does nod. It's the only answer I need. Now, I should-!

"In that case, I'm gonna call you 'Sanji', alright handsome?" Oh God, it's Kazeha. I don't wanna be rude, but she just ruined this moment. Manga and I look at her. She still has her pink hair tied into a bun. A few tufts of hair flow off of the sides of her head. Oh right, the tips of her hair is green. There's also a red flower pinned to her bun. Where's Mantora? I thought he took her out.

"Mantora didn't take you out on a date?" I ask-

"Wait? Did Hentai Protagonist thought of this as a date?! An actual date?!" Her sexual persona falls, which I didn't realize it was one until now. I could tell from her eyes. They were slant and sultry, but now it's kinda...needy in a way. Also, Manga is nodding along to the "Hentai Protagonist" comment. It's from Mantora's bangs, isn't it? They're covering his eyes.

I ease her anxiety, or whatever the heck it is, "It's either that, or he wants to take you out with a bb gun."

"That's a win either way! I'll have that man on top of me, Sanji! Just you wait!" Kazeha promises me. The problem is: I never wanted her to promise me that _ever_. Annnnd Kazeha runs away, presumably to Mantora. Alright… I think she genuinely likes Mantora, good luck to her? Shoot, I should've asked her about Suzuki though...

"Cartoony, you're in fuckin' charge of the girls. I ain't doin' that no more! Who the fuck tries to start a revolution by standin' on top of ponies an' unicorns?!" Kamakiri joins our conversation and pushes the three girls to Manga. I guess Yui became a comrade to the revolution.

"We hafta revolt against oppression and shizz! No more sitting on ponies! We stand like men! Like Americans!" Pony announces, _sitting_ on top of Shojo's shoulders in Musutafu, which is in _Japan_. Yui gives them a thumbs-up. Aw, y'know what? Yui and Shojo are honorary Americans now.

"We're American and men!" Shojo repeats.

"Ameri-men," Yui corrects her.

"Hell yeah! We're Ameri-men! You can't stop the revolution, Kamakiri! You can't stop the power! You can't stop _us_!" Pony shouts and pumps her arms in the air.

Shojo points at Manga and says, "In fact, our first enemy is Manga Fukidashi! With our power levels combined, we will obliterate him! Spare no quarter! Mercy is for the weak!" Pony lets out a battlecry and immediately makes Shojo charge at Manga. In response, he just runs, so the girls give chase. Well, except for Yui. She's jogging behind them, leaving Kamakiri and I alone.

"Quirkless, what the hell is wrong with women? I dunno how you can handle livin' with Fists. Heard her ma is the same way. Makes it really damn easy to tell them apart, but for fuck's sake… Anyway, surprised you haven't caught feelings for Fists," Kamakiri lets his complains fly free. Again and again, it's the same teasing…

I shoot back, "Frankly, how in the world that _you_ haven't caught feelings for Pony? You always protected her from other men, but you just let Manga babysit her. That's uncharacteristic of you, Kamakiri." He rolls his eyes and bat his light green mohawk to the side a little.

"Shut up, Quirkless. I needed a break from her whinin', an' I kinda wanted to ruin Cartoony's day out. I know you'd enjoy hangin' out with 'em so I can't torture you that way," he says. That's true. I would love to hang out with the girls, but my lying sensor is going off the charts. Kamakiri is hiding something. Maybe it's in his oversized jacket. Seriously, why is he wearing that?! It's almost summer! Ugh, anyway… Knowing him, he wants to make Pony happy despite what he says. Wait! Aha!

I expose him, "Shojo made pretty quick friends with Pony, huh? Is that why you're a bit sour? Kamakiri, you _do_ have a heart underneath that jacket! I'm-!

"D'ya ever fuckin' stop? I'm not jealous of Glasses—that insane chick! For a nice guy, you're an asshole," Kamakiri sputters, tugging his jacket closer to him. "Seriously, I _do_ want Pony 'round, but I ain't 'bout to have her hangin' on me twenty-four seven." Wow, did Kamakiri just admit that he's fond of Pony? Even more wow, he admitted that to _me_!

"Heh, I'm proud that you admitted that. Anyway, guess I was wrong. You weren't trying to hide anything from me," I reveal my suspicions, but Kamakiri groans. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a box wrapped in red. His fingers cave the box in slightly, so whatever it is, it's plastic. This is another gift for Pony, isn't it?

Kamakiri asks, "Look, I need some fuckin' help an' you're the only _slightly _sane guy here. How do I give this thing to Horns?" I'm touched that he wants advice from me. Might as well apply Occam's razor: The simplest solution is usually the best.

"Take her off to the side and give her it. Simple as that," I give him my advice before I bow my head. "As your trusted friend, I'm honored that you finally like me, Togaru Kamakiri. Should we make friendship bracelets to cement this historical moment?"

"Go fuck yourself, Quirkless. I barely like you as it is," he tells me off, but there's a little laugh in his voice and a smile forming on his face. I'm helpless to his glee, so I have a little chuckle of my own. "But yeah, thanks… Y'know, I actually kinda hated you when I first saw ya."

"Because I reminded you of your dad?" I say, crossing my arms. Seems like I hit the jackpot. Kamakiri's eyes say it all. He lowers the box, letting it hang besides his leg. All Might said I reminded others of the good in their life, so I kinda inverted that thinking when it came to Kamakiri.

"Yeah… You did. If I count how you two are so damn similar, I'd be 'ere for hours. Bothfa ya are nice like a real saint, but we know that Dad turned out to be a murderer. He had that killer's look, y'know? Sometimes, I see the same look in you. First time I saw it was durin' your fight with Fists at… Shit, what the hell was it called? Battle Trials? I know it was all an act, but it was the same fuckin' look, no mistakin' it."

…

Reluctantly, without any change of emotion in my voice, I ask, "Why do you like me then? You told me that you hated your dad. That's the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think about you." Kamakiri, with his free hand, fidgets with his own fingers. I'm glad he didn't hear my conversation with Manga, but there's a reason why he's telling me this. What is it?

Looking at me from the side, he says, "Quirkless, you ain't gonna understand since...y'know, foster kid, but my dad was like a normal dad. Honestly, swearin' to God an' Shiozaki, I loved him. I _hated_ myself for it, but that ain't the right thing to do. I gotta be better than him by bein' the exact opposite of the Executioner Wasp. I gotta be Jack Mantis. For him an' for myself. D'ya...understand what I'm tryin' to say? I can't change the world if I can't even change myself."

I feel my father's smile hitting my cheek like a ray of sunlight—but it's night.

"Y-Yeah… I got it… I got it…" my shaky words stumble out of my mouth. Kamakiri, noticing my change of tone, checks up on me. Oh, he looks worried. Did I really make Kamakiri worry about me?

"What's goin' on? Don't fuckin' tell me that I'm makin' you cry too. I told Lizard Head an' she can't keep her tears sealed in her freaky eyes," he tells me, and that sounds just like her. But no, I'm not crying, right? I'm not crying because of Kamakiri's story, but I shouldn't be crying over my own dad.

I try to excuse myself, "N-No, I'm just...remembering something. That's great that you came to this… Let's just focus on you confessing to Pony, alright? I'll-"

Kamakiri interrupts me, holding his hand up, "Okay, hold the fuck up. I never said I was gonna confess to Pony. I don't even fuckin' like her, you dumbass!"

I laugh, turning away from him. "It's a shame then. I know Tsuburaba's been planning to ask her out, so I should let him know-"

"Don't you fuckin' dare! Airhead ain't gonna dirty Pony like that, y'hear?! I'll dice his ass up if…" Kamakiri sees me smiling. "Oh, you motherfucker."

"Sorry, I'm a virgin."

"Don't you get witty with me, you jackass!" he shouts at me, blushing. He might be yelling profanities at me, but I see this as a win. Hold on, is that Pony I see? She's walking towards us! It's time to get the heck outta here. Kamakiri has to give his present privately.

In the middle of his rambling, I excuse myself, "Good luck." Making my graceful exit, I pat Kamakiri's shoulder and duck behind a corner about ten meters away from them. Great! It's time to video this sucker. I hear Kamakiri stammering a few words that doesn't exist in the Japanese dictionary when he sees Pony walking up. Anyway, I take my phone out. Manga texted me that he's lost in the hall of mirrors with Shojo. Then, there's Yui sent me a picture of her and Itsuka getting face paints. Aw, Yui's a panda while Itsuka's a ferocious tiger. This cute picture is now my wallpaper. Wait! That's not the point! I need to film Kamakiri and Pony! Camera app: on. Zoom: focused. Microphone: hopefully it can get their conversation. Sanji Inochi: ready.

Pony greets him like her usual self, "Heya Kamakiri! You look really red!"

"Just angry as hell at Quirkless, but I ain't gonna take it out on ya. Don't worry," he replies, shooting me a dirty look.

Pony sees her gift and asks oh-so-innocently, "Is that for me, Kamakiri? Aw man, is there a thing where we hafta exchange presents during carnivals? If I had known that, I woulda bought something for ya!"

"No. There ain't a thing like that, Horns. Just take the damn box," Kamakiri grunts, shoving the box into Pony's hands. She rips it open and it's an anime figurine! It's some kind of blue and white mecha. I'm sure Shojo and Manga know where it's from.

"You brought this for me?! How did ya know that I wanted it?! It musta costed you thousands of dollars!"

"You're thinkin' in American money again, an' yeah. It costed a liver, but I wanted you to stop whinin' 'bout this nerdy thing. So, I decided to shut you up. You got that? You gonna stop annoyin' me now?"

"..."

"Or you can go silent. Whatever works. Imma go get something to eat, Horns. See ya-?!"

Taking Kamakiri off-guard, Pony jumps up and wraps her arms around his neck, jumping up and down. She cheerfully exclaims, "I love you I love you I love you!"

"Eh?! Don't fuckin' say that out loud d-damnit!" Kamakiri contests and tries to pull his beloved's arms off of him, but it doesn't work! That's right Pony! Keep your arms around him! Don't let him leave!

"Nope! You're my favorite person in the world, Togaru!" Pony claims ownership over him. Unfortunately, Kamakiri tears Pony away from him. But! All is not for naught! Before they're separated, Pony lands a cute little kiss on Kamakiri's cheek. This makes the once proud, rough on the edges, loud-mouthed, and irritated man grow a hundred shades of red. He stands still, stunned from what happened. He's so stunned that he can't cuss Pony out!

"Oh! Oh! Reiko! Reiko! Look what Togaru got for me!" Pony calls Yanagi out, but I can't see her. She runs off and leaves Kamakiri alone to process what just happened. I believe that I just witnessed love blooming. Oh, I'm so gonna share this with Itsuka and Setsuna. We need to get these two together. I-!

"Just the man I wanted to find!" It's-?! Ashido?!

"Eek?! Ashido?! Why are you behind me?!" I quickly end my video, snapping behind to find this pink-skinned girl behind me. I seriously thought she was an alien about to kill me. But, I never saw much of 1-A around the carnival. I remember seeing Midoriya and Uraraka going on the rollercoaster together. Ah, Bakugo was playing some kind of press-the-button game earlier. He was screaming, "DIE! DIE! DIEEEE!" Of course, Kirishima was there making sure he wouldn't break the dang thing.

"Exactly why you're spying on Kamakiri and Pony! Romance! I talked to Komori earlier, and she said you're the go-to guy! It's about Ojiro and Hagakure! You seen them around, right?" Ashido rapidly explains to me. Hmm… I think so! At the food section of the carnival, they were sitting at a table eating crepes with each other! If that doesn't spell out "romance", then I need to work on my kanji. Romance is the game I'm willing to play, though.

I declare, "I have. We must pair them together even if we must forfeit our lives! This will be the operation to bond 1-A and 1-B as one! What's your plan, Ashido? I'm with you all the way!"

"Good to have you! This will be called: _Operation Invisible Heart_! As for the operation itself: Us two hearts are not enough for this challenge! We need to enlist the help of Midoriya and Kendo!" Ashido says, slamming a fist down on her palm.

"They'll help. When are we doing this?" I ask, putting a hand underneath my chin. From the looks of it, Ojiro and Hagakure are close friends. They need a little push so one of them can ask the other out. That push will have to be from us. Midoriya will surely help us, and I'm not giving Itsuka a choice.

She says, "In a few days. Thursday, to be exact. Ojiro is taking Hagakure to Master Kendo's Dojo for some training. That's when we strike!" Thursday? Hehe, that's more than enough time to plan everything out. When this operation succeeds—and it will—we'll see the fruits of our hard-earned labor.

"Mhm. Lemme ask Itsuka first. But, I'll ensure the success of _Operation Invisible Heart_, alright Ashido?"

"Of course, Inochi! You're an Ally of Love!" She takes my hand and clasps it. Yes! I'm honored to be an Ally of Love! Nothing will get in our way! Nothing-?!

"Quirkless, Alien; it's time for your funerals."

Kamakiri's here.

* * *

"Looking gorgeous, tiger."

"Looking handsome… Uhm…"

"Got nothing?"

"Yup."

Heh, too bad I'm not wearing face paint like Itsuka. I stop leaning against her bike, greeting my tiger with one of my carefree smiles. She walks up to me and-?! Why is she pinching my cheek?! God, her fingers are like vices! I don't know why she's doing this, but it's best to let Itsuka do what she wants. She tells me why she's torturing me, "I- Ah never mind. I forgot why I wanted to pinch you. I just do." Finally, she shows me mercy by letting go.

"Thanks for that…" I sarcastically say, rubbing where Itsuka pinched me. "Thought it was about the thing with All Might and Master Kendo. Y'know…the family secret?"

"Oh right! Yeah, why don't you wanna help me? Despite my tone, I'm not doing this for fun. I'm serious," she says, sitting against her motorcycle. I sit next to her and stare up at the empty night sky. It's the dead of night now, but there's still a ton of light out from the carnivals and streetlights. I wonder… Where I lived when I was only five… Did it had stars in the sky?

"It's sensitive. There's a good reason why Master Kendo is keeping quiet about it. I think… I think it's why Tatemi died, and Nana too. I don't even know how this Nana is other than the fact that she was an old friend. Don't even get me started about All Might and Midoriya. Somehow, they're tied in too! Oh, let's not forget Recovery Girl," I sum everything up. Itsuka scooches closer to me and sighs, putting her hands on her knees.

"Sanji, the internet says that All Might's Quirk is one of the world's seven greatest mysteries. Do you know what's one of the other six mysteries? The World's Most Dangerous Villain. They're housed in Japan. That's all we know. I figured it out though! This isn't two mysteries! It's one. This isn't the Kendo family secret! This is a secret that affects Japan! Please, I need your help to find out what exactly is this!"

It's one…? It's one. There's no concrete evidence to suggest it, but Itsuka's adamant. There has to be some connection then, right? It's in front of us, but I can't put my finger on it...

"_Oh Fukidashi, you're just another disappointment. Just like Shigaraki! I thought we had the potential to build a world, but he's just an immature, narrow-minded fool! His master has connections all over the globe: billionaires, politicians, and other Villains—but he never made use of them!"_

That's it! Him! Shigaraki's master! That's the World's Most Dangerous Villain! The League has assets all over the world all because of Shigaraki's master! Didn't Catharsis say that he's returning? God, I don't wanna imagine what he's like. If he could create the Nomus, then what else could he do? I-! Oh, Itsuka's nudging me. "Sanji, what's going on? I know that look on your face."

I turn myself where I'm facing Itsuka. Some of her face paint is distracting, but I can't focus on how goofy she looks. "When I was fighting Catharsis, he mentioned Shigaraki's master. Because of him, the League has connections. _International_ connections. Itsuka, the World's Most Dangerous Villain created the League of Villains. Shigaraki is under him! Do you know what this means?"

She continues my thoughts, "He's going to make an appearance, but why would he delegate his power to Shigaraki? What if he's heavily injured? Or dying? That's why he chose him to lead the League. He's grooming Shigaraki to be the next him! That explains the Nomus! It explained why the League specifically created a Nomu to kill All Might! They're mortal enemies! It's all connected! Shigaraki's master is teaching him the ropes of villainy while All Might is teaching Midoriya about heroism. Where does that leave us though?"

"Bystanders, I guess. We're bystanders... If Shigaraki is learning to be a Villain while we're learning to be a Hero… God, he's going to make the U.S.J. Incident look like a joke. One day, he'll destroy an entire city. It's only a matter of time now. We'll get dragged into this hidden war. Who knows who'll get hurt?" I conclude, my voice trailing softer and softer. What is this world? What _did_ we get roped into? How does Midoriya fit into this?

"Sanji, that's why we have to find out _together_. We can't ignore this anymore. C'mon, let's keep this a secret between just us. We won't ask Grandpa, Mom, All Might, no one! We'll figure it out on our own. Alright?" Even though everything is dark, I can see her eyes lighting up—and her tiger face paint. It's hard to take her seriously with that on her face.

I nod, repeating, "Alright, _together._ Guess we're sticking by each other's back now. Crap… I almost forgot that we have to find your dad too. Did we really promise that to each other? It feels like years ago, but it's only been a couple of months? Right?"

Itsuka playfully elbows me in the kidneys, giggling at my face. I laugh the pain off. Her hits hurt whether or not they were playful. "Yeah, that's when you decided to stick to me like glue. Remember the U.S.J. Incident? When you lied about your transcript error? That's when I decided to glue myself onto you. Can't believe that was before the Sports Festival…"

I recollect on our past, "Heh… We were a lot more innocent before it. Heroism was a bright concept to uphold, but its shadows overtook it." Do I need to say how? We were caught in the shadows for so long, but I always wanted to hold onto the light that casted it.

"It took a suicide and the entire country against us to realize it. Even then…I'm still willing to defend it. Dad did, so did Grandpa. There's good in this world, Sanji. We have to fight for it. We won't be entertainers; we'll be fighters," she vows to herself and to us. Itsuka moves closer to me where our shoulders are touching. "Though, it's scary, don't you think? If Catharsis was this bad, then what does that say for all of our future Villains? We could get hurt..." Her cheerful voice changes to something soft, sad even. She looks down at the pavement, brushing her shoe over a few bits of rock.

I wrap an arm around her, letting her head rest against my chest. She gasps, clearly not expecting this. After a second or so, she relaxes her muscles. She mutters, "S-Sanji…"

I apologize, "Sorry, but you looked like you needed a hug." Itsuka does a small little laugh before pressing her head against me.

"Yeah…" she agrees. Her voice eases away from fear and uncertainty.

I assure Itsuka, "We have only our fists, but we can handle any Villain our way—no matter who they are. Shigaraki, his master, or even the Order of Assassins. We'll beat them all, right _partner_?"

"Right…" she says, clutching the back of my shirt, "partner…"

"You know, I'm pretty sure your face paint is getting my shirt dirty."

"Aw shut up, don't ruin this moment."

* * *

**Hey, didn't expect me, did you? Now that you read (hopefully read) the published chapters, let me give you a rundown on Dreaming of Stars. You deserve it for sitting down and spending your hard-earned time for reading this crazy fanfic. Here, there's a ton of original content that I added to enrich the story so it doesn't become a copy of 1-A's story. Especially with the Arcs. (If you haven't read the last 26 chapters, then I'd stop reading because there's spoilers below.)**

* * *

**Beginning - It's the beginning of Sanji's journey. He was first introduced as a kind and introverted man before turning into the lovable goof that 1-B adores. It lays out his circumstances, especially since he's legally Quirkless.**

**Entrance Exam - One single chapter on how Sanji and Itsuka fare in the Entrance Exam.**

**Battle Trials - After being introduced to 1-B, the drama between Setsuna and Itsuka ceased to be, but other characters took the spotlight. Characters such as Manga Fukidashi and Togaru Kamakiri. These two characters essentially take the place of Neito Monoma (he's still kinda relevant) and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (not really relevant) in the story. I felt like other characters other than these two guys needed some development, so I decided on Manga and Kamakiri.**

**[Fanfic Original] Golden Week - Sanji receives two new conflicts, one of which is in the form of his old bully—Karisuma Suzuki. Other characters in 1-D are introduced as well along with Suzuki. With 1-A having Hitoshi Shinso as a candidate to transfer into the Hero Course, 1-D fills that role but with four possible characters. (Karisuma Suzuki, Sakuna Kazeha, Shinzo Mantora, and Gera Rudolphus)**

**U.S.J. Incident - An outsider's perspective on the U.S.J. Incident. It serves as a wakeup call to remind 1-B that they are not invincible, and it serves as the beginning of 1-B's relation to 1-A. Especially when Sanji was never meant to be in 1-B. It's the in-universe reason as to why there's 21 students in the class. Not only that, but Master Kendo is a character who eventually brings the conflict of One For All VS All For One to 1-B.**

**U.A. Sports Festival - This is how Sanji gets U.A. on his side! The Sports Festival is a way to measure Sanji's skills as a Quirkless against a school made for people who have Quirks. Unfortunately, not all goes well. It's the beginning of 1-B being hated by the public. Everything gets put into perspective here.**

**Catharsis/Risai Tatchikutsu - "Oh Gushy, it can't possibly get worse from here! Right?" You're wrong. It gets worse. Underneath Grandmaster and The Count, Sanji and the others defeat Risai Tatchikutsu, an old "friend" of Manga and Shojo (his twin sister) Fukidashi. Under the Villain Name "Catharsis", Tatchikutsu enacts an impulsive plan against Musutafu. Sometimes, it makes a man think about the world. This is the last published Arc.**

**[Fanfic Original] Hero Course Tutoring - The Hero Courses? Tutoring? Who are they tutoring? **

**Final Exams - 1-B and their finals. Simple enough.**

**I-Expo - Interesting... What can 1-B do? Midoriya and All Might defeated Wolfram, so what can they do during it?**

**[Fanfic Original] Fireworks Festival - Self-explanatory. **

**Forest Training Camp - It was supposed to be a summer camp.**

**? (Kamino) - Oh boy, prepare to cry.**

**Provisionals - I don't know what I can say here.**

**Nomu Trinity (Internship) - Nomus? Three of them? What the heck?**

**Filler Arc - Filler? Thanks for ruining my life, Gushy.**

**Culture Festival - How the hell am I gonna write 1-B's play?**

** Joint Training - 1-A VS 1-B. Well uhm... I hope that some of you will root for 1-B's victory at this point of the story.**

**Filler Arc - More filler?! Come on!**

**? (Heroes Rising) - Prepare to cry again.**

**New Internship Arc - With the Big 3 of 1-A interning under Endeavour, what will happen to the Grandmaster and Count crew?**

**That's it for now.**

* * *

**NOW! That is the current schedule. I might add a filler arc here and there, but that'll be for further development. It's like the Golden Week Arc, where I introduced 1-D. I am looking forward to when we **_really_** hit the highest point in the story. It'll be extremely sad, but also triumphant if you understand what I'm saying. Of course, Sanji is the center as the tragic hero. He is based off of Shirou Emiya (Fate/Stay Night) and Makoto Yuki/Protagonist (Persona 3). If you remember the end of Chapter 2, then his status in the present is questionable. Anyway, see you around.**


	27. Allies of Love

**Sanji Inochi**

Instead of doing my forty hours of community service, I'm doing this.

Instead of planning _Operation Invisible Heart_ and being an Ally of Love, I'm doing this.

Okay Sanji, what the hell am I doing?

It was midnight last night when I got the text. Awase was the one who texted me. He said he needed me for an operation of his own creation. From just that one sentence, my stress levels increased to one hundred percent. So naturally, at school, I asked Awase about his operation. He only gave me a name: _Operation Boys to Men. _Apparently, he enlisted the help of Tsuburaba and Kaibara. I mean, I can at least figure out if Kaibara likes Monoma, but still! They know what's going on. I don't, and _that's the freaking problem_. As a result, I became a clueless fly buzzing around school until it ended. Somehow, Itsuka was okay with it. Awase managed to convince her to "loan" me for a couple of hours, so she'll have to plan _Invisible Heart_ with Midoriya and Ashido without me. No idea how I could be loaned, but I'm learning all kinds of things at the moment. Anyway, back to the present. I'm being forced to change into some weird clothes and a wig. Hopefully, I'm not getting kidnapped to do something weird and sexual, since Awase and the others are changing too. Actually no, it's probably going to be sexual. I know him too much. Out of all the boys, Awase and Tsuburaba are the most perverted. God, what am I wearing?

I'm wearing a black button up with solid gray stripes running vertically. There's a chest pocket on my left breast. For my pants, it's dark blue—nearly black—jeans. Awase thought these jeans were cool because a silver-colored chain is attached to the right of my waist. There's some rips below my knees too. My shoes are navy blue high tops with white laces. And now, my wig. I officially have long black hair that's side swept to the left. I look like a completely different person now. Why though? Why am I wearing this? Oh right! Let's not forget the shades! I have to wear shades too. My "eyes are too identifiable".

I step out of the changing room with my school uniform in my backpack. The boys are waiting for me. And man, they look different.

Awase doesn't have a wig on unlike the rest of us. He did his hair all by himself. Instead of it being spiked to the back and to the left, it's spiked completely to the right. He managed to do his hair so well that the top of his head could be a table from how straight and stiff it is. Must've taken a lot of gel and/or oil. Anyway, he's wearing a black and white jacket, but his arms aren't through his sleeves nor is it zipped. It's rested inside to reveal a red shirt. It says, in black western letters, "ROCK'N'ROLL" in a stylistic font. He's wearing jeans like I am, but it's a lighter color. His shoes are regular white sneakers.

Tsuburaba, out of all four of us, transformed the least. His brown hair was spiky all over the place, but now it's spiked backwards. Tsuburaba's oval-shaped eyes were replaced by fake contacts. His eyes are now normal and blue. He has more blue with his hoodie that's slightly too big for him and black pants that're a bit too saggy. It's like he intentionally picked clothes that's one size too big for him. Same with his red sneakers…

Now, there's Kaibara. I could only recognize him because I recognized Awase and Tsuburaba first. His once dark and shaggy hair is now blue and messy. He has bangs that cover his left eye while the rest is stationary...somewhat. Kaibara is wearing a button up shirt like I am, but it's purely black unlike mine. It's unbuttoned enough that a quarter of his chest is showing. He's wearing jeans like the rest of us except for Tsuburaba. His is lighter than mine, but darker than Awase's. Matching his dark theme, his shoes are dark as well.

That's it. That's the four of us.

I say, "Awase-"

"Nuh-huh, remember our real names," he replies. Right, our real names.

Yosetsu Awase is now Hibiki.

Kosei Tsuburaba is now Sora.

Sen Kaibara is now Tadashi.

Sanji Inochi is now Jun-seo. I'm Jun-seo. It's not even Japanese; it's Korean. Why does my real name have to be Korean? I'm not Korean in the first place.

"Hibiki, I have two questions: Why am I Korean? And why does these clothes fit so well?" I ask Awase, tugging on my shirt. Despite it being not my style, it fits quite well like it was tailored specifically for me.

"Diversity and some close friends. Namely, a curvy heiress and a glasses-wearing girl with amazing thighs."

What?

* * *

**Yosetsu Awase, the curvy heiress, and the glasses-wearing girl**

"Tokage, Shojo, us boys need your help! It's a matter of life and death!

"Sounds like it's in my wheelhouse, Headband."

"Setsuna, you're calling him that too?"

"It's the only trait that tells him apart from Kaibara and Tsuburaba."

"You're right… They do look kinda similar."

"Speaking of those douchebags… Shojo—if let's say...me, Tsuburaba, Kaibara, and Inochi needed disguises... How would you design them?"

"Disguises? That's my forte."

"Knew it! Now Tokage, I'm sure you have a tailor that can make the disguises for us!"

"I do, but what's this for?"

"We're going to become _men_."

"You're not taking Sanji's purity away from him."

"I don't swing that way! How many times do I gotta say that?"

"Why the heck not?"

"Because that's gay! Shojo! You agree Shojo? Uhm… Dude, your nose is bleeding."

"Boys becoming men...?"

_THUD!_

"Congrats Awase, Shojo is unconscious _and_ bleeding out. Can you please tell me how you're becoming men?"

"Fine… I already killed one girl today. I'd think you'll like it actually. Three words: Sanji and his love life."

"That's five words but please—_continue_."

* * *

"Shojo is the reason why we look like Kuroiro?" I ask again. This explains why Shojo needed to take my measurements! Dang it, I should've realized this when I saw the clothes. This has "Shojo" written all over it. A chance to makeover her friends? Specifically, boys? She would take that opportunity within a heartbeat.

"Pretty much. Hibiki, wanna fill in why we're kidnapping Jun-seo for a few hours?" Kaibara says, sweeping his bangs away, but they keep covering his eye. He has an irritated look on his face. Anyway, Awase brings us four closer together where no one can eavesdrop on us. He pulls out a...pink coupon? Did we really do this for a coupon?

"This coupon is a ticket to heaven where boys turn into men. No one our age has ever stepped foot in this place. It's called 'Hotel Sakura Kaze', a love hotel. Jun-seo, we need your help to infiltrate this place," Awase explains, and uhm… I'm sorry, but what?! He really did all of this just so we can go into a love hotel?! Oh my God, I don't think Itsuka knows about this! If she had known, then Awase would've been dead! Wait, why does he need me?!

"What?! Why me? We're in U.A., Awase! Imagine what would happen if this gets out! Oh, who's gonna pay for the room anyway? Hibiki, we're good friends, we really are, but what were you thinking?!" I scold him in whispers, nearly about to grab his collar and start yanking him. I expected Tsuburaba to join him, but Kaibara?! He's supposed to be the reasonable one in the group!

"Okay, just let me explain 'cause you look like you're gonna choke me!" Awase says, putting his hands up. His jacket almost falls off of his shoulders though. "I'll pay for everything outta my wallet, promise! And, I know we'll get royally fucked if this gets out, but that's why we have disguises. No one will recognize us! Especially a mature-looking guy like you! And, you gotta look after your _best friends,_ right? So y'know, we don't get ourselves in deep shit." Is he-?! God, he's right. I need to make sure that these three don't get themselves in jail or worse. If everything goes south, then my community service hours are gonna extend from forty hours to sixty. Ugh…

"C'mon, Jun-seo! I gotta brag to everyone that I went to a love hotel! Do it for me, Hibiki, and Tadashi too! Say something, would ya?" Tsuburaba insists and nudges Kaibara's arm. Kaibara himself is flopping his bangs all over the place.

"Huh? Oh right, yeah. We need you, Jun-seo. I'm just here because I'm curious," Kaibara also insists… Jeez. Awase puts his arm around my shoulder, waiting for my answer. I can't decline. These guys will do it anyway without me.

I accept, "Fine… _Operation Boys to Men_ will be possible with Jun-seo. Where's Hotel Sakura Kaze anyway?" Awase chuckles and takes us outside the store. He points to a building down a few blocks. Ah, that's where it is. Sakura Kaze makes itself quite obvious with a pink sign in the shape of a sakura leaf.

"That right there is where we'll make our mark, Jun-seo. Lead the way," Awase says. I push my shades up and nod, starting to walk there with everyone else. We haven't walked an entire block yet and we're already getting looks. Not looks of disgust or anger, but sultry ones. Mainly from the women. If they saw us in our U.A. uniforms or just as ourselves, we would get different looks altogether. Are we really that different? We pass a quaint little cafe too—Cafe Leroi—which earns us a lot more looks from insiders. Pretty sure I saw The Count in there. He didn't look smitten but...confused? His eyes said, _Was that Sanji or did someone spike my coffee? _Anyway, that's not important. Once we stop at a street crossing, waiting for the pedestrian signal, a couple of ladies approach us. These ladies are adults. College students from the looks of it, maybe a little older. Their computer bags have stickers from anime and some other things.

The black-haired girl ask us, "Uhm hey, I was just wondering-"

Tsuburaba immediately cuts in, "Yes."

"Excuse Sora, he's just a rude idiot." Kaibara takes Tsuburaba back, approaching the girls. He pats his chest and says, "From how his jeans sag, you can tell he can't keep anything in his pants. Not to mention his brain. If you hit him over the head with a bat, he wouldn't get dumber because he reached his peak of stupidity a long time ago."

"Tadashi, you didn't have to kill the man," Awase jokes and does his shoulder hug again. This time, it's around Tsuburaba and Kaibara. These guys gotta be joking… Seems like the two girls are eating this up though.

The brown-haired girl says, "Hehe! You guys are so funny!" Oh God, I know that look on Awase and Tsuburaba's faces. That's the "I'm about to flirt my head off" look. Let's see how this trainwreck goes…

"Thanks. Why did you girls come over to us, anyway? I'm sure it wasn't to ask Sora out on a date, right? Like what Tadashi said: He's an idiot," Awase throws Tsuburaba under the bus. So Tsuburaba, ironically, throws Kaibara back to confront his friend.

"Really? I can count your number of brain cells with one hand. Don't go talking crap 'bout me, Hibiki!"

"That's ironic considering how much shit you're shoveling in your mouth. It's the same color as your stupid hair," Awase combats.

"Y'know, I was just gonna ask if they were a boy band, and I'm totally right!"

"It's just like a TV drama or a movie."

Wait, they thought we were a boy band? I can see it, but Komori is gonna be mad. Ugh, anyway… The black-haired girl approaches me. I tilt my shades slightly down so I can see her with my bare grey eyes. She's an attractive woman. She asks, "You must be the leader of the group, right? What's it called?" Should've known she'd ask that kind of question. What kind of name would fit us? Shoot, I can't think of one on the spot!

"Anti-Heroes," Kaibara answers, coming to my rescue. "We're nothing much, to be honest. It's a hobby. But if you wanna know: I'm the bass guitarist, Hibiki is the drummer, Sora's the electric guitarist, and Jun-seo here is the vocalist. You can tell he started this." Okay, Kaibara knows a bunch about music. Isn't Jiro the daughter of a rockstar? If I knew we'd get mistaken for a boy band, I would've asked her for help.

"Yeah, we're pretty dysfunctional as you can see. Our drummer and our guitarist is constantly at each other's throats. Don't know if they're gonna kiss or punch each other," I comment with a voice that's deeper and huskier than usual. We're disguised, so I might as well disguise everything including my voice. The girls doesn't mind—actually, they're blushing once I started to talk. While this is happening, Tsuburaba and Awase are still arguing.

The brown-haired girl takes her turn to ask me a question, "Hehe! How aren't you world famous yet? You're pretty enough to be in a K-Pop band, y'know? J-Pop too! Maybe both! It's not everyday you see a Korean man who speaks such perfect Japanese!" Mhm, I'm totally Korean. I'm totally not a man who's currently hated by the public for being a Quirkless in the best Hero School in Japan. Instead of not learning to be a Hero, I'm the singer in a boy band called "Anti-Heroes". That's me, alright! Jun-seo whatever-my-last-name-is.

I chuckle the compliment off, saying, "I was born in Japan. Sorry, but I don't speak Korean. Been speaking Japanese since I was born."

"Aw. Where were you born? No offense, but you don't seem like a city man. I'm thinking you were born in a small little town," the black-haired girl asks. Jeez, these two are only asking questions, aren't they? Anyway, I… I don't know where exactly I was born. Yet, I feel like that's the truth—me being born in a small town.

"You're right… I'm from a small town. A quaint little place, but a beautiful one," I lie? But I don't. My voice says it's the truth. Heh, so much for lying. I lived in many places; I can remember them all, yet I can't remember the town where I was born. My life is full of mysteries that I even don't know the answer to.

"That's sweet… Bet you miss your home, huh?" she replies with a kind smile. I smile back and nod.

"Hey Jun-seo, can we move on? I'm done arguing with this asshat."

"Oh really? Really? Is that what you call your ridiculous hair, Hibiki?! You used so much oil that America's gonna invade your ass!"

"They fucking wish they could!"

"Hey dumbasses, we need to get going. See you girls around," Kaibara says, putting an arm around me as we cross the street with Awase and Tsuburaba loudly arguing. They didn't get a chance to get girls' numbers sadly. Kaibara whispers, "Good thing you're not above lying. You played along pretty well." Yup, I totally lied.

"Thanks? It was just apart of the act, Kaibara. Let's just focus on _Operation Boys to Men_," I tell him before I move his arm off of me. Kaibara doesn't say anything after that. I push my shades up as he goes back to the duo that's called "Hibiki and Sora".

When we approach a side path leading into a discreet entrance of Hotel Sakura Kaze, I stop and wait. Awase and Tsuburaba, with their newfound looks and confidence, are checking out the ladies who're checking them out. Thankfully, Kaibara puts a stop to that. He drags them by their ear. With that settled, we quickly move into the side path, taking a few turns until we reach the entrance. Here we are. Doesn't look like an extravagant door, but that's the entire point. Love hotels are supposed to be discreet. Kaibara says, "Here we are, you idiots. Let's go inside."

"Stop tugging my ear, damnit!"

"Arg! Jun-seo, help us or something!"

"Sorry," I apologize, turning my back on them, "Tadashi is a powerful man. Anyway, we're here. Please, let me do all the talking if there's any. You'll give us away." They hum as a response. At long last, we're entering "the forbidden garden" as Kuroiro would put it. We go inside and we're greeted with a lot of...flowers actually. It's not as pink as I originally thought. The main room is lined with fragrant and beautiful flowers. I can barely see the walls, but they're green and pink. The floor is carpeted with—you know it—more flowers! If it wasn't for the fact that this is a love hotel, I'd think this is an entrance to a sacred garden. It really is a forbidden garden. As for what's inside the room, it's a lounge with comfortable couches and sofas. A bathroom's to our right, there's a water fountain, even more flowers, the usual things a lobby would have. However, there's one thing that's I'm immediately greeted with: a dashboard with buttons and pictures of rooms. This is where we'll choose where we get to stay. I don't see the receptionist anywhere though, but that's expected. Anonymity is sacred in these types of places. Speaking of which, there is no one here but us four.

"C'mon, let's pick out a room!" Awase excitedly says, walking up to the screen. He's not even trying to hide the excitement in his voice… Gosh, I go up with Kaibara and Tsuburaba behind me. Awase runs his finger along the screen, quietly mumbling, "Rest, we're doing rest… Maybe the gaming room? Oh, there's a car-themed room… It needs to be big enough for the four of us though… Shit, it's either the games or cars. Jun-Jun, got any preferences?"

I shrug my shoulders. I'm not a picky guy, but I know more about cars—specifically motorcycles—than video games. I can thank Itsuka that. Awase, disappointed that I don't have an opinion, sighs and taps on the car-themed room on the third floor. Then, he taps on the "Rest" option, which lets us stay here for one to two hours. After that's done, a message appears for Awase to put in some cash and his coupon. He takes out his wallet, inputs the coupon first, then a couple thousand yen. The screen buffers for a few seconds. It's terrifying enough that Awase is sweating bullets, but the transaction pulls through. A hatch opens and a keycard plops out. Awase takes the card and...kisses it… "Hell yeah! We did it!"

"Hibiki, focus," I grumble, crossing my arms.

"Right! Right… I got the card, guys! Let's get to our room!"

"Try not to take off your clothes immediately, Hibiki. We gotta have foreplay first," Kaibara makes a lewd remark. His face and tone tells me he's dead serious.

"We're not gonna do that, Kai- I mean, Tadashi!" Tsuburaba snaps back. "We're just here to hang out and have fun!"

"Oh? Is that the purpose of this operation? I thought us boys are gonna be men. There's only one way to do that. I even prepared myself and everything."

"Tadashi! I'm not gonna lose my virginity to a man! I. Like. Girls. You got that?!" Tsuburaba turns to me and says, "Jun-seo! You're the responsible one! Aren't you gonna put some sense into this nympho?!"

(Beside me, Awase is stunned. I hear him mutter, "Dude, what the _fuck_…")

Hmm… I need to pick my words carefully.

"No offense Sora, but you need to be a man. Show us how it's done. I'll video tape it and everything."

"You son of a-!"

* * *

"Woohoo! I can't believe this place has VR!"

"The beds are surprisingly soft…"

_Siiiiiiip!_

"Hey Inochi, how you hanging?" Tsuburaba asks while I'm hanging upside down from the ceiling. My legs are the only thing that's preventing me from falling and getting brain damage. Worth it though. I always wanted to be a bat.

("Aw shit! That's a freaking eighteen-wheeler! Take that you piece of apocalyptic crap! Oh good God! He's coming! Oh Lord, he's fucking coming!" Awase is currently surviving an apocalypse where cars are weapons.)

"Swell, and so is my brain. How's the bed? Is it softer than Shiozaki's hair? I swear, if she makes blankets outta her Vines, she'd make a fortune," I ask back as my shades nearly fall off of my face. I put it back squarely on the bridge of my upside-down nose.

(_Siiiiiip!_ That's Kaibara's fifth drink. I don't know why he's drinking so much! The label looks like alcohol, but I tasted it. It's just soda!)

"It's a close second. A love hotel is a lot better than I'd expected it to be. We aren't having sex, but it's just a chill place to lounge about in," Tsuburaba says, laying back in his race car bed. Yeah, it's pretty cushy actually. I'm enjoying this a lot more than I thought. At first, I was put off since there were condoms and other birth control on a table, but we aren't gonna use that...hopefully. I might not be interested in sex, but I don't wanna lose my virginity. Still, it's a fun place. No one's gonna mind us.

("Holy crap! My head almost got lobbed off! This is too real, man! Too real!")

I reply, "Yeah… Itsuka's gonna judge the heck outta me for staying at this place. Setsuna too… Imagine all the questions she'll ask me." I already know what Setsuna will say to me. She'll complain, "Oh Sanji! Sanji! Why did you let a man take your purity? You should've saved it for your destined life partner!"

("Oh shit, that's right!" Awase shuts off his VR- Wait, he's actually apart of the conversation now. I should treat him as such.)

I flip myself off of this high bar, landing perfectly on my feeeet-! "Ack! Blood rushing! Blood gushing! This isn't a good feeling!" I fall back on my own bed. It's a motorcycle-shaped bed, but it's heaven… The awful feeling is going away… By the way, where did my shades go? They're not on my face anymore. "Okay, I think I'm alive… What were you saying, Awase?"

"Girls, man. That's the entire point of why we're here in the first place—girls! C'mon Inochi, you almost never talk about what chicks you're into!" Awase comments as Kaibara sits up. His face is red like a tomato… Why is he drunk? He's literally drinking soda!

Kaibara decides to add with a slur, "Yeaaah… Y'know, Inochi is prolly the hottest guy in U.A., not gonna lie. He's already a pretty boy, but with his personality? Hoo boy… Never thought a man like him existed 'til April." Well, I think I can confirm that Kaibara is definitely gay. Gay for me? From what he said, probaby. Is he weirding Tsuburaba and Awase out? Yup. Am I confused? Absolutely.

"Okay, I think Kaibara just came out," Awase says, moving away from Kaibara. He puts one leg over the other and faces me like how a father would when he has a serious conversation with his son. "I'm not gonna let you weasel your way outta this talk, Inochi. I only have one question: When are you gonna get together with Kendo?""I'm not letting you win that bet, Awase. Kamakiri told me about it," I say, answering in my own way. Awase, obviously, is surprised by this sudden revelation and groans, pressing his hand against his forehead. I still can't believe that my friends are betting on when I'm—assumingly—confessing to Itsuka. It's not gonna happen.

"That crusty asshole! Fine! I'm not gonna ask about 'when', but still. Kendo is one of the hottest girls in our grade. Practically every guy has a crush on her. Didn't Tokage tell us that she had a fanclub in middle school?"

"Yup. You have no idea how many love confessions she got in her locker. Oh, I remember this funny one! It said, 'Itsuka Kendo, you are the most splendid woman I ever laid my eyes upon. So please, I beg of you, step on me and squeeze my head between your luscious thighs. Let me lay my head on your supple breasts. I-'"

"Y'know, I kinda want to get my head squished in-between Kendo's thighs," Tsuburaba admits. I don't know if he should be admitting that to me of all people.

"No. No you don't. She did that to me a few times. Wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world," I give him my personal experience. Awase and Tsuburaba sputter out spit in unison like twin brothers.

Awase steps forward and exclaims, "You pretty boy bastard! Your head was actually squeezed in-between Kendo's thighs?! Holy shit! How did it feel?! Must be heaven personified in a woman!"

"Yes, it was so good that I went unconscious," I deadpan.

"What? Your voice doesn't sound into it."

"Yeah, because I _actually_ went unconscious. We were sparring and she put me in a hold a few times. That hold happened to be my head being crushed like a watermelon," I recall. In all of my time in Musutafu, I still haven't won a spar with Itsuka. We know the same moves and techniques, but she has more experience. Let's say it's like chess. She knows one thousand ways to defeat me from my current position while I only know half of that.

"Damnit, I can't lose to Inochi of all people!" Tsuburaba exclaims to himself, clenching a fist. "I'm jealous of this asshole! Not only he can replicate any physical tasks, he's handsome as hell!" I'm literally sitting across from him.

Awase groans and bangs his head against his bedrest. "Inochi my dude—_my friend_—don't think we haven't been watching you and Kendo. You two been chummy lately, more so than usual. Something happened, so spill the beans." Heh, something did happen, but they weren't around to see it. Once Itsuka and I graduate from U.A., we'll be partners like Grandmaster and Count. She trusts me—even though I lie and keep secrets—more than anyone else.

Tsuburaba points at me. "Inochi's smiling. It's not his 'I'm happy that I'm me' smiles but his 'life is freaking great' smile. Something did happen! What is it?"

("That smile is precious," Kaibara comments in the back.)

"Well, life is freaking great," I repeat, laughing at myself. "It's not what you think, really. I was just remembering… Uhm, when I was in the hospital after Catharsis, Itsuka was tired. I said that she could sleep and she did, just using me as a pillow. Still, we aren't together, but I needed that after I almost died."

Awase's eyes enlarges itself thricefold. Slowly like a broken man, he stands up and grabs me by the collar. "You…" he growls in a low voice.

"Me…?" I reply in a high voice.

"You pretty boy bastard!" He says it again?! What's with the fury in his voice?! Why is he shaking me so much?! "You got one of the hottest girls in class to use you as a pillow?! Do you know how lucky you are?! Girls don't do that shit with guys! Are you even human?! No, don't answer that! You're not human! You're one of those fucking guys who gets a harem without even trying! Go to hell, you asshole! Use that smile to fucking send yourself there!"

_Clink_!

Kaibara throws an empty soda can at Awase's head. We turn to look at him and he's laughing his face off. "Awase…you should talk. I _deeefinitely_ feel like you wanna sleep with Shojo. You keep talking about her oh-so-perfect thighs and legs," he says, lying on his bed with his belly up. I think he unbuttoned his shirt a little. He's definitely showing off that he's a muscular man. If I was a woman, I would fall in love with him from looks alone—like Suzuki if he wasn't a jerk. No wonder why Monoma has a crush on him.

Awase turns red and lets go of me, shaking his arms and hands all around. He defends himself, "No! I don't wanna have sex with the cutest girl alive! And who's a pervert just like me, so she wouldn't be disgusted!" Never mind, he's not defending himself. He's only digging a grave for himself. "Yeah, I have it bad. I just wanna wrap my arm around her and bring her close. Especially if it's a cold day and she didn't bring a jacket to school."

"You switched from creepiness to surprisingly wholesome. What the hell happened to the real Awase?" Tsuburaba says, and he's right. Holy crap, if Manga heard the first part, he would've killed him! Now, my expectations are subverted. Maybe Awase isn't a total pervert? He seems like a protective guy, kinda like me.

"Girls, Tsuburaba. Never thought Awase would find a girl just as pervy as him… Annnnnyway, is it my turn to say some lewd things now? I wanna go on a rant," Kaibara cuts in, sitting up again. He unbuttons his shirt and now his entire chest is showing. For some reason, I feel the need to take a picture and send it to Monoma. Oh wait, he would think that Kaibara and I are… Yeah, let's not do that.

Awase raises a finger about to protest, but Kaibara shoves his hand in his face. "Shhh, no one wants to hear about how much you wanna sleep with Manga's sister." He takes his hand off, grabs his soda, and chugs the rest of it before throwing it in the trash. Oh my God, he's getting drunker. "Okay! So...You know how I hang around Monoma a lot, right?" Kaibara asks us, his words starting to slur together.

"Yeah…" The three of us answer together. I'm not even trying to mask the anxiety in my voice. Tsuburaba, on the other hand, is downright panicking.

"I basically latched myself onto him 'cuz he's really a dramatic bastard… Gotta make sure he doesn't takeover the school y'know? He teases me so damn much like, 'Oh Kaibara, taking care of me again? You shouldn't have!' Or some shit like, 'I can't go one second without your smoldering gaze, Kaibara! You must really be worried about me!' It's sooooo annoying." Monoma's voice isn't that high, but I don't wanna interrupt him. I'm too afraid to.

"I mean, Monoma seems to...enjoy you as a friend right? Just as a guy friend who likes to tease his friends?" Awase asks, hoping to drive the conversation away from where we know it's heading towards.

"Hehe!" Kaibara suddenly laughs like a drunken sailor, running his hands through his hair. We haven't taken off our wigs yet, so he just moves his bangs aside as he does it. "Don't fuckin' know! I think there's something more hidden in that pretty lil' eyes of his. Doesn't help that I wanna shut him up all the damn time. Just grab him by the wrist, bend him over a desk, and-!"

_Knock knock!_

"Food's coming in." Oh thank God for a random hotel lady! Wait, who ordered food? I didn't. Awase—with his eyes—say that he didn't. Tsuburaba too! That leaves… You gotta be kidding me! Kaibara laughs and stumbles onto his feet, walking to the door and nearly falling over. Wait! He can't open the damn door! The worker's putting our food through a hatch! The entire point of a love hotel is anonymity!

Oh, there's my shades! I pick them up and quickly put it on, but Kaibara's already at the door! Awase runs up to him! It's too late though! He's too slow! Kaibara swings the door open with the metal handle banging against the adjacent wall. Aw crap, I didn't want to worry about Kaibara of all people!

"Thanks for the food," Kaibara says, his voice being lazy and filled with drunken slurs. "Huh? Wait a second… Have I seen you before?"

"Uhm… No?" Now he's making small talk! He's gonna get us crucified by the media and Shiozaki! I dash up to the door and-?!

Kazeha?! She's working here?! She sees me—as Jun-seo—and smirks, giving the food to Kaibara. "I get it. Your friend here was drunk and decided to open the door. Don't worry, your little secret is safe with me." Tsuburaba and Awase appear behind me. Her eyes get even wider than before. "Oh, didn't expect a Korean boy band to show up here. You four are either having the greatest day of your lives, or you just wanna get out of the public eye. I'm thinking the latter. Mind if I come in?"

"Sure, I'm gonna eat this in peace," Kaibara decides for us. He steps away from the door to eat on my motorcycle-shaped bed. Kazeha goes inside and closes the door, taking a real good look at us. Crap...

Awase whispers in my ear, "Dude, I didn't know." Ugh, never thought I would encounter Kazeha like this. It's weird seeing her in anything other than a school uniform, but she looks nice in her hotel uniform. It's black with shades of pink and green thrown in.

Kazeha asks me, "So, care to say why I'm blessed with the presence of four gorgeous men? You look like the leader after all. Even with those shades, you must have pretty eyes." I can feel Tsuburaba muttering that I need to send her away. Yeah, I'm planning on it!

I respond with my Jun-seo voice, "I'm flattered Miss…?"

"Sakuna. Sakuna Kazeha," Sakuna introduces herself for the first time. We didn't meet each other before. This is the first time I'm talking to a lovely lady who's not a nymphomaniac trying to sleep with us.

"Miss Sakuna, I would love your company, but we have to take care of Tadashi who's currently gouging himself in udon. To be honest, I don't understand why he's drunk. The only drink he had was five, maybe six cans of soda," I explain, showing her Kaibara. He's eating a bowl of udon like how Tetsutetsu eats lunch.

"That's probably the placebo effect. He thinks the cans are alcohol, so his body treats it as such," she tells us with disappointed eyes. She doesn't give us time to respond before she continues, "Onto you, Mister Korean, you speak really good Japanese for a foreigner. Not to mention that your left hand has a gnarly scar. You get yourself into a Villain fight or something? You look like an Idol Hero, but I'm not sure."

"I was born in Japan, sad to say. And for this scar, it's a simple accident. Cooking gone wrong, hehe. Uhm, not to be rude, but should you be focusing on tending to other customers? We really don't need help, no offense," I attempt to edge her away, but she steps closer. She puts a hand on my chest, but I don't tense up. Why is she…?

Tsuburaba whispers, "Hibiki, got a Plan B?"

"Run like hell and never look back?" Awase suggests. That isn't a Plan B. We're screwed.

"You sure you aren't Sanji Inochi? Because only he would be this kind, he's virtually the only man who wouldn't tense up when a woman touches him, and his left hand has the exact same scar as you have. Whatever-your-name-is, are you super, super sure you aren't Sanji Inochi?" Okay, I didn't expect Sakuna to be this observant!

"Abort mission! Operation failed!" Awase yells before grabbing his backpack and running straight into the-!

BANG!

Door. He ran into the door and fell flat on his back. I can see stars circling his head. Kaibara lets out a loud burp, finishing his meal. Last but not least is Tsuburaba who puts his hands up, chuckling. "You look cute, Kazeha… New clothes? New haircut?"

Sakuna/Kazeha, don't know what to refer her as, stares at them. If those eyes could talk, they would say, _You guys are adorably hot idiots. Really though, you three__ are massive idiots. What is wrong with you? _What she actually says is, "I don't know Tsuburaba. You look pretty cute yourself. What changed? New clothes? Haircut? It's like you're a completely different person."

"I can explain everything, Sakuna. But, why are you here? You work at a love hotel, which sorta makes sense given the name of this place," I ask, taking my shades off and putting it in my chest pocket. Hotel Sakura Kaze. "Saku" and "Kaze" are in Sakuna Kazeha. Should've known she has a connection to this place.

"What can I say? My dad owns this lovely place. Let's say I got 'the talk' early, so sex is a pretty normal topic for me. I'm practically an expert despite being a virgin, so if you need advice, I'm your gal."

"Hold up!" Awase interjects, shooting back up. "You're a virgin?! No offense Kazeha, but I've seen how you put a banana down your throat. How _are_ you a virgin?"

"Wow, I'm offended. Just because a girl isn't born with a gag reflex doesn't mean she isn't a virgin. Besides, I wanted to be a Hero just like my grandma. Never had time to settle with a guy I really like and do the deed," she answers with a hand on her hip. Huh, maybe that's why she seems like a nymphomaniac. She wants to be in a relationship, but never had the time because of U.A., or it's just an act. Ugh… If Itsuka was here…

"Honestly, I thought you slept with every guy in General Courses, Kazeha… Thanks for the udon by the way," Kaibara comes in and puts his tray on a table. He pats his chest and burps again. Good grief…

Sakuna makes a sound of disgust, putting her hands up. "I get that I act like a nympho—I deserve the rumors personally—but I'm not that kind of girl! Now, Sanji! Please tell me why you four are dressed up as a boy band before Kaibara passes out."

I sigh, finally spilling the details, "Awase found a coupon to Hotel Sakura Kaze and talked the four of us into going here. Then, we had to wear disguises because we are easily identifiable in public. We went inside your dad's place, got a room, hung out for a little while, and now we're here. He named this-"

"_Operation Boys to Men!_" Awase announces with a clap of his hands. None of us match his enthusiasm. Partly because one of us is drunk off his mind and is currently doing pull-ups from the high bar I was just hanging upside-down on earlier. Aw Kaibara, where did his shirt go?! It was on him just a few seconds ago!

"Huh, mind if I make you boys into men?" Sakuna asks, deepening her voice to seduce us. I shoot her a disappointed look. "Aw, lighten up Sanji! I'm just teasing you guys! Annnnywho, this explains how I lost my coupon. Awase must've found it."

"Yeah, can we leave now? I think our time is nearly up anyway," Tsuburaba reminds us. Right, it was two hours. Kaibara groans and jumps down from the bar, slugging his shirt and backpack around his shoulder. He goes to say something, but Tsuburaba interrupts him, "Shut up you drunklord. God, you're gonna have one helluva hangover tomorrow."

"Sure, you can bounce. Although, I need Sanji to stay over for a little chat. And no, I'm not gonna turn him into a man just yet," Sakuna teases us again. The three of them nod and tell me that they'll meet me outside. Right after they leave, I can hear them quietly chatter about how much of a mess Kaibara is. Even Kaibara is commenting about himself. I guess this is mission complete? Operation successful? Sen Kaibara does feel strongly about Neito Monoma. A little too strongly for my taste. Way...way too strongly.

Anyway, I face Sakuna alone. I know what she wants to talk to me about, so I say, "Suzuki. How is he? I haven't talked to him since the meeting, and we know how that went. It was my execution as 1-B's vice class representative." After I got kicked out, Monoma took my place. Itsuka isn't happy about that.

"Better. A lot better actually. He's acting like his old self before Golden Week," she tells me. Hmm?

"His old self? What did he…? Ah, charismatic and arrogant. He wooed 1-D and boasted about himself. Specifically, he chatted up the ladies, especially you, and got some strong friends who acts as his yesmen. That's how he was like," I answer my own question. Sakuna looks surprised for a brief second before giggling.

"If he wasn't your bully, I'd think he was a previous flame," she pokes fun at me, leaning against a wall. "Yeah, you're right though except that...that he's been focusing on being a Hero. He's not obsessing over you and 1-B anymore. Actually, he's not trying to be overly charismatic or using every moment to boost himself up. That fight… Something switched in him from what you said. I overheard a conversation with him and Gera earlier. He told her that he'll be 'The Fox Hero: Kitsune'."

Something switched in him? What did I say again…? I remember that I lost faith in him being a good person. I think I even called him something close to a Villain. I know for sure that I didn't change him from the content of my character. During the meeting, he said that he still hated me. It was my words that changed him, but not me as a person. I want to talk to him again, but I'm pretty sure we'll get into an argument. If anything, I would say that Hifumi's suicide wasn't his fault. He feels guilty, I know that much. For once, I want to have an honest conversation with him. Like in a cafe, face-to-face without telling a single lie to each other. Maybe something to drink and eat too. Wait, why am I thinking about this? The conversation is more important! We'll talk about Hifumi and somehow, the conversation will drift to our past. We'll-!

"Sanji, you're daydreaming again~!" Sakuna hums, letting me know that she's still here. "Gosh, I can't believe I fell for that man's charms, but at least I have you to thank for changing him. Oh! I heard some rumors that the General Courses—the first years—have a little tutoring exercise with 1-A and B. Not sure if it's true, but I wanted to get that out there. If so, then you'd have to talk to Suzuki again."

A tutoring exercise? Knowing U.A.'s definition of "tutoring", it's combat. It's totally combat. I look forward to it though. Suzuki will be there and so will everyone else. "Thanks for the warning. You're a nice woman, Sakuna. You might make lewd comments, but you're a nice woman. You said that your grandmother is your inspiration for becoming a Hero. What was she like?"

"Not like me, that's for sure. She was a gentle beauty that her class adored. Speaking of which, Master Kendo was in her class. Grandma told me all about him and his little gang of friends. Sorahiko, he nearly killed my Nan via love confession; Tatemi, an absolute angel of a woman like you; Recovery Girl, best medic in the country; and Nana, the toughest lady in the entire school."

?!

"Sanji, you alright? That look in your eyes are telling me that it isn't alright."

"What do you know about Sorahiko? And Nana?" I ask. I almost didn't realize how my tone sharply shifted from happily carefree to dead serious, like I'm acting as a professional Pro Hero. This is an opportunity to know about Master Kendo's past. I have information on everyone but Sorahiko, Nana, and whoever her husband is.

"Sorahiko? He went by Gran Torino, I believe. Grandma told he was serious all the freaking time. Handsome, but serious. Oh, then there was Nana Shimura. Everyone thought she was gonna be the next big thing. All Might wasn't a thing back then, but she would've become the All Might before All Might became All Might, you know what I mean? She was so beautiful and badass, but she went practically unknown in the industry. My grandma said it was a shame," she explains. Midoriya interned under Gran Torino, AKA Sorahiko. With Nana, she wasn't a famous Pro Hero from the sounds of it. She even sounded strong too if she's compared with All Might. This is good information.

"Thanks for telling me. You have no idea how useful this information is," I thank her before I walk towards the door. Oh! There's one more thing on my mind. "Before I leave, I wanna know—how was your carnival date with Mantora?"

Sakuna giggles, blushing lightly. "We ate and played some games together, nothing more than that. At the end, I did try to go in for a kiss, but he pushed a stuffed animal in my face."

"He...rejected you?"

"No, he was smiling… I think. Our friendship-slash-relationship is weird. What can I say? He's playing hard to get and I keep falling for his trap. We're perfect for each other, Sanji. Just like-"

"I know what you're gonna say. Just like Itsuka and I. I heard it plenty of times before," I finish the sentence for her."

"Yeah, but Sanji… I know how much you care about her, and how much she cares about you. You guys are pretty close like bees and honey. Yet, I can sense that you're locking a part of your heart," she tells me. Sakuna has an elbow resting on her arm, using it to prop her chin up. She looks concerned.

"What do you mean?" I ask her to elaborate. I can't understand what she's trying to say…

She sighs and explains, "Something is holding you back. It's been holding you back for a long time, hasn't it? It's why you haven't fallen for Itsuka yet, and maybe it's why you haven't unlocked your Quirk too." The barrier inside my Mindscape… That can't be the cause, can it?

Without giving me a chance to answer, she says, "You better figure yourself out because it's true what some people say… The most beautiful flowers are often the deadliest and most delicate. I only want what's best for you."

I nod, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. It's time to leave. I say goodbye, "Thanks for telling me, Sakuna. Have a good day."

"You too."

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

It's Thursday, finally. We can enact _Operation Invisible Heart _at last! I can't lie but Ojiro and Hagakure make a cute couple. A down-to-earth guy with a bubbly girl? Setsuna would gush about it. For me, I'm just helping out a couple of friends. For Sanji? He bragged that he's an… "Ally of Love". If he knew how to make t-shirts online—because let's face it, he's hopeless with technology—he'd print it on one. Ironically enough, he was wearing his trash collector outfit while he was bragging about it. So far, he completed about seven hours of his required forty. He's actually enjoying it because he could "walk and help keep nature pure". Jeez, whenever he gets punished, he can take the fun out of it. If he was sentenced to death, he could take the fun out of the executioner's joy. Sanji is too much of a pure-hearted man. If you force him to work with bratty children, he'll somehow turn those brats into little angels. I can only imagine how Suzuki is dealing with his community service. He has to tutor elementary kids.

Anyway, Sanji is at the Dojo with Ashido and Midoriya. They're setting everything up with the lovebirds. As far as they know, it's a simple exercise between friends. Well, not really. Sanji and I wanted to make today be fun. There's some weapons thrown in and some of my favorite martial arts moves too. The exercises are paired off into partners, including the warm-up stretches. That was Ashido's suggestion… Jeez, whatever happens today, this operation better be a success.

I walk inside the Dojo and…

"Kendo! Surprised to see me?"

"God…"

"No, I'm Monoma!"

Monoma is here. He's even wearing a karate gi with a white belt! Oh my God, why is he here?! Why didn't Sanji text me that Monoma would show up?! He's the last person I want! I kindly ask him, not on the verge of throwing him outside, "Monoma, why are you here? You're not supposed to be here."

Monoma enlightens me, "_Operation Invisible Heart_, remember? Setsuna and I eavesdropped on your conversation. It's too bad she didn't come, but I'm here in her place. We figured it'd be a kind action to show up uninvited. And if you're wondering about Inochi, he's currently occupied. Him and Ashido." If he did something to screw with Sanji and Ashido, I'm going to break his legs. I know Setsuna well enough that she'd mention something about it, but she didn't. Now I know why. She wanted to pop in like a rude houseguest. She did this out of spite! My God… And that god isn't Monoma.

Oh, that shit-eating grin on his face is telling me he did something really bad. Again, I kindly ask him, "What did you do? What chaos did you bring into my grandfather's dojo, which is my only sanctuary in this world infested by rats that looks a heck of a lot like you?"

He puts a finger to his chin, tilting his head slightly. "Well, I wasn't the only uninvited guest. Uraraka came on Midoriya's invitation, but forgot to tell you. Besides from that, it's nothing significant." Uraraka's here too? I heard she learned martial arts from Gunhead, but I didn't think she would come here! Why didn't Midoriya-?!

"I AM A SAMURAI! HYAH HYAH!" That's Hagakure's voice upstairs.

Monoma emphasizes, "Nothing significant." If he did what I think he did…

I take Monoma by the arm, telling this bastard, "Let's find out what you did." We head upstairs, going down the hall to my room. That's where the first stage of the operation is. I immediately see Sanji in the hallway, blankly staring into my room. Everyone else must be inside. I approach him and like an owl, he turns his head towards us.

"Monoma," he says with a dead voice, "why?" I look inside and Hagakure's swinging one of Sanji's katanas around like a toy! Everyone else inside? They're hugging the walls, trying their damn best to not get cut silly like vegetables! Ojiro is hugging his tail, Midoriya is scared out of his mind, Uraraka is on her hands and knees, and then there's Ashido. She's literally hanging from the ceiling. How did she get up there?! She locks eyes with me, mouthing, Please help us.

I turn back to Monoma. He's trying his best to not burst out in laughter. I question, "Okay, why did you give Hagakure a katana?!" I gesture towards my room! It's utter chaos!

"I wanted to teach her about kenjutsu," he replies.

Sanji says, "You don't know anything about kenjutsu!"

"I know," Monoma admits.

Sanji says again, "What if Hagakure cuts herself?! Or someone else?!"

"That will be a good lesson for us both, wouldn't it?" Monoma… Okay, okay. He's taking this rivalry against 1-A a little too far. How about I take him a little too far in the river?

"Sanji, I need you to restrain me," I tell him right before I lunge at Monoma. He backs away as Sanji hooks his arms underneath my armpits, holding me slightly off the ground. I try to kick at my asshole-of-a-classmate but thankfully Sanji is the only thing that's holding me back! If he wasn't here, I would've ended Monoma's career as a future Pro. SanjiHlifts me up higher and goes into the room where everyone else is cowering in.

Hagakure stops being a safety hazard and drops the katana. "Kendo! You're here! Why did Inochi carry you in?" Slowly, Ojiro inches forward and kicks the katana away without her noticing. Midoriya and Uraraka sigh in relief.

"Uhm, I got lazy," I lie, signaling for Sanji to put me down. He does and awkwardly scratches his head. Monoma strolls in like he didn't masterminded this. Hagakure giggles and moves a little closer to Ojiro.

"Thanks for that, Ojiro... You really saved us," Midoriya thanks him. Uraraka runs up to me with a smile that holds opportunities and futures. God, there's so many people here. How can Sanji and I handle them?

Uraraka says, "Kendo! I hope you don't mind me being here, but I wanna train on my martial arts skills! I seen how cool you are! Back at Golden Week, you beat up so many people on your own! Inochi too! I haven't seen him use a katana yet though." Heh, I can't get mad that Uraraka is here. She's such a bubbly and cheerful girl! I can always give her a few pointers.

I reply, "Of course! Sanji is pretty damn good with weapons, especially with kenjutsu. I have nightmares when he fully shows off his prowess. Anyway, what did Gunhead teach you?"

"Grappling, takedowns, and throws. I use it in conjunction with my Quirk, so I was hoping that you could show me a trick or two," she answers. Those three things are perfect for her Quirk since it's reliant on close range. By taking down her opponent, she could incapacitate them with Zero Gravity. If she's brutal enough, her takedowns and grapples could break a few bones like what Sanji did to Catharsis. Good thing that fits perfectly within the operation.

I hum, "Alright, sounds like a plan! Glad you're here, Uraraka."

"I am too! And uhm... Should we do something about Ashido? She's still hanging from the ceiling," Uraraka asks, pointing up where Ashido's at. Huh, I completely forgot about her. She's hanging up there like a cat to a scratching post.

"Ashido! Get down from there!" Hagakure shouts.

"Just give me a second-! WOAH!"

_CRASH!_

"Monoma! You okay?!" Midoriya checks in on him. Hehe, so satisfying to see that actually. Ashido's sitting on his back. If he had back problems, she definitely took care of them.

Monoma groans, "D-Damn you...1-A… Ugh..."

Sanji announces, "Monoma's dead."

"Alright! We need to get this training exercise started!" Ashido says, not caring she killed Monoma.

Here we go…

* * *

Stage one: stretching.

For the record, this wasn't my idea. It was Ashido's and I kinda hate her for it. Yes, everyone should stretch before exercising, but doing it in pairs? It's a bit too...suggestive for my taste. Only God knows why Ashido paired Sanji and I together. I get that we're partners—not romantic partners—but _really_? Ugh, I shouldn't be complaining. I'd pick Sanji as my partner—already have—any day of the week. He's a reliable man.

Anyway, the rest of the partners are: Hagakure and Ojiro, Midoriya and Uraraka, and uh…Ashido and Monoma. Hagakure is… Actually, I don't know. I can only see her karate gi, but I'm assuming she's flexible. Ojiro is just as flexible as I am, Midoriya isn't, Uraraka is, Ashido's the best out of all of us—she can earn a gold medal in gymnastics with her body—and Monoma sucks as always.

Really, I'm only thinking about this so I can ignore what's happening.

"Pffft! How humiliating, Ojiro! I thought you Heroes in 1-A are better than us! You can't even bend down to touch your toes!" Mainly Monoma. I'm trying to ignore Monoma. He's showing off the fact that he can touch his toes without trying. I don't know why since Ojiro injured his back the day before, but it's Monoma.

Hagakure shakes her arm at him, telling him off, "Monoma, you ass! You aren't flexible like Ashido! Look at that girl go!" She gestures to Ashido who's doing the splits with her arms crossed with a pouty face.

"You jealous, Monoma? Lemme see you doing the splits," Ashido challenges. Monoma immediately accepts. He slowly separates his legs, letting them slowly part on its own by his feet scraping across the floor. He puts on a confident smirk, but his eye is twitching. I think he's in serious pain. He's not screaming though, but his skin is getting redder.

I cheer him on, "C'mon Monoma! Stretch those tendons! You gotta show that 1-B is better right?"

"Itsuka!" Sanji disapprovingly says my name. "Monoma's gonna tear his legs apart! Look at his face! He's going red!" Hmph, he doesn't like it when I tease Monoma. It's because I try to punch him in every given moment.

"I...am...not! Everything is very-!" Monoma's body suddenly jerks lower. "Pleasant! Very very pleasant!" he assures us while on the verge of screaming his pain.

"Sanji, you heard the man! It's a very pleasant experience for the both of us. Consider it as 'valuable training'," I excuse myself. Sanji has a look in his eyes that says, Why are you like this? He gives though. He looks at Midoriya and Uraraka who're off to the side. Uraraka is standing up, trying to stretch her left leg up in the air, and Midoriya helps her. Well, tries to... His face is beet red and his hands are hovering underneath her leg. Yeah, he's not...doing well. That look is screaming, I'm mentally dying inside. He's not sure if he should touch Uraraka so intimately. Uraraka herself is pretty much the same way, but she's panicking about Midoriya touching her leg. They're oblivious to Monoma undergoing a medival torture.

"Almost there Monoma! Stretch your legs like you mean it! Be a man!" Hagakure encourages.

"Is this really necessary?" Ojiro can't help but to ask.

"Absolutely! We gotta challenge Monoma at his own game!" Ashido insists, being behind Monoma.

Once Monoma is just a few centimeters off of the ground, Ashido decides to push him down and…!

"AHHHHHH!" Monoma, at long last, howls like a wolf that got its paw impaled by a wooden stake. His scream breaks Midoriya and Uraraka from their stink. Hagakure and Ashido give our friend a round of applause while he splits there in agony. "D-Damn you…1-A!"

"Congrats Monoma! You sure proved 1-A wrong!" I join in. I feel Sanji putting his chin on my shoulder, pouting. Aw, what's with this guy?! He needs to stop giving me that disappointed look! I get that he wants me to be nice to Monoma, but he's way too easy to pick on. That, and he's admittedly cute when he pouts. Really cute… Yeah, I think that face is my weakness now. To get him off my back—or in this case shoulder—I shove my hand in his face and look away. "Fine, I'll be nice."

"Thanks," he says with my hand pressed against his mouth. He sounds like Yui now. Too bad she couldn't join us. She's doing something on her own, but I don't know what. He steps back and walks towards Monoma, who's still in pain. "You stretching alright? The pain should go away, but you're gonna be sore for a while."

"No pain, no gain! Right? I'm gaining something from this, correct?" Monoma hastily replies, breathing in and out. My poor Monoma... Seeing him like this is taking my mind off of how he gave a razor sharp katana to Hagakure. And like the news, everyone else forgets about him. Hagakure and Ojiro go back to stretching together while Ashido cheers them on. Midoriya and Uraraka are standing awkwardly together like they're at a school dance.

I walk up to them, crouching down on one knee. "You're more flexible than you walked in here today. Once we're finished, you'll become a new man."

Sanji affirms, "Yup. Oh, remember that thing with Kaibara?" What thing with Kaibara? Whatever it is, Monoma's eyes go wide open. Must be serious. Sanji smirks—a smirk that Monoma uses—then says, "Good thing you're getting flexible for him."

"..."

_THUD!_

"What just happened?"

* * *

Stage two: bojutsu.

Sanji is leading this exercise. From how "utterly terrible the first stage went"—Ashido's words—Sanji has to step up to the plate. I have no idea how this will bring Ojiro and Hagakure together, but he can do it. Every time he uses the bo staff, the spectacle is amazing. Yaoyorozu dabbles in bojutsu too, but she's an amateur compared to him. I mean, look at how his bo staff moves! It's twirling and spinning around his body, seemingly being weightless. Sanji says it's "incredibly easy to do", but it sure doesn't look like it. Even though he cheats a little by having Adoptive Muscle Memory, his level of skill is admirable.

"Hey Inochi, we aren't martial art masters like you," Ashido states, holding her bo staff like a baseball bat. She tries to twirl it around her right hand, but the only thing she accomplishes is letting it nearly smack her across the cheek.

Sanji winces with his staff hanging on his shoulders. "Yeah, we'll stick to basics. Uraraka, Midoriya, what do you think?"

"Fine by me! Yaoyorozu wouldn't be the only one who knows bojutsu! Right Deku? Let's try our hardest! We can't pass up this opportunity!" Uraraka exclaims with her staff high in the air. That's gonna hit on the lights, and I swear I heard her say, "Especially since it's free. Lessons here are so expensive!" That's true. Lessons here are expensive as hell. The prices get jacked up during the Entrance Exam season. It's why we're able to afford a good place and a foster kid. Best thing we ever did…

Deku puts a hand to his chin and mutters, "Right. It'll be a valuable lesson. I'm not sure how weaponry can translate into my fighting style, but I can make use of the breathing techniques and the mechanisms of the human body. Maybe…"

"Hehe…" And there's Monoma. I'm not surprised that he's gay. I could feel the sexual tension between him and Kaibara. "If 1-A was so superior to 1-B, then Yaoyorozu would be much better at bojutsu than Inochi! Yet, she's just a mere amateur! How disappointing! Do you need-?!"

I incapacitate him.

_CHOP!_

He falls down with his butt sticking up in the air. I apologize to everyone, "Sorry, Monoma doesn't know the meaning of the word 'decency'. We should continue the lesson while this idiot here composes himself." I gently kick this smug and arrogant buffoon in the hip. Sanji shakes his head, but continues with the lesson.

He displays the basics of bojutsu to us. I manage to nail it down pretty well; everyone else is a different matter entirely. Except for Ojiro, they're rabid monkeys with clubs. God, good thing we didn't use swords or else we'd be dead.

"Hah! Hyah! Yaaaaaah!"

"Hagakure, you should focus on using all of your body than just your arms," Ojiro advises. He moves behind Hagakure and put his arms over hers, gripping her bo staff. It's...kinda intimate actually. To move behind a woman and guide their arms? Where did Ojiro learn this from? He's too sheepish for that. Maybe Sanji taught him? Or…

"Hehe… All according to plan." Ashido. Ashido taught him that. She approaches me with a cutesy little grin and says, "Looks like they're getting nice and comfortable with each other. Did you see that they're blushing? Well, you can't see Hagakure because she's invisible- Y'know what, they're blushing! Screw human physiology! They're blushing no matter if you can see it or not. Now, what are we gonna do with those two dorks?" She points to Midoriya and Uraraka. Uraraka, being determined to squeeze every ounce of training out of this lesson, is whacking a training dummy with her staff. She yells some random things about "giving Stain what for" or that Mister Aizawa should "pay" for his "cruel and unusual pop quizzes". Midoriya is laughing like a little girl through it all. He seems really happy around Uraraka. It's like his training doesn't exist around her. Sanji, on the other hand, is a different story. He might be a carefree guy to everyone else, but he values is training more than anything. Even I can't change that part of him.

"Didn't Uraraka give him his nickname? 'Deku', wasn't it? It's not a flattering nickname," I ask, watching them.

"Yeah, but it depends on how you look at it!" Ashido states, putting her arm on my shoulder, "To him and Uraraka, 'Deku' means 'to be able to do anything'. It's his Hero Name, after all, so Midoriya clearly loves it. Here's the real question though—when's their operation? Inochi will love it."

I shake my head, saying otherwise, "God, I know but I don't wanna hop him up on love. You two aren't Allies of Love; you're more like Embodiments of Love."

"I'm accepting that as a compliment," she states, giggling. "Honestly though, Midoriya and Uraraka are so cute together! Ojiro and Hagakure too! Yet, there's one more couple I'm seeing..." Ashido grabs my head and turns it to the rest of the boys—Inochi and Monoma. Not again…

"I get that you're an Ally of Love, but seriously? I know for a fact that Monoma doesn't romantically like Inochi. He is gay, but-"

"Not that you doof!" Ashido scolds. "You and Inochi! C'mon, I asked Tokage earlier if you two are dating. She said, and I quote, 'No, but if Itsuka doesn't claim this boy as her property, then I'm usurping her place as the queen of 1-B.'" Ugh, I'm surprised Setsuna didn't rope Ashido into one of her schemes. Frankly though, I don't think she has the time. As of late, she's been spending less time with us outside of school. She told me that she's fine, but I honestly don't believe her.

I just sigh. "Ashido, she's been pushing us together ever since he moved to Musutafu. We're just really good friends, that's all…" I let my voice get softer at the end, which is a telltale sign that I'm a little disappointed.

_"We have only our fists, but we can handle any Villain our way; no matter who they are. Shigaraki, his master, or even the Order of Assassins. We'll beat them all, right partner?"_

Partners…

"'Good friends' laugh with each other, help each other, even die for each other! But, I never seen 'good friends' so comfortable around each other.""What do you mean?"

"The touches! You touch his shoulder, his chest, his face, everything! He even laid his chin in your shoulder earlier too. Inochi's softer, more than he usually is, around you. Don't forget that this is coming from a girl who just formally met him a few days ago," she explains her reasoning.

"Where are you going with this?" I snap at her rudely. Dang it, didn't mean to sound like that.

"No idea! I wanted to keep talking and hoped I'd come to a conclusion. Didn't work. So uhm, are you gonna marry him?" she asks."I'm going to say 'yes' so you can stop talking."

"More like an 'I do' am I right?"

"..."

_WHACK!_

_SHATTER!_

"Bah?! I'm so sorry!" Uraraka holds her shattered bo staff in her hands. She turns to Sanji and bows for forgiveness. "Please, let me pay for it! I don't have any money, but I'll work off the debt! I'll work day and night! Please forgive me!" Oh my God, how long did Uraraka pummel that dummy for?

Sanji shakes his hands, trying to assure her, "We have more than enough staffs! Don't worry! I forgive you! I swear, Hayami doesn't mind! She only cares when her swords break. If that happens, then I need to start praying to God!"

Uraraka sputters, "I need to start praying to God?! How cruel is Kendo's mother?!"

"I think she broke a man's leg for touching her one time… Oh wait shoot! I didn't mean to say that out loud! She's really a caring person! I promise! She'll forgive you, Uraraka! Don't worry-!""I'm gonna die!"

"Pfft, you people at 1-A are so overly dramatic."

I whisper to Ashido, "Move back." I raise my bo staff like a javelin. Ashido moves back and I hurl it towards Monoma's thick skull.

* * *

Stage three: holds, tosses, and grapples.

I'm an expert in that area.

_SLAM!_

"I'M A BEEEEEEAST!" Hagakure stands proudly over her fallen foe—Neito Monoma—after brutally slamming him into fine Monoma paste. Good thing I volun-told him to be our testing dummy.

I clap, complimenting this fine lady, "You did amazing Hagakure. For your size and stature, I didn't expect you could slam Monoma like that." She puts her hands together—I think—and bows.

"Anything to get this jerk to stop talking," she says before hopping over to Ojiro. Now it's Uraraka's turn. Monoma slowly stumbles onto his feet with a glare heading my direction. Hey, he needs this brutality to survive the torment that Kaibara will inflict on him. A...pleasurable torment, but a torment nonetheless.

"My turn, Monoma! I'm not going easy on you!" Uraraka warns. Monoma sticks his arm out to say something, but Uraraka suddenly drops her body almost to the mat, wrapping her legs around his arm and neck. Using her weight, she flips Monoma over herself and pins him face-first onto the mat, putting him into an awesome hold.

"Ughrk! Uraraka! Uraraka! I yield! No need to punish me like a wanted criminal! I'm a thief, not a murderer!" he pleads, tapping his hand against her. That was both gratifying and surprising to see! I didn't teach that to her, but she did it on her own. Gunhead really taught her something, huh?

"Hmph!" Uraraka huffs and lets go of him, dusting her clothes off. "These new moves are gonna work great! Thanks Kendo!" No idea why she's thanking me, but I'm accepting the compliment. Compared to other stages, this one has been...normal. No one is torturing someone, yelling, pleading for their lives, or being a hazard to everyone around them. It's...average.

…

It occurred to me that we're dysfunctional people.

"Goodness, that's all the trainees!" Monoma stands up with his back bent over sightly. "Kendo, are we done? Can we move on?"

"Actually wait!" Ashido steps in. "I know we set everything up, but I wanna ask Kendo something: How long have you been doing this? You and Inochi?" I look at Sanji, who's standing by my side. His eyes say, _Go ahead, Itsuka. We have plenty of time._

"I've been doing this since I was born. Grandpa is a renowned Pro Hero after all, so it was natural for me to take martial arts as my study," I answer, nudging Sanji with my elbow. It's his turn to answer.

"I got proper training five months before I got accepted—well, kinda got accepted—into U.A.. Before that, I've been doing this since...seventh grade? Yeah, seventh grade. I pale in comparison with Itsuka, but my training is invaluable."

Midoriya raises his hand. "Why did you gravitate towards weapons?"

Sanji laughs a little, scratching the back of his head. "I dunno. It called to me, I guess. Something in me said, 'Hey, I should train in weaponry.' Here I am today, almost a master in everything. I'm the jack of all trades."

"Master of none," I finish the rest of the saying. "You have no idea how much Sanji trains. He does it every night like it's his religion. His body is sore all the freaking time. It isn't healthy, but he can handle it. He was gifted with incredible endurance, but I worry," I tell them. If I could change one thing about him, it'd be that. Sanji's a good person. It's just that he doesn't care about himself like the way I care about him.

Hagakure asks, "Really? Wow, I didn't know. Why are you like that, Inochi? It's kinda rude to make Kendo worry about you like that."

"Heh, I feel guilty about it. Anyway, it's a...long story. Being a Hero is hard work, you guys know that. For me, it's an impossible labor, something that Hercules had to do. If I never awaken to my Quirk, then I have to be a Quirkless Hero. My body needs to be taken to its limits in order to save people in need."

Ojiro says, "If your biological family was here, they'd be proud."

Sanji's face softens at the mention of his family. He briefly glances at me before shaking his head slightly, wincing. "S-Sorry, random headache. But yeah, I-I hope. I gotta...gotta make the world a better place." He's stuttering. His family was always a sensitive topic, but he doesn't get headaches out of the blue—if it's a headache. Sanji is hiding something, isn't he?

"Personal questions aside, I'd like to be entertained. Like, for example, a spar between Inochi and Kendo. It's only fair that we get to see the skill gap between us and them," Monoma suggests.

"Yeah, I'd like to see it!"

"Might as well."

"I only sparred with Inochi before, but I've never seen him and Kendo fight."

"If Deku agrees, then I will too! C'mon! We wanna see you two spar!"

"It'll be a beatdown!"

"Looks like everyone agrees, Kendo. What d'you say?"

Hmph, that sentence coming from Monoma reminds me of Golden Week with Suzuki. I look at Sanji, who's smiling. His smiles are always pretty. Unlike Golden Week, he's fine with this. We haven't sparred in a while, so I guess we could do it.

I give in with a little laugh in my voice, "Fine, we could spar."

* * *

**Okay, publishing chapters on my phone is a pain in the ass. I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though it's mostly fluff. Nothing important plot-wise happens here, but it's a needed break from the constant angst that the last arc had. Please leave a review and I'll probably respond to it in the next chapter, which is called: Spars of All Kinds.**


	28. Spars of All Kinds

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Just because we're partners doesn't mean you can hold back."

"I never do."

"Except for the Battle Trials."

"_Except_ for that. Itsuka, I could've killed you."

"I know. Your move first, Armory. Try not to kill me like you almost did with Catharsis."

"Wha…? Ugh, alright."

No doubt about it, Sanji will hold back. I am too. honestly. If we didn't restrain ourselves, we would be breaking each other's limbs and tearing the bottom half of our jaws off. I only heard about Sanji brutalizing—I did a lot of convincing to get him to describe the fight—Catharsis. He tried choking him out, utterly destroying his arm, and almost threw a knife into his skull. Just by hearing about it, it's like listening to a different person. I guess what Gera said is true. If you screw with a kind man, then expect the devil to come out and play. I'm glad he's on my side, except at this very moment though. Sanji is much more agile than I am. It doesn't mean he can't take blows though. He was punched by Mirio Togata, a man who could break steel, during Golden Week. Within ten seconds, he was able to recover. Sanji now? His endurance must be higher. In comparison to me, I'm sturdy and sluggish, but I pack more power into my attacks. My Quirk increases the weight of my hands, so it's been my biggest focal point when I train. I'm at a stage where I can bend steel bars with my sheer strength. I'm not strong like Togata, but I can measure up to him.

Heh, since Sanji came to Musutafu, I won every serious spar against him. My reflexes are sharper than his, and I know how he thinks; he knows how I think. We have an imprint of each other's styles. His, an agile fighter who relies on swift strikes and moves. Me, a brawler who can end the fight with one punch. If need be, I can grapple him and subdue him by submission, but that's too brutal even for me. This is it. This is all the recap I need. His Adoptive Muscle Memory can only take him so far. It can't memorize strategy nor strength. We may be fighting with no Quirks, but I'll still be the victor! If it was a fight in weaponry, then he'll win. But, we're fighting on my battlefield. I'm glad I get to seriously think about my opponent. No offense to everyone, but no one is skilled in martial arts as I am.

And here we are, five meters apart.

It'll take three seconds for him to cover that distance. I put my dominant foot forward—my right—and get into a stance. He knows that most fights start off with an open right hook, but he won't do that. It's too predictable. Sanji relies on his legs more than his fists, so he'll probably open the fight with that. A right kick to be exact.

He dashes. Two seconds left. There's no indicator of a punch, so it has to be a kick. Damnit, he has a lot of strength in his legs despite being so light on his feet. I ease back, pulling my arms closer to my chest. If he's kicking, then I need to go low. No need to take the brunt of his kick with my forearms.

One second left. He yells, "No hard feelings!" Right, no hard feelings. Being a man, he sure has no reservations when hitting woman. He punched Kazeha in the face during the Capture the Flag game. I have a feeling that I'm the reason why he doesn't hold back. I, a woman, beat him up too much for comfort.

"Hyah!" he shouts. He pulls his right foot back and swings it towards my head. Just as I expected! Just gotta duck! I shrink down underneath his kick. His foot goes right over my head! Good! Counter, then attack! I step forward and stand up, using the momentum to send a right jab towards his head. He—?!

_WHIFF!_

Sanji dodged?! He flipped backwards onto his left hand just before I could punch him! His foot—!

_BAM!_

Geh… Ugh, I didn't expect that coming from him. Within a second, he dodged my punch and kicked me in the chin. Sanji goes back onto his feet with a smug little smirk. Heh, his face is more cute than smug. He asks, "You alright, Itsuka?"

"Is that supposed to be a taunt? If so, then work on your trash talk," I say, wiping the dirt off of my chin. Even when looking smug, he still cares. "C'mon, beat me up, Sanji. Maybe you'll win this time?"

"Don't say it like that..." he complains, taking a step closer. I respond in kind. We're close together, nearly face-to-face. I spread my legs apart slightly, making myself lower. I extend my right arm forward slightly. Sanji does the exact same thing. We focus on each other's eyes. There aren't any cracks in his concentration, unfortunately. Here we are… One of us is getting punched, and it won't be me.

Then, I hear Sanji breathing. His left hand—I knew he would use his left—comes up to greet me. I block his attack with my forearm, using this opportune moment to land a perfect punch to his gut with _my_ left. His body seizes up and goes limp for a brief second, his head hanging low. It's true that he has a much higher endurance than anyone in U.A., but that just means I need to punch him more. He's not invincible!

As he picks his head up, he gets a right hook to the jaw. His head snaps violently to the side as he staggers backwards. I held back just enough that I wouldn't knock a tooth out. Meanwhile, our audience gasps from the sound of my fist hitting his face was uncomfortably loud and painful. He must be hearing the worst ringing of his life. I might as well end his suffering!

I casually step forward and get into a boxer-like stance. "Sorry about this, Sanji!" I apologize before I punch him in the ribs. He groans in pain as he barely gets to put his arms up. Man, I wish I didn't have to knock him down to win! If he gave up, this would feel a lot better! Can't think about that right now! I land a few more punches over, around, and underneath his arms. Tomorrow, he'll be so sore that I have to practically carry him to school!

Sanji, with each punch taken, steps back further and further down the room. He's still holding on. His body is like a brick wall and I'm chipping it down. If it was anyone else, they'd be defeated within three punches. It's taking me seven so far. I admire his endurance so much. I can't imagine being stabbed so many times but still determined to fight. In that way, Sanji is much stronger than I am.

I manage to corner Sanji against a wall. Nine punches. I'm getting exhausted. At this rate, if he hangs on, I'll be too tired to win. I need to rest, even for one second! I stop my onslaught. Sanji doesn't use this moment to counterattack, but to lower his arms. He looks so miserable. Damnit, I can't fall for his trap! He's doing this to let my guard down! I just need to end the fight here!

I pull my right hand back, clenching it into a fist. I hope you can forgive me for this, Sanji!

_SLAM!_

He…? He dodged?! Right before I hit him, he jerked his head to the side! My hand is in the wall! It's stuck! I can't get it out! Sanji—?!

_WHAM!_

Sanji weaved underneath my stuck arm and kicked me in the stomach. The kick frees my hand, but my entire arm hurts. I'm pretty sure I hurt it bad! Sanji doesn't relent. After kicking me, he follows up with an elbow to the top of my skull. I try countering with a left jab, but he uses the force to put me off-balance. I feel his knee running into my ribs. Damnit, he's getting the upper hand! My entire body hurts!

He kicks, pushing me a few steps backwards. We have space now! I can breathe again! Sanji wipes blood off of his lips before lunging forward with a side kick. But, I manage to catch his foot in my hands. I hear him swearing under his breath. Heh, I shouldn't like it when he swears _this _much. Anyway, I grip onto his pants leg and, using my remaining strength, throw him against the far wall. There's no way he—?

He plants his feet flat against the wall.

You have to be kidding me.

_LEAP!_

Within a second, he leaps off and flies towards me with his right hand back. Damnit, too fast! The gull of this guy though! To copy Midoriya's style? I never expected that he would do it! Usually, I could react in time, but my body is too sore to counter properly! I have to take this hit! I hate how adaptive he is!

I brace myself. He punches me in the cheek, a punch that makes my head spin. Sanji lands behind me though! I can't see him, but I know where he's at! I spin on my feet, raising my fist to—?! Where is he?! He's supposed to be behind me!

"Rah!" Above me! He's above me!

_BAM!_

Sanji punches me again! This time, my skull! I won't let him win! I shake the pain out of my head before I grab him by the arm. His eyes go wide, then I slam him down. His body hits the mat loudly, bouncing up a few centimeters. He's… God, I think he's done. I stumble over, nearly falling over. "Hey…" I get his attention, "please give up…"

"Already have…" he groans. Thank God, that was the closest spar yet. My record is still flawless, but I have a feeling that'll change soon. Everyone claps. Monoma throws me a towel—he's finally being nice.

"Way to go, Kendo! I knew you could win!" That's Ashido.

"Are we gonna point out how Inochi copied Midoriya?" Hagakure.

"It's apart of his Quirk, Hagakure. Don't you remember?" Ojiro.

"Either way, that was a fun fight to watch. It's like watching MMA but in real life!" Uraraka.

"Hehe, I was personally rooting for Inochi to win. It seems Kendo is still the champion in hand-to-hand combat." Monoma.

"If Inochi could've copy my style so easily without the use of a speed-enhancing Quirk, then how easily could he copy others? His weaknesses are obvious, but he makes up for it in skill and endurance. It's hard to defeat him in solo combat, but—"

"Midoriya, you're muttering again."

"Heh, look at them… You okay, Sanji?" I ask, helping him up. I start wiping the sweat—and a little blood—off of his face. However, there's a stupid smile that I can't wipe off. No matter how much I try, I can't do it.

"Mhm, you're still the reigning champ of 1-B," he says. His face is bruised, but he's still handsome as ever. "I almost got the upper hand, but you managed to counter before I could finish you off. I was pretty close, wasn't I?"

"Closest spar yet. You're getting better, Sanji. Next thing you know, our wins and losses will be even," I tell him. I scrub off a few specks of dirt off his cheeks. His cheeks aren't stretchy as mine. I'm waiting for the day until he decides to pull them for fun.

Sanji protests, "I don't care about winning or losing, Itsuka. This is a good way to train against the best martial artist in U.A.." Always about training with him. He might not die from exhaustion, but it doesn't mean I won't criticize him. One day, I hope Sanji gets to sleep normally. It'll be the day when he uses his Quirk.

I finish up. Without asking me, Sanji takes the towel from me. "Jeez, flattery won't get you anywhere. It might be true, but still. Our skill is leagues higher than anyone else in our grade level. You don't have to spend your nights training like a madman." I wouldn't change a thing, but I had to try.

He folds the dirty part of the towel in and starts wiping my face. Heh, it tickles a little. "I can't be idle, Itsuka. Everyone is getting stronger, so I have to keep up. A day for them is a week for me," he defends himself. Hmph, I knew he would say something like that. We're two stubborn people when we want something. I understand, though. Sanji is a better version of a human being, but not superhuman. To match something, like Kamakiri's speed, it'll take him years when it'll only take Kamakiri a few months. If God is out there, then I'd ask Him to give Sanji have the strength he deserves, so he wouldn't tire himself every night.

"You idiot… It's not as simple as that," I tell him. Sanji gives me a little laugh as a reply. Ugh, that's not a real answer. And, he's rubbing my cheek harder. It's getting uncomfortable.

"Sorry, this bit of dirt is being stubborn," he explains, and I know someone else that's exactly like this spec of dirt. Sanji—?! He starts holding my face with his other hand! God! If this was any other man, I would…

"Mmh…" a small noise leaks out. I can feel my temperature going above the boiling point. His palm is so soft… He isn't rubbing my cheek roughly anymore; he's being soft with it. The way he looks so focused, focused _on me_… It's…

"There! Got it!" Sanji declares, taking his hand off. Something in me wanted him to continue, but—Dammit! I can't keep doing this! He apologizes, "Heh, sorry for not warning you. I didn't mean to make you so flustered."

"It's fine…" I say, turning my head away—Wait, everyone else is still here! Shit, how could I forget about them?! Ashido giggles and winks. She's trying to give me a message with her eyes, but I'm not going to receive it. I know it'll be something like "Marry him already!" or "You landed a good catch!". Ashido is 1-A's Setsuna Tokage, isn't she?

Sanji notices everyone else too and scratches the back of his head. He throws the towel in a basket. "Sorry, I honestly forgot you guys are still here. Should we continue the rest of the exercise?" Monoma laughs for no apparent reason, Uraraka nods, so does Midoriya, and Ojiro simply smiles.

Ashido raises her finger and states, "Question."

"Answer," he replies.

"Kendo said you two are 'partners' before the spar, so-?"

"Romantic partners! Are you two romantic partners? C'mon! Spill the beans! I demand an answer!" Hagakure interrupts Ashido, hopping up and down. From the way he was holding my face, I guess it seemed that way to everyone else. That's not the case. We're close, but not that close...yet, I hope.

Ojiro comes to my rescue, "Hagakure, don't you think it's a little personal? Besides, it's a bit of a worn topic already. We shouldn't bother Inochi and Kendo. It's not our business."

"Nope! In fact, why aren't you calling me 'Toru'? These two are on a first name basis and so should we!" Hagakure asks…? Why would these two be on a first name basis? They're either pretty close like Sanji and I or…? Oh. _Oh_, you can't be serious. Ashido didn't know about this?! Or Midoriya?!

Uraraka speaks up, "Ojiro, what is she talking about?"

Ojiro blushes, looking away from everyone. His tail wags back and forth though. He's happy, so the answer is obvious. It could only be one thing, and he says it, "Hagakure and I… We're uhm… We're kinda dating…"

"WHAT?!" everyone in the room shouts except for me, Midoriya, and Monoma. Wait, where the heck is Midoriya? He isn't here.

"Ojiro!" Sanji exclaims, putting a hand to his heart, "you didn't tell me?!"

"Hagakure!" Ashido also exclaims, leaning on Uraraka for support from this betrayal, "you didn't tell _me_?!"

"Everyone!" Monoma has his arms out like he's revealing something grand. "I knew all along!"

"Monoma, you didn't tell us?!" Ashido and Sanji ask the exact same question. Oh my God, Monoma knew all along?!

Completely forgetting about me, Sanji approaches Monoma with a deadly intent that I never seen before, yet Monoma isn't afraid. He's standing tall, not wavering. Sanji asks in anger, "Ashido and I planned an entire freaking operation just so we can get Hagakure and Ojiro _together_! Why didn't you tell us?!"

(Hagakure puts her hand out while Ojiro stands beside her with his mouth open. "Hold up, _what_.")

"I didn't want to ruin your fun," Monoma replies with that same old grin of his.

Ashido asks next, "Monoma, you got beaten to hell and back! Why would you go through with all that pain?"

Monoma chuckles, answering, "We needed something happy, even if that meant feeling ten kinds of pain. Don't you all remember how much you smiled at my despair? Inochi, this was necessary. We needed something sweet like love to get rid of the rotten aftertaste that Catharsis left in our mouths. Don't you agree?" Wha…? Did Monoma really went through all this event just so we could be happy? It worked, but did he have to go through such lengths for us? For 1-A even! He's not a total scumbag—I know he isn't—yet it's one of the more selfless things that Monoma has done. It's something that only he could do. What would he say again? Maybe it was something about the side characters uplifting the clouds after a thunderstorm.

"Monoma, I…" Sanji trails off, closing his eyes.

"Hold up!" Hagakure squeezes in-between the Allies of Love and the Ally of Chaos, separating them. "Inochi, Ashido, you two really planned this stupid thing?! And how the heck did you know about us, Monoma?!" Uraraka raises a finger, but puts it back down. She's not getting involved like Ojiro. I still can't believe he's dating Hagakure all along. He's way too shy to ask her out, so Hagakure must've. Well, I _did_ saw them sitting together with funnel cake. They were alone and laughing. That was my first clue which I missed. Gosh, I let Sanji rope me into this ridiculous thing. His enthusiasm about _Operation Invisible Heart_ was too infectious to pass up. And, I would never _not_ help him.

"Uhm, what's the right answer that wouldn't lead to a grave?" Ashido asks, inching herself towards the open door. Sanji does too. They start whispering to each other, but I can't make it out from where I'm standing.

Hagakure looks at Monoma. "It wasn't obvious?" he answers with a question mark at the end. She doesn't look satisfied judging from her body language. She calmly picks up a bo staff off of a rack.

"Ashido, you're a really good friend; we're besties. Inochi, you're a really good guy. And Monoma, you're kind of a jerk," she says.

I barely hear Ashido whispering to Sanji, "Ally of Love."

"Yes, Ally of Love?" he replies, whispering back.

"We need to enact our secret technique."

"Yes we do."

_RUN!_

They're gone. Hagakure turns to Monoma for his reaction.

"Catch me if you can, 1-A! Kuhahaha!"

_RUN!_

And there he goes.

"You jerks! I'm gonna get ya!" Hagakure shouts, chasing after them with her staff held over her head like a bat. At times like these, it makes me wonder why I tolerate Sanji's antics. He's either the biggest goof in the room, or he's ensuring that said room doesn't explode—both sometimes. Then, I get reminded why I tolerate him so much. He has an aura that makes it impossible to _not_ to smile or laugh around him. It's why he's so approachable. When we first met, a lost child asked him for help. Do you know how hard it is to gain a confused and scared child's trust just from looks alone? Yet, Sanji was able to do that even when he was a stuttering mess. I kinda miss that shy side of him. Although he's still an introvert, I don't dislike the new him. Actually, it's one of the reasons why I...kinda like him. Jeez, I'm thinking about this as he's running for his life. I need to find Midoriya. He's missing.

I ask Uraraka, "Uraraka, do you know where Midoriya is?"

"Huh? Oh! Master Kendo pulled Deku aside. He gave us a look that said, _You kids are way too loud._" Yup, that sounds like Grandpa.

It's about _that_, isn't it?

* * *

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Sorry to pull you away from your little operation, but this is more important. Toshi told me that he revealed the history of One For All to you. What did he say?" I ask this little kid. That's the only way I can describe him. Only a child would oogle at trinkets and knick-knacks from a retired Hero's hayday, which is exactly what he's doing. This is seriously the next holder? We're talking about the man who killed thousands—if not more! Yet, he's looking at Zabaniya's sword. This boy really is a nerd, huh?

He points to his sword. "Woah…"

"Midoriya, focus. This is about a man who _slaughtered_ innocents, who ruled Japan from the shadows ever since the Origin of Quirks. This is no time to gawk at nearly worthless things," I scold, never once tearing my eyes off of him. All For One is alive. He's somewhere, and he'll return. It's only a matter of "when" and "how". I talked to Toshi about it earlier over a phone call. That's when he admitted that he lied to me. I thought I'd get furious, but I'm too old for fury. I let him explain what happened while I silently listened. Toshi did crush All For One's head, but he lived somehow. How he lived was a mystery, but All For One is capable of the impossible. When Stain was defeated by Midoriya, Sorahiko told Toshi that All For One has returned; when Catharsis was taken care of, Grandmaster told me the same thing. It explains how those Nomus were created. They have more than one Quirk, which sounds awfully similar to the man who murdered my wife. And, it explains why he taken on Shigaraki as his pupil. All For One is just as injured as Toshi. They're both cultivating the next symbols for future generations. One of which is in front of me.

"Sorry! Uh, All Might told me about how One For All was created. About All For One, his brother, and that I'm the ninth holder. I wanted to ask him more questions, but it seemed sensitive to him. His master, the eight holder, was killed by All For One, right?"

"Yeah…" I grimace. Nana didn't deserve to die at this bastard's hands. "Nana Shimura. We were old friends with Sorahiko, Chiyo, and my wife, Tatemi. At this very dojo, I'm training you just like I did with Toshi decades ago. You're at a point where I can finally teach you how to properly use your power."

"With Full Cowling?" he asks.

"With Full Cowling," I state, putting my hands together. "You might face All For One, you know? The U.H.N. announced that he was the most dangerous Villain in the world, although that's classified to the public. His role during the beginning of Hero History spurred too much chaos, so they practically erased him from the textbooks. Luckily for us, it was easy since during that time…anarchy was more important than keeping records. We are apart of a few that know the truth."

"Really? What about Inochi and Kendo? Or Miss Kendo? Do they know about this?" Damnit, he had to ask about them? They're close to figuring it out. Itsuka and Sanji are smart kids. You'd think I tell them, but I don't have the right words. To explain to my family that a secret war is going on in Japan? The reason that Tatemi—the mother of my daughter, grandmother of my grandchild—was killed? They won't forgive me as much as I don't forgive myself. If they die… If they _get hurt_ because of this secret, then there's no way I'll forgive myself.

"No. No, they don't. One day, they will. It's not a possibility, it's a certainty. When it happens, it happens. Let's hope the world doesn't flip them on their heads."

"...Okay. About Catharsis, he's the reason why Inochi asked me about killing a Villain. He was talking about him, wasn't he?" That explains why Midoriya was in a sour mood on the day of the attack. Their conversation turned into an argument.

I sigh, nodding. "Yup. Sanji had to carry that burden on him, which he seemingly carried like feathers."

"You don't think that's heroic? Killing people? Even if they are Villains?" he questions. A topic like this is out of his realm. From the first moment I saw Midoriya, I knew he had a pure sense of heroism.

From my own experience, I tell him, "Midoriya, I _killed_ people. Do I regret it? No. They were trying to kill the innocent. If I didn't kill them, then they would've racked up a body count. All Heroes fought for their lives. If they haven't, then they aren't a Hero."

"Even if that means killing a Villain?"

"Especially that. Toshi tried to kill All For One. He killed his mother figure, Nana, and countless more." That's right. Toshi doesn't know that All For One slaughtered Nana's bloodline. If he doesn't know, then Midoriya doesn't. The secret of One For All is a tangled web of lies.

"He did…?"

"He did. You believe in a purer kind of heroism, Midoriya. It's not a wrong belief, nor is Sanji's version, nor Itsuka's, nor mine. What we do with that belief is how we give meaning to the world and the symbolism that Pro Heroes represent. Bakugo? He is a true devout of victory and strength. When he becomes a Hero—and he will despite what everyone has to say—he'll become an embodiment of strength; the man who desires power to win above everything else. That is his ideal of heroism.

"Yours? You're like Toshi in every way. Save those who need saving and defeat those who need defeating. You rescue, fight, laugh, smile; you do everything just like him. You won't be the embodiment of victory like Bakugo. Japan will see that Deku will be the next Symbol of Peace, taking off where All Might left. That's your ideal of heroism, which happens to be really damn similar to Toshi's.

"Now, here's the big question: Is Bakugo wrong about his ideals? No. Are you wrong? No. Ideologies can't be shit! We're humans for crying out loud! We put everything into categories of 'right' and 'wrong', stuffing it inside the box like a triangle peg getting through a square hole. Yet, all the world's conflicts boil down to that, doesn't it? Supposed messiahs coming out of the woodworks with a 'just cause' to make the world anew. It's nothing but a folly to create an impossible utopia at cost of lives—both on the opposing side and on theirs. That's what our war is, Midoriya. We're two ideologies clashing together: good versus evil. Really, us and All For One are two sides of the same coin. We both sacrifice lives to get what we want, including our loved ones. _Especially_ our loved ones. Who's right in the end? Who's wrong? Only the victor can decide that."

Midoriya thinks for a second. With that look, a second here is an hour in his head. After that second, his eyes widen slightly, coming to his answer. "I believe in heroism, Master Kendo. _My _own heroism. With Inochi's views and yours, it doesn't waver me. I'm exactly what you say I am. My cause might be idiotic or foolish, but I'm not giving up on it! If I give up on my ideals, then I'm basically admitting that they're wrong, that Shigaraki's—or even All For One's ideals are superior! It's a cause I'll pour my heart into so I can see the world becoming a better place! Everything will be a better place to live in, exactly how like All Might does it! That's what I promise!"

Heh, so much resolve in him...

I laugh, pointing at him with a straight finger. "That's a valid answer. Now, do you have any other questions for me, Midoriya? Other than your training, because I'm going to work you 'til you bleed."

Midoriya gulps before making his thoughts the third person in the room. Once one comes to mind, he puts a finger up. "At the beginning of Hero History, what was it like? You know—we know—more than most historians. All Might explained to me a little, but I'm still slightly clueless."

"We do. At the beginning of the society as we know it, All For One ruled from the shadows. He looked like your average salaryman, so no one expected him. Slowly, he grew his connections all over the world. If he didn't give his brother the Quirk to stockpile power, he would've ruled the world. That's how the war between us started. Once Heroes started to come around, he went into hiding. Today, he's teaching Shigaraki like how All Might is teaching you. That's all I can summarize within short notice." I should've mentioned that, during the Origin of Quirks, there were a few figures who helped fight All For One. They failed, and All For One's brother passed his power on.

"Is there anything else? During my internship with Gran Torino, I asked what was in his upstairs study, but he didn't give me an answer. Do you know why?" Midoriya asks _that_ next. Sorahiko won't let me tell Toshi and Midoriya yet. We have to tell them together, which is annoying as hell. We just need to pick a right time for it, but when is that?

I move pass this subject, "He's always been a secretive guy—asshole too. Mostly an asshole. Well, a complete ass. I'm sorry you had to deal with him. He put the fear of God into Toshi, you know?"

"So that's why All Might jumped five meters in the air when Gran Torino called him…" he recalls, tilting his head down.

"Pity. Toshi used to jump thirty meters. If he felt strong that day, he would jump to—?!"

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Grandpa! Midoriya! The Allies of Love are back—and bruised," Itsuka...says? The "Allies of Love"? What kind of person would call themselves as tacky as that? Wait, Sanji would. He would call himself that and wear an outfit to go along with it. Wasn't that Ashido girl one of those allies too?

Anyway, Midoriya bows his head and gets up. He replies through the door, "When did they leave? I was gone for five minutes."

"This is why you don't disappear, Midoriya. C'mon, Sanji and Ashido look like their souls got sucked out of them," she insists. God, I might as well check on the kids as well. I'm the only somewhat-responsible adult in this building, but I'm getting too old to be one. I gesture Midoriya to open the door, which he does. Itsuka's standing on the other side, letting us see the two idiots laying on the floor. Hagakure—at least I think a floating gi is Hagakure—stands above them with a bo staff. Midoriya walks out and stares at this mess. The rest of the kids are on the other side of the room flabbergasted. 'Cept for Monoma. He's laughing. Oh, his face is bruised...

"Master Kendo! I defeated your disciple! Are you proud of me?!" Hagakure asks with a foot on Sanji's back.

"Ugh."

_SLAM!_

("He slammed the door on me…")

I'm not dealing with that today. My job is done though. The kids are alive. Beaten, but alive. No need to be a responsible grandfather. If anything, this is good training for them. Sanji will have a higher pain tolerance and Hagakure can utilize proper technique. Ashido can… Actually, I have no idea what she's like other than she's pink. Who _are _most of these kids anyway? Monoma's the smug theater kid, Ashido's an alien, Hagakure's freaking invisible, and Uraraka is Midoriya's future girlfriend. It's written all over her face. Midori—?!

_SLAM!_

"Grandpa! Can you be responsible for once?!" Itsuka scolds me after nearly tearing the door off its hinges.

I snap back, "Itsuka, we have an armory—pun not intended—of dangerous weapons above us. Do you think I'm a responsible person? I swear, you're the only responsible Kendo in our family history." She grumbles and steps inside, slamming the door behind her. Good God, that door has been through years of abuse and it's still standing. It's stronger than Toshi that's for sure.

She takes a deep breath in before telling me, "Seriously, you're a crazy person. Everyone outside that door is crazy. I feel like I'm the only sane person in my class." Her tone isn't as angry as before.

"You're probably right. Y'know, you're the only anchor that keeps 1-B from sailing away. For 1-A? Probably Midoriya, but I don't know. He's a reckless kid with an even more reckless Quirk."

"No kidding," she laughs, looking around my office. She smiles at my little pictures and trinkets. "What do you think Sanji's Quirk is like? It's a Mental and Accumulation-type. It might be Emitter too." I have a few theories, but none of them won't make sense. The human brain is a complicated thing to understand, so naturally, his Quirk is just as complicated.

"Whatever it is, it won't be as simple as Big Fists or Reversal. For what it's worth—for how life battered Sanji—it better be a worthwhile one. Something that mixes in his current training, but adds some spice to it. Actually…" I think for a second. Nope, nothing. I had a thought but it ran cold.

Itsuka, though, gets excited. "Grandpa? You got something? I've been dying to get any information on Sanji's Quirk!" She clasps the chair in front of me, digging her hands into the wood.

I awkwardly chuckle, shrugging my shoulders. "I _was_ thinking of something, but my thoughts didn't lead me anywhere. Sorry, but we have to wait until he awakens to his power. What does your friend—Manga Fukidashi—call it?"

"When Sanji awakens to his power? 'Quirk Awakening'. That's the proper term, everyone coins it, not just Manga," she says. Right, Quirk Awakening… I need to brush up on metaology. I forgot everything from school.

"Bah, I'm sure you're more excited than them. You became captive to Sanji's good looks and personality," I reveal her true motivations. From the look on her face, she doesn't realize that I was listening in on her conversation with Hayami at the hospital. At least she dealt with her feelings like a normal person instead of pining over whether or not Sanji likes her. Those kinds of romances? Tatemi loved them _but I hated it._ I loved Tatemi—I do—but she gushed over these things too much. If she was here today though...she would've loved Sanji. I know she would've.

Itsuka blushes and looks away, even going as far as crossing her arms. That's what Hayami did when I confronted her about her crush on Kaito. Like mother, like daughter. "Grandpa, it's not my fault that Sanji is...you know...a precious sort of guy."

"Anything else? Oh, remember after Catharsis? Hayami and I walked in to see you sleeping on his shoulder. He was sleeping too—just for a couple of hours anyway. Pretty sure that he mentioned that you two are partners, but not romantic partners. Honestly, it's a damn shame that you two aren't dating already. He's the type of guy who'll shower you with unconditional love."

Itsuka sighs after hugging herself a little. She says, "Grandpa, it's just a crush, not some 'I can't live without you' kind of love. I'm satisfied being partners with him. For now at least. I don't wanna to ruin what we have already. Once Setsuna finds out, then I might as well say goodbye to that." She almost looks sad. _Almost_. A part of her is secretly wishing that her partnership with Sanji will encompass everything, rather than just work buddies or best friends. It's written all over her face.

"Uh huh. Your lizard friend is a handful. What happened to her anyway? You've been talking about Setsuna a lot less lately." I'm sure that I know the answer. It's her father. I met her once. Snakes are often two-faced, aren't they? That's how I'd describe her. She isn't two-faced in the sense that one is evil and the other is good; at least that's what I think. Setsuna's a snake nonetheless, and snakes can be shifty little shits.

"Life happened. She's still my little lizard, but she can't hang out after school as much anymore. I figure it's from Catharsis, given that she risked her life. Her dad wants to keep her safe. Thank goodness that Grandmaster didn't feel his wrath though," she answers. Hmph, there is something wrong with Fuyushiro Tokage though. Can't put my finger on it.

I sigh, leaning back against a chair. "Yeah. Him and Count are the only two bastards who give a shit about you kids. I'm grateful that-"

_SLAM!_

"Itsuka! Master Kendo!" And Sanji tears the door off its hinges. Oh well, that door was on its last legs anyway. Itsuka and I stare at him, who's panicked for some reason. He shows his text log with Manga to us. I can't make out the exact texts from where I'm standing. "Manga's in trouble!"

Itsuka asks, "What? Did tutoring elementary kids go wrong?"

"It's not that! It's who he's partnered with!"

"Who is it?"

* * *

**Karisuma Suzuki**

…

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OOOOOOOUT!"

What the hell…?

He gets on his knees, pressing his hands together in prayer. "God, if You're listening, please save me! I don't wanna be trapped with this guy! He'll eat me alive! Look at his fangs! They're like a wolf's!"

"I'm right here."

"Oh dear God, it's talking!"

"Wha-? I'm not an 'it', Fukidashi."

"Ack?! He's mad! Now I'm dead for sure!" Fukidashi springs up to his feet, slowly spinning around to face me. He's looking at the wooden tiled floor. Am I that irritating to him? Or is it him being afraid of nigh-everything? "If you want to kill me, then make it quick. I'm coming to meet you, Grandma! Your baby boy is coming home!"

This is the guy who defeated Catharsis? Ugh, can't believe it. How could he defeat someone so evil as him? He's acting like a chimpanzee with its head cut off. It doesn't make sense. Inochi acts like he didn't defeated Catharsis himself despite his new scars. "Can you stop acting like a complete dumbass? Why are you _this _surprised that you're partnered with me anyway? You knew I was forced to tutor elementary students," I insult him.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think Hound Dog would put us together! I came to him like, 'Hey Hound Dog, what can I do to further the goodwill of society?' He said, 'Well Mister Fukidashi, you can foster Japan's goodwill by aiding elementary school students. That'll be mighty heroic of you. Heck, you might be more heroic than All Might!' That sounded really good in my head, so I went with it! He never told me that I have to help you!" He's...obviously exaggerating his story. He needs it since I must be a handful in his eyes—or whatever he sees out of. I gotta say: His Quirk makes him look like a freak. No wonder there's a Villain group out there that aims to exterminate them. But, some people might be horrifying to look at, it doesn't mean it's reason to start a genocide.

I scoff, averting my eyes away from him. "Let me guess—You decided to help little kids because of Catharsis, is that right? You got the chance to defeat a Villain like 1-A did with Stain." Once I found out that Catharsis was the one who killed Hifumi, I was...more than shocked. I should've known that a Villain was behind the spree of suicides. In class, that's all we talked about too, and the two Hero Courses. Midoriya is the stereotypical goody-two shoes who fought Stain. He's one of the most powerful people in our grade level. That's what everyone says at least. Then there's Inochi, who's his inverse. Like what Eraserhead said, it's dangerous to underestimate his strength. There's a murderous look in his eyes sometimes, especially when we fought during the Sports Festival. He could kill someone, and he wouldn't have any regrets. I had to learn that the hard way.

Out of the corner of my eye, Fukidashi droops his gigantic head. "No… It was gonna… was gonna be a nice thing to do, y'know? I'm not doing this because I was ordered to, Suzuki. I wanted something to cheer myself up. I guess I also wanted to get the hell away from Shojo. She's hell. I regret inspiring her to go to school with me."

"Hmph, can I ask something?" I say.

"If I say 'no', would I get maimed and-slash-or mauled?"

"If you say 'yes', I wouldn't be more annoyed than I already am."

"Then it's a 'yes'."

Ugh, he's a handful himself. Still not looking at him, I ask, "Did Catharsis really kill Hifumi? I remember what the news said about his Quirk. It amplifies current traumatic memories, not create new ones. If it's true, then who… who placed those memories in her?" I'm not trying to move the blame onto someone else. It's not Tokage or her father, who were the reason why Hifumi became Quirkless and lost her dad. The only other person is me. I used her to take revenge against 1-B, and it worked. Because of me, they're the only class who's in constant heat from the media. I knew they would scream about a Quirkless man being in the Hero Course because no one thinks they'll become anything great. From birth, they were fated to fall into obscurity, being ridiculed by those who have Quirks—even some of them have weak Quirks. It's predestination. 1-B was made to be loathed once Inochi took one step into that classroom. If I didn't give 1-B the push, then something else would've. It's not an excuse though.

"Uhm, I dunno. Catharsis gave her the noose, but who exactly made it? I can't answer that. It's too complicated of a question," he answers the best he could've, bowing. "S-Sorry, please don't eat me with those shiny fangs of yours."

"Too bad, I was just getting famished," I tease him, also measuring him up. "From how much meat is on your bones, you'd be a light snack." Typical nerd. He must be the weakest man in 1-B, probably in the entire school. Fukidashi head exclaims "!" before he falls back, cowering in fear.

"Y-You promised you wouldn't maul me!" he cries with his arms wrapped around himself like a thin blanket.

I correct his statement, "Nope. I promised that I wouldn't get more annoyed." I flash a fang. "Maybe I should finish what Catharsis started. I'm pretty good at removing blood from rugs."

"Ehhh?!" Manga raises his arms as a defense mechanism, waving them around like a man who thinks they know martial arts, but he's a complete dunce in reality. "You're evil, Suzuki!"

"Wouldn't be the first time that someone called me that," I comment. "Do you have any other creative insults?"

"You're a fox?" he says the most damning thing known to man. My God, I'm a fox. It's not like I was born with this mutation. What an enormous surprise!

"Is that all?"

"Hey! You didn't give me any time!"

"Your name is literally 'Manga'. I thought you're a master at the Japanese language. Suppose that's another thing I'm better at. How long's the list now? Might be long enough to be a novel."

"Don't be such an asshole! Can we just put our petty squabbles aside and do something productive for once?"

"'Petty squabbles?' Wow, I think I might be wrong! You've been working on your vocabulary! Can you sound even more eloquent? Hit me with your best shot. I wanna hear the wise words of Manga Fukidashi, the man who defeated Catharsis with his own two measly hands."

"Hey! I can—in fact—sound smarter than you'll ever be! I memorized many famous lines and sayings from mangas all around! Both famous and underrated! I'll spit out spiritually deep words! Just you wait!"

"..." I put a hand on my hip.

"Oh! Uhm… Why should I… A man who is one with anger becomes… Yeah… People die when...killed…"

"Fukidashi, with all due respect, you're hurting your pea-sized brain. _Wherever the hell that is_. If you spent less time obsessing over mangas, you might actually learn something! Like a workout routine."

"I don't have time for it!"

"Because you're reading mangas and doujinshis. That's an enormous waste of your time."

"You don't get to decide that! My entire family is a nerd just like me!"

"Oh, so your entire family is embarrassing. Makes sense though…"

"Why are you-?"

"Back to what I said: Take a lesson on exercise. You need it."

"Take some lessons on common human decency then! It's why you're here in the first place, Suzuki. I chose to be here; you're forced into this."

"Okay."

"'Okay'? You wanna know the reason why I'm here? You wanna know, Suzuki? I am-!"

"'A better person.' That's what you're gonna say? Sounds a bit off that a good person says that they're a good person, doesn't it? You'd think saying that would defeat the entire purpose. My gut's telling me that Inochi would preach that. You follow his example, don't you Fukidashi?"

"That isn't the point! It's about you, and I know how much you think highly of yourself. Remember Golden Week? You tried to woo Kendo the first time you met her, you were jealous of what Inochi had—what he became. You're sick of the fact that he's better than you in every way! So that's why you had to-" Fukidashi stops himself again. He steps forward and says, "That's why you had to beat him to a pulp. You wanted to prove that he's a lesser man than you."

"He started the fight."

"You started the war."

"..."

"Yeah… I don't know you that well, but I know how people like you think. You're a typical bully. When you no longer had women fawning over you or having yesmen waiting on your beck and call, you couldn't handle it anymore. Inochi is the exact opposite of you, and I'm glad. He's my best friend."

"Hmph, is that how we measure whether someone is a good person or not? By how many privileges they lack? In that case, every beggar and homeless are the best citizens in Japan."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. You measure the inherent goodwill in someone regardless of privileges or lack of!"

"So? How do you gauge my goodwill? You said you know how people like me work, so enlighten me. Don't worry, no matter what answer you'll give me… I won't tear you to shreds."

Fukidashi gulps. He gulps, but he never steps back. No, he actually moves forward. From how intimidating I am, he doesn't falter. I thought he was afraid of everything. This is unexpected. "You think success is—again—women, yesmen, and fame. You haven't changed at all since the Sports Festival. You're exactly the type of person who Stain would kill."

"Pfft, never thought I would hear you say that," I blurt. I can't even look at this bastard anymore. He's wrong. There isn't a hint of truth in what he's saying. "You're right, Fukidashi. You have no idea what kind of man I am. Not everyone fits perfectly in your tropes."

"I-!"

_CHIME!_

Good, they're here. Behind Fukidashi, the door opens to my usual group of five rascals—Yasuo, who wears everything that has a hint of relevance to Crimson Riot; Benjiro, the quiet one who brings books every time I visit; Koko, the resident popstar in the group; Reichiru, the most outspoken and caring girl; and Shinji, who's mainly proud that he shares his first name with Kamui Woods. Miss Fukasawa greets me with a smile, leading them inside. They immediately gawp at Fukidashi. A few curious and inappropriate comments spill out in whispers. Some like, "How can he put on his shirt everyday?" I couldn't help but laugh.

My voice lightens up, acting like the previous conversation never happened, "Sounds like you had a terrible day of school. All I see are frowns." Shinji blows raspberries while Reichiru steps forward and punches me in the leg. That was a pretty weak attempt at hurting me. Her face is screaming, _Wah wah, I'm grouchy and moody. _I politely ask her, "Did you snack on some grapes? Because you got a sour look on your face, Reichiru."

"No, you dummy!" Reichiru punches me again after squealing. Miss Fukasawa has a disappointed look plastered on her face. I shrug, basically telling her that I can't help myself. These kids are way too easy to tease. She gathers Reichiru back to the group as Fukidashi and I stand side-by-side. He curiously glances at me before focusing himself towards the kids—the reason why we're here.

"Kids, Manga Fukidashi will be joining us today along with Karisuma. If you haven't heard already, Mister Fukidashi was one of the students who defeated Catharsis," Miss Fukasawa explains with a gentle smile towards our nerdy hero. "He saved many lives. This event will surely go down in history."

Fukidashi's head turns from paper white to rose red in a flash. He stammers, "I-It wasn't _that_ serious. I mean...no one is treating us like celebrities. Y'know, the popular kind… We aren't...that liked…" He's struggling to get his words out, but he isn't wrong. Fukidashi is still an idiot though. What's that rule again? Ninety percent of everything is awful, but the remaining ten percent is what keeps certain people going. It's obvious where Miss Fukasawa and the little gremlins stand. They don't fall for the agenda for a "better Hero Society" that certain journalist—like Chitose Kizuki—perpetuate. I don't either. I never have. I'm way too smart to fall for their tricks. Instead, I know exactly how they work. 1-B was yesterday's topic until something fresher came by: the Suicide Spree and Stain. Today's topic is Stain and his rotten ideals. There's hypocrisy written all over him.

"You're a celebrity to me, Mister Fuki!" Koko exclaims. Jeez, her eyes have stars in them. Literally, it's a Mutation-type Quirk. Whenever she's happy, the stars in her eyes start to twinkle. But, I'm pretty sure I felt my heart tingle. Koko has an adorable aura surrounding her. Fukidashi's reacts by clutching his chest. I think I heard him mutter that he got "hit right in the heart".

Miss Fukasawa laughs, rubbing Koko's head. "What Koko said. You have fans, Mister Fukidashi. There are some people out there rooting for 1-B. I personally know a few friends who think that you'll be a great Pro Hero."

"And Kari too!" Yasuo counts me in. Good, I was starting to think I was getting ignored again. Seriously though, even I can admit that Fukidashi somewhat deserves good attention for once in his life.

"Mhm. Now, you boys already know the lesson plan. I need to hurry to an appointment. I'm sure you can handle five rambunctious kids," Miss Fukasawa makes her appearance quick. She told me that her son is getting a check-up. I met him once. He's just a little older than the kids we're dealing with. Still has the same maturity as these nuggets.

"See ya tomorrow, Miss Fukasawa!"  
"Mhm!"  
"Eat an apple so you can keep the doctor away!"

Everyone but Benjiro say goodbye to her. She slings her purse straps on her shoulder, waving as she leaves. The air goes still as no one makes a peep. No one. Not even the loud Koko. Fukidashi isn't saying anything. Nothing at all. This is rare. He seems absolutely clueless on what to do. Oh well, it's his first time dealing with kids. No wonder he has that...scared look on his face? Maybe constipation? I can't tell how he feels since his face can't show emotion like us humans. I take out the lesson plan. So, these five need help on their kanji today. Fukidashi looks over my shoulder. He catches a glimpse of what we're doing and groans.

"Kanji sucks!" Yasuo gives his welcomed opinion. I can't lie—kanji does sucks. The only one who's somewhat decent at the subject is Benjiro. Which is the exact reason why he sat himself in a corner and started to read about Japanese mythology. Koko tries to join him, but Reichiru isn't letting her. Shinji, being a little jerk, is still gawking at Fukidashi's head.

Well, it's time to my job. I clap my hands, getting everyone's attention. "Sorry to say, but we have to learn some kanji together." Everyone but Benjiro groans, already sounding exhausted. Koko tugs on my sleeve with a pitiful look on her face.

"Kariiiii," she whines, nearly on the edge of tears. "I don't wanna work on kanjiiiii! Please please please! I wanna do something fun!" Koko was always a dramatic. She tried this method the first time I was here. I didn't fall for it the first time around, so I don't know why she's trying again. Might be from Fukidashi. Someone like him would take pity on her—and he is, from the looks of it.

"I'm insulted, Koko. How long have I been here and we _didn't_ do anything fun? What do you take me as? That boring old rock sitting in the playground?" I ask, putting on an offended tone with her. She isn't the only one who can be dramatic. I'm just as much of a drama queen as her. Fukidashi changes the look on his face. He's staring at me.

"Not at all! What fun games did you come up with? Tell us tell us!" she replies, hopping up and down on her little legs. I smirk, turning her head towards Fukidashi. Why use a chalkboard when we have a human chalkboard right in front of us?

He tells me, "Suzuki, I don't like the look you're giving me."

I wink.

"Oh shi—"

* * *

"..."

"Here, don't let the kids see it." I give Fukidashi a can of green tea. Miss Fukasawa said I had access to the vending machine in the teacher's lounge, so I might as well make use of it. I can't let the kids see, or else they'll nag me to buy them a drink. Fukidashi silently accepts it, cracking the can open and taking one large sip. His tiny throat swells slightly as the tea goes down. Of all things I witnessed, this has to be the strangest. "Don't say I didn't do anything for you," I say, sitting next to him.

"Did you really—" Fukidashi violently coughs. He pats his chest. "Ugh, did you really force me to be a human chalkboard? I get that my head can show the characters, but my voice…" His voice sounds like an old man who smoked one too many pipes. No wait, it sounds like that one weird uncle who comes to family gatherings but reeks of beer and gasoline. For some reason, there's always that mysterious stain on his plain white tank top. That's how I'd describe Fukidashi's voice.

"Anything for the youth. Did you hear how much they laughed? I think their throats are sore too. For a frail little nerd, you aren't the most boring person in the world. Who knows, some people might say, 'Comicman isn't completely useless with his toddler-like strength. There's a tiny semblance of intelligence.' Actually no, scratch that. 'Comicman' is one of the worst names in history." Heh, I hope I don't sound like a pervert, but I like children. They look at the world in such a different way. Society hasn't instil certain thoughts and thinking into their heads yet. Adults tend to underestimate their intelligence because of it. They understand everything the world has. It's in a way that we don't expect, that's all. It might be the reason why I treat them differently than people my age or older. Because some people… some people would try to influence these kids. They'd try to brainwash them into a mindset that'll hinder their development. I might be a hypocrite for thinking that because of what I did with Hifumi, but children are different. They're different…

"I'm not planning to name myself 'Kitsune'. That's unoriginal and you know it. If you get transferred into the Hero Course anyway. You're still in hot waters with U.A., Suzuki," Fukidashi reminds me. Since the Sports Festival, the teachers are keeping a close eye on me. Miss Kojo said that if I get one more infraction, then I'll be expelled. Everyone is looking at me differently in class too. I'm no longer the fake charming man they knew me as. They know my actual personality. They didn't like what they saw. It's the complete opposite than when in Kibo. I'm not mad at this point. I'm done being mad about it, yet it's the only thing I can feel. It's like I have to be mad at something for no damn reason. So freaking annoying…

"That'll change. Knowing them, they'll transfer me into your class. Not only you're stuck with me in this school, you'll be stuck with me in U.A. too," I assure him.

"Ugh…" Fukidashi drinks the rest of his tea, throwing it towards the trash can. He misses completely. I have no idea where he was aiming. His accuracy is like a blind man shooting a gun. He staggers onto his feet and slouch over to his can, properly throwing it away. "Aren't you gonna stop tutoring them when your forty hours are up?"

I answer without thinking, "No, I… I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. What can I say? They grew on me. I can't blame them frankly." The response seems to surprise Fukidashi. I told him he was wrong. He really doesn't know me. All he heard was the bad. It's naive thinking that a bad person is one hundred percent an asshole. There's a small percent—even if it's a little bit—that makes them tolerable.

"Crap, that really means I'm stuck with you," he says as he tilts his head back against a poster board behind him. "Imagine what Inochi would think… Or Kendo."

I frown. "Yibiju told me that Inochi and Kendo are…'partners'. What the hell does she mean by that? She told me, 'I am to believe that Inochi and Kendo are possibly engaged in a romantic, and possibly sexual, relationship.'"

"Did she really say that?"

"She speaks like a robot. I have no idea why, but that's her weird personality trait. That's not the point though. What's their relationship like?" I ask again. Fukidashi sighs and lets gravity take his head down.

"Pretty close, but they aren't...y'know. I have a feeling that Kendo likes him. As of today though, they're more than best friends, yet they're less than lovers. It'll make a lot of guys upset if they aren't already. Kendo's one of the most beautiful girls in school."

"I guess."

"You guess? You flirted with her during Golden Week. What happened to the charismatic Suzuki who can land any girl given to him?"

"She's cute. Is that what you wanted me to say?" I snap at him. Fukidashi quickly takes in a breath.

"G-Guess so. I gotta agree with you though—Inochi is one lucky man," he says as the five chipmunks come in. I had them take a bathroom break on their own. Thank goodness they can govern themselves. Otherwise, I should expect them wearing tribal clothes parading around a pig's head on a pike.

I bother them, "You guys didn't drown. That's a surprise."

"Hey! That was one time!" Shinji exclaims, shaking his arms.

"Bleh," Reichiru expresses her disgust. "Oh Kari! Can you read for us again? Benjiro brought his book! Show him!" she urges, pushing Benjiro towards me. He has his big book of Japanese tales and myths wrapping around his arms. Heh, we have enough time. I don't know why we need the book though. I know practically every story by heart. Fukidashi takes this as a signal to sit down and relax. Benjiro gently places the book in my lap, muttering quietly. I couldn't hear what he said, but he sits down with the rest of his friends. Koko playfully pokes his cheek as I turn to the table of contents.

"What will it be today? We're running out of stories, you know?" I ask with my eyes scrolling through the titles. There's tales of old and new; "new" as in Origin of Quirks new. There's Kintaro, the onis, Momotaro, Okada Izo, and a few about Oda Nobunaga. When Quirks appeared, history wasn't that well-kept as everyone and their mothers start turning up with powers. Because of it, events during the time became hazy. It's hard to tell which story is true and which isn't. Some details seem too far-fetched to be considered reality, but such things _are _our reality today. Hmm…

Yasuo raises his hand and suggests, "Read 'bout the Winter Samurai! The Winter Samurai! He sounds so stinkin' cool! Right?! Right?!" It's Japan. Anything with samurais sound cool, but this samurai? He was one of the greatest. His story didn't take place during the Sengoku period or older than that, but during the Origin. The Winter Samurai was one of the most famous Vigilantes during the time—if he existed. That's up for debate. The tales of his actions sound fictitious, but it could be true.

I nod, turning to the story of the Winter Samurai. The room goes silent with only the ticking hands of the clock as noise. Fukidashi leans forward, eager to listen along with the kids. Here I go.

"The Winter Samurai: Introduction

"On dusk's twilight, there was a samurai who roamed the misty streets. He donned a haori that matched the shade of gold and somber snow with a red kimono that glistened in the moonlight. A straw hat firmly sat on his head, seemingly obscuring his hawk-like vision. Sleeping soundly was his red-hilted katana, comfortably held in its sheath. In a world before Quirks, he would've been an odd one. Yet, he was ordinary during this time. Chaos was the only concept that Japan understood during this time Those who were drunk on power committed horrendous acts on those still powerless. Despite this, the samurai was sober in his morals. He was a Vigilante who preyed on the powerful, seemingly without a Quirk. He went by many names and spun many stories, but one thing was certain—you would encounter him not on a day where the sun is at its peak, rather in the winter when children slept in their beds while snow piled on their windowsills. That was why he was called 'The Winter Samurai'.

"On January's eve, snow fell like a blanket laden over a child. Tokyo's roads rarely been ridden by footsteps nor cars. The only sounds were the chirping of nocturnal birds and the whistles of the soft wind. Yet, evil was plentiful in this night. It reeked of pungent blood that belonged to the innocent. Disturbing the perfect snow, the samurai walked. He walked with his haori swaying slightly without a sound. He trekked like a machine who knew not how humans walked. Every being of him was one. No unnecessary movements or signs of weakness that plagued his body. There was nothing but a still warrior accompanied by the wind.

"Like a still titan, he arrived at his destination. It was a run-down warehouse that held a group of thirty able fighters, all belonging under a leader who promised riches. All thirty had Quirks that could kill, and they didn't hesitate to. The samurai didn't hesitate either. With one foot, he kicked down the doors, snapping the hinges off. Immediately, the quiet atmosphere of Tokyo erupted with battle and blood. Those nearby could hear the screams and yelling of the villains. Compared to them, the samurai had grace in his movements like a bird fluttering through the sky. He dispatched each bandit and thief with one single cut which would painlessly end their miserable lives. Many thought of The Winter Samurai as a ruthless man, but they never saw how he killed. A ruthless man would ensure that their foe's voice die first before they do, but the samurai was merciful. He never once tortured nor maimed another soul. He did what was necessary to end a life, and so he did. All thirty of them were killed without laying a single scratch on the samurai.

"Once he reached the leader, his sword and clothes were painted with blood. His eyes throughout was calm, seemingly emotionless and cold like the winter he trod in. The essence of fear escaped his body, poisoning the leader's mind. Yet, not once did he falter nor repent for his heinous crimes. He was a stubborn man, believing he could defeat the samurai unlike his comrades who fell like a scythe weaving through blades of grass. Of all the riches in the warehouse, his pride was the most valuable object there. He wouldn't part with it even if it meant his life. The samurai didn't contest.

"The leader, whose Quirk mutated his hand into a spear, charged forward, howling like a wolf. Through the samurai's eyes, he saw a thousand openings to strike; however, he stood still. He stood still with his eyes locked on the leader, not moving a single muscle in his body. It enraged his enemy so much that his skin turned the same shade of a red oni. In one second, he passed the samurai with seemingly a killing blow. It would've killed any average man, condemning them to five torturous minutes of pain before they bled out.

"But then, his head fell apart from his neck. The Winter Samurai acted quick enough that his movements were invisible to the naked eye. He was dead. Those fallen would have their tribute tonight.

"Truly, in a world with Quirks, he was the man who pushed his body to his limits and went beyond them. Each and every night, he added to his ever-growing legend. No one knew his true name nor his Quirk. No one knew where he lived. The only thing they knew was to steer away from the samurai with the white and gold haori."

That was the introduction passage. There's still a few other stories within his chapter, but those are a lot longer. It's an amazing story though. When I was a child, my mom and dad—they rotated every night—read me stories before I went to bed. I memorized each story they told me. I still love them today. It's ironic, isn't it? The kitsune made directly from Japanese mythology adores those tales. It's ironic enough that it can make a man think that… I don't know, those fantastical stories could be true. The Winter Samurai could've been a real man. If he did, then his descendants are living in Japan right at this moment. Seeing as how dangerous he was even without his Quirk, then I hope that they aren't Villains.

_RIIIING!_

That's the bell. Koko groans and lays herself across the rug. "Why does time gotta go by so freakin' fast? Too fast if you ask me! Let's abolish time! No more time! I'm done with it! Tear it down!"

"'Fraid that's not in our wheelhouse, Koko. Don't worry, I'll finish the chapter in my next visit. Maybe Fukidashi will read too?" I suggest, handing the book to Benjiro. He shows me a tiny smile before his shyness covers it back up. Fukidashi, meanwhile, stands up to stretch his arms and legs out.

"If my voice recovers, sure," he accepts, hacking to the side. I'm pretty sure there's a smile on my face when he says that. All the kids stand up and pack their things. Even though the lesson ended, we're not allowed to leave until Miss Fukasawa comes back. So, we wait around. Shinji is currently "educating" Yasuo on who's the better Pro. For him, it's Kamui Woods; for Yasuo, it's Edgeshot. Koko is just singing in the back with Benjiro and Reichiru listening. She has a nice voice. Bet she'll become an idol when she grows up. Fukidashi nudges me and says, "Suzuki, sorry 'bout the argument before."

"Understandable," I simply reply.

Manga tilts his head in offense. "Are you gonna say 'sorry' back?"

"Why would I? You admitted I was in the right, so there's no point in apologizing. As I see it, this is an absolute win over 1-B," I explain.

"Oh you jerk! Don't go acting like Monoma for crying out loud!"

"The blonde-haired guy?"

"No, All Might—_of course it's the blonde-haired guy! _Who else would it be?!"

"Ojiro, Aoyama, Kaminari, Present Mic—"

"Why do you know their names but not Monoma's?! After Inochi got kicked out of being vice prez, he took his spot! He was literally in a meeting with you just the day before!"

"Still doesn't ring a bell…"

"Kendo almost choked him to death during the freaking meeting!"

"Nope, can't seem to remember that either."

"She said you were taking a video of it!"

"Sorry, that was the other red-haired man with fox ears."

"Really? There's another guy?"

"...Yes."

(Screwing with Fukidashi is the best thing I did today.)

_THUMP THUMP THUMP!_

Eh? That doesn't match Miss Fukasawa's footsteps. I mean, she wouldn't be running. Wait, those sound like…

_BAM!_

"Manga, I came to your call! Are you—!" Inochi stands in the doorway. All of us—especially the kids—are staring at him. He scans the room before looking at Fukidashi and I. "...Okay?"

Fukidashi nervously laughs, stepping to the middle of the room. This man… He texted Inochi that I was here, didn't he? He thought I'd kill him. "Inochi… About what happened… It's a long story—"

_BAM!_

"Sanji, you complete dolt!" Kendo runs into him—no wait, she shoulder-bashes him. She grabs him by the collar and pulls him down to her height. "Don't take my motorcycle ever again! You could've crashed it!"

"Hayami said my bike wasn't ready yet, so I had to borrow yours!"

"'Borrow'?! You freaking stole my keys and went out on a joyride! You don't even have your permit yet, you idiot! I had to take control using Mom's bracer!"

"I'm sorry, but Manga needed help! I didn't crash your bike though! I made sure of that!"

"Barely! And look at Manga! He looks completely fine after a couple of hours with Suzuki! You overreacted!"

_YANK!_

"Don't hold my shirt so hard! You're gonna rip it!"

"You can buy a new one!"

…

* * *

They went at it for thirty minutes.

* * *

**Your author, Gushy48, is here with a new chapter after two weeks! Next chapter will come out next weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday. And now, here's a thing I do—post-chapter information! I literally copied and pasted this from AO3, so enjoy! Feel free to leave a review and I'll surely reply.**

**Wow, I wrote this chapter a month ago. I knew I had to rewrite the fight scene, which was a struggle writing it in the first place, so I decided to come back to it. A month later, rewriting it was a breeze. From here on, the fights will be a little different. You get to see a glimpse of the change next chapter. Anyway, a few cute things between Itsuka and Sanji, nothing special. Operation Invisible Heart ends and onto Master Kendo's scene! This is the first scene where, instead of bashing Midoriya, I start to develop him. He is still a major character in the fanfic despite barely being seen through a lot of it. Right now, the story is split into two—U.A. and One For All. Every plotline falls under these two categories, maybe even both! You'll start to see that these two stories will come together as one in the later Arcs.**

**What's more important is Karisuma Suzuki. I enjoyed writing him a lot more than I should've. He bounces off of Manga really well despite their initial conflicts. And by the way, I'm not sure how I should feel about him now. One part of me is like, "Okay, I should hate you" but the other is "You're not 100% terrible". Either way, if you're sick of him, I'm sorry. The next Arc will have him take up a majority of the screen time. I said that I wanted Mantora to be the central character in 1-D, but I decided against it. Suzuki is a much better fit.**

**Anyway, that's it. Thanks for reading! The next chapter is the longest yet.**


	29. The Regularly-Scheduled Exercise

**Sanji Inochi**

"You underwent internships for seven days—either hellish or tame—but internships nonetheless, gaining needed experience. Some of you even went ahead and defeated your first Villain; some defeated a Villain that made news nation-wide. Inochi, Tokage, Kamakiri, and Manga… Thank you for taking care of him. I would say more, but those words aren't appropriate in a school environment. If Japan could get their heads out of their own asses—excuse my language, Shiozaki—then they'd thank you. Anyway, I brought the entire staff of Pro Heroes out to Gym Gamma, today. We will do nothing but showcasing what you learned—what _all of you_ have learned throughout your first taste of proper heroics."

Great! I can't wait—!

"Oh heavens and giant mushrooms above, please have mercy on me. I have done nothing but good deeds and practiced mush good morals. By my name, Kinoko Komori, let me pass on to the afterlife with a smile and music in my voice!"

"By my name, Juzo Honenuki, can I please take my costume off? There's no air conditioning in here; I'm literally wearing a suit made of iron. I'm melting within myself." Oh yeah, U.A. said the A/C is broken. How did I forget that when I'm internally on fire?

"By my name, Kosei Tsuburaba, let there be women in the afterlife. Beautiful, voluptuous women. Women of all kinds—curvy, big-breasted, flat-"

"What in the name of God is wrong with you three?" Shiozaki raises her voice at the trinity of praying souls. They're gathered in a circle, holding hands in complete serenity. Their eyes are closed and their heads are tilted up towards the ceiling. If God doesn't answer their prayers, then I don't know what will. Pain has stricken across their faces—actually, Honenuki is wearing his helmet so I can't tell.

"Fear."  
"Heat stroke."

"I'm single."

"Okay," Rin says, moving to the next topic, "so, if this exercise is just for 1-B, then why is she here?" He points to Shojo who's trying to teach Kagesuke to sit. ("Sit Kagesuke sit! I made treats specifically for you! I'm gonna buy your love with delicious treats!")

"Kagesuke's a dude, dude," Awase responds, not realizing that he was talking about _his own freaking crush_. His remark makes Setsuna rolls her eyes beside me. With them, she says, _How could such a man be so dumb? _("Why aren't you accepting my love, Kagesuke?!")

"He's talking about my sister, Awase…" Manga corrects him. I can feel the disappointment in his voice. It hits Awase like how you finally understand a difficult math problem. He shows that he understands by exclaiming long and hard. ("Hmph, Kuroiro brainwashed you so you wouldn't give me any sweet puppy love, didn't he? I'll show him… I'll ask Komori to give him a 'special' threat.")

"Shojo is here because her project involves making a new costume for Manga, and a new name...? Is that right?" Mister Kan checks in with him, which he nods. I can feel that he's even more disappointed in himself and Awase. ("His Hero Name is stupid and you guys know it!" Thanks Shojo, very cool.)

Mister Kan sighs and shakes his head, giving the floor to Recovery Girl. To our left, two robots take off the white drape that was covering a...chair? A chair with a bunch of wires with pads at the end. It looks high-tech… Wait, isn't this a device that can measure someone's AP levels? Those are a measurement made by a Japanese scientist I believe, which I can't remember the name. It can accurately determine how powerful someone is with their Quirk.

Recovery Girl sighs as well, tapping the rod end of her large syringe against the dirt ground. "Yeah yeah, this is an AP Chair. Mayor Yamamoto," (Honenuki scoffs,) "recently passed a law that made it compulsory for Hero Schools, like us, to measure your AP levels. Who here is aware of what AP is exactly?" Setsuna raises her hand. Recovery Girl nods, letting her speak.

Setsuna showcases her vast intelligence, "AP actually stands for 'meta-adenosine triphosphate', but no one wants to call it 'MATP', so they shortened it to 'AP'. Let's see… Our Quirks makes our body produce AP so our Quirks is sufficiently supplied with energy. Without it, we're toast. Some people can produce higher levels of AP because their Quirks need more AP, so they have the stronger Quirks in most circumstances. That's apart the modern Quirk theory made a few decades ago. I'm not gonna go over the rest of the Quirk theory because it's a lot."

"It is," she agrees before her body slouches over slightly. "What Tokage didn't cover, which is very important, was that AP measures your average levels in your body. It's like temperature, which measures the average heat throughout your body. Let's take Kendo's Quirk for example. If we stick a needle in her fist while it's enlarged, her AP levels would go through the roof. It's not a very accurate measurement, no? That's why we take the average. If we boil water in a metal pot over a small flame, we measure the temperature of the water, not the fire itself. Makes sense, right?

"Anyway, y'know Suzuki? 'Course you know Suzuki, he nearly killed Inochi. If we take his AP levels when he's in his normal state and measure his levels while in his Nine Tails Form, then they'd be drastically different. 'Why?', you may ask? His Nine Tails Form increases his power by a crap ton, so naturally, it'll increase his AP levels too. Really, it's only useful to measure them while you're a normal human being—relatively anyway since all of you are freaks, no offense—so we can compare them at the end of the year."

Shishida raises his hand. "Miss Shuzenji, I ponder… Can you elaborate more on the subject? I'm afraid we haven't reached this unit in Metaology." Mhm, we are currently learning about the variety of Quirks in our world. How was it described again…? It was the same motto with Darwin. Oh right, it was "descent with modification".

"Alright, I'll enlighten you," she replies, standing up straight. "Like what Tokage said, these molecules are everywhere on your body. It's like ATP, which stores energy that your body needs, but with Quirks. However, AP measures the concentration of those molecules since different people need different amounts for their Quirks to function properly. Now theoretically, for a Quirkless man—not someone like Inochi—wouldn't have a lick of AP, wouldn't they?"

We nod in unison, confident in our answer.

"Wrong," she announces. There goes our confidence. "Everyone has AP levels that are greater than zero. That means, even without a Quirk, Quirkless still produces AP even though they don't have a Quirk to expend it. It might be a low amount, but they do nonetheless. This led to David Shield, some of you might know him, creating a theory that Quirkless might have a Quirk after all, but that's the simplified conclusion. It's interesting though, isn't it? Anyway, before we conduct legally-allowed torture, we need to torture you by putting ya in this chair. C'mon, don't be scared." Recovery Girl pats her little torture machine.

Huh… I'm sensing a dangerous presence from that thing.

"Why is she smiling like that?" Shoda asks Monoma. He's staring at Recovery Girl, taking in every elderly detail about her. She's an adorable old lady, but…

He answers, "Shoda, that woman is a kind devil draped as a nurse. I'd rather not make her angry…"

"Bro, I don't think I can handle this! I heard someone died while being tested on! I don't wanna die! I still hafta punch the snot outta Villains!" Tetsutetsu worries, pulling on tufts of his silver-colored hair. None of us dare to approach the machine. Recovery Girl clicks her tongue, but—!

Yui?! She brushes past me! I don't sense any fear within her eyes! There is no ounce of doubt welling in her brain! She quickly exchanges a glance with me, saying, _Coward._ Even with her eyes, she's still saying less than three words a sentence! Setsuna hugs my arm as we watch Yui sit in the chair without a single change of emotion. "Hang in there Yui! You can make it through this!" she shouts words of encouragement.

Yui gives us a thumbs up as Recovery Girl walks over to a nearby console.

"Go Kodai!" Tetsutetsu cheers, pumping his fist in the air.

"Go Kodai go Kodai go!" Pony joins along. She jumps around Kamakiri who isn't very thrilled.

"You're a tough woman! I'm lucky I don't have to get tested on," Shojo comments, still not successful in training Kagesuke. He's currently playing with a mushroom that Komori made for him.

"The entire school is required to do this, Shojo," Manga tells her.

"What."

"Yui isn't afraid of anything," Itsuka says with a smile, then it falls. "It scares me a lot, actually.

"Does she scare you more than Sanji when he's angry? Because _man_, he gets terrifying." Setsuna asks like I'm not there. Yeah, she isn't hugging my arm or anything…

"Definitely. Once Sanji swears, you can kiss your life away. I…" Itsuka doesn't say anything after that. Her eyes… It's somber. She must be remembering our conversation before I fought Catharsis. I swore then, didn't I? I try not to swear, but out of anger or during fights, it just comes out.

"If it helps, I don't go out of my way to be angry," I finally speak. "I try my best not to...kill or maim anyone." I have a katana, wakizashi, tanto, and a crossbow; and, I'm not trying to kill anyone. Seems fitting.

"Yeah…" Itsuka trails off. She tilts her head towards me with a smile I adore. I smile back. Before we know it, Recovery Girl announces that Yui is done with her test. On the screen just above the chair, her AP level is 335.

She explains, "This number fits according to Kodai's Quirk. For your information, All Might's peak was 15,000 AP. Some of you will go beyond a thousand; some will go under a thousand. It doesn't mean crap. All of you are strong in your own ways. AP levels just say whose Quirk is stronger in scientific terms. Science can't discern strength from how many variables reality has."

"Heh, guess Midoriya has one of the highest AP levels given how powerful his Quirk is," Itsuka comments. "Size doesn't let Yui do much other than make things bigger or smaller, so it makes sense for it to be lower than others."

"Wonder what my AP levels are like…" I ask myself. The day before, I entered my Mindscape for my monthly checkup. Compared to the twenty thousand Dreams I gathered, it was increased to 23,510. I gained a few thousand. I also performed an experiment too, which I'm pretty proud for formulating it on my own. In a convenience store, I entered my Mindscape and checked my current number. Afterwards, I exited and brought a soda, shaking hands with the cashier. Then I entered it again. The number went up by one single Dream. This confirms that I'm able to gather Dreams if I touch a new person. That's why it's been increasing by the thousands. I'm in one of the largest cities in Japan. There's a hundred new faces every time I go out. Even if it's a simple brush of a shoulder, it's still enough to count.

Setsuna tugs on my arm, saying, "Only one way to find out."

* * *

"Hmm, this can't be right," Recovery Girl mumbles. I'm the last one to take the test, and of course something was wrong with me. I take the pads off of my skin, turning to her. She's biting her lip as she furiously types on her keyboard. Her wrinkly fingers are moving so fast for someone her age…

"What's wrong?" I sit on the side of the chair. Everyone else is, including the teachers, staring at me—no, they're staring at the screen above me. I can't see it from where I'm at. What's my score?

"Dude," Awase says in amazement. "Your AP level is 1,257." Eh?! That's the highest in the class! That means—if I'm remembering right—the scores are:

Me: 1,257

Shishida: 1,010

Shiozaki: 1,002

Shoda: 989

Manga: 912

Tetsutetsu: 888

Honenuki: 809

Itsuka: 750

Setsuna: 734

Komori: 688

Bondo: 568

Yanagi: 541

Pony: 513

Kamakiri: 510

Kuroiro: 487

Rin: 463

Awase: 432

Tsuburaba: 423

Kaibara: 399

Yui: 335

Monoma: 156

"I...have the highest score?" I ask, bewildered. I get on my feet and… God, I actually got 1,257 as my AP level… How is that possible? I've been inactive with my Quirk for my entire life. Logically speaking, I should be at the bottom with Monoma! I see Mister Kan whispering about me to the other teachers. They look amazed like me.

We turn to Recovery Girl for an explanation. "Well, I triple-checked and the damn thing is measuring right. Inochi has the highest AP level in 1-B, and the fourth highest in the first-years—with the other two being Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo in that order. It gets even stranger though. The machine also calculates the growth potential of your AP levels. Guess what's his predicted maximum growth? Over 12,500. That's getting close to All Might's peak. It could be even higher since this technology is not even close to perfected."

My potential is _what?_!

"God damn… Quirkless, what kind of Quirk you got?" Kamakiri asks me while I'm staring at my hand. I… I inherited Dreams from my father, but it keeps leaving me with questions. Every time I answer one, two more spring up. My Quirk is like Midoriya's—an enigma wrapped in a mystery shrouded by a riddle, or however that saying goes. What kind of Quirk do I have…?

"Hot damn," Snipe laughs with his hands rested against his hip. "Boah, you better know that we have high hopes f'ya. I ain't one to put such impossibly high expectations on a child, 'specially since your unfortunate circumstances, but you proved your worth countless times. Once we smack the Quirk Awakening outta ya, you'd be a new man." Quirk Awakenings… I heard that jumps your AP score up a few hundred. Every Pro Hero should expect at least one Quirk Awakening during their career. It usually happens during life-or-death situations, and we get put into that on a daily basis.

Ectoplasm agrees with him, adding, "It's rare that someone's potential is over 10,000 AP. That number guarantees a spot in the top ten. A case such as yours has never appeared, so expect Recovery Girl to perform more tests on you. Moving on, it seems that you're only at ten percent of your power. I ensure you that you'll be worked the hardest out of 1-B. We'll see to it that your Quirk awakens."

"Good thing his endurance is one of the highest here!" Midnight chimes in with a bright smile. "Every night, he trains until his muscles are aching in every nook and cranny! With a handsome and youthful man as him, it's unexpected! But, I always loved hidden surprises," she says the last part with a sultry tone.

Present Mic takes a few steps away from her. "Nemuri… I'm going to ignore what you just said. You're making me uncomfortable."

"You—!"

"Back on topic before Midnight goes on one of her rants…" Mister Kan says, ushering me back to the rest of the class. He has a proud and beaming smile. I can tell he'll gloat about this to Mister Aizawa. "Seems like we have a top Hero in the making. But, today isn't about Inochi. We'll have you showcase your skills to each of us and grade you accordingly. Under our eyes, you're equal. No power level can determine if you're better than anyone else. Such thinking makes you arrogant! I won't have such degenerate thinking brewing in your minds, got that?! Now—!"

_SMASH!_

_WHOOOSH!_

All Might smashes through the doors with hurricane-like winds accompanying him. "I AM HERE!" Manga nearly flies away from how powerful the wind is.

"And very late," Mister Kan announces. "Where in the world were you?"

"PAPERS—Ahem, papers. I had a lot of papers to grade. I lost track of time and ran here as fast as I could. But good news! 1-B passed their test with flying colors!"

Everyone erupts in cheers. Some of us—namely Honenuki—is giving All Might a hug.

"Hell yeah!"

"I already knew I passed."

"I thought I failed that for sure!"

"I freaking hated the essay."

But, I can see how the other teachers are looking at him. I can feel them saying, _All Might didn't grade the tests, did he? _

If he didn't, then thank God. I only wrote one page for my essay. I guessed my way through the prompt. Anyway...it's time for our legally-allowed torture.

"RATATATATATATAAAAA!" Tetsutetsu obliterates a concrete target that Cementoss created for him. He punched it so many times that someone's innards would become mush by the time he runs out of energy. It's one thing if it's from a strong man such as him, but another if his skin is similar to iron or steel.

After songs of praises from Cementoss, it's Itsuka's turn. She stretches her shoulders, preparing herself. It's just a show. I know her well enough. She breaks concrete like it's paper. She doesn't need warm-ups; warm-ups need her. Like usual, she pulls back her right fist, still in its regular size. Then, like thunder, she cracks.

_BAM!_

Enlarging her fist at the last second, she punches through the target without breaking a sweat. Cementoss is thoroughly impressed and writes something down, giving her a few tips. Itsuka doesn't need them, but she accepts Cementoss's advice so she doesn't seem rude or arrogant. She walks over to me, where I'm currently sitting on a bench, polishing my katana. "Armory, you seem pretty happy. Confused, but happy."

"Well, 'bewildered' would be a good word for it. How would you react when you're predicted to be a top Pro Hero?" I hypothetically ask her, setting my katana across my lap. She sits down next to me. We're watching Present Mic cheer Tsuburaba on. He's...blowing the largest bubble he can. His face is the same color as water…

"Proud for one," she answers before leaning her back against the wall. "Been meaning to talk to you about your Quirk anyway, Mister Top Pro Hero. You're immune to Catharsis, aren't you? Your Quirk is a Mental-type like his. I'm guessing you're also immune to Shinso's Quirk too." She figured it out already? It was a logical conclusion, I guess. To cancel something out, it's usually the inverses or opposites like -1 and 1. The same logic can be applied here. Jeez, Itsuka's way too smart for me.

"Guess so. Everyday, I'm finding out new things about my Quirk. The other day, I found out that I'm immune to Catharsis right as it hit me, and today, my Quirk has a really high growth potential," I say, finishing up with my polishing. I quickly sheathe it, not cutting Itsuka again. No matter how much she forgives me, I will keep apologizing.

"It almost makes me jealous… Almost," she almost complains…almost. "Having a super powerful Quirk is fun and all, but have it be a mystery to everyone, including _you_? Too much of a hassle. It might even be self-destructive like Midoriya's Quirk, and we know how much of a mystery that is, too. On that thought, what kind of family secret does the Inochis have?"

Heh, it seems like every family has secrets. Mine...shouldn't be world-breaking, right? I answer, "Don't know, but it's probably similar to Pandora's box. Once we figure it out—_if_ we figure it out—we won't be able to un-remember it. Same with Midoriya and All Might when we get to the bottom of their case."

"That's a guarantee," she agrees, then her eyes soften. Itsuka glances at my left hand, tracing my scar with her eyes. "Sanji, how do you do it?"

I tilt my head in confusion. "Do what?" I ask her to elaborate.

"Not be afraid of dying, or throwing yourself into a situation where you'll feel all sorts of pain. Setsuna told me that you ran straight outside after Kamakiri was hit," she tells me, her voice speeding up. A twinge of anxiety and worry fills her throat. She continues, "That was so reckless of you! If you weren't immune, I—"

"Itsuka," I stop her before she spirals down. Even though she didn't fight Catharsis herself, she feels the trauma from the event. I'm… I'm too blessed to have someone who cares so much about me.

Itsuka shakes herself out of her descent. "Right… But, I still want to know. There's no one like you, Sanji. You shook Catharsis's attack off like it's nothing. You don't look like a man who almost _died_." Is that what she's worried about? Really, when Catharsis was about to drive that knife into my chest, I only felt remorse for leaving my friends. That's what I remember, at least. My memories are a little hazy.

"I...don't know what to say. Dying or pain, I just don't care about those things. If I fear them, then it'll get in the way of being a Hero. Call me a masochist if you want, but I'm willing to go through hell to save people," I answer—I try my best to answer. I don't understand why Itsuka is asking me a question like that.

Itsuka jerks her arms like she's going to punch me, but stops. She clutches her qipao, making her knuckles turn pale white. She scolds, growling, "I'm the only person who gives a damn about you, including yourself! I care about you more than you care about yourself, which is nearly non-existent! Even Suzuki cares about you more than you do! Mom and I, we're the only ones who cried when you were in the hospital! Grandpa looked so… I don't know! I never thought a man could make a face like he did!

"I admire you; you're the one who makes me happy, but you're an idiot! What's going on with you, Sanji?" she finishes while I could only let myself get berated. I'm… I don't understand. I don't understand why she _doesn't_ understand. My way of becoming a Pro Hero lived with me ever since I found my motivation. It's been my mantra to life. I thought being selfless was natural.

"Itsuka, I—!"

"OI, INOCHI! YER UP NEXT, BOAH!" Snipe yells at me from across the gym with his revolver in his right hand. With his other hand, he taps his wrist. Dang it… I stand up, but Itsuka grabs my hand before I leave.

She says, "We're not done talking about this, Sanji… I do care about you though, so much…"

"I know. I'll make it up to you somehow," I promise before she lets go. Slowly, I walk up to Snipe with my heart feeling a little heavy.

And then Snipe yells at me about ten meters away, "Why you walkin' so damn slow?! Lover's quarrel or somethin' like that? Drop that from yer mind! Heroes ain't goofin' off with dandy lil' walks n'the park, ain't we?! Villains're 'bout all 'round this gray des-_sert_, partner!" Okay, I can barely understand his accent! It's not like Kamakiri's, but it's totally different! It's like he's mimicking an American cowboy in the Wild West! His class is the hardest just because I can't understand him during his lectures!

Whatever he said, I stop walking and start jogging to him. Kaibara's flat on his belly behind Snipe with only one eye appearing behind his hair. He's warning me. Those eyes say, _Run while you still can, Inochi. _Ah… I can sense death coming from Snipe. If auras were visible, then he'd be emitting black. From experience, Snipe doesn't like it when we show weakness, so I stand tall and proud. "Mister Snipe! I'm here! What-?!"

_WHACK!_

He karate-chops the top of my head. My cheeks puff out slightly with the rest of my sentence coming up in a jumbled mess. He criticizes, "Yer late, boah. 'Spected yer behind comin' up to face mah ugly mug 'bout five seconds before you met yer utterly pitiful demise. When I command ya to quick'n yer pace, _quick'n_ yer damned pace like yer life depends on it, gosh darn it! Ya get what I'm tryna say? Nod yer head."

I nod mah head. Talkin' like this is mighty fun, I ain't gonna lie. I ain't 'bout the life of mimickin' others though since it's a rude thing to do. Least that's how I view it. If I get caught by Mistah Snipe, then I have a snowball's chance in Hell of gettin' off scot-free. I should stop thinkin' like this now.

"Good. Durin' yer internship with Detective an' Frenchie, a lil' birdie told me that you cut a bullet clean through the middle like hot knife through butter. This a true rumor, Inochi? Answer truthfully now or face a punishment that ain't as kind as you," he asks that if I actually split a bullet in half. That's what I gathered.

I salute and truthfully answer—honest to God, "Yessir! Well, technically… The criminal whispered before he took a shot at me. I reacted to the whisper, not the gunshot itself. But, I've been training on reflex training with Master Kendo. He can split storms of bullets. I think I'm almost at a position where I can react to gunfire."

"Friend, you prepared to test that?" Snipe...asks?

"Wh-What do you mean?"

He spins his revolver around his fingers. The barrel crosses me multiple times, but it never once fires. "_Friend,_ you prepared to test that?" Why did he ask that again?!

"Uhm, yes! Yes! If I can ask, what does the test involve?" I inquire. As an answer, he pushes the cylinder out and loads a _real _cartridge in with _real_ bullets.

"Hope yer Quirk makes you bullet-proof, boah. If that ain't the case, well it's a damn shame."

Oh no.

* * *

**Shihai Kuroiro**

_POP POP!_

"What's going on over there?" the jester whose name is Honenuki asks me, the abyss watcher. His iron-plated helmet clad with orange and black rests on his lap like a mother looking down upon their infantile child. I passed the test administered by Midnight, the accursed nymphomaniac whose obsession is the youthly passion we exert in our daily lives. With a smile that seeks success and fortune, I ran through an obstacle course similar to the ones I went through during gym class in junior high. It was pitifully easy. My skills are immeasurable especially in speed and agility. To jump from shadow to shadow, from darkness to darkness, from forbidden realms that shelter men like myself, it was an easy task. From Beowulf's teachings, I steeled myself on my strengths and covered my damning weakness—light. My cloak is such protection. It is made from the darkest material on Earth: vantablack! It absorbs nearly all the light that the sun expels! No matter what, it will never be shined upon! It will remain as the shadow that light casts! The haven where I can escape when all darkness is revealed! Nevertheless, I passed Midnight's test. That is an important point to make. It seems—! "Kuroiro, you look like you're monologuing to yourself."

"I am not. I am merely reflecting on recent events, Honenuki. What was it that you asked? The gunshots? If so, Snipe is shooting bullets into Inochi," I tell him. Snipe must be testing Inochi on his reflexes. A strong man cursed with enigmas, he is. Not only he's predicted to be a top Pro Hero, he's suffering from many unfortunate circumstances. I don't envy his strength. His position is filled with sorrows. His strength—his heart, not body—is like no other. That… I do envy. How does he deal with lost so well? He surely lost many things, correct?

"I'm sure Inochi'll be okay," he assures me. ("THAT BULLET GRAZED MY CHEEK, MISTER SNIPE!" "YER FINE, BOAH! TRY AGAIN!") Honenuki nods and assures me once more, "Yup, he got this in the bag."

"You sound awfully confident," I comment on his tone. "Since your internship with the snow maiden, you've been acting differently. You jest many times, yet your voice has more conviction than before, Honenuki. What changed your heart?" Before, Honenuki was a jester who was one of the smartest students in the class. He barely did homework, but he always receives the highest marks on tests. Then, however, his beliefs were...uncertain and childish to an extent. When 1-B was dealing with the brunt of the media's backlash, he told more jokes. They weren't jokes to lift our moods but rather...jokes to cheer himself up. I saw it in his eyes.

"O' darkened one, I've been disillusioned to the aspects of heroism that built our society as we know it. The true light has cleared the snow from my path, beckoning me to stride upon it," he says in a tone akin to mine.

"Talk in your own voice. Don't you dare mimic mine," I say with a veiled threat hiding within my throat. Honenuki bursts out in a chuckle, putting his hands up to show he means no harm. What a fool…

"Fine fine… I didn't expect heroism to be so...cutthroat, y'know? Mayor Yamamoto only cares about money and appearances. In fact, that's why he forced U.A. to make them measure our AP levels. He wants information to give to his friends in high places. That aside, the media is also really crappy. When I was a young boy, I never thought society would hate the heroes that protect them. That really shook me up, but Yuki-onna showed me the light. We are adrift in a blizzard, Kuroiro. Us—1-B—have to find our purpose within it. At that point, all will be clear to us," he speaks with eloquence.

"I'm quite aghast, Honenuki. To take you as an illusioned man was an obvious judgement to make, but to speak with such metaphors? Ones that don't mimic mine? Simply...impossible. I'm shocked! But, it's indeed what you said. Our illusions has to be casted aside so reality can set in. Some men will break and shatter, not 1-B. We will steel ourselves with hate as our fire. 1-A will pale in comparison to our strength. Blessed fools they are. I wish them cursed blessings that will send—!"

"Okay okay! Calm down Kuroiro! Just because I made a fancy-spancy metaphor doesn't mean you can go cursing people! Jeez, not even Shiozaki would wish punishments on someone," he stops and insults me, rubbing the dirt off of his helmet. Hmph, this crone. He may be a smart man, but he doesn't act as such.

I tell this jester, "Some part of your heart believes it so. 1-A is an awfully arrogant class. That Bakugo is explosive just as his Quirk, Todoroki has darkness welling in his heart, and Midoriya? That fiend? Something is amiss." Midoriya is connected to All Might. I feel their connection. What is it exactly though? What is their relationship? What causes All Might to favor 1-A more than 1-B?

"Everyone has something amiss. Speaking of 'fiends', where's Kagesuke?" Honenuki asks, looking around for that mutt. I know where he is. I turn myself to Mister Kan, who's testing Yanagi and Shoda. Kagesuke is laid on his left fist. He's nibbling the blood tubes that Mister Kan uses for his Quirk. Honenuki sees this also. "Oh, makes sense. Mister Kan _did _make Kagesuke the class mascot. He's a bit of a rascal, isn't he?"

"More than you believe. My parents enjoy his company, but he is the biggest handful. This fiend is always hyper as if he ate sugar for his three meals," I say. Kagesuke is a...cute animal, but I cannot match his energy. He is more suited for Shojo or Komori, yet he adores me the most. I do not deserve him…

"Sounds right," he meagerly replies, stretching his arms and legs. "Maybe you should lighten up, Kuroiro. Speak like a normal person instead of a servant of the night, a warrior of the shadows, the watcher of the abyss—"

"Are you done?"

"Not yet. Uhm, willow of the void. Alright, now I'm done. Seriously though, you and Tokoyami are weird dudes. Then again, all of us are pretty weird…" he inputs his unneeded opinion.

"You most of all…" I mutter underneath my breath.

"What was that, o' darkened one?" he asks with his eyes showing confusion. Heh, he didn't hear me, but what is with the unnecessary name?

"Nothing, and cease your name-calling. It's incessant."

"I won't lie, Kuroiro, but you're really black."

"If someone eavesdropping heard that comment without context, they'd burn you at the stake."

He goes on, "Hey! It's true because _holy crap_—you're really black. Imagine a guy asking, 'Hey man, what's your superpower?' You immediately answer, 'Oh, I'm _black._'"

"Can you stop?"

"I mean, it's pretty hilarious if you think about it. And...it's a pretty _dark_ thing to think about. Eh? Eh?" Honenuki fails at comedy.

"..."

"Don't be such a downer. Are you _void_ of any emotion?"

"..."

"There must be a _black _pit where your heart is supposed to be."

"..."

"Nothing? Is there any _shadow_ of a doubt that I'm a great comedian?"

I stand up. "I believe I became deaf just now. Your jokes were so terrible that a father wouldn't even tell them."

"Aw, don't be like that! C'mon, lemme tell you some more!" he insists, but I will not stand for this any longer, despite the fact that I'm standing up. Moving on from this irony, his jokes are nails to the chalkboard. If comedy could throw tomatoes at Honenuki, it would dump a truck of crimson terror upon him.

"Tell me more of your inane jokes when I am not walking away," I give him my goodbye, leaving this skeleton-jawed man behind. I turn my head slightly to the side to see his downtrodden face staring longingly at the ground. Now, he's depressed.

_POP POP!_

Oh, Inochi is still getting shot at.

"YEEEEEEEAH!"  
"YEEEEEEEAH!"

Oh dear, Manga is yelling his lungs out with Present Mic.

"I sure hope this white sticky stuff isn't what I think it is." And Tokage is covered in Ectoplasm's ectoplasm. This class will be the death of me.

"Kuroiro! Kuroiro!" Komori runs up and joins me on my walk. I don't have any particular place to go. Normally, I would mind company—especially women company—but Komori is different… My heart pounds in her presence. I normally took her as a shy woman, but she's an extrovert by all means. Her bangs can deceive many. Damn, my heart is racing once more. I was never one who can speak to women so easily! "Whatcha doing? I just finished a test with Mister Kan. He seems mighty impressed about my Quirk. It was a piece of shroom-cake!"

"N-Nothing," I tell her with my hands behind my back. "I am… I am simply waiting for my name to be called! That's all... H-However, I am pleasing—Excuse me, I am pleased to see you happy." She smiles, leaning forward slightly with her toadstool-colored costume. My face becomes slightly warmer. Damn my body… I face away towards a...concrete wall. Wait, wasn't this the wall where Midoriya punched Suzuki through? It has a different coloration than the rest.

"If you're happy, then I'm happy too," she says while skipping. Her legs… Why is she strutting them so carelessly? It's like she wants attention. Ah, she _does_ want attention. Fame is her motive. Komori yearns to be an Idol Hero. Her voice is sweet like nectar, flowing like the waves of a soft ocean on a summer's eve. She will become a great idol. " Hmm hmm hmm! " she hums along to a song. I recognize the tune. It's one of the songs she listens to on her phone. A Korean pop song, is it not? South Korea has an abundance of Idol Heroes.

"K-Komori, were you… you aware about Awase's operation with Tsuburaba, Kaibara, and Inochi? Tokage, t-the little snake, told me that he infiltrated a 'forbidden garden' while in a disguise. Apparently, they were mistaken as a uh, boy band," I ask. The story was an...interesting one. How did Awase rope Inochi into his schemes? Usually, Inochi is the one who requires others' help for his own plans, not being the help. I cannot imagine how he felt during it.

"Yup," responds she with a detached tone. She's upset. Komori rarely responds with a single word unlike Kodai, the woman who speaks in a monotone.

"F-Forgive me for asking, but you're upset, aren't you? M-Must be the 'boy band' part of the operation from how much you adore music, n-no?" I ask her once again. Komori lowers her head in apparent shame, her hat tipping forward slightly.

"I'm all shroomed, Kuroiro. I saw a picture of the boys together! They totally look like a boy band! A _good_ boy band! Especially Inochi! All the girls know how handsome he is-"

"All the girls?" I interrupt, snapping my gaze upon her. Curse that man and his blessed good looks. He was unnaturally born with a charm that attracts all women.

"Yeah! Objectively, he's a good-looking guy. Anyway, I mush not get off-topic! The girls who saw Inochi thought he was Korean! I mean, his fake name was 'Jun-seo' but still! Does Inochi look Korean to you? Did you ever hear him sing? Is he a good singer?" she rapidly asks me questions. I sense jealousy in her words.

"Don't fret, Komori. Inochi uh… He has no intention of being a Korean idol whether or not there's Korean blood in him. You'll b-be the only Idol Hero in 1-B," I swear to her. A soft, gentle smile comes across her lips. Curses! Not again! My face is becoming warm! Must not let her notice or so may the gods help me!

"Thanks… I needed that. It seems like that guy can do anything, y'know? So shroomed up if you ask me. I know he has that Adoptive-whatever as his power, but I get jealous. I'm…" she stops, shaking the rest of her sentence away. "Never mind, it's nothing. How are you, Kuroiro? I forgot to ask you that. You seem kinda distant lately."

I have? Damn, I didn't mean to come off as such. The _date_ is coming closer so I was distracted, even more so with homework and internships. "I… I apologize. It's the usual things—homework, internships, and personal life. Most of all, however, is K-Kagesuke. For such a small beast, he has the most energy out of the entire class."

Komori giggles, causing my heart to flutter from the sound of her voice. She says, "That he does. Kagesuke is our little pup. Shojo really loves him and Kagesuke likes to destroy her confidence. Oh, speaking of sisters… You have a sister right? I think I saw a picture of her on your phone."

_"Big Bro! You're gonna be a Hero, right? Right?!"_

"...Indeed. Her name's Hikari, my little sister. Isn't that ironic? Her name means 'light', yet my Quirk is darkness incarnate. It was like my mother and father knew she would be the opposite of me. Quirk and all…" Huh, my stutter disappeared when I spoke about Hikari. Figured… Only she would have such an effect on me...

"Oh, is her Quirk light-based too?" Komori asks me, tilting her body forward ever so slightly to show genuine curiosity. When I gaze upon Komori, I see remnants of Hikari. Both of them love to sing and dance. Their energy is exuberant, so much that it can power the entire city of Musutafu for just a single night.

I nod. "C-Correct. Her Quirk is called Light Refraction. You are aware of how a straw bends if placed in a glass of water? Take that idea and place that into air. Hikari is able to refract the light in the air to create an awfully dizzying image." It's a powerful Quirk if used correctly, but…

"Sounds cool, but a little too science-y for my shroomy taste. You know that's my worst subject, 'specially Metaology. How the hell am I supposed to remember all these famous scientists and s'muff?" she complains. To tell the truth, I am amazed that she isn't failing in that class. Just earlier, she thought Quirks came from a disease akin to the Black Plague, or the Black Plague itself. Rats did not infect us, hopefully. If so, then there would be a plague doctor out to "cure" us of this disease.

I suggest to aid her in this endeavour, "Flashcards, study groups, or studying. Are you uhm... not in a study group with the rest of the girls? Tokage is leading it, is she not?"

"She is and we do everything, but do you think I can match her 'overwhelmingly high intelligence and good looks'? Her words, not mine. I just can't shrooming do it like she does! I can't study like normal people! Do you know what I mean?" Hmm, this is a peculiar case. If she cannot study like I, then perhaps she can study by some other means. Komori isn't a woman who can sit down and study, so what would work?

"Hmm…" I mumble to myself, putting a hand on my chin. Komori inches herself closer, her dress touching my shoulder. It's...velvety… Damn, does she not know the meaning of "personal space"?!

"Maybe… Let's say you and me could—you know—think of ways to make me a better student after school? Just us?"

…

"Just us?" I repeat.

"Just us," she clarifies.

"Just us?"

"You said it again?"

"Just us?"

"Kuroiro, are you okay?"

"..."

An explosion goes off.

_BOOM!_

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

_BOOM!_

"Chubby, you aight?" I ask Shoda. This guy just used his Quirk on a 'plosion that Inochi made. Twin Impact is a mighty damn good Quirk. Shoda can replicate any impact, meanin' he could replicate All Might's punch if he wanted to. The impacts ain't gotta originate from him. Out of all the idiots in 1-B, Shoda is a powerhouse that no one suspects. It ain't like Inochi's case. Typically, a lot of assholes would underestimate him because he's Quirkless, but he more than shown that he can take care of a few motherfuckers. Whether I like it or not, he's the face of 1-B, so Shoda ain't gonna be noticed much. It's a shame though. He can kick anyone's asses no matter how strong the prick is. For a short stack, I'm pretty impressed. It's why I ain't a jerk to him. Shoda is a nervous man, so I ain't gonna add more insecurities onto his pile. God knows I had a ton of shit to deal with. Less shit now after Catharsis. Feels like a weight has lifted off my filthy shoulders.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" he assures me, holdin' onto his wrist like it hurts or somethin'. He gets a lil' smile on his face as an extra reassurance. The tracker blinks for a couple of seconds 'fore a dot disappears. Hardest thing to understand 'bout Shoda is his Quirk, honestly. I know the basics, but the intricacies or whatever that shit is called? Pretty confusin'.

"Good," I say, rubbin' the back of my head. "Say Chubby, how the hell does your Quirk work anyway? It replicates any freakin' impact like it's nothin'. How do you keep track of it? There musta been hundreds of impacts goin' off at every second." Shoda sighs an' stands up straight.

He explains, "Uhm...yeah, you're right. I get to pick and choose which impact to set off. If I punch you—no offense—then I could use Twin Impact on the punch. Usually, the time window to set it off is one minute before it's unable to be affected by my Quirk. Like Monoma, I have a watch, but it's implanted into my visor. And for my tracker, it only tracks the impacts that _I _create. For other impacts, I have to see it with my own eyes like what I did with Inochi." Huh, so this guy really is a monster in a chubby costume. The drawbacks ain't pleasant, but a minute is plenty of time to set some traps.

"What 'bout the fight with Shady back in the Battle Trials? You almost broke his arms an' legs from your Quirk. Impacts work both ways, don't it? I ain't a physicists, but I remember Newton's laws. Comin' off of that, you reversed its mechanics." It was a weird situation back then. Shoda somehow reversed the mechanic of Twin Impact to hurt Kuroiro's limbs. What a crazy bastard. Smart _an_' strong.

"K-Kinda… I reversed it yes, but it doesn't mean I didn't get hurt too. I got hit with Kuroiro's attacks again. It was a last-ditch effort to defeat him because we were in a bad situation. The corridor was almost covered in black, so I had to take him out even if it meant getting taken out too. In normal cases, it'd be the last thing I do."

"Aight, thanks for answerin'. Remind me to not get on your bad side, Chubby," I joke a lil', but Shoda shakes his head.

"I appreciate you being nice to me, Kamakiri—everyone does—but I really don't deserve all this attention. I'm not that powerful as everyone says, but everyone is treating me like I'm special. I'm not… I'm normal. That's all I am," he responds as he looks 'round Gym Gamma. He's lookin' at all the special people out 'ere. Kinda feel bad for him. Compared to us, he _is _normal. Shoda is the only normal man in 1-B, maybe in U.A. too.

I cheer him up, "I dunno, Shoda… I hung 'round a helluva lot with Quirkless an' the others. Lemme tell you—they are exhaustin' as fuck. Holy shit, they are so damn annoyin' that I wanna gouge my eyeballs out an' throw 'em in the trash. You're a breath of fresh air an' sometimes... All we need is a little normal in our life." Shoda laughs at my joke, pullin' up his collar a bit.

"I guess that's true… Even with the speech that Monoma made, people who were born special were meant for great things, like Inochi. He was dealt a bad hand, and now the teachers are saying he'll become one of the top ten! We don't even know what his Quirk is…" he yammers. Heh, it's hard to not get jealous of that lucky bastard. Well, if you can call him "lucky" in the first damn place.

"Eh, Inochi can be his own thing. I don't give a shit of what he becomes or what he ain't becomin'. Y'know why? I don't got time to worry about him," I tell him. I ain't focused on Inochi's life. That's too much an' way too stalker-y, 'specially since Dad happened. I'm done lyin' to myself; I'm done hatin' myself. I was the only one who held me back, not him. The past died with Dad, so I'm finally ready to look forward towards the damned future.

Shoda looks up to me. "You're...right. I'm sorry for dumping my mess on you, Kamakiri. I know how much you don't like other people's business."

"Eh, give me a chance to bash Quirkless an' I'm takin' it. Otherwise, I don't really care 'bout your problems," I express my utter inability to care, which makes him grow an ugly face. _You are a rotten man_, is written all over it. "Kiddin'. I might look like a scary man—seriously, got my looks from my dad—but I ain't a heartless man. Took me a long while to understand that 1-B is kinda like a second family, but better late than never, am I right?" I actually say what I feel, but that was a cheesy line an' I fuckin' hate it. It might be the truth, but the law says that I don't gotta like the truth.

He says, "I didn't expect you to say something like that…"

"So did I," Shishida joins without bein' asked. Whatever, I ain't complain'. Shishida's the kind of man who's all fancy an' elegant with his words, but he's a bit condescendin'. No offense to the guy, he's nice an' all, yet there's something...clueless 'bout him. That's how social classes divide, I guess. He ain't like Setsuna though. For someone that rich, she's a diamond in the rough. Kinda like Inochi in a way. There _is_ somethin' up with the both of them though. It ain't the "I'm too goofy for my own good" shtick. Whatever it is, I ain't solvin' it. That's their trash to take out. Anyway, Shishida keeps talking 'bout his surprise, "I thought you spoke only in swears, my friend."

"Oh haha, how funny. See, Beast? This proves that I ain't all hot-blooded. How was Mister Kan?" I check up on 'im. Today is pretty lax with notes an' borin' lectures, but practical tests such as these can be pretty rough. Mister Kan wants the best from us—me an' the Catharsis-Killing Crew more outta the entire class. So, better get some inside information else I'm failin' the semester. Ma ain't gonna be happy if I do that.

"Good. His tests aren't standard for every man and woman. They are personalized to suit our fighting styles and Quirks. I predict that your test will test your effectiveness at eliminating targets created by Mister Ectoplasm. From your speed coupled with your skill and reflexes, you will do fine. I assure you," he _assures you_—not "you", I mean "me". Ugh, thought it was funny to mock Shishida a lil'. Fancy way of speakin', fittin' for a man of his class.

"Thanks for the heads-up. My grades been slackin' lately 'cuz of Catharsis, so I gotta get on that," I tell 'em. They don't seem to care. I wouldn't either, honestly. "Anyway, 'nuff 'bout my ass, what 'bout you? You seem kinda unscathed for a guy whose Quirk turns him into a ragin' beast."

"Oh, I haven't used it yet. Mister Kan said I'll perform my test last. Currently, I'm wandering around and observing our classmates. I do have a question though—why is Miss Shojo forcing Manga to drink 'her special tea brew'?" he asks, turnin' his head to the twins. Huh, Shojo is really stuffin' that bottle down his...throat? What the hell is Manga's physiology? Y'know what, I don't wanna know. I said that a hundred times an' I'm gonna keep saying that 'til I die.

"I think she wants him to...expand his throat?" Shoda shudders after sayin' that. "Never mind, forget I said anything."

"Already done," I mutter.

"Mhm… I have something to ask of you, both of you. May I?" he asks if he could ask a question. Don't know why people say stuff like that, but manners I guess. Smartasses would say, "Well, you just did." That shit is annoyin'.

Shoda an' I just nod our uneducated heads. Shishida pushes his glasses up an' asks whatever he wanna asks, "You are aware of the I-Expo, correct? Who isn't, honestly. Forgive me, that is an idiotic question. What I wanted to ask of you is your appearance at the gala. Setsuna and I are able to bring three of our friends, each, to the gala. She is choosing Inochi, Kendo, and Kodai to accompany her. As for me, I chose Yanagi to come with me, but I still need two others. Would you be interested?"

"Not really. I'm not into...galas, especially since the last one wasn't that great..." Shoda gives his response.

And I give mine, "Nope. I ain't wearin' a monkey suit to a ball filled with rich people, no offense. You're a good guy Shishida, but if gold-wearin' hedgehogs like Okichi Tokugawa are a signal for somethin', then I don't wanna go." Tokugawa is the typical bratty rich boy. His precious lil' daddy got him into U.A. just so he could be with his future wife or some shit. If Inochi hates him, then I should too. There's only two people that the guy hates—Risai Tatchikutsu and Okichi Tokugawa. Tokugawa is lucky that Inochi ain't tearing him from limb to limb.

Shishida sighs, probably at my "careless use of inappropriate language". "Very well. I am certain that no Villain would attack the I-Expo anyhow. The defense is akin to Tartarus. Since the prison break thirty years ago, the security has increased tremendously. It is impenetrable."

I put my hand out, givin' my own opinion 'ere, "Beast, lemme be honest with ya—you know those prison break movies? The prisons are always 'impenetrable' an' 'impossible to break in an' break out'. Yet, the main man always breaks out. Right now, ya just foreshadowin'. Watch, I'm callin' it here, the I-Expo will get attacked."

"I seriously doubt that, Kamakiri. I am willing to wager something exorbitant that it _will not _be attacked," he bets. Well well well, looks like Shishida has some balls. Can't back down now, can I?

"I'm willin' to wager somethin' too. After we come back to Japan in a rescue helicopter, I'm gonna collect my due," I promise 'im. Shishida lets out a low chuckle as if he ain't believin' what I'm sayin'.

"And I'll collect mine."

_FWEEEET!_

That's Mister Kan's whistle. "Kamakiri! You're up! Get down here stat-!" ("Hey," I greet 'im,) "Oh, you're already here. Good God, you're fast." Didn't break a sweat doin' so. Mister Kan ain't that far away anyway, so I might as well impress him with my sprint. In front of me is a small open field with Ectoplasm at the other end. 'Bout five of his clones are standin' still, waitin' to get diced. Yup, Shishida was right. These slimy fuckers are placed where I can't blitz through in a straight line. Damnit, I ain't gonna be able to keep my momentum up from how these ugly assholes are placed—_if_ I ain't smart. "Well, I figure you know what you need to do. You got about twenty-five meters from here to Ectoplasm at the other side. As fast as you can, take out the five dummies and reach Ectoplasm on the other side of the time gate."

"Roger," I acknowledge my orders. I hold my forearms up an' grow dual sickles on 'em. It's like my arms are scythes themselves. On the ground is red tape, so I place my feet at the line. My right foot is back, ready to charge forward. Okay Jack Mantis, gotta recognize my targets...know my travel path...an' get ready to tear some dummies apart. I ain't gonna sprint normally, the dummies are placed too damn wildly for that. I hafta run with my feet at an angle, maybe even growin' a blade to help me keep traction or somethin'. That, an' gotta take small steps an' long strides when fittin'. This test is harder than the others, but it ain't outta my wheelhouse, perfectly inside it, actually. Gotta say—this is a perfect moment to show-off somethin' I've been workin' on.

"Okay, get ready, Kamakiri. Three...two...one!"

_FWEET!_

I sprint forward.

I've always been the fastest man in 1-B.

_SLICE! CUT!_

In fights, before my enemy has time to think, my blade is already at their necks.

_DICE! SLASH_

I don't got a Quirk like Midoriya's! Hell, I don't got trainin' like Inochi's! Doesn't matter one bit! I got my own reasons to be a Hero, damnit! That never changed! I'm gonna be my own man, free from anyone who tries to chain me down!

_"Y-Yeah… I'll be a Hero, okay?! I'll be better than you've ever been!"_

_"You already are."_

_TEAR!_

This is my—!

_KILLER MANTIS RUSH!_

"Time!" Mister Kan announces. Ectoplasm takes a step away from me, but he looks pretty damn impressed. His goo is splattered all over my arms though. Ugh, what the hell is this? Why is it so sticky? I shake it off me an' retract my sickles into my arms. He shouts from the other side, "Kamakiri, your time is 2.48 seconds! You went beyond my expectations! Good job!"

Ectoplasm nods with a smile in his...freaky as hell mask. He compliments me, "Indeed, I predicted that you would complete this test in under three seconds, but just under two and a half? I didn't expect the outcome from you." That was why came up with Killer Mantis Rush. With dual sickles—anythin' can work really—I could dash at any shifty lookin' twerp and take 'em out within an eyeblink.

"Thanks. Guess that's my test done," I say, not really carin'. Ectoplasm sighs an' looks over to the side. What the hell is he looking at—? Oh damnit all.

_CLAP CLAP!_

"You did it Kamakiri! I'm so proud of you!" Pony's sittin' on the bench clappin' her hands 'til they fall off. Ectoplasm puts his hand on my shoulder, then gently pushes me towards her. Alright, my math teacher is gonna put me through torture. Ain't the first time… Ugh, I sludge over to this crazy lady. Pony stands up an' goes in for a hug, but I shove my hand in her face. Her arms go frailin' 'bout. "Ack?! Stop doing this all the freaking time, Kamakiri! Let me hug you!"

"No."

"Why not?! Am I not cuddly enough for you?! You hugged me before! What's so different now?!" she keeps on pleadin'. For such a shortie, she's pushin' back on my hand pretty hard.

I reply, "Assholes tried to hurt you. That was the only damn situation where I'd hug you, an' I regret it." If I could wash my hands right now, I would. 'Cuz Pony…

_"I love you I love you I love you!"_

Nope. I ain't thinkin' 'bout that now. That memory's gonna be sealed within my thick skull an' it ain't comin' out.

…

Shit, I can't stop thinkin' 'bout it. To say somethin' like that out loud?! In public?! While squeezin' onto me for dear life?! This insane girl has no shame to give! But I… I promised that I ain't lyin' to myself no more… Damnit, it was...nice. I like seein' her happy. She's too...adorable to have a frown on her face. I can't go thinkin' like this, but she never fails to force a smile outta my ugly face.

Pony stops strugglin'. She grabs my wrist an' drags her face away from my palm. Her cheeks are so damn puffed up again. It's twice as big. "Kamakiri, stop looking at me like I'm a little girl! I'm fast just as you!" Heh, I wanna pull on those cheeks. I—Nope! Motherfucker, I ain't gonna be a pervert!

I turn away from this freak. "I ain't lookin' at you like a lil' girl, Horns. An' sure, you're just as fast as me. Anythin' else to complain 'bout?"

"Yeah! I do! Ever since the carnival, you've been acting even weirder around me! What's up with that?!" she…? Damn it. For once in my life, I wish she ain't so observant. Hell, practically everyone here is observant.

I pull my wrist away from her grip, askin', "I've been actin' weird 'round ya? _Weirder_? You're the weird one 'ere."

"I am not! You've always been a weird guy, Kamakiri! But lately, you keep looking away from me like you're scared! Like right now! You're doing it now!" Pony says, walkin' up an' literally forcin' me to look at her. Shit, our faces are too close… Way too damn close! What the hell is goin' on inside her brain?! "Look at me, Kamakiri! I wanna ask you something for a while now!" What?! It better not be what I think it is! If it is, _I ain't ready_!

"Kamakiri!" she shouts my name again, ready to either beat the hell outta me or kis—nope, "lemme call you by your first name!"

What? That's it? That's all she wanted to ask me?! "You forced me to stare at your ugly face to ask _that_?! What the hell?! I thought you were gonna slap me!"

"I'm gonna slap you if you call me 'ugly' again!" she threatens, an' I kinda deserved that. I spat that insult out without even thinkin'. Pony is far from the ugliest thing in the world. Ain't gotta say that to her face, no way in hell. "Now, answer my question! You let Setsuna call you by your first name! Why can't I do it?!"

"She made me like what you're doin' now!" I snap at her, but she ain't backin' down. I ain't gonna win this fight though. Pony is too stubborn for me to win at any-fuckin'-thing. I lower myself a lil', givin' up, "But fine… Fine! I know you, Horns. You can use my first name."

Pony grows a dumb smile on her face. She's way too damn happy 'bout this. "Thank you thank you! Hehe, _Togaru_~!" She—?! Why did she say my name like that?! It ain't meant to be spoken so damn—! Ugh, whatever the hell _that was!_

I stammer, "Wha—? What was that? D-Don't...do that… Don't say it like that…"

She giggles, lettin' go of my face. Pony skips a few steps away from me on her hooves, makin' it _click _an' _clack_. "Togaru, you're so red! It's like ketchup! Y'know though… It's nice seeing you vulnerable. I don't see you get soft in...well, ever!" What?!

I yell at her, "I ain't goin' soft, y'hear?!"

"Hmm, maybe we should work on Super Moves together! Didja come up with any yet? What you just did for Mister Kan's test could work as one!" she changes the subject. Hmph, she's either forgetful or she's messin' with me again…

"...Yea, guess it could. Speed an' fast attacks are my area of specialty," I tell 'er. If she knows 'bout that I actually named it already, then she's gonna tease the hell outta me.

"I already got a name for it!" she cheers, hoppin' up an' down. "Wanna hear it?! It's a really good name! Names actually! I promise!"

"No."

"Fast Fast Cutty Cutty!" She ignored my answer…

"Stupid name."

"Sickle Sprint of Speedy Death!"

"Less stupid than the last one, still pretty damn stupid."

"Death: The Evening Bell!"

"What?"

"Insect Form One: Praying Mantis!"

"That one actually fits a little. You're gettin' better, 'cept that you're not."

"Killer Mantis Rush!"

"..."

"I'm gonna take your silence as a victory!"

I ain't gonna tell her.

* * *

**Neito Monoma**

_"You aren't gonna be a Hero, Monoma!"_

_"You're useless!"_

_"Neito, I only want to help you…" _

"Monoma?" Rin inquiries on my wellbeing. I'm perfectly fine! Besides from _Operation Invisible Heart _absolutely destroying my body, I'm fine!

"I'm okay. Don't worry about me," I assure him, but Rin makes an awkward face. I didn't assure him well enough?

"I didn't say anything, but _alright. _You looked disappointed ever since you were placed last in the AP levels," he observes, which he's...right. I won't lie. I _am _disappointed in myself. Recovery Girl said that AP levels don't matter, which she's absolutely correct, but being placed last in anything is an awful feeling. The truth is—AP levels does matter, to an extent anyway. Even though Recovery Girl said it doesn't matter, she backpedaled on that thought once Inochi was discovered to have a growth potential of over 12,500. She never said what our growth potentials were to anyone else in 1-B, only Inochi. If it truly doesn't matter, then why is everyone certain that Inochi will become a top ten Hero?

"Doesn't matter. Recovery said it so. How we use our Quirk is our strength, not some arbitrary number," I reply, somewhat lying to him. Rin shrugs and drinks some water, holding up his mask as he does.

After he drinks, he says, "True, but everything has a purpose. 'All threads of nature are woven to create the fabric of life.' That's what my grandfather said to me. Some part of you know that your score matters, just a little anyway."

"Very well… You were born to a wise family, Rin. How many sayings do you have memorized?" I ask, diverting the conversation elsewhere. Rin holds his chin up with a finger before sticking it out on its lonesome.

He answers with confidence, "Too many to count. Did I tell you that my grandfather—let him rest in peace—was a famous Pro Hero in China?" He didn't, actually! To think a member of 1-B is the grandchild of a famous Hero in China! Not only we have Itsuka Kendo, granddaughter of Master Kendo, we also have Hiryu Rin, grandson of...whoever his grandfather is!

"You didn't! Why didn't you tell me this before? From how some of us are descendants of famous figures, you'd think we would be superior to 1-A. Fate is a cruel woman, isn't She?" I comment with a little offense in my voice. Naturally, I'm not offended. It's hard to offend a caring man like myself.

Rin laughs, putting a hand on his hip. "Sorry, but I knew you would take advantage of my blood. Anyway, his Hero Name was Qinglong, which translates to 'Seiryu' in Japanese. My costume was inspired by his. His Quirk though was…" he hesitates to finish his sentence. This must be a sensitive topic for him. Seiryu is the Azure Dragon, isn't it? One of the Four Symbols in Chinese constellations. Moving onwards, Rin shakes his head out of his rutt and continues, "Astral. He was able to project his spiritual energy into attacks, which was azure-colored, hence his name. It was different than your other Energy-type Quirks like Hado's. Grandfather's was...different."

"Different? Different how?" I question, crossing my arms. With that hesitation and such a fancy-sounding name, Rin is disappointed. He didn't inherit Astral as his Quirk, did he? He was born with Scales. With how strong Astral sounds, I would be disappointed too.

Rin groans and puts a hand to his forehead. "Forget I said anything. I shouldn't have mentioned this to you, Monoma. It's a family secret, forgive me." Hmph, I was getting excited too. It's best to respect his privacy however. Family secrets are the things that dramas are made out of. In such a case, drawing out the mystery is the most exhilarating part.

"Forget you said what?" I feign forgetfulness. It's a shame that I'm an absent-minded man. For some reason, there's a small smile underneath that Chinese mask of his. Surely it's not because of something he said? Hehe, I'm being silly. I never knew Rin had such secrets that dwelled within his body. Honestly, he's the male version of Itsuka Kendo. She has secrets asw well. Her and Inochi must be tied into the mystery of Midoriya's Quirk, and to an extent, All Might as well.

"Bros!" Tetsutetsu exclaims, sneaking up from behind to wrap his cold steel arms around Rin and I. It would be refreshing if the sudden temperature change wasn't so jarring. If we were chickens, Gym Gamma is our oven and Tetsutetsu is the freezer. Imagine the heat that's welling inside him… He's a strong man though. "I punched the hell outta Ectoplasm's gunk! Monoma! Rin! Are you enjoying this awesome training exercise? I am!"

Rin complains, "Tetsutetsu, I'm melting. Why aren't you dying of heat stroke like Honenuki?" Tetsutetsu laughs and pulls us closer

"What d'ya mean? Real Steel isn't gonna go down from a little heat! Besides, it's great training to build up my tolerance to high temperatures! Gotta be the best iron I can be, y'know? I need to be super hard!" Tetsutetsu says, being ignorant to the meaning of "innuendo". Besides from that, he's always a man who thinks about training… He's similar to Inochi in that regard, but more...vocal and slightly more obsessed about it.

"Tetsutetsu… I talked to you about saying things like that. Please, I don't want a repeat of Tuesday of last week," Rin says. Even when his eyes are blocked, I can sense him judging Tetsutetsu severely. Also, what happened last week? I was absent that day.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Well…"

* * *

**Tuesday of Last Week**

"KIRISHIMAAAAAA!"

"Tetsutetsu?!"

"I TRAINED FOR THIS MOMENT!"

"Dude, it's lunch! Not now! You're making a scene!"

"I DON'T CARE! IMMA SHOW YOU HOW HARD I AM!"

"What?!"

"I'M HARDER THAN YOU AND I'M GONNA PROVE IT!"

"Tetsutetsu?! Wait—!"

* * *

"..."

"Yup."

"Rin, I'm sorry. I had to prove that I'm the better man. It's my duty as Real Steel…" Tetsutetsu swears, moving away to clench a fist to his chest. He's either sweating profusely or crying… Rin and I glance worried looks to each other. "No matter what, my Quirk will be the toughest of them all!"

"I don't doubt that…" I comment. Tetsutetsu is a...kind man. He wipes the sweat/tears off of his face. I admire his strength and unwavering resolve. Against 1-A and especially Kirishima, he will be our ace in the hole! I—?

"I'm never doing that again…" Tsuburaba joins the conversation with Awase. Ah, it's them… I always see them together. I don't know how 1-B wouldn't be 1-B without them. They bring life to it. 1-A may have fools like them, but these two are special. They're our special fools.

"What happened this time?" Rin asks, annoyed. He crosses his arms, fidgeting with his Scale Gauntlets a little.

Awase has a hand to his mouth. There's little fits of laughter coming to him. When I take a closer look at Tsuburaba, his back is hunched over. It's not from embarrassment or from exhaustion, but from pain. Awase stammers, "Okay okay! I was just—! And he was just—! Midnight was like—! Oh my God, I'm crying from how much I'm laughing! Hahaha!"

"Thanks for being specific, Awase," Rin sarcastically says.

Tetsutetsu runs over and tries to help Tsuburaba straighten his back, but all he gets is pained groans. "Bro! What did Midnight do to ya? You look pretty messed up…"

"Ugh… Well," Tsuburaba starts to recall…

Wait, not again! I—!

* * *

**Kosei Tsuburaba and Yosetsu Awase **

"Hmm… Tsuburaba, think you're a man?"

"Hell yeah. Bigger man than you."

"Stop lying to yourself. I'm the manliest of men, the epitome of masculinity. You can't beat this."

"I can. I totally can. Wanna spar right now? You can't do jack against my Solid Air! Your Quirk is only meant for restraining while I have a wide variety of attacks!"

_RISE!_

"Heh, I would take you up on the offer, but it's hot as hell in here. I'm pretty sure we'd both die before we take a single step."

"Yeah, I guess… You're right for once."

_SLUMP!_

"..."

"..."

"Damnit Awase!"

"Damnit Awase—I mean Tsuburaba! Why are you damning me again?"

"This fight! I'm not gonna back down like some wimp like Manga!"

"Dude, Manga defeated Catharsis. He's more of a man than us, honestly…"

"I know! And that pisses me off! In my workplace training, I didn't fight a single Villain! I was a freaking janitor for an entire week! I'm itching to fight!"

"Sounds like a 'you' problem."

"Sounds like an 'us' problem! Help me figure something out!"

"Fine… Hmm… Maybe you don't have to fight, y'know? You could do something that's so badass that fighting doesn't compare to it. Show-off, if you catch my drift."

"What is it? What d'ya got?"

"Go up to Midnight being cool and charming—like how you usually are—and say, 'Mistress Midnight, I'm ready for my test~' Make sure you say it just like that, _exactly_ like that. Bonus points if you emphasize the 'Mistress' part."

"That's it? That's all I have to do?"

"Like two plus two, Tsuburaba. Like two plus two."

"Hehe, you're not doing it yourself, big guy? Thought you were a strong man and stuff. I _thought_ you wanted to… I dunno… Impress Shojo or something."

"Not today, even bigger guy. Not today. Girls are temporary, but manliness is eternal. You feel me on that?"

"Of course. I'll show you how to be a man, Awase. Just you watch!"

_Click clack click!_

"Oh, he's gonna get his ass beat."

* * *

_WHIP!_

"Cementoss, should I use some more wrist movements when I whip? 'Fraid I might hurt it or something."

"Midnight, I wouldn't ask the man who has cement as his wrists. Joking aside, Recovery Girl is always here. You shouldn't be afraid of injury."

"I know, but she scares me sometimes! Chiyo is a sweet lady, I know, yet there's something in her eyes that say, 'Nemuri, I'm gonna take that whip and beat some sense into ya.' Ugh, I enjoy pain as the next gal, but not like that. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Regrettably…"

"Hey, you worked with me long enough to realize that I'm a masochist _and_ a sadist. A woman has her needs."

"Like last Monday?"

"In my defense, I locked the doors—Oh hey, Tsuburaba! When did you come here? I didn't call for you yet."

"Good afternoon, Tsuburaba."

"Afternoon, Cementoss. And uh, here I go… Mistress Midnight, I'm ready for my test~!"

_SPUTTER!_

"Cementoss?! Are you okay?!"

"Oh my~"

"Midnight, why are you licking your—?"

"Boy… Use 'Mistress Midnight' from now on."

"Tsuburaba, you have sealed your fate…"

"Cementoss, why are you whispering that—?!"

_WHIP!_

"ACK?! Midnight—I mean, Mistress Midnight! That was really close! I—!"

"Kosei Tsuburaba, you arrogant and _youthful _boy, your test is starting now. _Run while you still can~_"

"Eh?!"

_WHIP WHIP!_

"EH?! AHHHHH!"

* * *

"And so that's how I was punished by Midnight. I hate Awase so much," Tsuburaba finishes retelling his tragic story. Really, it's a tragedy of a man being manipulated of his own pride. I would shed a tear if it wasn't so funny!

"Pfft…" I try to stifle a laugh. "Tsuburaba, you should've known that Awase manipulated you. Why are you so adamant on becoming a man anyway? Unless there's something else inside your pants, you're a man."

Tsuburaba snaps, "Look Monoma, I get that you don't care about being a man, you're _way _more occupied on 1-A, but I do! Seriously, I've been overshadowed by Inochi. Fit body, handsome as hell, and kindest man on Earth."

"You're right, Tsuburaba," I reply with a slight smirk. Those are very desirable traits that women look for. Some women would see Inochi and tag him as easy-to-manipulate, but that's far from the case. He isn't a rug where someone can step on. He's more of a lazy cat or a river. Inochi goes with the flow until you disturb him. Once it happens, pray to God. I heard from Setsuna that he shattered Catharsis's arm and tried to choke him to death. I don't know how a man could get so angry where he would resort to _that_ as a method of killing someone, even with those ten murders.

"Thanks, Monoma. I knew I could count on you for emotional support," Tsuburaba sarcastically snarks, his eyes becoming straight lines out of sheer annoyance. It pops right back open after a quick second. "Anyway, can I just complain about Inochi for a few minutes? He's a good guy, but holy crap…"

Tetsutetsu shakes his head. "Why you gotta complain? Inochi's a real bro. He always helps us out whenever we need it."

"Eh, Tsuburaba gets jealous sometimes. It's better to let him get everything off his chest before he encases Inochi in a ball of Solid Air out of frustration," Rin warns, crossing his arms.

"Don't think Tsuburaba's that powerful yet, but he'll do it. Let the man stand on his soapbox for a little," Awase agrees. I honestly don't mind either way. I know Tsuburaba doesn't outright hate Inochi—it's the opposite—but it's best to vent sometimes.

Tsuburaba sighs out a small sphere of condensed air. "Alright, now you guys are making me feel bad… Besides the point though! I'm really damn jealous of Inochi. We know that he's the perfect boyfriend or husband, but when it comes to heroism? Crap, even better! 12,500 AP for his maximum growth? That's almost peak All Might levels! I mean, I privately checked my growth potential with Recovery Girl earlier and briefly saw everyone else's. I think, don't quote me on this, that the only other person who even gets close to 10,000 is—"

"Let's not get off-topic," Rin reminds Tsuburaba. He sounds grumpy. I checked my growth as well… It wasn't that high. Barely reached over a few thousand, which low-popularity Pro Heroes typically have.

"Right right, sorry. Where was I? Oh right, Inochi and his Quirk! We all know he can kick our asses in hand-to-hand combat. We _don't _know how he's gonna change his fighting style when he gets his Quirk! Hell, he's getting a Hero Vehicle with Kendo! They'll be the only two first-years who get one! Do you know how lucky that guy is? He's been blessed with good looks, a good Quirk, and a good home!" he finishes complaining. That's what I hope, anyhow. Tsuburaba doesn't realize that Inochi also faced many hardships as well. He's still Quirkless, so he faced discrimination until he came to this school. Who knows what he dealt with as a foster child before Master Kendo took him in. What about the fact that he doesn't sleep much? It's easy to become jealous of him, but it's even easier to forget what he faced. I won't say this to Tsuburaba though. He needs to vent, meaning the purpose of this talk isn't to win an argument. It's to have a catharsis—pun not intended.

"Guess so…" Tetsutetsu awkwardly says, scratching his head. A few scuff marks appear on his iron head as a result.

Awase rolls his eyes, pulling the collar down on his windbreaker. "Man, at least Inochi isn't 1-A 'cause 1-A are a bunch of douchebags, not gonna lie. I mean, they're good people, but they're a little douchey." 1-A talk? Now this is where I can contribute!

Tsuburaba adds on, "Yup. Midoriya is All Might's pet; Bakugo, despite being a jerk, is practically loved by the media; and Todoroki, he's Endeavour's _freaking_ son! They don't know how we feel. Sure, Iida's brother was crippled by Stain, but Hifumi was killed by Catharsis. Imagine how Tokage feels about this. I wouldn't be able to handle the guilt…"

I join, "Pfft, if 1-A was—!"

And Rin interrupts, "Hmm… I heard a rumor that Catharsis was Manga's old classmate back in middle school." Pity, I was about to get fired up. About this rumor though… Catharsis being Manga's (and Shojo as well?) classmate recontextualizes everything! If the rumor is true, then it explains why Catharsis attacked Manga and the others. Unlike Stain, a chance encounter, 1-B was the target.

"Wha? Didja ask him 'bout it?" Tetsutetsu asks Rin, casually doing push-ups. When did he start…? Actually, I rather not know.

"Uhm… I…" Rin turns away from the distraction, acting like he doesn't exist. "No, and I don't plan to. Manga can tell us on his own time. Because, if Catharsis was really his old classmate then…" he stops, his eyes wavering towards Shojo. I know what he was about to say. If Catharsis was his old classmate, then he tried to kill Shojo. We know that she was bullied with Manga. It wouldn't be a stretch of logic, because it explains why she became a shut-in. It's dark, but it's the only logical explanation.

"Yeah…" Awase looks at her too. Unlike Rin's look of sympathy, Awase's is more...perverted. Tsuburaba elbows him in his ribs. "Ow?! Why the hell did ya do that, you jackass?!"

Tsuburaba ironically scolds him, "Perv on your own time, creep."

"Big talk coming from you, Tsu-_perv_-raba!" Awase combats with an immature insult of his own. This will go on forever, won't it?

"I—?!"

"Guys…" Bondo walks into our little group covered in mud. Goodness! What happened to him?! Did 1-A or the General Courses did this to Bondo? Those imps! I'll make sure they'll feel the wrath of 1-B! "I'm not very smart…"

"What the hell happened to you, Bondo?!" Awase asks, also shouting. Bondo wipes some of the mud off, letting it pile at his feet.

Bondo says, "Uhm, well…"

Not again! This is supposed to be my scene—!

* * *

**Kojiro Bondo and His Incident**

"No one noticed me leaving, woo! I hope Mister Kan doesn't get angry, but it was way too hot in there."

_Plop!_

"Ahh… The wind feels so nice… Oh look, a pretty butterfly! Here, land on my finger!"

"...!"

"I wish I was like Koda… I wonder what you'll say from a small little guy like you!"

"!"

"Aw, where are you going? Don't leave so soon!"

"!"

"Wait for me—?!"

_SPRINKLER!_

"!"

"Ack?! Mister Butterfly! No! Where are you?! Speak to me! Where—?!"

_SLIP!_

"Eh?! Too slippery! But, I hafta find you! Gotta go beyond like everyone else! I'll save you!"

_Squish squish!_

"Huh? It's you! Wait, no! You're all wet and muddy! Please don't die! I can't be a failure!"

"...! …!"

"Don't go into the light, Mister Butterfly!"

"..."

"Nooooooo!"

* * *

_Sniff sniff!_

"Tetsutetsu, are you crying?" Rin asks him. Oh dear, Tetsutetsu's eyes are really red. I'm not sure if that's him overheating or he's sobbing.

Tetsutetsu wipes his tears away, giving Bondo a big hug. "That butterfly was a real bro… How can we go on without him? It's so sad!"

Tsuburaba crosses his arms from sheer annoyance. Aw, we all know that Tetsutetsu is a very emotional man! That's what makes him such a heartfelt man! Nevertheless, however, he plays along, "We should send his body back to his family. It's the right thing to do."

Bondo nods, his Cedemine leaking out of his holes, mixing with the mud. "Y-You don't have to… He's free with the wind. It'll g-guide him in the afterlife…"

"Well," I start, brushing my hair back, "let Mister Butterfly rest in peace. May we fire rifles in sweet farewell?"

_POP POP!_

Yes we are, but with revolvers. Behind us, Snipe is doing some target practice. I enjoy him, but I can't understand what he says for the life of me. Awase snickers, hiding himself in his windbreaker. "Guys, I'm gonna be honest with you—I just _can't_ take Snipe seriously with his accent! I mean—!"

Awase tips his imaginary hat, slinging an imaginary revolver around his index finger. "Boahs, how do I sound? Do I sound 'Merican 'nuff fer ya? Like a yee-haw cowboy in the dastardly Wild West? Care to do a show-down with me at high noon?" he imitates Snipe, not very well if I might add… It's an awful mockery.

And he doesn't stop… "Ain't anyone got a tongue in their mouth? We were born with tongues, boahs. Our natural duty is to sp-_eak_ with them! I, the dastard named Yosetsu Awase, am usin' mah natural born gift to talk in this reee-diculous accent!" I hear Tetsutetsu cracking up to himself besides me. Usually, I laugh at Awase's jokes and acts, but I'm not. It's distasteful. In my humble opinion, I would—?!

!

Awase! "C'mon boahs! Say somethin', y'hear? Don't I sound like Snipe good 'nuff fer ya? Tsuburaba? Wanna blow some oh-so-wonderful compliments in my direction? What 'bout you, Rin? Monoma?"

I try to make him aware, "Awase—!"

"What? What was that, Phantom Thief? Speak up gosh darnit! Thought you were a loud-mouthed fool who can't tell when to string his lips shut!" Awase yells, getting even louder than before! This man—!

"Shut your mouth, you stupid idiot!" Tsuburaba tries to warn him too!

Awase cackles! Why is he laughing like that?! That's not how Snipe laughs! "Why? You got somethin' to say—?"

"I may or may not have a couple of things to say, boah," Snipe introduces himself behind Awase, who suddenly jumps into place. Slowly, he creeks around to face Snipe, who has a revolver rested against his chest.

"S-Snipe?! Wh-What did you hear...uhm...sir?" Awase stutters. He takes a step back closer to us while Tsuburaba abandons him completely. He's running off to Shishida.

"Well, I dunno. What _did_ I hear? An unflatterin' accent, you mockin' the hell outta me, what else…? Oh, _general disrespect_," he lists the crimes that Awase committed, putting his free hand on his shoulder. "Welder, your behind is cooked. I will be a merciful man an' give you my blessing—you got five seconds."

"Until wh-what...sir?"

"Five."

"Snipe?!"

"Four."

"Run, you idiot!" Rin cries with sweat spilling off of his forehead.

"I'M RUNNING! I'M RUNNING DAMNIT! HOLY SHIT, IT'S WAY TOO HOT FOR THIS!" Awase screams as he runs away.

"Threetwoone!" Snipe speeds up his count and—!

_POP POP!_

"RUN LIKE THE WIND, BOAH! LIKE THE WIND!"

_POP POP!_

* * *

"Monoma."

"Kaibara! Came to ensure I came out unscathed from Snipe's wrath?" I jollyingly say, then I change my tone, "You'd be disappointed. None of us escaped his wrath, not even Tetsutetsu. He didn't do anything wrong."

"I mean, he's over there enjoying Snipe's 'wrath'. Uhm, a little too much for comfort..." Kaibara says, pointing at Tetsutetsu. He's doing pull-ups with sweat pouring down his body. Snipe is counting how many pull-ups he can do. I'm not sure if this is cruel and unusual punishment or a treat for Tetsutetsu…

("I'LL DO MY HARDEST, SNIPE! I'LL GET TO A THOUSAND!")

("STOP TALKING AND MORE PULL-UPS!")

"We should ignore him, shouldn't we?" I suggest, but I can't tear my eyes off of him.

"Yup." But, Kaibara can't pull his eyes away either! We can't stop watching him! After a few seconds though, Kaibara inches himself in front of me to block Tetsutetsu from my sight. I'm about...crotch-level with him. I… Well… It's… "Okay, back to what you were saying—I was bored, so I wanted to check up on the rascal of 1-B."

"Is that my epithet now? 'The Rascal of 1-B'? It fits, but we must think of the future! Next year, we'll be 2-B, then 3-B. Let's cut out the middleman and call me 'The Rascal'," I conclude, averting myself away from his...areas. I'm not a shameless man… In all circumstances, I would have never told Inochi about my interest in Kaibara. Yet, he deduced it much like Setsuna. She mentioned that I was so obvious "that even a dumb man can figure it out like Midoriya being All Might's long lost son".

Kaibara sighs and sits next to me. He leans against the concrete walls of Gym Gamma without a care. "Monoma, you talk too much. Whenever you don't say anything, I worry. Other than your tongue, your brain is a weapon of mass destruction."

I snark, finally looking over to him, "Should I be flattered or insulted?"

"Why not both? We're cutting out the middleman, Monoma. In that case, I'm insulting _and _complimenting your beautifully disgusting mind," he answers with his attention towards the rest of Gym Gamma. There's a faint smile on his lips. He enjoys teasing me as much as I tease him.

I contradict, "You know you're fond of it, Kaibara. Why else would you guard me with your precious life?"

"Don't know where you got that insane idea. I'm not guarding you with my life; I'm guarding everyone else _from_ you," he states as he crosses one leg over the other.

"Now, where did you get _that_ insane idea from? I'm not a threat to the school. That would be the Terror Trio of 1-A," I deflect the conversation to 1-A. They are the best scapegoat to use. For handsome men, I'm surprisingly distasteful of them.

"Yeah, but you're a threat to humanity," he compliments me. I always wanted to be a threat to humanity, and so my dream came true.

I ask, becoming very insulted, "Was it so bad that I wanted Kagesuke to line 1-A's classroom walls with—?"

"_Yes,_" he answers without waiting for me to finish. "Kendo almost beat your head in once she found out, but—"

"Inochi stopped her," and now I finish his sentence for him.

"Inochi stopped her, yeah. How many times has he done that so far? I need twenty hands to count them, I think. You need to repay him someday," he tells me. Finally, we face each other. Even with sweat coating an extra layer on his face, he's still a very dashing man. Just imagine those strong, built arms taking hold of me. I would never want him to let go. At that point, I'd want for nothing.

I reply, not necessarily focusing on the conversation, "Someday. All things come when it comes. That's the nature of life." I will never forget what Inochi told me during _Operation Invisible Heart_, his uncharacteristic teasing and about _Operation Boys to Men_. When drunk on placebo, Kaibara can be a very different man. He even confessed something he didn't mean to, and he doesn't remember a thing. How unfortunate for him! Ah, then I continue speaking, "And—"

"Lemme guess—you can't force nature to do the things you want. Everything happens when it does," he predicts what I'd say next. He looks so certain that he caught me in his spiderweb of traps.

"You'd be right if you weren't so wrong. Sometimes, nature needs a little push from mankind," I finish what I actually wanted to say with a small chuckle. "Anyway, that's enough of me being philosophical. May I ask you something?"

"Only if I can ask you something first," he lays out his stipulations. Kaibara has another trap set for me. Well well, I'm inclined to step inside it. If it happened to be a question involving whether or not he liked a particular someone, just this once… I wouldn't mind to tell the truth. We aren't in a suitable environment with it being scorching hot, but I can't be a picky man.

"How can I not spring your trap?" I answer, propping my head up with my hand in gentle curiosity. "My heart and mind are open to you."

From my soothing voice and smile, Kaibara subconsciously makes himself smile. I notice that his body relaxes a little. It's not as tense as before. "Alright," he says no longer in his belligerent tone, "this might be personal, Monoma. It's about your Quirk levels. When you saw your results, you looked disappointed." Ah, he asked the one question I didn't want him to ask. Normally, I would dodge the subject, but it's Kaibara. I can confide in him.

I look away from him, lifting my head off of the palm of my hand. Inochi and Kendo—the two stars of 1-B—are talking to All Might. "Yes, I'm disappointed. In terms of Quirks, I'm the weakest. I can copy Quirks, but only for five minutes. It can't be Mutation-type, like Manga's, nor it can't be Accumulation-type, like Inochi's. We're so similar, but so different."

I can feel Kaibara's gaze penetrating my skin. It's like he can see through me like a pane of glass. "This isn't just about the Quirk levels, is it? Are you like Tsuburaba? He's jealous of Inochi."

"No, I'm not jealous. At least… I try not to be jealous," I reply. Inochi laughs with the rest of his body laughing with him. "Kaibara, please be honest… Did you ever have a moment when you achieved true clarity?"

"Of what?" he asks me to elaborate.

"Everything. _God,_ Kaibara… It's everything. You know why birds flap their wings or why storms batter the coast. How… How everything is perfectly crafted from the very beginning, like we were meant to… meant to be what we're supposed to be," I explain. Did I explain it right? No, I couldn't. Something like this… It can't be put into human words.

Kaibara replies, "I...can't understand, honestly. Going off with what you said—I'll try my best to understand—everything isn't crafted perfectly, right? If storms exist and they destroy, that wouldn't be perfect. If that metaphor applies to humans, then why do we have flaws?"

"Because we were made to have them. We were perfectly made to be imperfect. Ever since the creation of man, we've been chasing the concept of 'perfect' or 'flawless', but we can never attain it," I say, standing up. I feel the sweat evaporating from my skin. My body cools. "There's a reason why some stories have protagonists so perfect that the universe bends to their will. We're frustrated that we can't control the universe that binds us, so we create stories so fulfill those innate desires."

Kendo puts Inochi in a headlock, which he doesn't mind. All Might, in his heroic manner, laughs and rubs Kendo's hair. Kaibara asks, "What does Inochi has to do with this? Is he striving for what you said?"

_"We want to be Heroes so we can say, 'I'm a good person.' Yet, good people who say that aren't good people. That's why I yearn to be as selfless as possible. I'm willing to throw away my heart, my body, and soul to achieve it."_

Throwing everything away, Inochi? Every selfish bone in your body? Buddha would admire your selflessness. That's why… That's why you're so perfect, aren't you? The perfect ideal of what a true Pro Hero should be, yet such an ideal is impossible. You might realize it, you might not. The outcome is still the same—the journey in seeking the impossible is a thrilling tale from start to finish. The beauty isn't in the destination, but in the path you set foot upon. That's why you're a beautiful man, Inochi. You and I…

I answer Kaibara's question, "More than anyone. Kaibara…"

I turn around.

"I am the most selfish man in 1-B. Every action I perform on this stage is each an attempt to swing the sun's spotlight to envelop me in its warmth. I steal Quirks from the people I swore to be my comrades. Pride, vanity, all sins are resting in my body. I'll be reincarnated when my time comes."

I look down.

"Kaibara, I know who I am."

I look at Inochi.

"I know who he is."

"Monoma… You said that Inochi is… He's the protagonist of the story. You called him the 'lead role' a few times, didn't you?" he recalls as I turn back to him. There's a hint of sympathy and pity in his eyes, hidden as well in his voice.

"I said them without care. I should've believed my words. If you could put 1-B's journey into a play, who would be the protagonist? The underhanded thief who steals Quirks or the kind man who's chasing the impossible as the underdog? Sanji Inochi is the hero of our story, and we are his allies. I should have known since the very beginning, but now I came to accept the truth."

"What truth is that?"

"I am his foil. I meant to represent what Inochi isn't. That's my purpose in this story. I am the selfish to the selfless. We're cut from the same cloth yet sewn into different fabrics. One day, it could be tomorrow or a few months ahead of us, he'll become who he's meant to be; I'll become what I was meant to be. Fate decided our paths from the moment we were born, and I accept it," I conclude my piece. Kaibara sighs and pats the space next to him where I once sat. Not saying anything, I sit down.

"Monoma," he says with a slight annoyance in his voice, "you said a lot of things just now, all of it being depressing. Look, you aren't that much of a selfish guy, and I know—I've been guarding everyone else from you. Take my word on it. Seriously, do you remember your speech back during the Sports Festival? Something about being the stars of our own journeys? What happened to that?"

"We are, but the star of the entirety of 1-B is him," I ease his worries, sighing. "Ah, what _did_ I ever do to deserve someone like you, Kaibara? That was my question, by the way. Why _do _you hang around me so often?" it's finally my turn to ask. Kaibara sighs and tilts his head towards me. The look he's giving is making me even more infatuated and heated if I wasn't sweating in this black suit.

"From the Battle Trials, I knew you were trouble. Someone has to—"

"Make sure I don't take over the school," I interrupt by saying the one thing he says all the time. It's the same reason with him, but I'm not convinced. Not anymore. "Say, are you sure that's the reason? You seem like the type who's attracted to trouble."

"'Attracted'? Weird word choice," he questions my word choice. There's a smirk on his face that says, _I know what you're really trying to say_. I wonder how long this charade will last…

So, I continue playing this game, "Well, I _am_ a weird man."

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

_STORM SPLINTER! _

_THUD!_

"Uh oh, sorry about that, Present Mic." He's knocked flat on his butt. Sometimes, I simply don't know how strong I am. It's true that I'm not the strongest person—that reward would go to Tetsutetsu or Itsuka—but it doesn't mean I'm the weakest. I'm far from it. My Quirk isn't meant for combat, but it doesn't mean I can't find a way to make it useful. That's where Storm Splinter comes into play. I split my body into small parts, but large enough that it covers the area around my enemy in order to disorient them. Once disoriented, my real weapons can come into play—my legs and hands. These babies are the only things that aren't split into pieces. From the cloud comes them raining hell. It's a pretty useful Super Move, but it's not really effective because an easy counter would theoretically be an area attack like Present Mic's Quirk. He just didn't use it because this is just a demonstration, not an actual battle for life and death like Catharsis. He...was a special case. There was no virtual way to fight him in hand-to-hand combat unless you're immune to his Quirk like Sanji—thank God. I suspect that we'll have a lot more even fights from now on though. We better, because I'm not dealing with another Catharsis, and I swear if I have to fight Shigaraki, then I'm just gonna jump off a cliff before he can use Decay on me.

"You passed… Please tell Yanagi that she's up next…" Present Mic gives me my verdict, which I already knew. Today's a super easy day. But uhm… Mic is still laying on the ground. He's not making an effort to get up. Y'know what, I'm gonna leave him be. Reiko's over...there! She's with Shojo, Yui, and Manga. Us girls—not Manga, obviously—decided to mutually use our first names from here on out a few days ago.

I approach them with my hands behind my back. Manga has no idea though. This is a perfect time to scare him! I inch like a slithering viper to his stupid manga-themed costume. The three girls see me coming, and much to my joy, don't bother to warn him. I knew I could count on them for this! Manga goes on about a recent anime adaptation that involved demons, but he doesn't realize there's one _right _behind him. Let's see if he can slay this demon.

Three...two...one! "BOO—?!"

_WHACK!_

_THUD!_

He spun around faster than I expected… He smacked my jaw and ended up taking my clean head off. It's just laying on the ground now with Manga staring at my headless body, which is still standing by the way. "WHAAA?! I DECAPITATED TOKAGE?! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

"Oh my…" Reiko comments.

"Eh?!" Shojo matches Manga's surprise.  
"Heh," and Yui makes a Yui sound.

I reply in a calm tone, completely opposite of Manga's, "Yeah, that's pretty rude of you. Didn't say 'Hello' to me, not even a 'Hey Tokage, looking sexy today'. No, you went 'Oh, I'm gonna punch Tokage so hard that her head falls off'." My body crosses its arms, or my arms. I'm making my body cross my own arms. I gotta be a sassy girl, y'know?

Manga holds his fist in his hand like it's a grand treasure. "This fist…! This was the same fist that knocked Tatchikutsu out! Am I more powerful than I thought?"

"No, Setsuna decapitated her own head," Reiko ruins Manga's fantasy. He looks at her in disbelief like his parents told him that Santa doesn't exist—well, Shojo would tell him that. Point still applies though, Reiko crushed Manga's confidence like a paper doll.

"Yeah, she tricked you. Now uhm, Setsuna… Can you please put your head back on? Your body's freaking me out…" Shojo asks, gesturing to my lovely body. Hmph, I might roll my head under her skirt. Kidding, I'm not gonna do that. Some people wield too much power, and that people is me. I pick up my own head and reattach it to my neck.

"Setsuna," Yui gets my attention with her usual deadpan, but cute voice, "you're a weirdo."

"From the entirety of 1-B, she is quite an orthodox and ordinary student in comparison to the likes of Monoma or myself, yet that is the charm of Setsuna, is it not?" Reiko says, which I don't take too kindly. Me, being orthodox? I try my best to be unorthodox! Damn this class and its weirdos!

"Totally. I understood what you said one hundred percent," Shojo admits, pushing up her glasses. She hasn't been around Reiko enough. Soon, she'll translate Reiko Yanagi Talk like it's a second language. Hmph, I didn't want to translate what Reiko just said though! It's making me grumpy.

"Reiko," Yui gets her attention next and points at me, "angry." Casually, I take Manga by his shoulders and move him in front of me.

"You're right!" I exclaim with my very own imitation of Manga's voice. It's perfect. ("That's not how I talk, Tokage!") "I, Manga Fukidashi, am a very angry man. I can't be a super cool, badass main character. I'm just a joke!"

"Wow Manga, tell me something I don't know," Shojo complains, batting her ponytail to the back. That's my Shojo!

"I didn't say that!" Manga insists. There's something wrong with his brain. That was his voice, through and through. Unfortunately, he wiggles out of my grasp and takes a few steps back. "Why are you here again, Tokage? You're here for something."

Why was I here again…? Oh, Reiko! That's right! I answer, "I finished my test with Present Mic—aced it—and he needs Reiko. Almost forgot about that, thanks Manga!"

Reiko nods and pats Yui's head. "Wish me fortunes on this assessment," she says before she pulls up her black mask. Just like Sanji's mask. When Reiko wears it, she looks cool. When Sanji wears it, he looks like he'll break your legs. Honestly, with someone so handsome and cute, you'd be grateful that he broke your legs.

Shojo tells her, "Kill Present Mic for me. His American accent is awful."

"Howdy," Yui says in English. Yup, that's totally America. Yee haw and all that.

"Yeah, frankly… I learned more English from Pony and Honenuki than Mic…" Manga comments like he's disappointed.

"Guys, I know English too. Prodigy, remember?" I remind them. I speak Japanese (obviously), English, French (Count loves me for this), and Korean. My accents aren't refined though.

"Farewell." Reiko leaves, completely ignoring what I just said. Alright, I see how it is. Today is Bully Setsuna Day isn't it? I need to cheer myself up, and I got the perfect idea.

I walk up to Yui and give her a head pat. Slowly, she looks up at me with her flat face. "Yui, do you show any emotion other than cute deadpan? I'm not complaining since it's your most adorable face, but I wanna see something else! Some spice!"

Calmly as ever, she utters, "Pervert."

"Why are you calling me that so much?! Shojo, Manga; you two are the most perverted people I know!" ("Hey—! Actually, that's true," Shojo agrees,) "Am I perverted like an old creep?" I ask them.

"Yup."  
"Without a doubt."

What the—?! Some friends I have! Yui raises her hand up high and pats my head as revenge. "Cute." My face heats up.

I rest my hand on her shoulder, trying my best to not be defeated by this adorable shortstack of a woman! "Pervert."

"You guys are weird," Manga says, then Shojo elbows him in his ribs. He yelps and pulls on Shojo's cheeks in return. Oh boy, I got money on Shojo.

While they're fighting, Ectoplasm strolls up beside Yui and I. "Girls, should I ask why Manga is fighting his sister?" ("Take it like a man, Manga!")

"Nope," Yui answers. ("You're just as weak as me, Shojo!")

"You should see them when they have different opinions," and I answer too. ("Shut up! I'll make you sweat your last fibers of muscle!")

"What in the…?"

* * *

"Setsuna, you seem to be doing well."

"And to you, my beautiful saint," I compliment Ibara, my queen. She smiles as a response. We're sitting together as the final tests are wrapping up. All day it's been testing, testing, and more testing.

"So," Ibara says, looking out into Gym Gamma, "I heard the Hero Courses will aid some General Department students in two or so weeks. From the exercise, U.A. will begin to decide which students will be transferred." Ah, I heard about that! "Hero Course Tutoring", isn't it? Dad told me about it earlier. From the three General Courses, a batch of students from each class will be selected to be tutored under 1-A and B. What happens after that is… I don't know. The Support and Management Department can watch whatever the exercise is, meaning Okichi will be there.

"Yeah…" I sigh, trying to forget about Okichi. "We'll meet Suzuki again. Manga already met him the other day when he was volunteering to tutor some elementary kids."

_"I dunno, Tokage… Suzuki is still a jerk, but he isn't a complete jerk. I think he changed from the last time we saw him."_

He almost killed Sanji… For his own sake, he'd better get his act together. Ibara replies, "He's an evil man. I don't know how someone so materialistic could ever be an effective Hero. Him and Bakugo. They're similar."

"Manga said that Suzuki was… He wasn't _that_ awful. He said to me, 'You should have seen how much those kids loved Suzuki.' Jeez, I think Suzuki is continuing to tutor them even after his community service is up. Do you think Suzuki's trying to undergo redemption or something?" I ask Ibara, looking over to her.

She answers, "I pray that he is, or else he'll feel God's wrath bearing down on him." Heh… It's better than Suzuki turning into a Villain. That's why Sanji didn't choose to expel him way back in Golden Week, right? If Suzuki was kicked out of U.A., he'll become the monster that we think he is. In actuality, he's a person just like us. Ego infected his brain at a early age.

Oh, there's my two favorite people. Sanji and Itsuka are still talking to All Might. I think All Might tested them together instead testing them separately. These two doofs… So stupidly cute together. Awase told me that, after Catharsis, Itsuka slept on Sanji's shoulder. God, why didn't I hear about this? They just need that little push and they'll become lovey-dovey! "Ibara, how could a couple be so perfect?"

"Goodness, Setsuna. You keep gossiping about them—I don't mind—but what about yourself? I've been wondering why you have to immediately leave when school ends. It's like you're in a rush everyday," Ibara asks this time. What do I say to her? Dad wants me to "be reminded of an heiress's duties". It's been studying, putting up a good image, and preparing to handle the company when Dad can't anymore. How do I explain_ that_?

"Heiress stuff. They always spike up this time of year," I make an excuse, which isn't exactly a lie. Ibara clicks her tongue and shakes her head. She's not convinced…

"It's the same excuse you give every time. Frankly, that leaves too much to the imagination. Shishida was more worried than I," she tells me, practically saying I should fess up. Ugh, why does telling the truth have to be so hard?

"Alright alright… Dad wanted me to be safe after I was attacked by Catharsis. That's why I had to leave right after school to ensure that I wouldn't be hurt, especially since the public is still hating my guts. I mean too much to him," I say, which seems to satisfy Ibara's curiosity. Good, I can't bear to be interrogated about that life. Even though it's kinda public, it's private to me. Dad wanted this life to be private.

"Heh, reminds me of my own. He's a great man, Setsuna. I forgot if you knew, but he works for retired Pro Heroes. He ensures that they have a peaceful life after an exciting one. And, Soruka is a doctor. She helps the injured everyday." She sounds proud. I would be too. Her entire family works for the good of society, and so does mine.

I reply, "You have a wholesome family, Ibara. My dad is always busy with work while Mom helps him. I usually get Haruto to keep me company." Haruto is a good guy. Straight out of college, he gets to tag along with a girl who's more successful than he is just by being born. Huh, why doesn't he hate me again?

"As expected of the owner of a multi-billion dollar company. You know, Setsuna… I believe that you're a splendid person. You're wise, confident, yet humble in your unique way. And, you're charming as well."

"Aw, I'm gonna blush… That means so much coming from an equally charming woman, if not more," I play the reverse card on her. Ibara laughs a sweet laugh and moves closer to me. She glances at All Might, which makes her frown.

"Setsuna, let me change the subject—All Might did not grade our essays, didn't he?"

"Well…"

* * *

**Toshinori Yagi and His Greatest Foe**

"EH?! Young Monoma wrote a three page essay on heroism? This is too much! This is really unnecessary! He is a wonderful-minded student—tad manacial—but three pages?! I didn't write that much during my three years here!"

"All Might, you gave them the prompt. You should be prepared for this..."

"Midnight, my guidebook on teaching never prepared me for bright students such as Young Monoma! And...uhm… Young Honenuki?! He wrote five pages! Young Tokage?! Six?! Six whole pages?! What is this beast?!"

"This is why you should've established a page limit… These kids are putting the 'Plus' into 'Plus Ultra'."

"They went too beyond… More than I have ever imagined… Gran Torino, I understand your pain of teaching… Please forgive my insolence..."

"All Might…? Why are you praying all of the sudden?"

"To have such students… They outshine even me..."

"Okay, you're being weird again. I'm going to head over to Gym Gamma. See you when you get there."

_Click!_

"Oh my goodness… How many pages did Young Kendo have…? Two. Ah, Hayami and Master Kendo taught her humility. What about Young Inochi? One. Surprising, but it's a welcome surprise. Though, how will I ever grade these essays in time? Truly, this is a threat much greater than the return of my sworn foe…

"I can't do this—No! That's wrong!"

_RISE!_

"I mustn't let this threat topple me for I am the Symbol of Peace, the pillar that holds Japan! If I cannot defeat these accursed essays, then how will I teach Young Midoriya the ropes of heroism?! I must let my resolve shine the way through to a brighter future! Come essays, I will teach you the true meaning of Plus Ultra!"

**Thirty minutes later...**

"In thirty minutes, I only graded one essay…"

_Huff!_

"I must help Vlad King to test 1-B on their abilities… There is only one way to resolve this terror…"

_SLAM!_

"I firmly believe that 1-B have hearts of a hero dwelling inside them! For that reason, they all get full points! ALL OF MY STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL! NOW, I MUST DEPART!"

…

"THERE IS NO ONE H—! Ahem, there is no one here. I am speaking to no one. Uhm, I should…"

_DASH!_

"I AM COMING, 1-B!"

* * *

"Yeah, he didn't. I bet he only graded one essay before deciding to give up. He's good at being the greatest Hero though. He helped us come up with Super Moves even though we're not at that stage yet. That's how I came up with Storm Splinter," I inform her. All Might is in a stance with Sanji and Itsuka copying him. Or, is he copying them?

"Mhm, I still have Via Dolorosa, Crucifixion, and Faith's Shield. Is Itsuka and Sanji working on their Super Moves as well?" Is the wonder duo working on their Super Moves? In Sanji's case, it's just Moves, but I digress. Hmm, I don't know though. Itsuka hasn't shown off any Super Moves yet, Sanji too. They need to get on that. Maybe Sanji will create his own martial arts style like, "Armory, Weapon One: Deathless Swallow". I don't know what that move entails, but I just came up with the name in my head and I'm very proud.

"Hopefully. Super Moves are what separates the schmucks from the diamonds. Sanji is original enough for being Quirkless, but I'm afraid that Itsuka will get unnoticed," I say, which is pretty stupid actually. There is no way that Itsuka _won't_ get noticed within our world. "Actually, never mind. Itsuka is the beauty of 1-B. She'll be rated the most beautiful Pro Hero in Japan, and once she gets married with Sanji, they'd be the greatest power couple in history! The Fist and The Sword! Or whatever Sanji becomes when he gets his Quirk." Still can't believe I'm looking at a future top ten. Typically, Pro Heroes that are in the top ten have AP levels more than about 8,000. All Might at his peak had 15,000 and Endeavour's peak is 13,000. But, Sanji has the potential of 12,500 or more?! The man I'm seeing today will be different than the man three years from now.

She replies, crossing her legs, "Well, let's theorize what he'll become. We know Sanji is a selfless man with no sins of man holding him back. I gather—"

"I love him, but we are not naming him 'Jesus Christ'," I lay down the first and only rule. "Oh, sorry for invoking the name." Ibara laughs at my joke, not being offended by it. Good, the last thing I want is for her to be offended.

She puts a couple of her fingertips to her lips. "No, I won't be calling Sanji that. However, don't you feel the inspiration coming from him and Itsuka? They are the two leaders within 1-B. Itsuka holds us together while Sanji encourages us to become better people. They are symbols much like All Might is the Symbol of Peace."

"So is Midoriya and Bakugo. They are symbols too, but for 1-A. We can't deny that even with how much we think badly of them," I mention. As much as I don't like it, Itsuka and Sanji will be overshadowed by them. They're just naturally better than them, which is why I brought these two up. Midoriya is related to All Might somehow and Bakugo is his rival. My gut is telling me that Midoriya will become the next Symbol of Peace while Bakugo… I don't know actually. He wants victory more than anything so maybe…the Symbol of Victory?

"Agreed. Midoriya is a moral man, but he is a naive one. Bakugo is a selfish man who bullies over to prop himself to a higher status. Enough about them," she coldly snaps. Ibara shakes her head and sighs. "This conversation is about two wonderful people. Do you remember what Itsuka's father was to Japan? The People's Fist. That is what she will become." And that she will. The People's Fist has the will of all those who are too weak to defend themselves. They stand up for the weak because that is the role of the strong—the strong protects the weak, so the weak could become very that. Catharsis… Itsuka is the exact opposite of you. I wish she could've met you so she could tear your entire ideology down.

"And Sanji… He's a Quirkless man chasing after a dream that should be impossible for him. What do we call him? He symbolizes that the impossible could be possible, but what does he have?" I ask. He could be the representation of possibility, but is that really him? There's something more to him, and that lies within his Quirk. We don't have the information to understand what Sanji is really meant for. He could be the Symbol of Swords or Brotherly Love.

"Setsuna… Maybe that's all Sanji has—a dream. He never once stated that becoming a Pro Hero is his dream though."

"If you wanna get technical, he sleeps the least out of everyone. I don't think he dreams either. How could he call it his dream when he never dreamt to begin with?" That's the sad thing about him. He doesn't sleep like we do. It's not an innate thing that he was born with, I feel. Something must've happened to him. I love Sanji a lot, but there's too many mysteries swirling him. I can't just ignore it.

"Well, for a man who doesn't dream, wouldn't he be wasteful with the word? He wouldn't care about the meaning of dreams, let alone worrying about it. We talk about our motives for being Heroes often, calling them our 'dreams', yet do you remember a case where he specifically used the word 'dream' in regards to becoming a Pro Hero?" she explains her reasoning. That's a good point… I don't remember a single time when Sanji used 'dream' in a sentence. That means he values the weight of the word. Why though? He doesn't care about things he doesn't have, but why are dreams different?

"I haven't… What are you trying to say, Ibara?" I ask this wise woman who's smiling like the gleaming sun. We're watching Sanji doing what he does best—being himself. What Ibara is trying to imply, I have a feeling it's…

She says, "Gaze upon society, Setsuna. There's people out there who're already placing Sanji on a mantle. These are the people who were constantly berated that their dreams were worthless, impossible even. Yet, there is only one man who's able to run after his."

We hear Sanji laughing, standing tall with Itsuka and All Might.

"That's right," Ibara continues, "Itsuka may be The People's Fist, the one who protects the weak… However, Sanji is…"

His eyes has the light of life.

Ibara finishes, "The Symbol of Dreams.

* * *

**Almost 20k words in this single chapter. Why did I write so much? Well, I sat down and said, "I need to develop 1-B more. I need to develop *all of them* more." Turns out, I need about 20k words to ensure that every person has more than one line of dialogue. I really hope you enjoy this and sorry if there's any errors because I really wanted this chapter to come out today. Anyway, this is the final chapter before the Hero Course Tutoring Arc, which Karisuma Suzuki will have the main spotlight. More General Course students will be introduced with a few returning.**

**The next chapter is called: The Dogma of Heroism.**

**Post-chapter discussion:**

**Here's my best to sum up everyone's scenes in one sentence.**

**Sanji: "Wow, I'm actually pretty strong; too bad I don't care about myself."**  
**Shihai: "What did I do to deserve this life?"**  
**Togaru: "I still hate everybody, but they're not all bad."**  
**Neito: "Oh shit, I'm the side character."**  
**Setsuna: "My life as a heiress is seen, but not heard."**

**Joking aside, this was a really long chapter to write. I made Itsuka, bless her tolerance, snap at Sanji for being the selfless idiot he is, further setting up his character arc. Then, Shihai has his setup for his arc which we'll see in the Final Exams. Togaru has some nice closure to his arc and some more fluff with Pony (they are cute together), and then Monoma. My goodness, he's been a fun character to write. Realizing that he's the side character is really meta, but it works since he's a theater kid. He studied literature and knew that, out of everyone, Sanji is the protagonist. From that, he gets to see how he becomes his foil (and how Sanji is a foil to him, more on that later). Finally, Setsuna has her scene with Ibara. Her heiress life is still hidden, so they talked about Sanji, naturally. They figured out that he'll become the Symbol of Dreams before even knowing the true name of his Quirk. What irony! (How can we forget about Rin too?)**

**Finally, let's get to Sanji. I developed the science behind Metaology in order to foreshadow his future strength. It's an obvious foreshadow so of course I'm gonna spoil it. We all expect him to become strong because he honestly deserves it after all he's been through. His ideals are admirable (and with what Neito said—the journey is more beautiful than the destination). However, don't think that Neito is Sanji's foil. In my opinion, it's the other way around. Sanji *is everyone's foil*. He's pursuing a selfless life, being more selfless than Midoriya, All Might, and Mirio! He sets the standard of a selfless man for everyone else to compare to.**

**You can see how much I'm trying to develop all these characters, especially Sanji. I written so much OCs here, but they don't feel like OCs anymore. Sometimes, I have to take a step back and realize, "This scene is driven by only OCs". Not only that, I tried my best to develop canon characters as well. It will take 10k words a chapter, maybe even more, but it's worth it to properly have almost everyone developed. Anyway, that's it.**

**Expect the next chapter two weeks from now! Please leave a review down because I would appreciate it!**


	30. The Dogma of Heroism

**Shindeka Oji**

"Shindeka, you're wearing your investigation face. We don't have a case at the moment. What's going on?" I close my laptop. The only echoing sound in this room is the ticking of my watch. Ever since Catharsis, I've been scouring for any leads on All For One's plans. Nothing. I found nothing. Soon, he'll return. When he does, Midoriya won't be ready to defeat him. If he could defeat Nana Shimura and the other holders, then Midoriya is an ant. That's why I changed my perspective to Inochi. If I could solve the mystery of his Quirk, he could help fight All For One when the time comes, maybe Shigaraki, to an extent, as well. However, I have researched Inochi's history; it's bizarre.

"Research. You may not like it, but it's about Inochi. Do you remember when he called us a couple of weeks ago?" I ask Claude. He looks surprised from the news. He sits down and rests his fedora on his lap.

"Mhm, it was about his Quirk. Everyone's saying that he'll become a top ten, which I should've seen coming honestly. Why are you investigating Sanji?" he asks, his underlying tone voicing worry about what I uncovered. He'd be glad that I found nothing, but that's the worrying part. I found nothing.

"Out of the entire school, he's the one who has the most mysteries swirling him. Specifically, ten or so years ago, he was admitted to the hospital for…numerous things. When questioned, he only provided his name," I tell him. I read his report over and over again. It made less sense each time I read it. The condition that Inochi entered was an assortment of things—malnourishment, blood stains with no wounds, smoky black clothes with a large cut on his shirt (the scar along his heart), et cetera. I spared Claude the specific details.

Claude replies, "What does this prove? We know he's a foster child, so it could've been… Mon Dieu, it could've been abuse."

I correct him, standing up from my seat, "No, because he was officially registered in the system after he was released from the hospital. Remember Claude, Inochi is fifteen today; he was five when this happened. Before that, there was no record of the boy named Sanji Inochi."

"No record? Wait, are you saying that before he went to the hospital… He didn't exist? No records of Sanji existed? That's impossible. You said he was five. What was he before he went to the hospital?" he finally understands. When Inochi was admitted to the hospital, that was the first day where he existed in public records. The authorities only got his name. There was a statement made by a psychologist. She believes that Inochi had no recollection of his incident. That means this mystery is even a mystery to him.

"I don't know. There is also no record of a family whose surname is Inochi. I looked at the Quirk Registry List of Japan for Accumulation and Mental-type Quirks as well. There were a few Quirks that fit the description, but none of them fit Inochi," I tell him. If Inochi truly knows what his Quirk is, then he's the only one who can solve his own case. Besides that, he has no connections to his biological family.

"Goodness, Shindeka… What is this boy?" Claude asks the question that I don't have the answer to. Midoriya is such a simple man compared to Inochi.

"Again, I don't know," I answer truthfully, looking out the window to the streets of Musutafu. "Claude, my instincts are screaming in my body. A Villain—bigger than even Savant—will emerge. He'll emerge here, right in Musutafu." All For One will return. Remnants of his shadow rule is coming to light. It won't be five years from now, not even a year. He'll come within months.

Like a fox, he silently moves next to me. We look out the same window. He says, "Our kids will be in the center, am I right?" I nod. "Damnit, you investigated Inochi because… because he could be connected to this?"

"It's a possibility that I cannot ignore," I solemnly answer.

Claude turns around and grabs a file off of my desk. "Just as when things are just quieting down after Catharsis…" he jokingly complains. "I'm assuming that the Commission will remain in the dark about this, knowing how you are. Still, I am wondering why you have a file on an agent of the U.H.N." Ah, I almost forgot about that file. It's another lead.

He opens the file. Inside it is only one single document—the information is mostly redacted—with a picture paperclipped to it. It's a young Japanese man with white hair and blue eyes. Well, he isn't young anymore. That picture was taken thirty years ago. I ease Claude's worries, "I know how you feel about the U.H.N., but this agent was the only agent who interacted with a few key individuals." On one single mission, this young man worked with Sasaki Kendo, Sorahiko Torino, and Nana Shimura. I don't know the specifics however.

"Individuals who're against this devil of a Villain? Or, are they the Villains themselves?" he asks, chuckling a little at the man's picture. "Hehe, what's more important is how much of a looker this man is. But, I can smell the pretentiousness from his smile though, ugh. It says that his codename is 'Mystic'. The U.H.N. are tacky."

"Claude," I disapprove. "Mystic worked with individuals who tried to defeat this Villain thirty years ago. However, he…'retired' thirty years ago."

"So, either this Villain killed him or the U.H.N. cut him loose—literally. Do you need any help, Shindeka? Don't leave your partner in the blue," he says, putting his hat back on. One of these days, I'll reveal All For One to him...

"Not now, but I will soon," I reply. My hand finds itself clutching onto my coat. "Claude…"

"Oui?"

Outside my agency, there's a large TV screen attached to the side of a skyscraper. It's turned to the news. They're talking about the Hero Public Safety Commission.

"Did you read the latest analysis brought by the Commission?"

"My prince… You can't be alluding to that?"

"It makes sense. The League is rising in power. Catharsis is first. It'll be like the Vigilante Era. There'll be people like the Eternal Being or the Winter Samurai. When All Might retires—"

"His boy, Midoriya, will take over the reins. Anarchy won't spread across Japan like it did during the Vigilante Era."

"We're running out of time, Claude. Before we know it, the city will be in flames. Only God knows how many people die."

"It won't come to that. Have some hope."

Shigaraki… All For One… Is it possible to have hope when they're alive? The clock is exponentially ticking to midnight. There's no possible way to reverse it until they're defeated for good.

"Hmph," I huff, taking out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "I envy your optimism."

I light one.

* * *

**Karisuma Suzuki**

"Please accept my congratulations, Suzuki," Yibiju tells me with a hand to her chest. I will never get used to her robotic voice. Kazeha is convinced Yibiju is an android created by a mad scientist. "You, Mantora, Kazeha, and Gera will be tutored by 1-A and 1-B. Do you know which class?"

"1-B, obviously," I answer with a scowl. "Principal Nezu put Mantora and I into 1-B while the girls are in 1-A." I hate it already. For the next three days, I'm stuck with them. I'd prefer 1-A honestly. Both classes abhor me, but one abhors me a little less than the other.

"Your tone matches disappointment, perhaps even anger. Have you been working on your anger management?" she… God, I would get angry at her for asking such a stupid question, but she asked in good faith. That, and Yibiju isn't a girl who understands emotions.

"I don't have any tails out, so I'm just me. Don't worry, that's the only reason why I get unreasonably angry," I assure her with a thumb pointing at myself. Nine Tails is a double-edged sword. I get more powerful, but I also get more rabid. I can't control my anger when I use it. Not yet, at least. It explains why I had sudden outbursts when I was growing up. Doctors said it was my brain, but it turns out—just my tails. I'm not completely rotten unlike what other people think of me.

"I am glad. Do not worry, 1-D will not crumble with your lack of leadership. Miss Kojoseicho will ensure no divide nor fracture will occur during your tutoring," she says.

"Thanks. Honestly, us four cause more trouble than we're worth. Tell 1-D that I won't miss them whatsoever," I joke a little. Not really though. I won't miss my class that much. Some of the people in there are messed up. They want me to "sabotage" 1-B. I thought it was a joke, but they were dead serious. That, and they were in a small fanclub for Itsuka Kendo. To this day, I don't know how I should feel about them. It's only three guys, but still—three too many.

"I am sure they were already aware." Yibiju crosses her arms and reminds me, "Before you left earlier, you took one step out of our class and shouted, 'I'm finally free from this bullshit.' You sounded quite happy about it."

"Yibiju, I said that out of kindness and respect from my heart." To emphasize that point, I lay my hand across my heart.

She frowns. "You are not telling the truth."

"No." I put said hand on her shoulder and shake my head. "No, I am not." Yibiju sighs and takes my hand off.

"Suzuki, I know you desire to become a Hero. Make use of this opportunity and gain the goodwill of the U.A. staff. As an example, I was informed that Mantora is in good favors with Recovery Girl for his Healing-type Quirk," she tells me. Hmph, Mantora is the most likely one who'd transfer into the Hero Course. He isn't the strongest man, but his Quirk is invaluable. He just didn't score high enough during the practical.

"It'll be hard since I'm not exactly popular. But, don't say I didn't try." I cross my arms. Miss Kojoseicho turns around the corner and sees us. Yibiju bows while I acknowledge her presence with a head nod.

"Suzuki, thought you were 'finally free from this bullshit'. Surprised you're still talking to your classmates," she jokes. Miss Kojoseicho leans against the wall with her verdant eyes focused on us. Heh, she makes 1-D not-so-terrible. She treats us like we're future Heroes and scholars, always giving us respect. You can lose it though, like me. But, I've been gaining it little by little.

"I am still uncertain if he was joking or serious," Yibiju comments.

"And you'll stay uncertain," I promise her, shoving my hands in my pockets. I look over to Miss Kojo who's laughing to herself. "Did you already give your spiel to the other three? They left class together, right?"

"They sure did. Gera promised that she'll 'rock 1-A to oblivion', which isn't the point of this program, but you know that isn't the sharpest tool in the box. Then, Kazeha kept teasing Mantora about being a you-know-what protagonist while Mantora looks like he wanna suplex her. Flashforward a few minutes, and we're here. You're last on my list of farewells and goodbyes. I'll miss you, Suzuki," she says with a sad smile on her face. For how real it looks, all I see is an actor.

I call her out, "That's an utter lie and we know it. Hell, even Yibiju could tell you're lying."

"On the contrary, I am able to tell—" I know what she's gonna say.

I snap, "On the contrary, you are not able." Miss Kojo clicks her tongue in disapproval. Hey, Yibiju is a very easy person to bully. Best part—she wouldn't understand a single thing. That's what makes her entertaining.

"Suzuki, be nice to Yibiju. And, I'm sincerely going to miss you. There's a grinch-sized heart in you, but there's a heart nonetheless," she says with a brighter smile. It's arrogant that she thinks she knows me so well.

"It's not gonna grow two sizes," I tell her.

"It's three sizes, not two. But, I digress. Make Mister Kan happy, make 1-B happy, and make me happy, alright?" she asks me, but she should be prepared for disappointment.

I tap my foot out of annoyance. "Miss Kojo, can you stop acting like you're my mom? I already have one. I don't need another nagging lady."

"From how much of a handful you are, you _need _two moms," she says. Then, she stands up straight with a faint blush on her face. "But! To think that you imagine me as a mother makes me blush! Call me 'Mom' from now on, alright _son_?"

"I'd rather choke on my own tongue," I reply. I'm kinda tempted to rip out my own tongue out of spite. Recovery Girl can surely sew it back on, maybe even Mantora too if he liked me well enough.

"Aw, what happened to the man who tried to charm everyone? Who tried to wow the class with his charisma and Quirk? Who had everyone fawning over him?" she asks before she walks up and tries to pat my head. I move Yibiju in front of me so she gets patted instead of me. She looks completely confused. ("What is the purpose of this gesture?")

"That was me being a fake. Sorry to say, but this is the real me. Some people measure their worth by how many people they save. Me? I measured mine by women and yesmen. Well, that's what Fukidashi was implying anyway. I'm sick of what happened." I explain to her, and I guess Yibiju too. That's how I was like before U.A.—what an asshole I was. Really, it took beating up Inochi to make me realize that I never cared for people. Those "friendships" I had? It was all fake and superficial. I never cared about women, but I grew up thinking that the best Heroes gather them like flies to honey. The best Heroes had everyone echoing what they said and did, so I wanted that. It wasn't me though. I got called a "Villain" for it. In a way, I have Inochi to thank for waking me up from my own bullshit.

Yibiju—I'm still holding her—says, "Duly noted. Now, I must ask you to please let go of me. This is an uncomfortable position and I am not fond of it." Right, I let her free. She awkwardly moves herself off to the side so Miss Kojo and I are face-to-face.

"Jeez…" Miss Kojo presses her hand against her head. "Maybe these three days will do you some good? Who knows… Now remember—tomorrow, you go to the auditorium first so Principal Nezu can talk about the program. That's all I'll say since you're obviously getting annoyed. Enjoy your time in the Hero Course. You deserve it." One more time, she smiles. She ushers Yibiju to follow her. They walk down the hall to I-don't-know-where. I guess it's time to go home.

As I walk out of school, I see Inochi and Kendo in the parking lot. They're talking beside a golden motorcycle. They must be talking about the Hero Course Tutoring program. I shouldn't interrupt them. I—

_Bzzt!_

My phone. I take it out and it's Miss Fukasawa. She sent a picture. I told her about the program just the other day, so let's see what this is about. I open the picture and…

"Heh… Those goofballs."

She sent me a drawing that the five dorks made. They drew an awful picture of my Hero Costume and signed it with their names in crayon. At the top, they wrote "GOOD LUCK KARI!" with golden stars surrounding it.

"Idiots…"

* * *

From Class 1-C:

Hitoshi Shinso: Brainwashing - Anyone who replies to him becomes his mental slaves. He used Ojiro and Shoda for his riders back in the Sports Festival.

Jun Hoashi: Reflection - In any reflective surface, he can jump inside and out.

Asuka Yutani: Keratin Control - From the keratin in her hair and nails, she's able to control them. She can pretty much grow claws and use her hair as a restraining weapon.

June Akagawa: Vector - If she sees any form of movement, she can alter the direction instantly.

Class 1-D:

Me: Nine Tails - A rose with many thorns. I can go a total of nine tails for power, but the biggest drawback is anger. At a certain point, I'll lose control and turn into a giant monster. I don't need Midoriya to punch me again.

Shinzo Mantora: Glowing Heart - His heart glows as the source of his power. He can heal and also unleash very destructive attacks, but every use expends a lot of energy.

Sakuna Kazeha: Sakura - She can transform herself into sakura petals. Simple enough.

Gera Rudolphus: Earthen Feet - Arguably one of the most powerful Quirks in the General Courses. It's a Battlefield Manipulation-type. Anything earthy underneath her feet is fair game.

Class 1-E:

Kyoko Usami: Fog Born - Exactly what it says. She can exhale fogs of various sizes. Heard she can transport herself through them too.

Roku Hosoo: Dimensional Shift - The Quirk itself doesn't sound as fancy as the name. Hosoo can shift himself to be flat as a 2D surface or even shrink down to 1D.

Kingo Wakuri: Dust - Unlike what people think, his Quirk is different than Shigaraki's. By telepathically controlling any dust in the area, he can use it as his own.

Honoteru Nichirin: Sun King - He can suck out any light source, even the sun. Doing so, he can unleash it in energy-based attacks.

Class 1-A gets: Hitoshi Shinso, Asuka Yutani, Sakuna Kazeha, Gera Rudolphus, Roku Hooso, and Kingo Wakuri.

Class 1-B gets: Jun Hoashi, June Akagawa, myself, Shinzo Mantora, Kyoko Usami, and Honoteru Nichirin.

There's also the second and third-years which I won't describe, even if I remember them. They're not important.

"Oi, these extras gonna be learning with us? Teach, shouldn't we focus on ourselves rather than wasting time on these punks? Our finals are coming up," Bakugo asks Mister Aizawa, who's mainly focused on his set of six Genral Course students.

Aizawa answers, "Bakugo, these students could and will be your classmates. Some of them might not have the potential, but some do. That's where I have to evaluate."

"Wait, you're saying that one of them will transfer into the Hero Course? I heard U.A. wants to transfer at least one General Course student each year, but I didn't think it was true," Midoriya checks. He looks around his classmates for the next three days. He has a colorful set of new friends, I assure him that.

"Mhm, that's true. Any other questions? Anyone?" Mister Aizawa looks around the crowd. No one has anything. "Alright, Principal Nezu will explain the rest when he gets here." Hmph, I still don't understand how anyone like Principal Nezu can exist. Just...what the hell is he?

"Man…" A few rows in front of me, Awase starts chatting with Rin in whispers. "I can't believe we'll be stuck with Suzuki for three days. I keep asking Inochi 'bout what he thinks, but he keeps telling me, 'Stop worrying.'"

"So? You're doing the exact thing he told you not to do," Rin counters.

"I know! But dude, Inochi said it without a hint of emotion in his voice. He's the most animated guy in 1-B!" he says. This reminds me if whether or not Inochi still has his old hoodie? The one that he used to hide himself in.

Rin sighs. "Look, we can handle Suzuki if the time comes. I won't let him beat Inochi to a pulp again." _Again_. I wonder if these idiots know that I'm listening to them.

Awase looks behind him and stares at me for a second or two. It's like he's thinking to himself, _Is Suzuki looking at me? _I stare back. He turns back to Rin. "Dude, I think Suzuki is staring at me."

"He's not staring at you. Unless his fox ears can make his hearing better..." (They can,) "he's staring at nothing in particular," Rin assures him. It's a wrong reassurance, but at least Rin is being a good friend. However, Rin decides to check if I'm actually staring at Awase. I am, by the way. "Okay, never mind. I'm pretty sure he's listening to our conversation."

I introduce myself, "No, I'm not listening to your conversation. Don't mind me." I can't see Rin's eyes, but I'm pretty sure he rolled them.

"Alright, I'll ignore you—Wait a minute! You asshole! You're not gonna beat up Inochi again, y'hear?" Awase exclaims, nearly getting out of his seat. He gets the attention of everyone in the auditorium. Rin sits him back down. God, please tell me this won't be a constant thing? I don't wanna be interrogated for everything I do.

Mister Kan clears his throat. "I'll ensure that Suzuki won't harm anyone unless it's a training exercise. That goes for the rest of you who're in my care. And uhm, Nichirin… Why are you smiling like that?"

I look at Nichirin and he's smiling like a kid in a candy store. His fiery blonde hair is floating around like Mister Aizawa's. "Nothing important, Mister Kan! With my shining power, I promise to be dazzling during these three days!" Oh great, another weirdo.

Usami speaks up, "Ignore Nichirin. He's obsessed with being shiny. When he found out that he was accepted, he went on about his fated rival."

Nichirin stands up and points at Inochi. It's such an intense action that a gust of wind goes through the entire auditorium. "Him! That is my fated rival! He carries the moon's glow within his body! In the name of the Nichirin family, I shall vanquish you in honorable combat!"

"I'm...not sure how I should feel about this," Inochi replies with Kendo equally confused behind him. "If you wanna fight, Mister Kan has to approve it. Besides, I think—"

"Vlad King! Gloryful and crimson Vlad King!" Nichirin runs on stage. He gets down on his hands and knees, slamming his head against the floor. "I must ask you to give your consent so I can battle Inochi! I promise that our battle will be righteous and dazzling! I will not resort to underhanded tactics! I will—!"

"Nichirin, later. Just...later. You can fight whoever you want. Please calm down, kid…" Mister Kan tells him. Nichirin shoots back up and bows before running back to his seat. That was...unnecessary. Did he really just declare that Inochi is his fated rival? How could he tell that Inochi is the moon to his sun? His name doesn't resemble anything relating to night or the moon.

"Wow, Nichirin is surely excited. He was so cute when he wanted to duel Sanji to the death!" Kazeha says beside me. I forgot she existed. I forgot _all of them_ existed. How long have they been here?

"Kazeha, can you stop needlessly commenting on every guy you see?" Mantora complains on the tail end of our group. Kazeha giggles and leans on his shoulder. He doesn't nudge her off.

She teases him, "Oh my, you're getting jealous, aren't you? Maybe I should go up to Sanji and start rubbing his chest. Would that make you uncomfortable?"

"It would make all of us uncomfortable," I butt in.

"Ditto," then Gera.

"And very disgusted," finally Mantora.

"Hmph." Kazeha pouts, crossing her arms. "You guys don't have to tease me so much, y'know. Especially you, Suzuki. Say something nice to me," she asks. Hmph, now I'm getting grumpy. I'll do the nice thing and give this nympho want she wants.

I reply, "'Something nice to me.'" Gera snorts while Kazeha groans in a way that someone would mistake it as something indecent.

Mantora comments, "You walked yourself right into that one."

"I should've known. I prefer nice guy Suzuki than this jerk," she gives her opinion before leaning back in her chair. Don't know why she said that. Does she think that I care about her opinion?

"Eh, Suzuki showed his true fangs, pun not intended," Mantora is next in giving opinions that I don't care for. Last, and certainly least, is Gera Rudolphus. Is she going to drop German wisdom onto me? Maybe she'll speak German too? It's seriously the angriest-sounding languages in the entire world.

"Always knew something was up with that asshat. Too pretty for my taste," Gera says. Well, at least she thinks I'm pretty. That makes up for the part about calling me an "asshat". Oh wait, I still don't care.

I reintroduce myself into this conversation, "Yeah, that Suzuki is something alright. Oh wait, he's sitting with you three chuckleheads right now."

"Thanks for the loving compliment," Kazeha offhandedly says. For the love of… "Anyway~! We should talk about something productive, such as the next three days. I'll enjoy my time with 1-A, especially with Todoroki. He's quite a looker." To the side, Todoroki is standing away from the crowd with a bowl of soba in his hands. Where did he—? Ah screw it, this school is beyond my understanding.

"Are guys all you think about?" Gera asks.

Kazeha emphasizes with a wink, "Hot ones."

"And half-cold," Mantora adds on. "Did you see what he did to Sero during the Sports Festival? Or Midoriya?"

…

"Right, I forgot we didn't see his fight with Midoriya because…" Yeah, Mantora? Are you going to finish your sentence or stop awkwardly in the middle like an old lady at a green light? "Suzuki, I'm still amazed how you aren't expelled."

"It's better to 'rehabilitate' me than risk creating a controversy. Imagine my controversy added with U.S.J., Inochi, and Hifumi. The government or the Hero Public Safety Commission would shut down U.A. in a heartbeat," I explain. For U.A., if they can mold me into a proper Pro, then they can boast about how reformed I am. Usually, any normal school wouldn't do that and give me the axe. But, U.A. did it the hard way. Because of that, I'm not going to be expelled unless I do something terrible. I should be thankful, but the only thing I can feel is being generally annoyed at everything. Right… I have a single tail out.

Gera sighs and bows her head. "Yeah, you're right. You guys hear 'bout the recent spike in crime? When Stain came out with his memoir or whatever it is, it really struck a chord with some sick fuckers."

"Heard Stain was affiliated with the League somehow, Catharsis too. It's crazy thinking how much the League has grown ever since the U.S.J. Incident," Kazeha tells us. Both Stain and Catharsis was taken out by the first-year Hero Courses. Bet the second and third-years are pretty jealous of them.

"Yeah… The League could be something dangerous. We might have to be the ones to fight them," Mantora says. He shuts his eyes and lets out a long sigh. "This is supposed to be our hero academia, not our hero fight-to-the-death-ademia. Not yet, anyway."

"Mhm," Gera agrees, kicking her feet up on the seat in front of her. "Y'know, I heard from a second-year that last year's Hero Course Tutoring only had two kids from each class. U.A. upped it to four. Think they're getting desperate for new Heroes?"

I answer her question, "Yup. Whether we like it or not, All Might's gonna retire soon. He's reaching that age. Once it happens, it'll open the floodgates to all sorts of crime. U.A. has to be stupid to _not _increase their Hero Graduates." Hero Graduates… Right, when a Hero-In-Training graduates from their Hero School, they become a Hero Graduate. It means they're an official Pro, but they're a teenager with their Learner's. Their actions are limited until they get enough experience.

"The Commission determines how many General Course students can get transferred, no? I thought it wasn't at U.A.'s discretion," Kazeha questions, poking her head out to get a good look at me. I'm not an expert in what the Commission can or can't do, but I don't doubt it. If they hid the true culprit of the Suicide Spree from the public, then they have the power to determine the exact number of General Course students that can be transferred to the Hero Courses each year. Jeez, after that, the city has a say in U.A.'s actions if they want to receive funding. That's why we had to get tested for our AP levels two weeks ago. Principal Nezu's hands must be tied.

I nod, telling her, "That's probably the case. The Commission has analysts that predict the state of Hero Society in a few years. Then, they take whatever actions they can to prevent...you know...societal collapse. God, All Might retiring within our time in U.A. is a given, and the League of Villains is quickly rising in power. Kazeha, if I were you, I'd stop being surprised when the Commission starts taking more drastic measures." Like, for example, letting the first-years participate in workplace training like the second and third-years.

"Yeah, they published an analysis yesterday, right? They say that we'll be closer to the brink of anarchy than ever," Mantora is next to ask me something. Ugh, do these idiots not follow current events? If we wanna be Heroes, we have to stay up-to-date. I might as well enlighten them.

"Just like the Vigilante Era, or the Origin of Quirks. Whichever term you prefer," I inform them. They release a breath that I didn't even realize that they were holding. What the hell… Did I leave them in suspense? Ugh… Of course, I had to be born at the cusp of massive societal upheaval.

"Holy shit… Why wasn't I born earlier? Feels like there's a pretty big burden on my shoulders, not gonna lie," Gera says.

"Damnit, why now of all times?" Mantora mutters to himself.

"Let's hope anarchy doesn't come when I graduate. That'll be terrible timing," Kazeha jokes, which I actually don't mind for once. It's a dark topic. The analysis definitely generated a massive scare, but it's smart to take it with a grain of salt. Though, it's dumb to go blind to the reality it states.

I—

"Yoo hoo! Sorry for the long wait! I was enjoying a bubble bath!" Principal Nezu comes in on the mic. He's standing in front of a podium in his signature black suit. From what he said, our teachers behind him collectively roll their eyes and groan. "Now, the Hero Course Tutoring program! I know most of you here have experienced this program already, but I'll explain it for the first-years!"

Nezu turns to the first-year section—to us. He waves and a few of us wave back, including Kazeha. "The Hero Course Tutoring program, also known as the H.C.T., is a program mandated by the Hero Public Safety Commission. Every year, us staff members in U.A. evaluate General Course students from each grade level to see if someone—and there's usually at least one—is eligible to transfer into the Hero Course!

"I heard some of you were talking about the number of students we can transfer. You are correct! The Commission determines the maximum number of students we can transfer, but we don't have to meet that quota. We are suggested to meet it, but some years turn out worse than others. Can't blame us when some students just aren't cut out to be Pro Heroes!

"Anyway, that's enough about boring stipulations and guidelines. For the next three days, each Hero Course class will have six General Course students! It's filled with simulations and exercises similar to what an actual Pro Hero face! Not only the General Courses gain valuable information, the Hero Students themselves will receive more training! It'll involve all sorts of challenges that's up to the teachers' discretion. However, that should be incredibly obvious! But what isn't obvious is the final exercise!

"At the end of the three days, we will meet in Gym Gamma for the final event—sparring! There will be eighteen matches total, six for each grade level. Each match will consist of two General Course students from opposing classes. For example, Hitoshi Shinso, tutoring under 1-A, fights Karisuma Suzuki, tutoring under 1-B! That's a match there. Whoever wins the match gets a point for their class. The class with the most amount of points wins in their grade level! In the event of a tie, there will be one final match between two volunteers to decide the winning point! Sounds fun, doesn't it?

"What else…? Oh right! The transferring! The purpose of this program is to determine which one of you is so good that we have to bump you up! The best way we can evaluate that is through these exercises throughout the program. Just because everything sounds fun, it doesn't mean that it isn't serious. Your high school future, perhaps your entire life, can and will be determined on the outcome of the next three days. If you don't embody the meaning of Plus Ultra, then I will guarantee that you won't move up. That is all I have to say. And now, for All Might!"

Principal Nezu ends his part of the speech, letting All Might take the stage. He's dressed up in his striped yellow suit. He walks to the podium and adjusts his tie before exclaiming, "Welcome future Pro Heroes of tomorrow! I—!"

One random guy yells, "I love you, All Might!"

"And I love you, Young Kaminari! I love everyone! I mean, there's so many of you starry-eyed dreamers are here! It's actually kinda nerve-wracking… That's besides the point! I… Heh, excuse me for chuckling. It's amusing to imagine all of you in… That is also besides the point, I'm sorry."

...I thought All Might was good at giving speeches.

"I'm fumbling, aren't I? Ah, I was never a master at public speaking, especially when I went to this splendid school. Yet, when I feel the radiance of hope and prospects of the future coming from you, the words come right out of my mouth. For the past week, I memorized the names of _every _General Course student here from 1-C to 3-E. I talked to your teachers, I looked at your grades, I basically treated you as material for a test. I don't mean to sound creepy, but I wanted to remember each of your names. I know that everyone here has the potential to be a Pro Hero. However, much like what Principal Nezu said, you must give your Plus Ultra! If you can't, then I'm sorry to say that you won't be a Hero with that meager attitude.

"Japan needs Heroes that will go beyond the call at a moment's notice. The typical Villain has more freedoms than we do. They don't hesitate to kill, to threaten, to take hostages… They use our morals as weapons against us. When they stoop down to such measures, we must rise up and let our light cast a shadow upon them! Whenever we must, we have to pass our limits to accomplish our goal by any means necessary!

"To rescue! To defeat!

"That is the dogma of heroism! Hammer it into your skulls! Let it be the marrow that rides within your bones! The barriers that stop the heinous thoughts of doubt! These words empower each fiber in your muscles! It's what keeps your blood roaring throughout your veins! Don't you ever forget these words!

"To rescue! And to defeat! Boast it with pride!"

Everyone… Everyone but me complies, "To rescue and to defeat!"

"Again!"

"To rescue and to defeat!"

"What was it?!"

"To rescue and to defeat!"

"Good! Good…" All Might calms down from the heat of his speech. He chuckles into the microphone, straightening a stack of paper in his hands. He looks around the auditorium with admiration smiling across his lips. "Each of you are unique. No matter who you are, no matter what the world thinks of you, you are amazing people. For that, I have something to say for each General Course student here."

"From 1-C… June Akagawa, you're a bright young woman. You might have a foul-mouth, but you're a proud woman."

"Jun Hoashi…"

There's thirty-six of us. Did All Might really take time out of his busy life to research each person? Including me? That's unrealistic, even for him. Yet, he's reading off of a list of compliments. I don't have All Might as a teacher—I'm in General Courses—but would he go this far for students that he'll teach only for three days? It seems I already know the answer to this question…

One by one, he compliments each student in 1-C. Then it's 1-D. He says that Mantora will become the next Recovery Girl, Kazeha will bring love to the world, and Gera will bring the world to her feet. When he reaches my name…

No, he doesn't. He moves onto 1-E. All Might doesn't look away from his paper, he moves on, completely ignoring me. I… Hmph. From the corner of my eye, I catch Mantora glancing at me like he's saying, _All Might forgot you existed._ That isn't true. He knows I exist, but he chose to ignore me. If he had nothing but bad things to say, then I'd rather have him humiliate me in front of everyone rather than pretending I don't exist. That's an asshole move even for me.

Oh, people around me whisper. They whisper things like:

"What happened with Suzuki? Did All Might forget him?"

"Damn, I knew Suzuki was on thin ice with U.A., but not this bad."

"Man, I don't wanna be him right now. Getting ignored by All Might must be the most awful feeling in the world."

Yeah… I knew All Might wasn't that good of a teacher, but I didn't realize he was a hypocrite. He called everyone unique and "amazing people". Guess I didn't make the cut, huh? Can't believe I looked up to him when I was younger. He was this shining hero that I aspired to be like everyone else Whatever, I don't need his praise. I don't need anything from him or anyone. I don't care what people think of me; I know it's all negative. I don't care. I'll be a Pro Hero—a _famous _one.

I sink in my seat, letting my glorious hero compliment the rest of his precious students. I can't be bothered to listen anymore. Bet some people are happy that I'm getting ignored. They're thinking that I deserved this for what I did. I deserve a lot of things, but I don't believe I deserve this. It's bad enough that I contributed to a suicide. I… Damnit, I won't work myself up over this.

"And that's all!" All Might finishes his part. He puts his papers down and sighs, looking around the auditorium again like he's measuring the atmosphere. "Hmph, as if I was done. These past few months have been...eventful. We had a class attacked by ruthless Villains, a man who wasn't meant to be in the Hero Course, and… and a young woman who committed suicide thanks to a heartless man."

What's his point?

"Honestly, I forget that you're only teenagers. You seem so grown-up, but you're still changing. That's why I complimented each of you. You need that praise as motivation. It doesn't mean that I cherish one student over another, but I do believe that some students need more motivation than others. Like for example… Young Suzuki."

The entire auditorium is staring at me now.

"Stand up, Young Suzuki. Come onto the stage," he asks me. I… He didn't ignore me. He realizes that I'm a special case, and he wants me to treat me as such? Ugh, All Might planned this from the very beginning. I need to… I need to do what he says.

I stand up. There's no applause. There's no whispers. There's only silence. All eyes are on me, everyone's. I walk down the aisle. Still nothing. Not even the staff behind All Might has something to whisper about. I get closer to the stage. Everyone is still staring at me. I take my time going up the steps where All Might is waiting for me. Eventually, I'm standing on the same level as he is. He says, "How's your day, Young Suzuki?"

"Good," I answer with my voice echoing throughout the auditorium. I wonder what went through All Might's head when he decided to put me on the spot. From what he said, he implied that I need more attention. That paints me like I'm a little kid acting out, but I know that isn't what he intended.

"That's good. I apologize for making you come up here, but I knew you wouldn't mind," he says, turning to the side. "Hmm, when I asked everyone to chant, you were the only one who didn't. Why was that?"

"Didn't feel like it," I answer. I put my hands in my pockets.

All Might cocks an eyebrow. "Really? You 'didn't feel like it'? Seems like a detached answer to me, Young Suzuki. What's going on within your mind?"

"Nothing, All Might. Well, I'm wrong actually. I feel a teeny-tiny hint of betrayal and anger because you 'forgot' me but pulled this stunt five minutes later. Thanks for that," I snark. I'm not going to pour my heart in front of a hundred people. I see this situation clearly now. What was All Might thinking? He put me into a trap that can end badly no matter what—me embarrassed or him making a fool of himself. It's a lose-lose situation.

"Hehe, I have a flair for the dramatics. I apologize though. Back on the subject, is it all you're willing to say?" he asks again.

"Yeah—?!"

_BURST!_

"Sorry for being late! Sir called me in for something important!" It's...Mirio Togata. I heard about him. He's the star third-year along with Nejire Hado and Tamaki Amajiki. People call them "the Big Three". And currently, this member of the Big Three is standing awkwardly in the doorway. Like with me earlier, everyone has their eyes on him. "Seems like this is an awkward situation!"

…

He laughs. "Guess I wasn't funny again, oh well! I see the star problem student of 1-D is on stage, All Might! Are you motivating him?"

All Might smiles. "Young Mirio, I am! You can't deny the fact that, out of all of the first-year students, Young Suzuki comes to mind as one of them!" Why is it a habit that people talk about me when I'm literally right next to them?

"That's right!" Togata walks down the aisle like he owns the place. But, he's giving off a similar air like All Might. He doesn't feel like a condescending senior that looks down on you, but like a mentor. "These first-years are a special bunch! There was never this much excitement when I was starting out! Say Suzuki, still aiming to be a Hero?"

"That isn't obvious?" I answer when Togata is getting close to the stage. Please don't come up here—and he's coming up here. "Hold on, you're coming up here too?"

"Naturally!" Togata beams as he starts scaling the steps. "Since Golden Week, you've been the hot topic of the General Department! From what happened, there's a lot of people saying that you shouldn't be a Hero, including Sir!"

"You beg to differ though," All Might says, wincing for some reason. Togata makes it onto stage and nods.

"Of course! Not all apples are born ripe. It's a bit silly to think that we have the right mindset to become proper Pros. I mean, when I was a first-year, I was in a terrible shape," he tells us, about to go on about his personal experience, I feel. Ugh, it's better to let Togata talk our ears off so I can get this over with.

"Is that so?" I say, pretending to be intrigued. If Togata buys the act, then he'd be super enthusiastic about telling me his past.

He exclaims, exactly how I imagined, "You betcha!" Togata stands tall with his fist clenched near his heart. "My Quirk, Permeation, was my biggest obstacle. It wasn't like Inochi's case where he simply can't use it, but mine is near impossible to utilize efficiently. I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to train with such a difficult Quirk. I wasn't like my best friend, Tamaki! He knew how to use his Quirk to the fullest when we were starting out! Still does now and even more! Honestly… I was a bit jealous of him."

Togata looks back at the crowd, specifically where Amajiki is at. Someone puts a spotlight on him. He's blushing. Amajiki yelps and hides behind the seat in front of him. Togata laughs it off and scratches his neck. "Mhm, I had no virtual skill with Permeation. I stayed like that throughout my first year at U.A. High. Then next year, I interned under Sir Nighteye. Under his mentorship, I finally got a grip on my Quirk! I could utilize it to its fullest potential! But, it wasn't enough that I had good teaching, I had to discipline myself to train everyday until I can reach the state I wanna be. It took a lotta work, and frankly, I still haven't reached that state yet! Do you know what my Hero Name is?"

I shake my head.

"Lemillion. In my lifetime, I want to save over one million people! It's a big job. That's why I feel like I haven't reached my peak yet! In order to accomplish a task that large, I need to become the strongest man there is, like All Might! That's my mission in life, problem student," he finishes. You know, from what Togata said, he's comparable to Inochi. Togata, despite his Quirk, trained to master it and his body. Inochi is a little different since he hasn't unlocked his Quirk yet, but he's training just like him. And their goals… Togata's mission is stupid. Saving one million people is impossible, he should know that! Then, why is he trying to chase after it? When I look at Inochi, he wants to save people without being rewarded. He's Armory, the representation of all the Quirkless out there. But, there's something much more to him…

I…

"What does it have to do with me?" I ask Togata. All Might is silent throughout this, I just noticed. He's letting Togata talk. I don't know if this is another set-up or this was genuinely the spur-of-a-moment.

Togata chuckles, sliding his hand through his hair. "Well, it isn't fair that everyone thinks negatively of you. You did bad things, and some will argue that only Villains would do that. Yet, you're still here, aren't ya? U.A. didn't expel you because they see something great in you, Suzuki. I do too! You just need to realize your meaning of heroism!"

"My meaning of heroism? You aren't going to lecture me about how my way of going about things is wrong? That your way is better than mine could ever be?" I question. That wasn't the answer I was expecting. No, I was expecting harsh criticism. Even how All Might-y this guy is, I thought he would condemn me.

He shakes his head. "Nope, why would I do that? There are tens of thousands of Pros in the world, but I'm the only one with a unique interpretation of heroism, and you're the only one with your interpretation. So, if I go around hating everybody who's different, then I'd eventually hate everyone, wouldn't I? You can't be a Pro Hero with that mindset. Really, you need to do two things to be a proper Hero. That is—"

"To rescue and to defeat," I say what Togata was gonna say. "So really, I can be any Hero I want as long as I do just those two things?"

"That's right, Young Suzuki," All Might joins the conversation, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You can be any person you desire to be. As long as you have that thought imprinted in your head, you are a Hero. For now, work with your Quirk and its drawbacks, and continue to practice good deeds to all. Do well during this program, and I hope to see you in my class as a permanent student." All Might… _Continue _to practice good deeds? Is he talking about helping those kids? He knows that I'm still tutoring them even though I finished my forty hours last week. Heh… I wouldn't…

"Mhm! Your personality might be a bit sour, but everyone has their imperfections! It simply makes them that much more unique and memorable! Now, I think I'm finished!" Togata announces, laughing at the end. All Might too. A small chuckle leaves me. I never heard myself laugh like that.

All Might pats my shoulder. "You can return to your seat, Young Suzuki. Thank you, Young Mirio, for helping me." Togata bows and we go back to our seats. As we leave, I hear All Might talking, "That goes for the rest of you as well! Remember the words spoken here!"

I sit down in-between Gera and Kazeha. They shoot me a couple of smiles. I look up at Ectoplasm, who's about to give his own speech.

I lean back and listen.

* * *

"Heroic All Might! The exercise for today will surely involve sparring, correct? Mister Kan promised that today's exercise will be combat-extensive!" Nichirin nags All Might. For God's sake, it hasn't been a full day yet! We're just waiting for our exercise to be set up! I feel sorry for Usami. She has to deal with him on a daily basis.

"Sanji, I'm pretty sure you have to fight him today. Nichirin looks powerful," Kendo says. I wanted to forget that I'm sitting with Kendo, Inochi, Tokage, and Usami herself. All Might sat us together for some reason.

Tokage bats her hand. "Still not as powerful as Mister Top Ten. Have some faith in your partner, Itsuka," she says, nudging her head towards Usami. Tokage wants her to give us some information about Nichirin. I can see it in her eyes. Hmph, I guess the rumors are true though. I should've expected that Inochi can potentially be in the top ten. Because of these rumors, Inochi is being treated not-so-awfully as before. That, and he's one of the best martial artists in school.

Usami sighs, rolling her eyes. "Bit—_Tokage_, I wanna see…'Mister Top Ten' fight Nichirin. That means I won't give you anything about his fighting style." Kendo's eyes narrow. Usami almost slipped up when addressing Tokage.

"Phooey, Sanji doesn't need the information though. He can adapt, which is a much better option honestly. The next three days _is_ training," Tokage replies, acting like Usami didn't call her by that degrading name. I'm sure she caught it.

Kendo rolls her eyes and relaxes her body, leaning over a little towards Inochi. "For my answer to your question earlier, Setsuna, I do have faith in Sanji." While she says that, I'm pretty sure Inochi is spacing out.

Tokage immediately shoots back, "Because you love him?" Wow, she didn't even hold back. She went straight for the kill, but it wasn't that effective. Kendo looks more annoyed than flustered.

"_Because_ I know him better than he knows himself. _Not_ because I'm...madly in love with him," she snaps, going quiet in the end. She glances at her boyfriend and sees him staring off. Yup, that's her lover alright. What does Kendo see in him?

"Does your boyfriend have anything to say? He looks...strangely distant…" Usami asks. She waves her hand in front of Inochi's face. He isn't reacting. Wow, I thought I couldn't get more surprised by him, but I keep being wrong.

"Seriously, we're not dating," Kendo insists. "And he does that all the time—kinda. He doesn't daydream much when he's in school, sparring, or during important moments in general. Really, he only does it when he's relaxed. Like I said, I know him better than he knows himself."

"Ever asked him about his life before he moved to Musutafu?" I ask. If Kendo really knows Inochi, then she'd know how he was like before U.A. happened. She should know how gloomy he was. But, there's some things that I don't even know about Inochi's past. He's a private man. You can't make a private man bear his heart.

Kendo stares daggers at me. "Suzuki, don't you even start. He isn't depressed or whatever the _hell_ you call it. Whatever happened to him, he got over it. Alright? Do you understand?"

"Jeez, I was just asking a question," I defend myself. From that answer, she doesn't know a thing about the old Inochi. I wouldn't be too worried if I was her. Inochi isn't a child assassin or the son of a yakuza leader—I hope. He was a simple foster kid, and those kids are more vulnerable than they let on. One of these days, that will bite him in the ass. Inochi has too much pride to burden his friends with his issues.

"Anyway, moving on…" Tokage says. She pokes Inochi's cheek, waking him up from his wide-eyed sleep. He yelps from being revived back to life. Kendo quietly giggles to herself. I bet she's thinking about how cute that yelp was. Tokage chimes, "Morning handsome! Did you have a good daydream?"

"I guess?" he answers while looking around the room. "We're still here? Is the exercise not ready yet?"

"Nope. We're still waiting," Usami tells him. She kicks up her feet on the table, pulling her phone out. And she immediately scoffs. "Sorry, I'm reading something about the I-Expo. There's going to be a protest by a religious group because of David Shield." David Shield, one of the greatest minds of this time. He created the Quirkless Theory and helped further the study of metaology greater than any scientists before him.

Tokage bursts out in laughter. What the hell… She's spitting like crazy! What kind of heiress is she? No wonder people call her "Bitch Princess". She says, "There isn't going to be any protest! The security at I-Island will swoop in and stop that craziness in a heartbeat. These idiots are gonna get arrested!"

"No kidding. I don't like Quirkless, but these people? They would burn one at the stake if they were allowed to," Usami says. At the Quirkless comment, Inochi makes an awkward face. Comparing that to Kendo, she looks like she's going to kill her.

Kendo, trying her best to not raise her voice, kindly asks, "Why don't you not like Quirkless? They're like anyone else."

Usami explains, "_Sure_, tell yourself that. Personally, they're depressing. Most of the Quirkless out there drift through life with no purpose. They have no future in this kind of world, so they resign themselves to emptiness and sadness. Unless they were born special like Inochi or Melissa Shield, they can only envy the rest of us."

Kendo argues, "'The rest of us'? You're not superior to Quirkless, Usami. I—"

"We are. Biologically, we are better than them, but sure, let's play it on your turf—morality. You live with the shining example of a perfect Quirkless, Kendo. I wonder what you thought about the Quirkless before you met Inochi," she rhetorically asks. I know what game Usami's playing. She's trying to expose Kendo's contradicting beliefs. By getting her to admit that she thought less of Quirkless before meeting Inochi, then she would forfeit the argument. There's only one flaw with that logic though…

Kendo sighs and shakes her head. She caught on. "I was stupid back then, Usami. I only cared about getting into U.A. and that's it. Now that we're here, after all that we've been through, it's amazing how ignorant I was. Though, when I look at you, you're not very ignorant. You're just a jealous woman." Wow, what a reversal. That wasn't a smart move on Usami's part. She thought she was being clever, but she made a fool of herself.

Usami scoffs and crosses her arms. She sees Inochi whispering to Kendo, so she diverts her attention to Tokage. Welp, no one is paying attention to me. I must be invisible like Hagakure. "What about you? Got anything to say, Tokage?"

"Don't underestimate the Quirkless," she answers. "You might say that the Quirkless slog around life like a honeybee without a queen bee, but not anymore. Times are a-changing. Ever since Sanji made his debut into the bright world of heroism—"

"I know the story," Usami snaps in response. "Inochi is criticized for chasing something impossible. You know this already. This was why the Sports Festival and everything afterwards as hell for 1-B."

"Mhm!" Tokage hums, raising a finger. "But, you didn't know that there's a fanclub for Sanji? Todoroki has one too."

"Fanclub?" I ask.  
"What the hell…?" Usami sounds more surprised than I am.  
"..." Kendo's silent.

"Huh." And Inochi looks like a confused toddler.

"I'll pull it up!" she beams before taking out her phone. "Ever since the Sports Festival, Sanji accumulated a fanclub for himself. One: he's a handsome devil, so it's natural that some girls gawk; and two: he's Quirkless. The Quirkless population is proud that they have someone to represent them. Even if he technically has a Quirk, they still admire him."

"I'm...their representative?" Inochi softly asks. He's trying to process this information. What a lucky man. Becoming a figure in society at the age of fifteen, he should brag about it. Of course, there isn't a single bone in his body that wanted this.

"Congrats, Inochi." I sarcastically say, patting his shoulder. "You can be like All Might now! Not the Symbol of Peace though, but the Symbol of the Quirkless! Got anything to say for your adoring fans?"

Kendo retorts, "That's enough, Suzuki." I raise my hands that can do no harm, but she just rolls her eyes.

"Here it is!" Tokage says, putting her phone on the table. I glance at it, and there it is… Inochi's fanclub is "The Armory Appreciation Society". There's theories that Inochi was the one who defeated Catharsis, the mystery of his Quirk, his relationship with Kendo, and there's one about how the mainstream media sucks. It's not really a theory, but the post was sandwiched between them. Those are the "serious" ones anyway. Other posts are pictures—a lot of them were taken without his consent—or how Inochi is "such a pretty boy". Tokage explains, "He has a few thousand fans and counting. Sanji, some people posted that you were the reason why they started to pursue their dreams even if their dreams are impossible. Y'know, Ibara admires you for it. She even gave you an epithet and everything—the Symbol of Dreams."

"...?!" Inochi gasps. What's with that reaction?

Kendo puts a hand on his shoulder. "Sanji, what's wrong?" I never seen Inochi like this before. Whatever Tokage said triggered something in him.

"Nothing! It's...nothing," he brushes it aside, scratching the back of his head. "I never—Yeah, I never thought that someone would call me the 'Symbol of Dreams'. It's off-putting… I-I don't know why." Tokage raises her eyebrow.

"Huh, well I'm not gonna bother you further. See? I'm a good friend," Tokage replies with a toothy grin.

"I didn't say you aren't," he says. Aw, how cute.

Tokage starts to scroll through the club's post history out of curiosity. "Y'know, Todoroki has more fans, but his are mainly woman gushing over how pretty he is. Your fans admire you for your strength. But, there's the ladies too."

"Heh, sounds like Kendo. I wouldn't be shocked if she was in Inochi's fanclub," I comment. To no one's surprise, Kendo is offended.

Tokage remarks, "Who _wouldn't_ wanna be his fan? Wait, don't answer—"

"I wouldn't," I tell her.

"Same," and so does Usami.

"I hate you two," Tokage deadpans.

"Okay," I measly respond with a flashy smile of my own. I think—?!

"IT'S TIME!" All Might screams at the top of his lungs. The entire room goes dead quiet. (Tsunotori is clutching onto Kamakiri's arm.) We stare at him like we're saying, _All Might, what the hell is wrong with you? _He nervously laughs and bows his head in shame. "I'm...sorry for yelling. I have a lot of enthusiasm for this exercise…"

"..."

"Young Heroes, please say something. Your silence is making me uncomfortable."

"..."

Nichirin stands up. "For your sake, I will speak as loud as I can as your trusted student! Let my voice ease your discomfort welling within your heart! The sun of the Nichirin Family will continue to shine upon you, All Might!"

Usami and I look at each other. _This is your classmate? _I ask without words.

She replies, _Unfortunately… Nichirin is a special man._

All Might gestures for Nichirin to sit down. He taps the chalkboard and an electronic screen appears. It's showing us an overhead view of Ground Beta, the ruined city. "Anyway, I've been notified that our exercise is finally prepared! I will explain more once we arrive at Ground Beta, but our exercise is a rescuing operation! Each General Course student will partner with a 1-B student of their choosing! Before that…"

He looks at Nichirin. "Principal Nezu allowed Young Nichirin and Akagawa to spar a couple of students first. We know who'll Young Nichirin will fight, but Young Akagawa will battle Young Tokage." A couple of whistles shoots out. Akagawa wants to fight Tokage, huh? I wish her luck. The lizard of 1-B isn't the most powerful Quirk-wise, but she's the smartest.

"Alright, challenge accepted!" Tokage announces, cracking her knuckles. She—

_STOMP!_

Nichirin jumps on his table, nearly stomping it broken. (Kamakiri shouts, "Sunboy, the hell you doin'?!") "Our battle will be legendary! I will fight for my everlasting honor against you, Inochi! Don't hold back the strength that dwells within your aching blood!"

"Okay…?" he squeaks in reply.

All Might clears his throat. Again, he gestures for Nichirin to sit his ass down and glue it to the damn chair. "Young Nichirin, hold your excitement. In fact, every General Course student should hold their excitement!"

The walls open up to reveal briefcases. Those are...Hero Costumes? There's twenty-seven of them. There's twenty-one in 1-B. The six extras are—!

"Costume Prototypes! As Heroes-In-Training, you ought to receive a costume of your own! Otherwise, how can you define yourself as a unique Hero?" All Might says. They actually gave us our costumes?!

"Young Heroes! If you want to don your costume for life, then prove your worth!"

* * *

**The mystery of Sanji Inochi is building up. Even after the Catharsis Arc has ended, Grandmaster and Count are still relevant figures in the story. Sanji is a total enigma from the lack of public information. His Quirk isn't listed in the registry and somehow, he didn't exist before the age of five. To defeat All For One and Shigaraki, Grandmaster placed hope that he'll become a powerful Hero to aid Midoriya. But, just who is the man known as Sanji Inochi? Anyway, there is also the mystery of Mystic, an agent of the United Hero Nations. Thirty years ago, he apparently aided Master Kendo in a mission. Perhaps we'll see exactly who Mystic is?**

**Today, we are focused on Suzuki and the program. This arc is definitely meant to be some sort of a redemption arc. You can still tell that Suzuki is a bit of an asshole, but he recognizes his faults. His sour personality didn't change, but his ideals did. You can think that he's the Bakugo to Sanji, but I'd rather not think of him as that. Suzuki and Bakugo are similar characters, but we can also say the same for Sanji and Deku. They might be similar, but there's defining traits that make them their own person.**

**Dreaming of Stars is a pretty original story, but I'm trying my best to not rehash the same characters but with different names. That's why, as time goes on, my characters will become uniquely their own, especially Sanji. I mentally planned his journey from the Beginning Arc to the final Arc in the fic: The Second Internship Arc. That is the tentative finale of DoS. If life doesn't kill me, then it'll simply be the finale of the first part of DoS. I can tell that this project will take me years to finish, and I look forward to writing it.**

**Feel free to leave a comment below! The next chapter is called: To Rescue**


	31. To Rescue

**Sanji Inochi**

How did it come to this?

Nichirin, for his Hero Costume, is a bit bare. He isn't wearing a shirt, only a bright yellow jacket and pockets with a black outline. It matches his orange combat pants, but I didn't expect that his costume didn't come with a shirt. "But Sanji," I might ask myself, "does it really matter when we're about to spar?" Nope. Not at all. I guess I'm representing my family against Nichirin's… The Symbol of Dreams against the Symbol of the Sun.

The Symbol of Dreams… I can't… I—

"Inochi! Ready for this battle to commence?" Nichirin checks up on me. Mentally, I guess so. My equipment is functional, thank goodness for that. If only I was able to use my motorcycle. Just the day before, Hayami was finally able to register it as my Hero Vehicle—my beautiful black and white motorcycle without a name—with the Commission. Itsuka and I can officially use ours in _official_, very _official _Pro Hero business. Everything's coming up great the past couple of weeks. Got my permit, an awesome bike to go with it, and Master Kendo forced me to watch motorcycle stunts. Better yet, Hayami said that she's making bracers—like the two I have—for us that electronically links to our bikes. One of the main features is we can control our motorcycles even if we're not on it. And, it'll come with "nifty little surprises" on top of that. I'm not sure what that entails, but I'm pretty excited for it. Huh, where was I going with this…?

"Inochi?" Nichirin! That's right! I'm about to fight Nichirin! If I had my motorcycle, then I have the upper hand. Sun King sounds like a powerful Quirk to go up against. I don't know the extent of Nichirin's energy attacks. Once we start fighting, I need to adapt fast.

"I'm here! I'm here…" I answer, rubbing my head. "Sorry, I was thinking about something. I'm ready to spar when you are."

"Fantastic!" Nichirin beams like a ray of sunshine. He crosses his arms and stands tall on the other side of the battlefield. There's no designated bounds, so we can fight and move anywhere we want. "By the name of the Nichirin Family where the sun rises upon, I will conquer you in honorable combat! Where the sun meets the night, I will have you lie defeated by my mighty power! Come Inochi, shout in response! By whose honor you're fighting for?" Uhm, I'm fighting _because_ of him, but alright.

Who am I fighting for…? I won't fight for myself, but…

The air shifts. To my side, there was supposed to be a man here. He said to me, "_Little one, we will always fight for…" _

I glance over to the man, and there is nothing but the wind.

I shake my head, replying with the words that come naturally, "A better world, Nichirin. We will always fight for a better world. Not for our own gain or status, but where no one has to dwell under the panic of those who wish to do harm. That's what we're fighting for," I announce. My left hand naturally finds itself clutched to my katana's hilt.

Nichirin laughs. With his breath, his chest puffs out. "What an admirable response! I promise you, with the results of this battle, I will prove myself capable of becoming a Pro Hero! Someday, we may fight together for your cause! Nevertheless, I will initiate combat! On your guard, Inochi!" After those words, his skin starts to glow slightly. He's taking in light. The veins on his chest and face start to glow yellow much like how Midoriya's veins glow red when he uses Full Cowling. It's not as bright as Midoriya's, but bright nonetheless. I need to see how this plays out. If I shoot him with my crossbow now, what point would I make?

He shouts, "I channeled enough energy. Have this attack—!"

_SHINING SUN CRESCENT!_

Wha—?!

An orange crescent-like attack emits outwards from Nichirin's chest, coming straight towards me! It's long enough to span five grown men! Damnit, it's moving fast! Dodge! Gotta dodge! If I stay still, then the attack will surely cut me in half!

I take a step forward—it flies closer! Dammit, jump!

_WURWURWUR!_

I jump over, twisting my body in the air. The crescent below falls to the the ground, searing the dirt into a black color. If I didn't jump, then I'd surely be dead. Strange though, before I jumped, I felt an incredible heat coming from the attack. Wait, that's it! Nichirin's Quirk doesn't actually take up light, but it takes up its heat! That means Nichirin is storing large amounts of heat within his body and releasing it! And there has to be a limit to the amount he stores! Maybe if I push him hard enough, his body won't be able to maintain homeostasis! From his first attack, I can tell Nichirin is a ranged fighter! If I force myself closer, he'll panic and take up more heat! When it becomes too much, I can defeat him with a single blow! That's how I'll win! I won't use ranged attacks here!

"Hyah!"

_WURWURWUR!_

Another crescent! It's smaller than before, but it's going faster than the last one! I swore I saw it being emitted through one of his hands! If that's the case, then it means his chest and hands are his Quirk Factors! That's why he isn't wearing a shirt! Crap, this attack is coming in fast! I'm still in the air! I need to dodge!

_Twist!_

My body rotates in the air, going just underneath the second crescent. The heat from the attack burns parts of my costume, but it doesn't light on fire. I land back on my feet, rolling to cushion the impact. In one motion, I unsheathe my katana as my hood falls off of my head. I lift my head up to see Nichirin still standing with his sun-like smile. He says with a brighter glow, "Impressive! You dodged two of my Shining Sun Crescents! Don't think that's my most powerful attack, Inochi!"

In an instant, a shadow is casted upon me. It's a thin blade, but it's getting bigger. From its positioning, it's directly above me. I look up and—?!

_DAZZLING SUNPOUR!_

I leap backwards a second before a sharp ray of energy crashes where I just was! A small area in front of me is scorched black like a lightning struck the area! Shoot, I didn't even see him emit it just now! He must've did it while I was distracted with his previous attack! Damnit, I need to focus on him. If I get hit with any of his rays, then I'm toast—literally!

"Here!" he yells. From his chest, rays shoot up towards the sky. My eyes follow them, but the glare of the sun is too bright! I won't be able to see where they're land! That's the purpose of this Super Move! Using the sun's glare, Nichirin can inflict an onslaught of aerial attacks that cannot be predicted! Smart! That really is smart! I—!

One coming from my left!

_CRASH!_

I roll to the side, just barely dodging. Crap, another one in front!

_SLAM!_

Backwards again! If I keep standing still like this, then I'd surely be hit! What to do?! I need to think! I need to think like him! If I'm Nichirin, I predicted that my enemy would look at the sky to dodge my attacks. However, those attacks create shadows! If I use the shadows to determine exactly when and where they'll hit, then I can dodge them all! That's how I can get around this! I don't have to look at the sky! I can look at the ground at my feet!

"Nichirin!" I shout as I dash forward with my katana at my side. A ray crashes behind me. Nichirin can control where the rays go, so as I get closer, I have to deal with faster and faster attacks! I need to match and go beyond that! I scream with adrenaline going through my blood.

Nichirin gasps, his eyes saying, _He's charging right at me?_ That's right! This is how I'll defeat you, Nichirin!

A large shadow is in front! Dodge!

_BOOM!_

Right! Coming towards my right!

_WUR-BAM!_

Straight ahead! No matter what, keep dodging!

_CRACK!_

Roll!

_BLAST!_

Spin!

_SEAR!_

Twist!

_BURN!_

Keep moving!

_CRASH!_

Almost there! Just within a few meters! There's no way he would risk sending an attack here! He'll get burned right with me! This is it! I might've not outlasted him, but this is where I could end the spar!

I leap towards him with my katana back in one hand! Nichirin breaks his confident stance and steps away, unleashing a ray from his chest! It's coming right at me! It's too close! Can't dodge! In a moment of pure reflexes, I bring my blade against the ray!

_CLASH!_

It's hot! Too hot! I feel it burning my skin! I can't relent! I can parry this! It's a strong energy attack, but I can do it! With both hands, I grip the hilt and plant my feet on the ground. Twisting my body and arms, I parry it to the side, letting it crash beside me. The skin of my hands blisters, but I'm not done fighting!

Nichirin jumps back as I dash forward. Instead of focusing his attacks upwards towards the sky, he focuses them straight at me! They're less accurate than before! Nichirin is getting desperate! Just keep going!

He assaults me with a flurry of burning hot rays, each coming off at different angles and velocities. I weave through the openings, twisting my body around them. I parry the rays that are impossible to dodge, letting my hands become more and more blistered. My costume become seared black, my hilt stained red from the blood of my hands. Nichirin has to be at his breaking point!

I dive into a clearing; I reach him like before! Nichirin isn't emitting any more attacks! This is my chance! I swing my katana towards him! I try to stop it before his face, but he moves back with the tip of my sword cutting his cheek! Damnit, I didn't mean to do that! I underestimated how much Nichirin wants to win this spar!

I stop and stand still, heaving. God, that was a lot of running. Nichirin chuckles and touches his wound, wincing. "Inochi, I underestimated your strength. That wasn't a wise move on my part, but no more. To defeat you…"

Nichirin—?!

He starts to rise into the air?! What the heck?! He can do that?! Nichrin raises his right arm as the air around us heat up. Is he going to unleash a powerful Super Move?! "Inochi, I will unleash my most powerful Super Move to defeat you!" That answered my question! If he could heat up the air, then how powerful is his attack?!

Nevertheless, I raise my katana. I can do this… The blue sky becomes colored with a tinge of red and orange. Nichirin stops about ten meters in the air as something starts to form in his right hand, his body glowing brighter than before. His veins look like they're about to explode from how much heat he's taking in.

"Embrace the sun and its jovial light. I will dispel the folly of the night. Come—!"

The space in his hand ignites into a fiery ball reminiscent to the sun itself. The wind crackles as the oxygen in the air flares to intense temperatures. This power…

"SEARING SOLAR DRAGON: HELI—ACK!"

_THUD!_

He...falls. Everything suddenly jolts back to normal like his Super Move never happened. The day's still hot though, but it wasn't so hot that my face was melting off. Well, I think I outlasted Nichirin. I put my katana back in its sheath—and wincing a little from the pain of my blistered hands. All Might announces, "And the winner is Young Inochi…?"

I'm the winner… I seriously thought Nichirin was going to execute that Super Move. Good thing he didn't. I approach him, checking up on how he is. Huh, it's like he took a dive in a pool but didn't dry himself off. And the air is hotter around him… That isn't a good sign, is it? Recovery Girl walks up with a couple of her robots. She clicks her tongue and complains, "I warned this stupid boy to not take up so much energy, but no! He wanted to fight for honor and 'to be dazzling'! What the heck does that mean?"

She gently takes my wrist and kisses the back of my hand. Relief spreads over my palms, healing the blisters that was once there. "Good job for defeating him, Inochi, but I'm afraid Nichirin can't participate in the next exercise."

"I—"

Usami interrupts me, "Figured. Nichirin, during the Entrance Exam, did the exact same thing within the first minute. That's why he was placed in General Courses. Ugh, I was rooting for him too."

Monoma has a hand to his face, laughing. "How sweet! Yet, I knew Inochi would win no matter what! Battles like these are his forte! Kaibara, don't you agree?" He turns to Kaibara, who's laying on the ground without a care.

Kaibara agrees, "Sure. Everyone knows you can't beat Inochi in a solo fight. Heck, he beat me in hand-to-hand combat blindfolded." Suzuki, brazen as can be, simply looks away with a face that says, _About that..._

Let's just...move on.

"My turn!" Setsuna exclaims, stepping up to the field with Akagawa behind her. All Might laughs with a comically small notepad and pen in his hands.

I happily sigh. "Yeah, make 1-B look more amazing than it already is. I'm giving you the baton, Setsuna."

I pass Setsuna, giving her a high-five for good luck.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

I high-five him back. "Count on me, Armory. Your spunky little lizard got this in the bag." I stand on one side of the seared and flamed field with Akagawa on the other. She's pretty cute. Straight blue hair with one side longer than the other. Her prototype costume has the theme of "punk rock" going on for her. I do catch a little glimpse of her waist—no, I'm not perving this time—but there's pouches attached to her belt. That's her equipment. It's like Yui's and Awase's. They need objects to be effective in combat, so Akagawa is the same way. Now, let's theorize the effectiveness of Vector. It's a physics-based Quirk—obviously—but to what extent? Vectors are defined as an object that has both magnitude, velocity, and direction, which is the xyz axis. From what Honenuki told me, Akagawa can change the direction of the object, but does that include the magnitude? Only one way to find out!

"Princess, think you can match your brawn to your brains?" Akagawa cheekily asks me with a punky and arrogant smirk. She digs into her pouch and pulls out a baseball with her left hand. With her right hand, she's trying to hide it. I know what she's doing—the right hand rule. She's trying to figure out the axises.

I put my hand on my hip, bending over slightly. "I'd have to be All Might levels of buff to match my IQ. But Issac Newton, may I ask you why you wanted to fight me?"

Akagawa laughs, throwing her baseball in the air. "If I take down one of the star students of 1-B, then U.A.'d surely place me high on their transfer list," she says, catching it and thrusting her arm towards me, "better hold back for me, 'kay~?" Akagawa winks. Ooo, she's gonna get it.

Monoma cackles. Here we go again… "You have such high ambitions, Akagawa! It's presumptuous to believe that you can defeat Setsuna so easily! We may not be Midoriya, Bakugo, or Todoroki; but, don't underestimate the strength of a mastermind such as her! Never underestimate 1-B!"

"Does Monoma ever keep his mouth shut?" Suzuki asks, sounding like he'll filet Monoma and hang him up to dry.

"I tried forcing it shut once. That was the only time Sanji wasn't there to stop me," Itsuka recalls to _that_ moment. Mantora, standing beside her, clears his throat. Yup, instead of Sanji, he was the one who managed to pull Itsuka off of Monoma.

Sanji says, being disappointed in his partner, "Itsuka, we really need to have a talk—"

"Jeez Sanji, later. You already scolded me once before."

"Alright…"

All Might blows his whistle, getting our undivided attention. "The two young ladies are ready to spar! Remember, your goal is to incapacitate one another with any means necessary! But please, there's an exercise right after this! Akagawa, don't expend too much energy like Nichirin, or else you won't be able to participate!"

"Roger," she hears him loud and clear.

"Young Tokage, please give Akagawa the fight she yearns for!" he asks me with a heroic voice that all of Japan can hear.

"Roger that, All Might," I reply, standing up straight. To signal the start of the spar, All Might blows his whistle again. The sound cracks through the air as my vision narrows to have Akagawa as my center focus. She laughs and throws her baseball at me. Her lips move like she's saying something, but I can't hear what it is. Damn, don't focus on that. That's a problem I can tackle in the future because one of my problems is about to hit me in the face. Keep your eyes on it, Setsuna. Keep track of the ball like you have a bat. Who knows, maybe you can get the game-winning homerun and earn Japan the trophy it deserves?

C'mon Akagawa, show me your Quirk. Lemme analyze a way to beat you bad.

"Shift," she mutters.

Oh—!

_SHIFT!_

The baseball changes directions about a meter away from my face. Just as when I thought it'd hit me square in my face, it shifts itself to my right. To prevent getting my teeth knocked out, I detach my neck from my head. The world flips upside-down as my head starts to fall. Ugh, this is the most annoying part. I'm at a disadvantage because my depth perception is all screwed up now. But, I can feel Akagawa's baseball sliding pass my neck. Great job, Setsuna! Dodged your first baseball! I catch my own head with my left hand and—?!

_SHIFT!_

_BAM!_

Ow! Shit! Akagawa still got me! Damnit, I should've expected that! Just because I dodged her first attack, it doesn't mean she can't shift again to hit me! Crap, that was right at my forehead! That'll leave a bump for tomorrow… I can hear Akagawa laughing her heart out. "Didn't expect that, did ya? C'mon Princess, I'll batter that pretty body of yours before you get a chance to reach me!"

I should be flattered, but she also said that she wants to hurt me. Yeah no, I'm not letting that happen. I need to think, dangit! From the first throw, she can definitely shift an object's motion, but it was too fast for me to see exactly how! I need a better view of the battlefield! From how her Quirk works, she can't batter my body if my body's too small _and_ too fast to get hit!

"Take this!" Akagawa shouts, her hands digging into her pouches. Aw come on! Now she's throwing things with two hands! She's not left-handed, she's ambidextrous!

_EUCLID BARRAGE!_

Being the best pitcher in General Courses, she throws all kinds of things at me—baseballs, tennis balls, metal spheres, marbles, and even rocks! Before my bones get pelted, I split my body to its maximum limits—forty parts. The only things that are somewhat whole are my hands and feet. I even split up my eyes to get an eagle's view of the battlefield! I'm no longer grounded by gravity! I float myself higher than higher can be! Even though I wasn't able to complete a full analysis on June Akagawa, doesn't mean I can't complete one now!

"Damnit!" she swears, shifting her projectiles upwards towards me. However, I'm too high up in the air! Even with the large about of shifting, she can't land a single hit on me! Eventually, gravity takes its toll and her objects just fall to the ground! I can see how her Quirk works now! It can change the object's direction! Not only that, she needs to see them for it to work! Her Quirk is vision-based! So, Vectors only changes the direction of objects in the xyz plane! It can't change them in diagonals! That's not the only limitations though! None of the objects ever increased their magnitude, meaning the velocity isn't increasing! In fact, it's constantly decreasing because of the acceleration of gravity affecting it! That's why the objects fell! Akagwa can't keep using her Quirk forever! All of her projectiles have a time limit! Of course, I see a few ways for her to improve her technique, but I won't spill the beans!

That's June Akagawa complete!

Let's go over the ways I could defeat her and end the spar quick! Hmm—exhausting Akawaga of her projectiles, initiate close-quarters combat (since she's a ranged fighter), overstimulate her eyes, avoid her line of sight. Honestly, she should've picked Itsuka to fight. She'll have a harder time fighting Akagawa.

Anyway, when all of Akagawa's projectiles fall, I form myself back together in front of her about ten or so meters away. I _could_ defeat her now, but the purpose of this exercise is for her to prove herself. That's what I'm doing, but I don't think Akagawa will notice my generosity. She watches me with a heavy face. The last detached piece is my mouth, which I promptly grab out of the air. I inform her, "My analysis is complete, June Akagawa! From just that one move, I know your limitations of your Quirk." I put my mouth back in my head. "So, care to say 'uncle'?"

"No, I haven't lost yet. I still have baseballs to pitch," Akagawa says, pulling out yet another baseball. Jeez, how much does she have in those pouches? "Besides, you shouldn't get so full of yourself, Princess. It's presumptuous," she mocks Monoma's voice at the end. Akagawa pulls her arm back, ready to throw it. Compared to the first time around, she's getting serious. She starts mumbling numbers and words like "velocity" or "gravity". Ah, she must be calculating the time of flight or something. Akagawa is smart enough to do physics problems in her head! Let's take note of that! Anyway, I'll just split my body again.

_PITCH!_

It's a lot faster than before! Better split my body now—?!

Eh?! I can't move my body! It's split up, but I can't move them! Every time I try to move it in one direction, it gets moved the other, back where it was originally at! There's no way I could dodge this attack now! Crap, I—!

_BAM!_

Her baseball goes through my body, destroying two of my segments. Pain flares throughout my nerves. Even though I'm split up, whenever a piece of me is destroyed, my entire body feels the pain. Just as when I think it stops, the baseball changes its trajectory in the opposite direction, going through my chest again. My body splits in half as Akagawa catches her baseball. I fall to the ground, being unable to pull my body back together. Wherever my mouth is, I'm gasping for air. Damnit, I didn't expect she'd take this opportunity to sever my body in half! It hurts a lot more than she knows! Jeez, I can still regrow my lost pieces, but it'll expend a lot of energy.

Akagawa clicks her tongue. "Didn't expect that, didja? My Quirk can't change the direction of living people—like you, hopefully—but it _can_ change the direction of your costume is moving in. If I really wanted to, you wouldn't be able to move. How about that, Princess?" she explains. Jeez, that would be better if she did that the first time around! Ugh, Akagawa releases my body from her Quirk, letting me finally pull them back together. I connect my two halves first. That way, I can put them together then regenerate the missing parts. Akagawa thinks pretty low of me, so I'd better act like the weak little girl she thinks I am, like a cat took my tongue.

Slowly, sapping my energy, my body regenerates. Akagawa laughs, tapping her foot beside my head. At least she isn't stepping on me, though I wouldn't mind, not gonna lie. Hmph, I won't give her the pleasure of hearing my voice though no matter how much she may want it—?!

_KICK!_

She kicks me over onto my back. "Ow?! That was a bit unnecessary! At least you gave my body time to regenerate! Jeez," I complain, pouting. So much for that idea… Akagawa cocks her head in confusion. Did she really think she won? Should've known… Punky girls like her are full of themselves.

"You're not giving up, Princess? You're still fighting?" she asks, putting her free hand on her hip, her other still holding her baseball.

"Naturally. You'd have to knock me out to win, Akagawa. A Hero Course student—to be exact, a _Recommendations Student_—like me won't go down like this, y'know! I'm apart of the Terrific Trio of 1-B! Who knows…" I trail off, staring up at her, flashing a wicked smirk. "We haven't fought much Villains like 1-A, but don't count out our ability to adapt to any given situation." I show her my hands with nine fingers total.

Behind her, something pokes her shoulder. Akagawa snaps around, taking her attention off of me. Little does she know though, there's nothing behind her other than a small finger that's floating in the air. That's the problem with being too prideful. Whenever you're about to win, you gloat to your enemy. During that time, it makes it way too easy to get the upper hand _and_ a victory.

This, though, is simply one of the solutions I came up with—avoid her line of sight. Even if she takes her eyes off me for just a single second, I can split my body and she wouldn't be able to use Vectors on it. And so, I do! Back into forty pieces I go! From how close we are, Akagawa becomes surrounded by a cloud of blue scales, obscuring the sun above us. She swears and twirls around and around and around. With panic swelling in her eyes, she stops some of my pieces from moving, but she can't stop them all. The second after she looks away, those pieces keep on moving. There's simply too many parts to keep track of! This strategy overstimulates her vision! Unless she can see a full three-sixty degrees, there's no way she could ever stop me!

"Stay still, why don't you?!" she yelled, pitching her baseball towards a clump of me. Naturally, I dodge it unscathed, which makes Akagawa scream in frustration. This is it!

"Akagawa!" I call her name. "You're pretty clever, I give you that! Keep trying and you'll reach your dream in no time!"

"...?!"

I converge, my hands and feet flying towards her with high momentum. Sorry, but this is the end—!

_STORM SPLINTER!_

From all angles, I assault Akagawa, beating bruises into her. She falls to her hands and knees with dirt clumping underneath her fingernails. She coughs and taps the ground, signaling that she gives. My storm calms; I reform myself in front of Akagawa, standing tall with a bright white smile that can reflect light itself!

"Geh…" Akagawa groans.

All Might blows his whistle. He announces, "Young Tokage is the victor! Akagawa, can you still participate in the exercise?"

"Yeah… Yeah," she says, standing up. She takes a look around at her scattered things with a look that says, _Fuck, I gotta pick this up now._ "Damnit, just you watch… I'll take that pretty smile off of you, Princess."

I giggle, batting my hair. "Keep calling me 'pretty' and I'll never stop smiling." Akagawa scowls. Darn, here I thought we were flirting! Whatever, she hasn't stolen my heart like how Ibara has. Eh, I can't deny Akagawa's beauty.

Togaru hollers, "Ey Lizard Head, stop flirtin' an' get your ass over 'ere!" And there's that guy who shall not be named. He ruins all my fun.

"Alright, I'm coming over! Jeez…" I mutter, walking back to the rest of the class. I don't think I have the energy to participate in the next exercise. I mean, I don't think that anyone would choose me as their partner anyway.

Anyway, all twenty-six of us—sorry Nichirin—congregate around All Might outside the gates to Ground Beta. He chuckles and gauges us, particularly the General Course students. "The appetizer is complete! Onto the main course, an exercise dubbed 'The Six Wanderers'! Six wandering children have unknowingly entered an area filled with Faux Villains! Each group, one General and one Hero, will have an area assigned to them with an approximate location of their child! Since Young Nichirin is unable to participate, one group will have to perform double duty.

"Anyhow, you must find your child and protect them against the Villains! Once a certain amount of time has passed, you will be allowed to exit Ground Beta, successfully completing your exercise! I will be grading you based on your performance and teamwork for _both_ parties. If your child is hurt, then goodness… I believe you should pray for your own safety."

What does he mean by that?

Suzuki raises his hand and asks, "We'd be picking our partners, right? They can't refuse?"

All Might tilts his head to the side. "Yes…? Why are you asking me this question, Young Suzuki?"

"...No reason," he answers, glancing at I-don't-know-who in the corner of his eyes. "Let's get this exercise started, though. I'm getting impatient."

"We shall! Young General Courses, pick your partners and prepare to rescue The Six Wanderers!" All Might exclaims with excitement in his voice.

Here we go…

* * *

**Karisuma Suzuki**

"Suzuki…"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you pick me?"

"You don't hate me."

"You sure about that?"

"Fukidashi." I stop and turn to him with a hand on my hip. "If our relationship was on a scale of one to ten, we'd be at a five. It's average! Not bad, not good."

He stops too, asking, "Is that why you didn't pick Inochi?" Okay, we'd be at negative ten. That's just one of the many reasons why I didn't pick him as my partner. Thank God that All Might didn't choose our partners for us. Knowing him, he'd lump us together just so we can "get through our differences".

"Yes, and we both know Kendo would rather kill me than let him work with me," I reply before looking ahead. From the map—All Might showed us one of Ground Beta before we started the exercise—our child should be a block ahead in an abandoned convenience store. Least it isn't a skyscraper. I hope Mantora knows what he's doing, though. He volunteered to go on double duty. His kids are in a five-story building if I'm remembering right.

"No, she'd torture you, then she'll kill you," Fukidashi corrects me. He stands beside me, looking for the convenience store too. "There it is!" he exclaims, pointing to it. That's...a convenience store? Oh, now I see it. There's broken fridges and vending machines in there. Would you look at that… Fukidashi is observant for once.

"For a guy with no eyes, I'm impressed," I compliment him. Then, my ears perk up—movement. It's coming from the store. Did Principal Nezu make robotic children or something? I thought it'll be a dummy. Whatever it is, I need to listen.

"I'm taking the compliment. You're not gonna back out—"

"Shut up," I push my hand against his mask. "Something's moving in the store. We need to stay quiet and approach slowly." If there's a hostile in there, then… Dammit, I need to grow a tail. I'm too weak to knock down a robot efficiently without one. I gotta keep my anger in check, so I won't go over more than four—five at the most. I can't go berserk again. Too much is riding in this exercise for me to go berserk.

Out of a hole in my costume, one single tail comes out. The hairs on my skin stand on edge. Heh, looking at Fukidashi makes me wanna laugh. His sister hasn't given him his new costume yet. Mine… I don't hate it. I'm wearing a white and red cloak with a hood—there's holes in the hood for my fox ears to pop out. Underneath that is a bodysuit with the same colors added with bits of black. On my hip is a fox mask too; it's a neat little touch.

"Suzuki, you gonna be okay?" Fukidashi asks me, obviously talking about my Quirk. I know what Hound Dog and all the other teachers told me…

"_Don't let your Quirk get out of control."_

"_Only you can rein in your own anger."_

"_Find ways to control your fury."_

"Y-Yeah… One tail is being slightly annoyed. Fukidashi, if you think I'm gonna go off the deep end, then knock me out. Or tell someone like Kaibara to do it when we meet him," I entrust him as we start heading over to the store. "I'm serious… As much as I'm a good publicity stunt, U.A. really is a way to graduate as a new Pro in high school. Unless you're looking into universities, which is expensive as hell."

"Yeah… Unless you want more experience and get 'educated', that's the only purpose of Hero Universities. Heck, if you wanna talk about experience, I don't think most Pros don't even have the same experience as we—not us, 1-B—do. Think about 1-A!" he says, not keeping his voice down. My face scrunches up into a scowl. Fukidashi immediately takes note and clears his throat, whispering, "Think about 1-A…" I'm sure the average Pro defeated more Villains than they did, but was any of them more controversial than U.S.J.? Stain?

I sigh, having my attention fixed ahead. "So, you're saying that you're too good for university? Wow, Fukidashi. You have a thumb so far up your ass that not even the most skilled doctor in the world can pull it out."

"Suzuki, kindly shut up," he snarkily replies, maintaining a quiet voice. "Don't be intimidating like Endeavor. Oh, I just remembered! He's coming to the final exercise when this program is over. A lot of big name Pros are coming, including Hawks! Apparently, U.A. wants their input on possible transfers." Hawks? Endeavor? With their opinions, they can either help me or damn me.

"What about your mentors? Grandmaster and Count?" I ask. We're nearly at the store. Whoever's—or whatever's—moving, they're in a broken freezer. They're not moving much compared to before. It's small, miniscule movements that the average person can't control. I can hear even that once I'm close enough.

"I texted them earlier. They're coming too. It seems like whenever U.A. needs something from the Pros, they're there at a moment's notice." Hmm, with so many Pros in one place, the League might get brave and try something. Or, they'll try it with a place with a low density of Heroes. Ugh, I hope the League won't try anything. I would like a peaceful month without anything big happening.

"Then, let's do the same thing, but for our wanderer," I say, stopping at the entrance. The only thing left of the entrance is the doorway. Not even the wall around the doorway is there. It's just the doorway and nothing else. "Whatever's in here, don't run away screaming like a wuss. If you run away, I'm going to celebrate Christmas early by using your intestines as steamers."

Fukidashi goes "!", lurching back with fear trembling and rattling his bones like it's winter. "Seriously?! Why are you threatening me?! This has gotta be your tail talking!"

I shake my head. "Nope. This is the completely pure and concentrated version of Karisuma Suzuki." Yeah, that's a lie. It _is_ my tail talking. Usually with one tail, I get more smartass-y than usual, and I'm self-aware of my own anger. Still, I get to mess with Fukidashi however I want! He's an easy guy to make fun of.

We walk inside the store, but Fukidashi is fuming. He stands in front of me and lays down the law, "Okay look, you might be a tiny bit less of a jerk, but don't threaten me like that! It's way too graphic! What would you do if—let's say—Koko is here? Would you censor yourself for her?"

"No, she's a big girl!" I sarcastically reply.

"That's right! I'm a big girl!"

"Thanks Koko, I appreciate your opin—"

…

I turn towards the girl that I hope—that I really hope, swear to God—isn't Koko. Whoever this girl is, she looks exactly like her. Left hand on her hip, body forward, right arm extended in the air; that's Koko's signature pose. Fukidashi wipes his face over and over. Koko doesn't disappear no matter how much we'd want her to. I'm almost tempted to poke her, but I think she's real. She's a real girl… I tell her, "Koko, my _great_ and _fabulous _superstar, please cover your ears."

Koko does what I say. Fukidashi covers his ears too, wherever the hell they are. I walk across the street, staring at the nearest speaker. There's a camera right next to it. Alright.

"PRINCIPAL NEZU, YOU ARE CRAZY A, PSYCHOPATHIC, SON OF A DISGUSTING LITTLE MOTHERFUC—!"

* * *

"Repeat it again for me, please?"

"Uh huh! So so! A week ago, Principal Nezu came up to us! I swear, Kari, I swear that he was so much fluffier in person! And cuter too! Like a stuffed panda bear!" I click my tongue. "Oh! Right right, he asked us if we wanna help with a Hero thing! Miss Fukasawa and everyone else will take care of everything! Best thing is—we get to see you fight! So super cool! You're gonna be a Hero, Kari! You too, Manga!"

I wince. "Y-Yeah, thanks…" I can't believe this motherfucker. To use _actual_ children for his exercises? The very same kids I tutor?! What the hell was he thinking? How did the Commission actually let this happen?! Koko and the others could get hurt! I don't even know who the sixth kid that Nezu roped into this too! My God, Nezu better start praying because I'm going to string him up on a cross and burn him until there's nothing but his charred remains.

"Suzuki, one of your veins look like it's gonna explode," Fukidashi points out. Ugh, I need that vein, don't I? I wish it could explode and end my misery, but no, I need to protect Koko from the Faux Villains. It's the same ones from the Entrance Exam and the first event in the Sports Festival. Nothing too bad. My only concern is the numbers. Some of us have better Quirks than some of the Hero Courses, but that doesn't mean anything. It's like Nichirin. What's the point in having a powerful Quirk if he's going to collapse within the first minute? Or me? Who abandoned someone when they needed help? That's why U.A. looked for well-rounded students. Some are unimpressive in all categories, but it's better than having a student who's excellent in one thing and severely lacking in the other. Because of this, we need to find the others as soon as possible. We might stand a chance that way. "Suzu—?"

"Shut up, Fukidashi." I raise a finger in his general direction. "We have to protect Koko. So, remind me the 1-B students who're participating in this fight."

He answers, "Mantora's with Shishida, Akagawa picked Rin, Hoashi took Pony—Kamakiri threatened him earlier—and Usami settled with Kaibara." Right, right… I forgot. I was busy studying the map. Ground Beta has a different layout than before, like with the Entrance Exam. U.A. is going all out with this, aren't they?

I announce to both of them, "Alright! First things first, we're meeting up with everyone else at the center of Ground Beta. There's a square plaza there with a monument in the middle. Luckily for us, there's enough space that we can fight freely! Koko, I'll give you a piggyback ride there, okay?" I'm not an asshole like I was before the Sports Festival. I couldn't work with anyone even if my life depended on it. Here, I _need _to work with everyone. My future relies on it, and more importantly, the safety of my little idiots does too. I remember what Hound Dog said to me...

"_Suzuki, teamwork isn't a skill that's taught in U.A.! We don't go teaching kids how to work with other kids, y'know?! That's material that shoulda been covered since birth! Here, we expect the spirit of teamwork is embedded in each of ya bodies! You better catch up with the rest of the pack, else you'd be a dead man!"_

Or worse, I'll be the reason why another person gets hurt. The old Karisuma Suzuki wouldn't have cared a single bit. Just thinking about him now just pisses me off. I'm still a selfish person though. I'm becoming a Pro Hero just for myself. That's why, no matter what, I'll make sure that Koko is safe even if I have to risk my own body.

Fukidashi nods, looking outside. Koko smiles brightly with her starry eyes twinkling again. She jumps on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck. I hook my own arms around the back of her legs to keep her in place. I'll be at a disadvantage since I won't be able to use my hands to fight, so I need to rely on my legs. Fukidashi can handle the robots from afar though. Besides from being the only one who doesn't want me killed, he's a great ranged fighter. He asks, "Suzuki, you have enhanced hearing, right? Have you heard anything?"

"Yeah, just shut up…" I grumble, closing my eyes. My ears twitches, becoming sensitive to the noise around me. The soft breathes of Koko and Fukidashi are the first things I hear. Then, I sense small sound waves bouncing off the walls and debris of Ground Beta. Small waves, but there's a lot of them. There's three different variations of waves too. One sounds heavier, three-pointers; one sounds lighter, one-pointer; and one is in-between, two-pointers. Damnit, I can't make out the exact numbers, but there's a ton of them. Luckily, they're about five blocks down to our left. That's all I hear, thankfully. It must be the first wave. I tell them, "We got incoming to our left, five blocks down. They're marching at a brisk pace, but I think they'll speed up once they see us."

"Then let's get the heck outta here! C'mon, Kari!" Koko encourages me, raising her arms up high in the air.

"Yeah! Fukidashi, you have to be our hero, alright? As much as I hate to admit, I'm at a disadvantage! That means, if you see a giant horde of angry robots, don't hesitate to take them down!" I say, already running out the door with Koko. "If you're not doing it for me, then do it for Koko!"

Plaza—that's our destination. I know where to go! "Kari, I see them!" Koko exclaims, pointing to a massive horde of killer robots. Damnit, we can see them already?! Fukidashi runs out and groans. If we run away, then we'd only be delaying our fight with them. It's better if we stay and fight. We're in a narrow street too, perfect for a nerd whose attacks take up a lot of space. There'll be no escape from his Onomatopoeias.

"Fukidashi, blow them to pieces. If we run, they'll be more trouble for us later," I order him. He cocks his head at me.

"No offense, Suzuki, but who's the Hero-in-Training here?" he—?! For the love of God!

"No _offense_, Fukidashi, but who's smarter and the one who beat Saint Inochi in a fight?" I snap back. The robots… They're getting closer. The ground is shaking. It's shaking so much that the pebbles are bouncing on the pavement.

"Guys! We can't fight now! They're getting closer!" Koko begs us, pulling on my hood. Damnit, they definitely sped up! We're running out of time!

Nearly about to tear him in half, I yell, "Stop being useless and destroy them already! I told you to do it for Koko, damnit!"

"No swearing!" Koko scolds me.

"Yeah, no _swearing_, Fukidashi!"

"Eh?! You know what, fine! Fine! I'll do it!" He turns his head to the horde. At the top of his lungs, he screams out of sheer anger and frustration. His screams turns into words, into an Onomatopoeia! He yells—––!

"—_RUMBLE!"_

Ground Beta shakes. Rumble, the Super Move, materializes into a large comic bubble that flies into the horde. It crashes against the front of the pack with a sound louder than our ears can manage. A few Faux Villains get turned into bits, then Rumble hits the ground with an impact that gathers up a storm of dust. I can hear the sound of our foes dying a mechanical death like a computer fan giving out.

Ground Beta shakes more like we're experiencing a massive earthquake. Everything's shaking—the street, the buildings stacked a few stories high, derelict cars, all of them. Out of fear, Koko buries her head into my back, shielding herself from the dust flying towards us. I turn away, trying not to breathe any in myself. One by one, I hear buildings crash and tumble and the sound of the earth cracking.

It takes ten seconds for the dust to clear away. What we're revealed to is… Good God, the entire road is destroyed. I can't even see the remains of the robots! This street was a narrow street surrounded with buildings on its sides, but there aren't any buildings anymore! All of them crumbled on top of the horde! Fukidashi single-handedly destroyed a massive amount of robots, going as far to uprooting an entire street to do it! Koko and I stare in awe at Fukidashi, who's blankly staring at what he did. He mutters, "I did that."

"You did do that," I say, trying not to sound impressed.

"You're such a great Hero, Manga! You saved us! You saved us!" Koko cheers, bouncing on my back.

Fukidashi shakes the shock out of his system, also slapping himself a few times. "Okay! Okay! Suzuki, do you know where the plaza is? I didn't memorize the map unlike you," he asks. Oh, he's acting like we didn't argue earlier? Hehe, I can't get angry after what he did.

"That's because I'm not stupid, and yes. Luckily for us, we don't have to go down the street you just destroyed. C'mon, it's just a few turns," I usher us, running towards the plaza. Koko laughs like she thinks this is a game. Actually, she might actually believe that this is a silly little game! To kids her age, Pro Heroes are an exciting action anime! She doesn't understand just how much of a dangerous situation Nezu put her in. That bastard…

Ugh, I won't focus on that. I turn the corner and—! Where the hell is Fukidashi? He's… Oh, goddamnit! He's sludging behind me! I forgot he isn't athletic! He shouts in-between heavy breaths, "Wait—! For—! Me—!"

I berate this weak idiot, "You—!"

"Don't you—! Dare—! Start—!" Fukidashi interrupts. Jeez, he's running like an old lady with asthma! I regret being impressed with him earlier! Because of him, we're wasting time getting to the plaza! I already hear distant fighting going on! I—!

Fukidashi suddenly yells, "DUCK!"

Koko tilts her head in confusion. "Quack?"

Duck…?

_Wmmm!_

From above?!

"You gotta be kidding me!" I cry. My body moves on its own. I grab Koko off my back, spinning her around so she's pressed against my chest. I fall forward. There's no time to dodge. The three-pointer got the upper hand. I didn't hear it. It was hiding in the building next to me. It doesn't make sense. I could hear fighting even when I was arguing with Fukidashi, but why couldn't I hear this fucker?! Unless…

U.A. stored these shits inside the buildings and deactivated them. They have cameras everywhere, so at a moment's notice, they could turn the robots on and launch a surprise ambush on whoever they want. That's why I couldn't hear them. Deactivated robots doesn't make noise. Not only they can march on the streets, they're everywhere with an open window. Who knows how many Fukidsahi defeated simply by knocking the buildings down?

Damnit, this is a good mental note to keep if I wasn't about to be crushed. Before I even knew it, my body moved to protect Koko. It was my natural instinct. This is what Nezu wanted, right? I'm not protecting Koko as a means to get a course transfer. I care about her. I'm not faking it. If I have to get hurt because of that ratty bastard, then so be it.

Fuck, that thing is gonna come down on us! This will hurt—!

_BLAM!_

Fukidashi!

I pick my head up. Behind us, I see his Onomatopoeia dissipating as the three-pointer lays behind us dead. Thank God, we need to get out of here. I stand up with Koko whimpering a little. I, trying my best to cheer her up, rub her hair and tease, "Oh, why are you whimpering like a coward?"

Koko gasps from shock. She squeezes herself out of my arms and stomps on my shoe. It doesn't hurt, but I act like it mortally wounds me. "That's what you get, you big jerk!" She furthers her ruthless assault by kicking my shin. From how dangerous she is, I could actually die here!

"You hurt me, Koko!" I whine, patting her head again, but she bats me away. Fukidashi finally catches up to us, nearly about to collapse from running a couple of blocks. "Hey, looks like you made it to the party! I figured out that U.A. is hiding the robots in the open buildings. That's why I couldn't hear this thing—" I kick the dead three-pointer. "—until it was too late."

Fukidashi stops in front of us. He slams his fist against my chest. It stings a little. "I hate you… You didn't thank me or anything!" Koko looks up at me expectedly. Guess the queen commands me.

I sigh, taking his wrist. With a shining smile, I say, "Thanks for saving us, Fukidashi. You really aren't a bad guy." That's a genuine compliment. He looks like he's savoring it, because he sputters a little. For some weird reason—probably from being a nerd—his head turning a bright shade of pink. He pulls away, only speaking in mangled mumbles.

"You made him flustered, Kari!" Koko tells me. I roll my eyes and put her on my back again. Fukidashi gets his mind together and we look ahead. A few robots are crawling out of the windows. From how hard Fukidashi is panting, he won't be able to fight effectively, which means I need to take them down. Alright then!

"Hold on tight, Koko! This will be a bumpy ride!" I warn her before I grow another tail—two so far. My senses get bolder. At two tails, I'll get even more annoyed than before! I back at Fukidashi, who nods!

Okay!

"Here I go!" I shout before leaping forward five meters ahead. I jump again onto the roof of a burnt car, using it as a jump pad to go even higher. My Quirk, Nine Tails, lets me have the agility of a fox. With each added tail, my agility and strength increase. Which means, I could use the environment to my advantage! If I could jump, then there's no reason for me to be rooted to the ground!

Unfortunately for me, the bastard robots see me coming. Their eyes light up a bright crimson red. They stop piling out of the windows, using their claws to hook themselves on the outside ledges. In an artificial voice, they scream, "KILL! DESTROY! MAIM! OBLITERATE!"

"You're not gonna oblitty-rate us! You're up against Kari!" Koko cheers, giving me the encouragement I needed. Now, I need to recognize my targets. Ten robots total—two three-pointers, four two-pointers, and four one-pointers. They're scattered across buildings, but all of them aren't on ground level. I can tell already… I need more power. This exercise is not only testing me on my ability to rescue and defeat, but on how I need to manage the drawbacks of my Quirk. If I can't manage Nine Tails… Ugh, I already know what happens then.

Three tails—that's enough to defeat them with ease. Ten targets, ten marks. These bastards are gonna go down! They were nothing during the Entrance Exam and the Sports Festival!

"Rrrrah!" a battlecry comes out as I bounce from building to building, cars and light poles! I'll take these things down with a single kick! "No hard feelings for this!"

I strike.

_THREE TAILS: FANGS OF THE YAKO!_

Under ten seconds, I destroy them like they were nothing, which they are. I jump back down onto solid ground, my feet sliding along the asphalt road. I use the momentum to spin, facing towards the open plaza ahead. The friction stops me where I'm standing right beside Fukidashi, who's obviously pretty impressed with what I did. I know it isn't hard to impress this dumbass. Koko laughs and pulls on my hood again. Fukidashi compliments me, "That was pretty good, Suzuki. For a guy in the General Department, you fight pretty well even with Koko on your back."

I snap, "I train, that's why. There's a lot more General Course kids who train too, Fukidashi. Don't forget that." My tone was pretty hostile. Damnit, that's my tails speaking! Eh, he'll won't dwell on what I said.

"Alright…" Fukidashi sighs. "At least we're almost at the plaza. I didn't think it would be this close." He looks ahead. A stone statue of All Might is in the center raised on a higher platform, accessible by steps. It's in his Silver Age costume back when we could actually see his eyes. Both of his hands were clenched into fists, resting against his hips while he had his signature smile plastered on his lips. The statue is pristine, contrasting the dirty and ruined city in the background.

Around the plaza, there are concrete barriers and pieces of debris scattered about. I could barely recognize the mural on the plaza tiles themselves. It's faded, covered with dust. The top three Pro Heroes—All Might, Endeavour, Hawks—are memorialized here. If this was an alternate reality, the Villains won and killed all three of them. Still, with the flawless statue of All Might, the concept of heroism will never die. Koko gasps in awe, looking around the plaza like she traveled back in time. "Woah…"

"I never thought U.A. would put this much effort into a mock battlefield… Honestly, it's kinda foreboding," Fukidashi comments. "Y'know, when I'm looking at it now… This would make for a perfect manga panel."

"Can you stop with those references? I'm not a nerd like you," I find myself saying. Again, my tails talking. It's not an excuse, I'd imagine.

"Says the guy who memorized fairy tales and an expert of all things literature. You're just a nerd like me," Fukidashi retorts.

"Hmph," I huff. He got me there. I go silent for one single second, then I hear him laughing under his breath. Hurray, this is a victory for Manga Fukidashi. He'd better cherish his only victory. I'm not giving him any more. Maybe I should—Wait, what's that noise…?

_RUMBLE!_

Oh shit… Fukidashi stops in his tracks. Behind his mask, beads of sweat pours down his face, dripping onto his costume. I don't want to turn around. If I turn around, then all hell will break loose. Koko meeps, "Is that my tummy?"

"You know, I hope so. But I think it's something worse…" Fukidashi answers, his body becoming stiff like a doll.

_RUMBLE RUMBLE!_

Koko freezes up. Yeah, that definitely isn't her stomach. This horde has a lot more Faux Villains than last time. I don't think Fukidashi has it in him to collapse another street again. Even if he could, he'll surely destroy his vocal cords. Damnit, if I was in Nine Tails Form, then I might have a chance to take them, but I'm not going to fucking do that. That only leaves one option…

"Run for the hills, Fukidashi!" I book it towards the All Might statue. Fukidashi, out of terror, screams—idiot, save your breath—and runs with me. Koko starts screaming too, but not even she can match Fukidashi's high-pitched voice.

"DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY!" the robots, behind us, says in unison. They're too close! Way too fucking close! Fukidashi, pushing his legs to the limit, sprints like he never sprinted before! We reach the outside edge of the plaza. Shit, I need to come up with an idea to take them out without taking ourselves out in the process! Where the hell is everyone else?! I thought they'd be here!

"Kari, I'm scared!" Koko tells me, burying her face into my back. _Now_ she sees the predicament we're in! Ugh, no time to be complaining about her!

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't get hurt!" I promise her. The three of us reach the All Might statue, running up the steps. I take Koko off my back and make her hide behind the statue. "Don't move from this spot, okay?" I look around. Besides the street we came in on, there's three more. "If you see any more of those bast—I mean, robots coming, yell."

"O-Okay!" Koko holds a fist to her chest. "You can count on me, Kari!"

"I know I can!" I say before running over to Fukidashi, who's watching the horde coming in. We only got about ten seconds until they enter the plaza. "Fukidashi, think you can bellow another roar like the big bad wolf? But you know, without needing vocal cord surgery?"

"Don't think so…" he quietly says. "You can't go into Nine Tails either, right? You'll destroy everything, including me and Koko." The horde comes closer. Five seconds.

"Yeah… I don't know where everyone else is at. Until we get backup, we need to improvise," I conclude. "_If _we get backup." Three seconds.

"If I die, Suzuki… Tell Shojo that I hate her."

"I'm sure she already knows."

One second, they're about to enter the plaza. I put my right foot forward. I'll jump straight into the horde and do the best I can to maul them to pieces. There has to be over fifty of them. They used a lot less during the Sports Festival, and I think I know why. All Departments, not just Hero and General, participated in the first event. Half of them aren't even trained in combat while the other half are—or they think they are. That's why U.A. used a lot more robots here. They know we've been training for this, so they're not letting up. This will be a tough battle…

They're here. The first robot entered the outside edge of the plaza. I bend my legs and—!

"—RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAA!"

The hell?! What the hell is above us?! It's a… a man-beast?! Wait, Shishida! It's Shishida!

On top of him is—––!

Oh, they're gonna crash!

* * *

**Shinzo Mantora**

"Okay, our kids should be on this floor."

"Mister Mantora, you said the exact same statement for the past three floors. Are you certain that our children lie here of all floors?" Shishida asks me. Frankly, I haven't got a clue. All the map said that our kids, whoever they are, are on this floor. From the fact that I'm protecting two kids—thanks to Nichirin being reckless with his Quirk—All Might wanted to make it easier by putting them in the same spot.

I nod. "Yeah, pretty certain."

"You do not have evidence, do you?"

"I have instinct. It's rarely wrong."

"It has been wrong for three consecutive floors."

"I said 'rarely'. Today's a really bad day, Shishida," I defend myself. My instinct might've been wrong for three floors, but there's two more floors to go, including the one I'm on—three, if you count the rooftop. We're bound to find those kids sooner or later. Just hope it's sooner. I need to do something for Dad after the day is done.

Shishida sighs, pushing his goggles up. "Mister Mantora, your instincts should not be the only tool a Pro Hero relies on. A Pro Hero not only needs instincts, but also intelligence and practical experience. Imagine if this was a scenario that occurred in real life. For the last three floors, your instinct was wrong, and thus, we squandered precious time. I am aware that this program is catered to tutoring you the fundamentals of heroism, but please allow me to lend my perspective."

Jeez, I know I'm a rookie, but Shishida didn't have to kill me. I give him the floor, clearly being out of my league, "Alright, whatever Master Shishida says, I must oblige…" Tiredly, I put a hand on the side of my neck.

Shishida shakes his head, pushing up his goggles again. "Refer to me as my Hero Name or my surname, if you must. I have no overwhelming preferences to one or the other. Anyhow, let us think logically. Mister Mantora, what are the facts that we know?"

"Two wanderers are hiding in a five-story building, which we're in now. We searched three floors, but we only found dust in them," I restate.

"Correct. If this was a real event, how would the lost children think? Where would they hide? The street level is incredibly dangerous as any robot could lurk in the shadows—"

"But, it's better than hanging out in buildings. It's close quarters, and although little kids are fast, these robots are faster than them. They're made to traverse any terrain given, and those kids are bound to trip on something considering how much trash is littered all over the place," I deduce, kicking an empty can of soda away.

"You would be correct, but children think differently than we do. They are bound to make more mistakes than a teenager or an adult. In most cases, I'm afraid to say, they will be killed unless they have luck on their side. Obviously, our two wanderers were lucky. There won't be any robots in this building. That leaves us with one question—which floor is their hiding place?" Huh, Shishida might be the next Grandmaster. Most logical people wouldn't have considered luck or the mentality of children as factors. They'd only think about what _they_ would do.

I look around, answering, "Not the first floor then. They could see if a robot is coming, but the reverse is true. It's way too risky; these kids would be scared out of their minds. They don't have the skill to remain absolutely calm under stress. They're impulsive, so their natural instinct is to run where their legs could take them, and it doesn't matter where that place is. So…"

"That only leaves one location," Shishida says. I got it.

"The rooftop," I finish, turning towards the stairs. It makes sense. If U.A. wanted to make this exercise realistic as possible, then they needed to think like a child. Adrenaline would be pumping through their blood with their brain screaming at their body to survive, to get the hell out of here. They'd only stop when there are no more roads. Here, the road stops at the rooftop. "Shishida, you're a pretty smart guy," I compliment him.

"I am determined to be an intellectual even with my beastly appearance," he replies, taking the lead. I walk behind him as we make our way up the stairs. "If you ask me my motives to become a Hero, it's similar to Setsuna's."

"Your father's company? I thought so. But why? What does being a Pro have to do with business affairs?" I ask him. Maybe it's something similar to the Yakuza. They fell from grace ever since Pro Heroes were made. Most of them were locked away while others remain in constant surveillance, like the Nabu Yakuza or the Shie Hassaikai, so they hide.

Back to what I was saying, being a Pro Hero is dangerous business. It's dangerous for yourself and for your family. By law—and this is the same for all Hero-bearing countries—the government is obligated to protect a Hero's family as every Pro Hero is technically a government official. (Naturally, it's impossible to guard _every_ family, so protection is only granted when a family's safety is highly suspected to be in danger.) As a result, the family is protected from harm.

Yet, there's something else to consider—reputation and popularity. It's one of the biggest aspects of a Pro Hero. If one of their family members is arrested, the case falls within the Hero Public Safety Commission's jurisdiction. There, in conjunction with the police, they will decide to either charge the family member, or they will drop the charges. If the former is chosen, then by law, the Commission _has_ to inform the media about the arrest. It's guaranteed to be the top headline. Because of this, the Pro's reputation takes a severe hit and public faith in heroism wavers. In the Commission's eyes, if the support of the public takes a hit, then it's unacceptable. In most cases, the Commission won't follow through with the charge.

This indirectly means that a Hero's family is protected from jail. This "perfectly" illustrates the line of reasoning that the Commission has. To preserve the public's faith in Pro Heroes, they are willing to sweep certain things under the rug. Most people don't realize this, so there's no one talking about it.

What does this have to do with the Yakuza, though? Well, if the son of a Yakuza boss decides to become a Hero, then the father is protected by the government and the Commission. Unless his father does something incredibly bad, then he'll be protected. But, any good Yakuza knows how to hide evidence where the police wouldn't find it. This law simply gives an extra layer of protection.

In a counterexample where the protection didn't work, I remember that there was a case where a Hero's brother turned out to be a serial killer. The Commission was forced to arrest him, and the Hero's popularity tanked. It was a massive controversy when it happened. The pressure from the public forced the Hero to retire in shame.

Shishida clicks his tongue. "Reputation, government benefits, and a myriad of other reasons and factors. Business can and will become complex when mixed with the industry that is heroism. What about yourself, Mister Mantora?"

"It's nothing special. Save people, defeat some bad guys, and maybe get a little famous," I reply, still going up the steps.

"So the rumors are true. You possess an air of mystery around you," Shishida replies with a small chuckle in his voice. There were rumors about me? Hmph, I can't get angry. Kazeha said that my bangs give me "that mysterious look". And the fact that I'm a hentai protagonist. Everyone, who isn't too kind or innocent for their own good, is calling me that. I'm stuck with this nickname for life.

"Is it because of my bangs? I swear, I don't have ten eyes underneath it. I have two eyes just like any normal human being without a Mutation-type Quirk," I say, lowering my head. To this day, no one has seen my eyes. I'm not Gorgon or Medusa, but I don't want anyone to see them. I could've worn shades, but I don't wanna be _that_ guy.

Shishida laughs, shaking his head with his hair moving with him. "Perhaps, yet I am certain that you are simply an ordinary man."

"Thanks for the compliment." We reach the rooftop door. Shishida stands on the right-hand side while I take the front. He gives me the A-OK signal, a head nod, and I kick the door off its hinges. It goes a couple of meters away, sliding for a couple more. I walk outside first and survey the area. Up here, there's only air ducts and empty space. My instincts are telling me that the kids are hiding behind the bulkhead. I tell Shishida, "Check the space around the air ducts. I'm checking behind here."

He huffs in acknowledgement. Carefully, I walk towards the back with my shoulder scraping against the wall. I don't hear a robot behind here, but you can never be too careful. Once I'm about to turn, I put my hand on the corner and peak around. "Hey, are you—?!"

"Yes! Yes I am!" Principal Nezu hops up. He's… He's dressed up like an elementary schooler. Wait, next to him… That's an actual kid. Wow, unless U.A. can make androids that look exactly like humans, then they're using kids for this exercise. It might be ironic that I'm saying this, but that's incredibly crooked. I don't know how I should feel about this.

Shishida hurries over and becomes stumped immediately. I say the obvious, "Shishida, we have a rat to protect."

"Mantora, don't you think it's a little rude to call Yasuo that? He's just a little boy!" Nezu exclaims as Yasuo… Hmm, haven't I heard that name before…?

Yasuo, a boy with red hair, stands up. "I thought he was calling you a dirty little rat, Mister Nezu!" Hold on, I think I recognize him now. He's one of the five elementary schoolers that Suzuki and Fukidashi are tutoring.

…

I don't know why, but I feel a disturbance in the air, like a man is screaming profanities at the world. I should ignore this feeling.

"You added rude adjectives, Yasuo. They apply to me more than you! Hmph!" Nezu pouts and crosses his arms. His All Might hat tips over slightly. He fixes it and secures the strap. I raise my hand. "Yes, Mantora?"

"Why are you using real kids for this exercise? Aren't the robots we're fighting literally programmed to kill?" I calmly ask him.

Nezu defends, standing proud, "You know it's a hop, skip, and a jump away to reprogram them to not harm Yasuo and the other wanderers! For you, on the other hand, is quite a different story! I assure you, U.A. has thought of every possibility and planned accordingly."

"Forgive me for speaking out of line, but what is the purpose of using children?! I understand that we must become effective Heroes, but we are only first-years!" Shishida cries in outrage, taking a step towards Nezu, but he doesn't recoil in fear. He keeps standing tall with his carefree smile.

Nezu hums. "That you are!" He hops over to the edge of the building. The walls of Ground Beta are high, but we can see the iconic U.A. High School from here. "Shishida, Mantora; this school year is different. Compared to years past, we've been cultivating Heroes without controversy or drama! Obviously, this year is different. Everything has piled on at once, and all of Japan is screaming.

"Mhm… Humans were born with five senses, but I like to think they were born with a sixth sense—the sense to detect major change. Before the year started, we were riding an elevator down at a snail's pace, so slow that you wouldn't be able to tell that we were moving. Then, once you took your first steps into U.A., we were free-falling in an instant.

"What I said is kinda ironic since I'm not human, obviously. I'm the furthest thing from a human! But don't you feel it in the air? Don't you feel the gears of life accelerating? Soon, we'll find ourselves in a situation where we cannot simply handle it. The future is the scariest villain. You can't defeat the future, you can only prepare for what it'll bring. Even then, you still won't be ready for it.

"That's why this year is so different than the rest. The old earth is being washed down by the rainstorms of what's to come. So, I planted roots that can never be washed away by the flood! By learning these skills now, instead of next year or the year after, you'll be drenched by the rain, but you will never drown. Do you understand?"

("Not at all!" Yasuo exclaims.) Shishida takes off his goggles and rubs his eyes; I think he's trying to make sense of what Nezu said. I understood plenty, though. With the Commission's analysis, it makes sense that U.A. is ramping up its exercises. Still, I'm only a first-year; hell, I'm only in the General Department!

Finally, Shishida says something, "I-I do, Principal Nezu… From now on, our exercises will be more rigorous, correct?"

"That's right! You are no longer kids now, Shishida! U.A. was your coming-of-age story! You're starting to become young adults, especially the rest of 1-B! Don't say this to anyone, especially Monoma, but I firmly believe that your class is more mature than 1-A, and your teamwork is leagues ahead of theirs!" Nezu beams, turning back to the three of us.

Yasuo walks up and tugs on my sleeve. "Hey hey, aren't you Mantora? Kari told me all about you!" I feel something sinister hiding behind this question. Shishida, quiet as a mouse, puts on his goggles.

"Yasuo, right? I don't wanna know the specifics… Especially if it's about—"

"He said your bangs are so long that only a lawn mower can trim it down!" Yasuo says exactly what I knew he'll say.

I tell him again, "Let's not—"

"Oh oh! He thinks your Glowing Heart is hiding how scummy you are! I dunno 'bout you, but Kari wants you as a friend!" Yasuo… Yeah…

I sigh, rubbing my mouth. "Thanks for letting me know… I'll let him know how much I appreciate his compliments, don't worry."

"With a hug?" he asks.

"Yup, exactly that. I'll give him one big hug. I won't let him escape even if he got down on his knees and beg," I say, being completely serious. Shishida shakes his head in disapproval while Nezu snickers to himself. What? I'm going to do what I say. It's not like I'll break his legs with a metal bat or throw him off the roof into a pool of blood-thirsty sharks. Suzuki has a very unique way of telling people if he likes them or not. He dropped his mischievous, yet charming act a long time ago. He gave out compliments as naturally as he walked. After Inochi… Well, that doesn't need to be stated again. Suzuki loves insulting people… What did he say that one time…?

"_When I call you an enormous asshole, it's from the bottom of my heart."_

"_Thanks Suzuki, that's cool."_

Right.

Principal Nezu clears his throat. He bounces over to us, trying to mimic how a little boy walks. Honestly though? He looks like a rat trying to avoid a mouse trap, or the red plumber from that really old video game. He announces, "No more dilly-dallying! Heroes, I won't be Principal Nezu any longer! I'll be—!"

Nezu jumps up a meter in the air and—?

_TWINKLE SPARKLE TWINKLE!_

I didn't know Principal Nezu can sparkle and twinkle like that. "Little Boy Nezu!"

Yasuo jumps up too. "And I'm Yasuo Himaki!"

_FLAME!_

Fire? That's pretty cool.

They pose as spectacular duo. Shishida, though, is flabbergasted beyond relief. He's a logical thinker, so he's trying to comprehend how Yasuo and Nezu have these special effects without any apparent source. "Uhm…"

I stay silent, "..."

"Please rescue us," Little Boy Nezu asks.

"Of course, we're your Pro Heroes. I am…" Crap, I haven't come up with a name yet. Kazeha gave me a bunch of names. Not one, not a single one was appropriate. I end up shaking my head. "I'll get back to you on that. Gevaudan, introduce yourself."

Shishida steps up and places his hand on his chest. "I am Gevaudan, The Beast Hero! Please do not be frightened by my appearance! I am an elegant man, but let the Beast within me protect you as if you were my own kin!" That was a nice introduction. I can tell he's been rehearsing that.

"That was perfect, Mister Gevaudan!" Nezu compliments him before he shoots me a disappointed look. "Please work on your introduction, Mister Mantora. You need to be more excited! Lemme hear your loud voice! Try again!"

I guess I'm trying again, "I am Shinzo Mantora, the guy whose heart glows. I can heal you if you get hurt, and I can punch things really hard if I wanted to. That's about it."

Shishida states, "You were barely louder than before…"

"You obviously haven't seen me do karaoke," I remark right back at him, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

Yasuo hops up and exclaims, "We gotta get going! Really really soon! Those evil ro_butts_ won't get us up here, but what about your friends?! What about Kari and Manga?! They could be a lotta danger, y'know! You gotta save them!"

I raise my hand. Yasuo gives me his blessing to speak. "We have no idea where they are. All Might didn't give us any method to communicate with each other. We could find them if Gevaudan might be able to deduce their location, but that's a big 'if'."

"Well, I noticed Suzuki was studying the layout of Ground Beta before we started the exercise. Mantora, you know him the most. Thinking like him, where would he go after retrieving his wanderer?" Shishida again inquires. If I was Suzuki… I'd be a snarky asshole, but I'd be a smart snarky asshole. He memorized the entire layout of Ground Beta, but I didn't. None of us took more than ten seconds to look at the map. Because of that, Suzuki wouldn't pick a really obscure location. It'll be an obvious location. It's kinda like tourists in Musutafu. Nine times out of time, they pick out U.A. High School on the map first because it's so identifiable, so what would be the U.A. to Ground Beta? What did I look at first…?

It was…

"I got it. On the map that All Might gave us, I looked at the central plaza first because it's the only open space in Ground Beta. Everything else were narrow streets and small empty lots. If we're lucky, he's there," I tell Shishida. Once we meet Suzuki and Fukidashi, we have to hold the plaza while also protecting the kids. Hmm, All Might didn't give us any specific instructions—only to protect the kids long enough until we're allowed to leave. He never explicitly told us to regroup and work together, but teamwork is necessary in this career. All Might wants us to take the initiative.

Shishida hums and looks towards the direction of the plaza. It's a few streets away. "The Faux Villains will surely roam the streets below at this point of time. In my humble opinion, we need to travel to the plaza via rooftop-to-rooftop. You cannot efficiently use your Quirk in combat, Mantora, so this is our only option."

"Yeah, I figured. If only my Quirk lets me fly…" I complain. My Quirk isn't suited for long-term combat. I can punch things really hard, kinda like Midoriya and All Might. The downside though, it siphons almost all of my energy. I can only channel Glowing Heart if I need to heal someone, but I can't do jack when fighting. It only has one mode—kill. I'm not very useful in these types of exercises because of it. At least I'm not Shinso from 1-C. His Quirk, no offense, is useless in these situations.

Luckily, I can be like Recovery Girl, who has a specialization that's incredibly useful. Unlike her Quirk, mine lets me fight. I need to figure out how to utilize the power of Glowing Heart without draining myself dry.

"Everyone," Shishida gets our attention, "once I transform, grab onto my back and I'll leap to the plaza. Do you understand?"

"Roger."  
"You betcha!"

"You betcha times two!"

Me, Yasuo, and Nezu step back as Shishida prepares to use his Quirk. He rolls his shoulders around and cracks his neck. With a massive breath, he bellows out a roar that produces weak winds that batter the rooftop. His body and limbs enlarge three sizes compared to his human form. He's as big as a bear. The hair on his body get thicker, especially on his neck and head. His fangs are more pronounced like an actual bear that could chew through bone. Shishida slams his hands—now claws—on the ground with enough force that it cracks. Yasuo's eyes light up from his transformation while Nezu looks quietly impressed. Shishida says, his voice boisterous and big, "Get on my back! Hurry!"

Let's hope he knows what he's doing. I put Nezu and Yasuo on first before getting on myself, gripping on ropes of his hair. It's rugged and heavy, kinda like it's soaked with water but doesn't feel wet. I let him know, "We're ready when you are. Don't knock us off."

"Alright! Hang on tight!"

_LEAP!_

Shishida crosses the streets with a single leap, landing on the next rooftop with an impact that nearly crumbles the roof out from under us. He leaps again, making the wind crash and batter my body, and he keeps jumping.

After a few more, Yasuo yells, "There! Look! I see Kari and Manga! They're being chased by the evil robots!" He points towards the plaza. He's right. Suzuki and Fukidashi are running away from a massive horde of Faux Villains, or evil robots like how Yasuo said it. "Hurry, Gevaudan! They need us!"

Shishida lands on a building that's a couple of streets away from the plaza. He huffs, then bending his arms and legs low. Oh crap, I hang on tighter. Nezu and Yasuo do too. Shishida—–—?!

"—RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAA!"

_SOAR!_

Okay, now I'm starting to get a tiny bit worried. I see a bird up here. We're bird high, which in my opinion, it's a little too high. Below us, I can see Suzuki staring up at us just as the first robot enters the outside edge of the plaza. Shishida leans his body back as we fly into the middle of the stampede, his claws raised over his head.

Before I know it, we crash.

_SAVAGE INDIGNATION!_

Shishida's claws hit the ground first before we did. The robots we landed on were destroyed immediately, and then the shockwave comes. Coming out of Shishida, they take out heaps and waves of robots, but I could only hear their cries before a large amount of dust builds up into clouds.

After a few seconds, the dust clears. Around us are what used to be the Faux Villains. Instead of being scary and intimidating, they're simply scrap metal. Yasuo cheers while Nezu laughs, half like a little kid and half-evil mastermind. Alright then, we need to take this time to regroup with Suzuki. There's surely more Faux Villains coming. I pat Shishida's back, "Hey, good job at taking down those guys. We should head over to Suzuki before more comes."

"Okay!" Shishida roars, running on all fours into the central plaza. Suzuki waits for us with a scowl on his face and Fukidashi looks happy to see us. Once we reach there, I hop off first and run over to them. (Behind the pair is a girl is sitting on the stone base of the All Might statue. I think her name is Koko.)

"Mantora, what took you so long?!" Suzuki yells at me, almost about to claw my eyes out. He glances behind me, and his eyes light up in fury. "Principal Nezu! After we're done with this exercise, I'm tearing you a new one!"

"Good! I haven't shed this skin yet, Suzuki! Thank you!" Nezu beams, skipping towards us with Yasuo beside him. Suzuki raises his claw, but I forcibly put it down for him.

His ears twitch. He glances to his sides before groaning. "Shishida, Mantora, Fukidashi; we have a lot more to deal with. Look around, we have robots on three sides. They haven't charged in yet, so they must be building their numbers before attacking all at once. C'mon," he beckons by tugging on my sleeve. We join up with Shishida, standing in front of the statue looking out onto the northern street. The kids take cover at the base of the statue, and Nezu too.

Suzuki's right. We're surrounded on three sides.

"We must obliterate them at once! Destroy them! Crush them! Demolish until there's nothing left!" Shishida eagerly tells us, smacking the ground for extra effect.

Fukidashi cowers. He takes a few steps away from him and says, "Y-Yeah… I don't think I can take down an entire street again, but I'm strong enough to handle this!"

"I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll try my best to help." I'm also here. I guess I can run around and heal everyone if they need it.

Suzuki remarks, pulling his hood down, "That's great, but we're biting off more than we can chew. Unless we fight with no restraints, we won't win. And, you might call me an asshole for this, I'm not going all out. You won't convince me."

"Wasn't going to. I'm not dealing with that again," I agree, wiping the sweat off my face with my shirt.

"So how the heck can we win?" Fukidashi's panic rises in his voice. He takes off his mask and throws it aside. "If Suzuki, him of all guys, say it's impossible, then—!"

"Losing hope already? Shojo would slap you across the head for saying that," Rin finally joins us, playfully elbowing Fukidashi. I swear, out of the corner of my eye, I see Suzuki smiling like a dope. ("Benjiro! You're here!" Koko cheers.)

"I'm not a badass like you guys, but we can take these metal bastards on," Akagawa squeezes in-between me and Shishida. She's holding a steel baseball bat. Where did she get that from?

"That's right! We can take them! 'Specially because Pony and Jun-Jun are here! These dirty punks are gonna go down!" Pony exclaims, flying down on top of her horns with Hoashi.

Hoashi stutters, "Y-Yeah… They're...going down alright… My Quirk's useless, but I'll try my best…" He hugs himself, lining up with the rest of us. Pony skips to the end with Akagawa, ready to send her horns in. ("Shinji is here!" That's Shinji, another one of the kids.)

Then, a wave of cold air hits our backs. There was a fog behind me, but it dissipates to reveal Usami, Kaibara, and the last kid—Reichiru, who runs over to the rest. Usami clicks her tongue. "I'm ready to show why I deserve to be in the Hero Course."

Kaibara reprimands her, "Don't get so cocky. We need to work together here, not trying to show off. We have actual kids—and Principal Nezu—to protect." They join us.

Here we are, the first and only line of defense. If we fail, then there's a good chance that we won't be considered for transfer. What's worse is we could die. That's also pretty bad. Heh, I can't lie though—this is exhilarating. Ten Pro Heroes against an army of Villains with no hesitation to kill us. It's a battle fitting for a movie.

Suzuki laughs. There's the confident and smug Suzuki I know. "This seems like an unfair fight now! I almost feel bad for these sorry suckers."

"Why is the General Department so arrogant?" Rin asks to no one. Suzuki, Akagawa, and Usami shoot him a dirty look, making Rin defend himself, "I am just saying!"

"Let's not fight guys! Let's fight these baddies instead and protect the kids, y'hear?! If you guys fight any more, I'll break your knees!" Pony threatens, smacking her hands together. She's adorable. She's trying so hard to be intimidating. It's honestly cute. I know why 1-B loves her so much.

"Let's n-not resort to that, please? I like my knees, I walk with them…" Hoashi mutters, barely loud enough that we can hear him.

_BZZT!_

That's a speaker. It's...coming from the statue. Must be All Might. "Young Heroes! I am overjoyed that you came together to fight this overwhelming threat! I hoped that, above all else, you cherish teamwork rather than fighting independently! Just for letting my hope come to fruition, I give you my admiration as thanks! Now—!"

The streets become darker. The only light within them is the red dots of each robot, gleaming with the intent to kill.

"To face such impossible odds…"

The red lights march forward, getting larger by the second.

"With only your resolve as the shining light to victory…"

There are hundreds of them and only ten of us.

"To overcome the crisis in front of you…"

We stand ready.

"With everything you've got! Let me see your heart, Heroes! Let me adore your—!"

We shout, "—PLUS ULTRA!"

* * *

**To fight against overwhelming odds! The climax of The Six Wanderers will be in the next chapter, which is promptly named...**

**To Redeem Yourself as a Hero**

**If I can release the chapter next Saturday, then I will. If not, then the week after that.**  
**-**  
**Post-chapter discussion:**

**Nichirin is a fun character to write. I'm starting to be very liberal with how I create characters. I need to remind myself that this is a fanfic based off of manga/anime, so I can create silly little characters that spice up the story. Nichirin's mannerisms is kinda like All Might, but a lot more arrogant in a way. With him being the sun, Inochi had to be the moon even if he doesn't want to be. Don't think that, just because I haven't mentioned Sanji training at night, that he hasn't been training at all. In my opinion, I don't want to keep mentioning it all the freaking time. Honestly, I'm probably won't write a solo scene with just him training because it'll be a very boring scene to read.**

**Anyway, onto the main focus of the arc: Karisuma Suzuki. I won't say much about him, but his development will be more clearly shown in the next chapter during the fight. Along with that, there'll be a very special scene just for him. Honestly though, it's refreshing to have a selfish character. Suzuki won't be the kind of man who changes to be like everyone else, but he'll be his own person. Making him act like Sanji will be a very bad move on my part. As it stands, Suzuki will be the idealistic rival to him.**

**Then we got Shinzo Mantora. If you notice, I don't think I used a single exclamation mark in his scene. That's for a good reason. Mantora isn't the kind of guy who looks at something and go, "What the hell is that?!" He's the guy that says, "Well, that's neat." Anyway, there's a good reason why he has a scene to himself. It's not because I needed filler, but because I'm setting up for his story. Surprisingly though, I think he'll be more important to Midoriya's story than Sanji's. Just from how I'm envisioning him, it might go down that route.**

**Anyway, let's describe something fun: Super Moves! As you (hopefully) read, Super Moves are a thing!**

**[Nichirin] Shining Sun Crescent: A sharp crescent-shaped energy attack that flies outwards with high speeds. The speed and power varies upon the size of the crescent. Smaller crescents have higher speeds, but less power.**  
**[Nichirin] Dazzling Sunpour: A storm of ray-like energy attacks that rain down from the sky. It uses the sun's glare to hide their movements.**  
**[Akagawa] Euclid Barrage: An onslaught of thrown projectiles that's constantly being shifted by Vectors. It's nearly impossible to predict the movement of the projectiles.**  
**[Manga] Rumble: An Onomatopoeia that mimicks an earthquake.**  
**[Suzuki] Three Tails - Fangs of the Yako: Bouncing off the environment, Suzuki quickly takes down his foes before they have a chance to counterattack.**  
**[Shishida] Savage Indignation: Shishida, in his Beast form, leaps high into the air and slams back down to the earth. The impact is so great that a shockwave is created.**

**Now that's over with, please leave a review if you must!**


	32. To Redeem Yourself as a Hero

**Karisuma Suzuki**

_ROARING RAGE! EUCLID BARRAGE!_

_WHA-BAM! WITHIN ONE: SCALED CARAPACE!_

_THUNDER HORN! HUMID MIST OF THE DREARY!_

_THREE TAILS: PROSPERITY OF THE INA—?!_

_THUD!_

Ugh! It's an endless stream of Faux Villains! It's getting harder to move in the plaza as the robots pile up. I have to rely on Shishida and Fukidashi to indirectly clear the plaza with their attacks, _if_ I'm lucky! I need to keep fighting until All Might gives us the okay to evacuate! That's why we're getting attacked on three sides, not four. Damn everything to hell though, it has only been a few minutes and I'm already getting exhausted!

"Hey!" Kaibara takes my arm and lifts me up. "You're not out of the fight yet, right Suzuki?!"

"I'll be damned if I am!" I push his arm away after he helps me. "If I stop fighting, then I'll be dead! Focus on fighting, Kaibara! Don't give a shit about me!"

"If you say so!" he replies before two one-pointers line up beside us. Kaibara pushes me aside—the asshole—and pulls his right arm back. He says to the two robots, "Sorry, don't hate me for this." Kaibara thrusts his arm forward like a spear. At the last second, before the robots even have a chance to move, he activates his Quirk to rotate his arm like a drill and—

_DRILLING LANCE!_

And he pierces both robots' chassis at once, killing them instantly. I couldn't help but smirk. That's two down and an infinity more to go. I give him a small head nod before I leave him be. I dash towards Akagawa, Hoashi, and Rin. In front of me is a three-pointer. We spot each other at the same time. Compared to others like it, this one seems larger. Better take this one out now before it causes trouble for us later! I can't get knocked on my ass again, because that was humiliating.

I leap forward. Let's tear this to shreds!

_THREE TAILS: PROSPERITY OF THE INARI!_

With my razor sharp claws, I rip through the chassis of the three-pointer and emerge on the other side. I hear it falling into pieces behind me as I continue forward. Rin is the first one to see me. His body is covered in rough jade scales that act as armor. The only part of him that isn't covered in scales is his face. "Suzuki! Are the kids and Nezu okay?" he asks. His scales is making his voice slightly distorted, almost like a dragon is talking. He takes a second to turn a two-pointer into a pincushion.

"Last time I checked, yeah!"—a robot gets in my way; I take it out—"We still have that open street to escape through, thank God! Are the Faux Villains easing up?!" I ask back, shouting at the top of my lungs. The fighting is too damn loud! My eardrums will rupture at this rate!

"Not at all! It seems like there's more of them!" Rin shouts-answers, firing more scales. "We're holding them off for now, but at this rate, we'll get overwhelmed before we know it! I—! Duck!" I duck. Rin fires a volley of scales into a group of one-pointers behind me. "What was I saying again?!"

I jump in the air and kick the head off a two-pointer. "Something about getting overwhelmed! But don't you think this exercise is a little much for even Hero Course kids?! I'm not complaining, though!" A one-pointer nearly tackles me onto the ground, but I punch it broken.

"Well, this is valuable training! Our endurance is being tested along with our ability to multitask!" Rin replies as he takes a nasty hit in the chest by another two-pointer. I come up from behind and grab its tail, tossing it into a pack of its own.

"You broken?!" I ask. His skin is exposed where he was struck, but he doesn't look severely injured.

"Still together!" he assures me. Hoashi pops up from the ground and uppercuts a one-pointer. He joins up with me and Rin, who checks in on him, "Hoashi, do you need any more reflective surfaces?"

"N-No! I'm fine! I'm perfectly fine!" As soon as Hoashi says that, a three-pointer rolls into field. Shit! I run towards Hoashi, but the three-pointer gets to him first. He doesn't get a chance to use his Quirk before the three-pointer strikes him with its metal claw. Hoashi gets launched towards me and I manage to catch him. He groans in pain. "I'm not fine! I'm totally not fine!"

"Get down!" Rin jumps in front of us. He straightens his scaled palms and screams a battlecry. In an instant, his palms get thicker with scales sharper than before. Don't tell me…! He's turning them into blades! What's with these Hero Course students?!

_WITHIN TWO: JADE SCALED PALMS!_

The three-pointer attacks Rin with its claw again, but he leaps forward and cuts the robot's arm into several pieces. It hits the ground as his leaps again towards the center of its chassis with his arms raised, and slices an X into the bastard. It splits apart dead. I look down at Hoashi. I think his arm is broken! Fuck, I need to get him to Mantora!

Akagawa backs into me with a metal bat in her hands. I have no fucking clue where she got that from, but now isn't the time to question things! "Huh? Shit, what the hell happened to Hoashi?!"

"What do you think happened to him?! It doesn't fucking matter, I'm getting him to Mantora without getting my ass handed to me!" I tell her with anger filling my lungs. Ugh, I need to let loose on the Faux Villains, not my comrades.

"Not at this rate! Down in front!" Rin warns. He grunts, regrowing his armor. "I-I'm almost at my limit!"

I loop Hoashi's good arm over my shoulder, standing us up. He whimpers in pain. I'd get annoyed by his annoying whimpering, but now's not the time to be an asshole. Shit, there's way too much robots in front of us! I won't be able to dash through them. Akagawa groans and kicks her bat onto her shoulder, taunting the Faux Villains. "You want a piece of me?!"

"Please don't taunt them! Y-You're making them angry!" Hoashi begs, moaning in pain more as he moves around.

"So what? I _want_ 'em angry," Akagawa says and walks towards them. The hell? She can't take them out with a bat! There's a grin on her face like she's saying, _I got them where I want them. _Damnit, I have to trust what she's doing, even if it is near suicidal and could potentially get us all killed! But, ignoring that, I have to trust this crazy bitch.

Rin yells, nearly roaring like a dragon, "They're coming!"

All at once, they pounce, and Akagawa laughs.

_GALILEO DISPERSE!_

Oh, so Akagawa isn't a suicidal mook! Every robot was sent back with enough force that they get destroyed when they hit the ground! That's right, I remember now! During her fight with Tokage, she stated that she can't use Vector on living things! But, there's no way in hell that the Faux Villains are living! Because of that, Akagawa can use Vectors on each and every robot in sight!

"And here you guys thought I was stupid," Akagawa says before hopping back on her feet. "Suzuki, go ahead and take Hoashi to Mantora. Rin and I can hold down the fort."

(Rin mutters under his breath, "Why didn't she do that sooner?!")

"You better, else the Faux Villains won't be the only thing you have to worry about," I kindly threaten them before taking Hoashi down to the other end of the plaza. He doesn't, let's say, run with me or at least try to help me out in any way. This might be the first time where he broke something judging from how meek he is. It reminds me a little of Inochi, actually…

Thank God that nothing decided to attack me out of the blue though. I reach Mantora, who's supporting Fukidashi and Tsunotori. I call for him, "Hey Mantora! Hoashi broke his arm!"

"Ow…" Hoashi groans. Mantora turns around and quickly runs over to us. I sit Hoashi down, and Mantora puts his hand on his shoulder, taking a look at his broken arm.

Mantora warns him, "I'm gonna say it now. my Quirk isn't an anesthetic, so you'll feel the pain of your arm moving back in place. Let's hope adrenaline numbs the pain somewhat because if not… Then uhm… Yeah, let's hope."

"Wait, what?!" Hoashi tries to struggle free, but I'm not letting him go. Mantora grabs a piece of wood off of the ground and stuffs it in Hoashi's mouth, who's thrashing. "Mmf!"

I roll my eyes. "Mantora, isn't a nurse supposed to calm their patients down?"

"They should, but I'm only a teenager. Anyway, let's get this over with," Mantora casually says while Hoashi is screaming. Not even a piece of wood can muffle his screams… Oh boy, and then, without giving a damn about the poor guy's well-being, Mantora channels Glowing Heart into his arm. The screaming starts. I barely hear Mantora telling me, "You should leave this to me. Help Fukidashi and Tsunotori."

I nod. "Already planning on it. Don't die, you asshole." I get up and dash over to the two. Tsunotori is firing her horns into the street, telepathically controlling them through the Faux Villains like butter; and also, Fukidashi uses his Onomatopoeias to clear out waves of them. Out of the three streets, this one is the most effective. "Fukidashi, Tsunotori! Mantora's taking care of Hoashi! You can tell because he's screaming like a little girl."

Tsunotori turns her head and frowns. "Hi, you big jerk! Don't make fun of Jun-Jun like that! He's doing his best to help, y'know! What did you do?!"

"I knew everyone would meet up here! Not only that, I'm the guy who's running around and—Oh wait, why am I trying to prove myself to you? No matter what I do, you'll hate my guts even if I have a heart of gold!" For a girl who wants to be everyone's best friend, she thinks I'm the worst person alive.

Fukidashi's head goes "ugh". He's scowling at me—the equivalent of scowling in his case. "Suzuki, please don't act like that! Pony still hasn't forgiven you for what happened during the Sports Festival—honestly, I'm still a tiny bit sore about that myself…"

"That's right! I won't let a bully hurt my friends!" Tsunotori declares with her horns flying around behind her. Huh, she's not… She's not aiming them. They're not even on street level! She's flying them several stories above where the robots are supposed to be. "Why aren't you looking at me, Suzuki?! Do you understand?!"

"He's staring at your horns, Pony! Focus on trimming down these Faux Villains! Oh crap—!" Faux Villains start to pile up in front of Fukidashi. He has this handled. "Here goes nothing!" he yells.

_BOOM!_

And with that Super Move, he destroys them. See? I have faith in him. Tsunotori huffs and turns her back on me, going back to impaling and goring. They don't need my help. Ah, the screaming stopped. Hoashi must be healed. He's traumatized for the rest of his life, but he's healed. I run towards the last street, where Usami, Kaibara, and Shishida are defending their position. Kaibara and Shishida are the bulk of the strength, especially Shishida. With their Quirks, they're tearing down the Faux Villains pretty damn well.

Usami, who's resting behind a concrete barrier, notices me. "H-Hey Suzuki… You seem unscathed."

"Hey yourself. What happened? Need me to take you to Mantora?" I ask her. Out of everyone in the Hero Course Tutoring program, I know the least about Fogborn, Usami's Quirk. It sounds powerful, but I don't know any of the specifics.

"No, I'm just tired… I don't have a high endurance like these stupid Heroes, if you can even call them that." She spits out of disgust. "I knew I shoulda told Nichirin to ease up with his fight. He'd be useful in this exercise, especially with the amount of fighting that's going on."

"Yeah—Wait a second, there's a two-pointer coming towards us," I pause our conversation. I pick up a broken metal plate and throw it into the main body of the two-pointer. There we go, it won't interrupt us anymore. "Okay, problem solved."

Usami laughs and wipes the sweat off her face with her sleeve. "Anyway, that's enough complaining. Help me up." I grab her by the arm, standing her up. She opens her mouth to say something, but her face quickly turns from content to shock. What is she looking at?

_RUMBLE!_

Fuck! You gotta be fucking kidding me! Usami confirms what I'm thinking, "The fourth street has Faux Villains! Damnit, I thought All Might left that open for us to escape!"

"Shishida! Kaibara! I'm taking Usami away! The fourth street is being flooded with Faux Villains!" I say before I even have time to process what's going on. My legs start moving on their own until I stop at the All Might statue where the kids—and Nezu—are taking cover behind some barriers. Damnit, damnit! I see those sons of bitches! How can we take them on?! We're spread thin as it is! Rin's at his limit by now, and everyone else is surely getting exhausted! Usami and I can't defend that area by ourselves! I can't pull Mantora away from Fukidashi because once Fukidashi's throat starts to get sore, Mantora needs to heal him. Maybe if I could pull Hoashi away, but that is not enough!

Reichiru stands up. She looks concerned. Everyone is. "Kari! You can take them on, right?! Right?! We're counting on you!"

"Yeah! We're counting on you, Kari!" Yasuo repeats after her, then the rest of the kids—even Benjiro. Aw, please don't say that now. As much as I want to believe that, there's no way I could defend that street myself unless… unless if I use all Nine Tails. I told everyone that I wouldn't do it, but…

Nezu is the last one who stands up. "Suzuki and Usami, we have less than twenty seconds until you have to fight. As your principal and as a little boy, I have faith that you can find a way to protect us until the very end!"

Until the very end…

Usami sees the look on my face. I can't see myself, but I know the exact look I have. "Suzuki, are you sure? That's beyond risky. You could—"

"I know the damn consequences, but here… The benefits outweigh them. I have to do it. After I take out the robots, Usami, tell everyone to beat the hell outta me. Got it?"

Usami looks down. "Y-Yeah, I got it… We're gonna win though, right? Please tell me we'll win." Let's see… Do I tell her the truth? She'll get discouraged. If I lie to her face, then it'll bite me in the ass in the long run. Ugh. You know what, I'll just…

_DASH!_

"Suzuki, you dick! You didn't even answer my question!" Usami yells, chasing after me. She'll find out soon! Either in the hospital or in a bodybag! I stop at just before the outside edge of the plaza. These Faux Villains are barreling down the street, shaking the ground beneath my feet. Closer, they're getting closer. I need to… damnit, I need to do it!

_"Kari… I should've disciplined you more…"_

My legs… My arms… They're not moving! Why aren't I moving?! I can't bring myself to move a single inch of my body, let alone trying to grow a single _fucking_ tail! I thought I threw away my restraints! I wanted to protect my stupid, dumb kids, but why aren't I doing the one thing that lets me do that?! Why am I freezing up now?!

_"When I see you, I feel like I failed as a mother Please Kari, I want you to—"_

Usami cries, "They're getting closer!" Shit, it'll take less than five seconds for them to get here! If I can't get my body under control, then I'll ran over, flattened into a rug! Damnit! I don't know what to do! I can't… I can't let everyone down!

I grit my teeth. They're coming closer.

I...I need to be a Hero! I need to protect everyone!

I—!

"—PERFORMING KILL ACTIONS!"

Too late! They're about to come into the plaza! I'm… I'm—!

_DAZZLING SUNPOUR!_

_WUR-BOOM!_

Right before my eyes, the numbers of Faux Villains are halved. The destroyed machines block and hinder those who managed to survive the attack, slowing their assault. Then, there's a haughty laugh. "Fuhahahaha!"

Above us, there's a proud man who stands gallantly on the edge of a building with his arms crossed. The battle stops as everyone stares at him, the sun finally illuminating his face—and more importantly, his smile. It's him; it's Nichirin! "My comrades! It's a gorgeous day for honorable combat, isn't it?! I apologize for getting overzealous with my previous spar, but fear not! Honoteru Nichirin has arrived!"

"I never thought that I wanted him more!" Usami says in relief, picking me up. I can finally move my body again, but this crazy bastard! How did Recovery Girl allow him to participate in this exercise?!

Nichirin, like a dumbass, leans forward and lets gravity take him off the ledge. He lands on a rusted car, which thankfully didn't destroy his knees. He makes contact with us and struts over like a dignified samurai who is proud of serving his master. "My friends, I'm well enough to fight side-by-side as a proud man who chases the admirable dream of heroism!" I try to say something, but Usami doesn't let me. That was a good decision, because I was gonna insult him.

Laughing haughty again, he faces the swarm of Faux Villains with a grin. They made it past their friends. Nichirin rolls his hair back and announces, "Villains, let us have an awe-inspiring battle! Yet, don't be filled with hubris! As long as my blazing and grand soul persists ravishingly in my body, the fire of the Nichirin Family will never be extinguished!"

His eyes shoot open as wide as they can, glaring at at our enemies. "Let the sun decide your fate!"

Usami grabs his shoulder and argues, "Nichirin! You might be able to fight, but it doesn't mean you'll fight well! You're exhausted, aren't you? Even with your help, more Faux Villains will be coming! It'll be hard with just us three!"

Nichirin's grin grows even bigger—he's creeping me out now. "Don't you mean 'us four'? I bought a partner, Usami. This man has the heart of a magnificent Hero." His partner? From that description alone, it's—!

_WIZZ!_

A crossbow bolt buzzes past my head.

_BOOM!_

And it blows up a few Faux Villains, scattering them all over the street. The people from 1-B start cheering, saying things like "we'll win this!" or "there's no way we could lose now!". That's ironic, isn't it? This man, the weakest person in 1-B in terms of Quirk strength, inspires everyone just from his presence alone. I understand why most of the Hero Course kids love him. It's a fact that he isn't strong. In a world with humans that can perform what was considered to be impossible, he's one of the weakest students in the entire school. Yet at the same time, he's one of the strongest.

What sets him apart from the others, the ones who are lazy dreamers and freeloaders, is his determination.

That's an indisputable fact. To the ones who watch him on TV, it's one of the best qualities to admire in a man. Everyone would cheer for the underdog with unwavering resolve. To me? To the one man who had known him before he changed? It's one of the best qualities to hate, to loathe. His determination—his resolve—is something to despise and abhor. In a world with nature and beauty, he's the man that brings in decay and deformity. There's All Might, and then there's him.

Inochi introduces himself, "Nichirin, how did you get on top of that building? One moment, I was ahead of you and the next, you were gone!" Yeah, no one will agree with me. They're too wrapped up in admiration that they're blinded himself to his faults.

"Family secret, my rival!" Nichirin laughs, patting Inochi's back. "Now, the Faux Villains are approaching us! We only have a limited time to plan what we'll do! Inochi, what do you suggest?"

Usami scoffs. "Already giving the reins to Inochi? Before you two got here, we turned to Suzuki for guidance. There's a reason why he was able to convince most of the school, besides the Hero Courses, that Tokage was the reason for Hifumi's suffering."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Look guys, I'm just saying! Suzuki is a great and charismatic leader whether you like him—which most of you don't—or not!" Usami defends me, but not very well! I already accepted responsibility for what happened, beat up Inochi, did my community service, and now I'm here! Even when I admitted that what I did was wrong, I can't un-convince people of what I said.

Inochi unsheathes his katana, holding it at his side. "This program is meant to give the General Department a glimpse into what we do as Heroes-in-Training, so Suzuki should be the one leading. But does it matter? We'll be defending the plaza no matter what we do. It's just the problem of not getting in each other's way."

"Thanks Inochi," I sarcastically say. "Since Nichirin cleared out half of the forces, we can easily wrap up the other half. Did All Might say anything about the exercise ending soon?"

"No, but the Faux Villains aren't swarming with large numbers now. If we do our part, the exercise will end soon," Inochi answers me, taking a step forward. It's almost time to fight, but there's something itching at me though. Why would All Might send Nichirin and Inochi as reinforcements when we're wrapping up?

Nichirin hums in agreement. Without thinking, he charges in first. "Face me, you dastardly devils! I, Honoteru Nichirin, will eradicate the evil within your hearts!" Inochi looks at Usami and I, looks at Nichirin, and then chases after him. They can handle the rest, but like hell that I'll let it happen!

Usami whines, "Why do men have to be so stupid?!"

"I don't see you helping!" I snap back. She groans and runs in next. I'm the last one in. We run to the outside edge, clashing with the Faux Villains that just came. Nichirin is staying back, firing energy attacks into the crowd while Inochi is doing a combination of attacks. His style… He has his katana, his grappling hook, and his crossbow. He can only attack with the equipment given, like shooting or cutting. To a normal man, it'll be incredibly hard to efficiently use all of his actions in combat, yet Inochi is excelling. He's mixing up those actions one after another in a pattern that could be considered unpredictable. Shoot—cut—flip—cut. Hook and pull—cut—maneuver—shoot—cut. It's like Bakugo and his Explosions. I seen him fight during the Sports Festival. He has one simple action, but he's able to use them in various ways like an overwhelming attack or maneuverability. It's why he's one of the strongest—and one of the biggest assholes—in the school. They do whatever they feel is natural for the situation. Their techniques are improvisational, and that's what makes them tough to fight.

In these types of exercises, he's one of the best fighters. Fighting against other people though, he has to restrain himself so he doesn't utterly kill someone. So, he needs to hold back his fatal attacks and rely more on hand-to-hand combat (which, according to him, he sucks in. That asshole, he's constantly sparring with _the best_ martial artist in the entire grade. Yes, he sucks compared to Kendo, but so does everybody! Inochi is just the worst of the best).

Damn though, his level of skill is definitely something to be envied. Where do I stand? I can move faster, hit harder, and react quicker with each added tail, but that's it. Unless I have a Quirk Awakening, that's the only function of Nine Tails other than transforming into a beast. What I can improve on is my fighting style. It's basic punches and kicks, also making use of the environment. It's great for Faux Villains and people who don't move while fighting, but I'll run into some trouble with people who fight like Bakugo or Midoriya. With Inochi, I'll admit something—he was a weak man before he moved to Musutafu, but he became one of the best fighters. During our brawl at the Sports Festival, I only won because my Quirk overpowered him—he had nothing but his fists. It was like bringing a gun to a knife fight. He overwhelmed me in the first part due to his skill, so I needed to do the same but with my Quirk. If he had his sword, his grappling hook, his crossbow, and maybe hell—his motorcycle too; there's a good chance that he'd win. My style and technique are amateur compared to his. The only impressive things about me are my Quirk and my ability to be irritating to everyone I meet. Without that, I'm barely anything.

There's Honoteru Nichirin. He's strong with ranged attacks, but doesn't know how to conserve his energy. That was the reason why he didn't make it into the Hero Courses.

"If I can prove my worth, then I can honor my family!"

Kyoko Usami. Fogborn isn't a Quirk meant for combat, but more suited for mobility and evasion. She wasn't able to gain enough Villain Points in the Entrance Exam.

"Don't look down on me, you pieces of crap! I'm not weak!"

Behind us, there's the others. Shinzo Mantora—a Quirk made for healing and extreme destruction. For him, and it's still the same today, his power was one or the other. He couldn't make the cut in the Entrance Exam.

"Fukidashi, stay still and let me heal your throat."

June Akagawa… She might be a punk bitch, but she's a genius when it comes to physics and math. That's the only subjects she was good in. For some reason, she didn't train much with Vectors, her score in both the written and practical portions wasn't high enough.

"Touch me and you'll be dead meat!"

Jun Hoashi. He's self-conscious to the extreme, and his anxiety cripples him. It crippled him to the point that he barely participated in the practical exam. He's lucky that U.A. even let him into General Courses.

"I'm trying, okay?! I'm trying my best!"

And there's me. Back in the Entrance Exam, I left a few people behind after the zero-pointer attacked. I could've helped them, but I didn't. U.A. took notice and that was the exact reason why I'm in 1-D. I need to make up for my failure, damnit! I'll fight until the very end!

"Rah!"

_RIP!_

I sliced two one-pointers in half with a single swipe. I jump on top of a car and leap down onto a three-pointers head, nearly tearing it off from my strength alone. There's still a lot left! I need to keep going! I dash further into the chaos just as Nichirin sends down another crescent that sweeps through the street. Before it reaches me, I slide forward, my body going underneath his crescent as it cuts through a few Faux Villains, leaving scorch marks behind. Usami leaps over me, picking up a small metal pole and throwing it into a two-pointer's head. One of Inochi's bolts fly past it and finds itself nicely situated in the center of a group of these fuckers. Then—!

_BOOM!_

They blew up in beautiful symphony. I stand up with Usami as Inochi and Nichirin line up with us. There's only about ten left. They're charging, having no regards with their lives. Heh, if they even lived in the first place. I look at Inochi and Nichirin as if I'm saying, _Who's going to take care of the rest? _Inochi, with his eyes, asks the same question to Nichirin, who gladly takes up the responsibility. "I will destroy them spectacularly!"

Usami chimes in, "Should we really let Nichirin handle them? Inochi, I can't believe I'm saying this, but just blow them up with your crossbow. I know Nichirin will go all out for no reason whatsoever. So I'm thinking, if this exercise doesn't end after this, then Nichirin will pass out again."

"Actually, that's a good point… I'm sorry Nichirin, but this is for your own good," Inochi agrees and steps forward. Nichirin looks beyond shocked, so shocked that the word isn't enough to describe the emotion on his face. Without a sweat, Inochi fires two bolts at the ten Faux Villains. They blow up, they die, and that's it.

Nichirin says, choking up a little, "You betrayed me… I was going to destroy them with the most beautiful display of strength you ever seen, my rival…" I think Nichirin is actually going to cry.

"The job's done. Let's get back to the others," I tell everyone, leading the way back into the plaza. Usami walks with me as Nichirin starts to pour his disappointment onto Inochi's shoulders. He's making him feel the weight of his betrayal whether if Inochi likes it or not. After all, you don't fuck with Honoteru Nichirin. If you do, then he'll cry. Usami, beside me, is silently contemplating her life.

After a short walk, we make it back to everyone else. They're surrounding the All Might statue, which means the robots are gone on their end too. God, I hope this exercise is done now. It was exhausting trying to make sure that we wouldn't get swarmed to death. Principal Nezu is talking to everyone about how good they did. We quietly join the conversation, which he says, "Great! Everybody is here! I was just complimenting how all of you did! Honestly, the results exceeded my expectations!"

"This is why you don't look down on the General Department," Akagawa comments.

"Perhaps! I was worried that you would crumble under pressure even with 1-B helping you! I know that if I replaced you with any other student, then that thought might've became reality. This year really is the best year of U.A. High! We have such gifted students that make me smile so much! The League and every other Villain out there will not stand a chance when all of you graduate!"

"So all of us are getting transferred?!" Nichirin blurted out of turn. Everyone looks at him, but he doesn't feel any shame.

Nezu frowns, shaking his head. "No, we can't transfer all twelve students in the program, and I won't say our maximum number of transfers. Though, know that I will deliberate on the decision for a long time along with the rest of the teachers. You guys truly are amazing kids! So please, keep your spirit and keep fighting!"

"That's right! You protected us!" Reichiru exclaims.

"Uh huh! I'll be your cheerleader! All five of us will!" Koko.

"N-No! I don't wanna be a cheerleader…" Benjiro.

"Yeah no. I'm gonna ignore Koko! Please though, I wanna see you be big and great Heroes!" Yasuo.

"I'll be your biggest fan! All twelve of ya! I promise!" Shinji.

The six of us General Students couldn't help but smile and laugh.

Even Mantora is smiling. He turns to Nezu and jokes, "Is this the part where you tell us that this exercise isn't over?"

"Exactly!" Nezu…? Oh come on! Everyone has the same look of disbelief, dread, and disappointment. ("See, Koko?! I kept it a secret from them!" Yasuo says to her. The kids knew too?!)

Kaibara deadpans, "We should get the kids out of here, shouldn't we?"

"You probably should. In my opinion, I would not take the northern road. You don't have to, but that is simply my opinion! That's what opinions are, right?" Nezu tells us with an innocent smile, but God, that smile has evil written all over it. I turn towards—!

_BZZT!_

It's All Might again! "Young Heroes! Did you think your trial has ended here?! No, of course not! You fended off the horde of Villains with valiant strength, but the true Villain emerges from the deep!"

_RUMBLE RUMBLE!_

Everything starts shaking again. The buildings start to rise on the northern section of Ground Beta, growing taller than the buildings near us. There's a lump that's trying to make its way out. Damnit! It'll get out even if it meant sinking a quarter of Ground Beta! We need to get the kids out of here fast! I don't know if we could take it on! Tsunotori giggles and starts hopping. "Guys, don't worry! It'll be a silly little zero-pointer! With the twelve of us, it'll be easy as pie!"

Fukidashi replies, "Please don't say that."

_CRASH! CRUMBLE! _

A silly little zero-pointer emerges from the northern road. Oh, let me correct myself—what northern road? There is no such thing as a northern road or the northern section. It collapsed. The entire section collapsed into the ground. It fell into the hole that the zero-pointer came out of. I…

Huh, that is not a zero-pointer. That thing—whatever that thing is—is twice the size of a zero-pointer. The color shading is the same as the other Faux Villains, but with streaks of red and black running across its chassis and limbs. Unlike the zero-pointers, this one has a massive red eye in the center of its head. I should also mention that this ugly bastard as four arms. There's something definitely on its shoulders, but I don't know what the hell it is! Akagawa exclaims towards Tsunotori, "You had to fucking say it!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to jinx it!" Tsunotori replies, her blonde hair standing upright, completely defying gravity.

Behind her, Hoashi starts running for his life, but Rin catches him and throws him onto his shoulder. "Eek?! I knew I should've stayed at home today…" Hoashi immediately gives up struggling. Everyone else is staring at the very thing that will kill them today. The "zero-pointer" slowly, agonizingly slow, looks at us with its gargantuan eye. If it was night, then I'd think that there be a blood moon out.

_BZZT!_

All Might comes back on the speaker, "Introduce yourselves to the large titan, Charon! Such a monstrosity is unthinkable to fight, so the wisest course of action is to flee! You have three exits open to you! Once all twelve individuals _and _the six wanderers have escaped, the exercise will be completed! Oh, once Charon starts firing, please don't fear for your life. Charon uses rubber bullets that is often used to incapacitate bears!"

Shishida—I didn't notice that he transformed back into his regular self—comments, "All Might, I firmly believe that you are purposely trying to kill your own students."

Mantora agrees, finally being anything other than nonchalant, "Yeah, I won't lie to you, Shishida. I think that I should've written my will before I came to school."

"You're fifteen, Mantora. What do you have that's valuable?" Usami asks. I think she asked that so she could calm herself, but she's hyperventilating.

"Long story," Mantora replies before Rin starts knocking on the statue. He's yelling at it to keep talking, but All Might isn't budging. "Rin, All Might is hanging us out to dry. And here I thought—Never mind, forget what I said. We—"

Charon starts to move. Even its simplest movements cause tremors that shake the earth. For something so freaking massive, it's quicker than I'd thought it'll be! Damnit, each footstep it takes, it's destroying more and more of Ground Beta! I jump on the stone base of the monument, which promptly gets everyone's attention. I declare, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to fight Charon because that's incredibly stupid! We're evacuating to the southern exit, okay?! No more waiting around! We need to get moving!"

Usami steps up. "My Quirk is perfect for this! You know how I can transport myself through my fog, right? That's not completely the case! I can transport _anyone_ through the fog! We can cross a soccer field in seconds compared to a couple of minutes!"

Kaibara nods and adds on, "Yeah, how did you think we got here? But, it was kinda hard to navigate through the fog, and it was one of the most strangest feelings ever…"

"Duly noted. Anyway, go ahead and get on that, Usami," I tell her. I look over to the kids—and a bastard named Nezu—then at the rest of the idiots. "Alright, I need six people to take one of these rascals and make sure they make it through the fog! Who's volunteering?!"

"I shall be a shining example of an escort!" Nichirin volunteers first. I pat Yasuo's back. These two can be weirdos together.

"As with me, but as a beastly escort!" Shishida's next. Nezu immediately hops onto his shoulder.

"I will!" Tsunotori exclaims, running up to Koko. "Koko, right? I'll take care of ya!" She'd better.

"Eh, might as well." Akagawa says, rubbing Benjiro's head. "Sorry kiddo, but you're stuck with me."

"I'll do it," Kaibara becomes the fifth volunteer. He walks up to Reichiru with a neutral expression. Reichiru, being Reichiru, copies his expression perfectly. In fact, I'm seeing two Kaibaras at the moment.

"I'll be the last one," and Mantora become just that. Shinji runs up and hides behind Mantora's leg, whispering something to him.

Usami stands in front of the southern road and just stares at it. She better be doing something useful or else we're dead! Ugh, I need to leave her be and keep ordering everybody. I hear Charon coming closer—I feel it/him even more—so we need to be focused. "Everyone else," I say, staring up at Charon, "if he tries anything funny, then take care of it. The world is cruel, but I'd really prefer living."

"O-Okay!" Hoashi blurts out. He's doesn't look confident whatsoever. Fukidashi seems to light up from what I said. Rin cocks his arms like a gun. He's reloading his Scales or something? Whatever, I don't have the energy to care about the specifics.

I continue, "Alright… Usami! What's taking you so—?!"

_CHINK CHINK!_

Charon just made a noise that sounds eerily similar to a minigun chambering bullets. Inochi, out of the blue, asks, "Suzuki, why did you pause?" Eh? Don't tell me this idiot didn't hear it! Did anyone hear it?!

I take Inochi by his back collar and shove his body against a concrete barrier; I jump down with him. Before his friends shout at me—one is, not gonna say who, about to riddle me with Scales—I yell, "Everybody get down!"

_BBBBBBBRRRRRTTTTT!_

Everyone dove for cover. Rubber bullets are getting sent all over the plaza like little birds trying to take our ears off. I hear screaming, but those aren't screams of pain—thank fucking God—but they're screams out of fear. They sound like the kids, and maybe Hoashi or Fukidashi. Inochi moves underneath me—almost forgot that I was protecting him. He squeezes himself out of my arms and shrinks under the barrier, tucking his legs in so they don't get hit by the bullets. Damn, it's hard enough trying to not get shot by Charon, but the rubber bullets are bouncing off the scrap that the dead Faux Villains left behind. Everything is turning out great!

Inochi sheathes his katana and tries to peak over the barrier, but he almost loses an eye. He immediately shrinks down and laughs. For a man under fire and even worse, the screams of children, he's way too calm! "Suzuki, mind if I cut in with some advice?" he sounds even calmer! He didn't even thank me for rescuing him too!

"If you have a good idea to get out of this shitty situation, then go ahead! Let's hope my ears don't get shot off before you tell me your magnificent plan!" I reply as, coincidentally enough, a bullet nearly pokes a hole through my ear, so I lower my head.

"During the Sports Festival, Midoriya used a piece from one of the Faux Villains to win. It was durable enough that it didn't fall apart when he fell on some landmines. We could do what he did, but using them as shields." That...isn't a terrible plan. Even when 1-A isn't involved whatsoever with this exercise, Inochi is still influenced by them to an extent. That's annoying. Anyway, there's one thing wrong with that plan though.

"Inochi, how in the hell can we get them without being shot—?" As soon as I said that, Inochi shoots his hook into one of the plates and pulls it towards us. "Okay then. You can just do that!" He holds it up, ready to shield us from the endless spray of bullets.

He takes it upon himself to announce, "Everyone! If you can, use the fragments from the Faux Villains as shields! If you can't, then don't worry! Let someone else come to yo!" Inochi stands up with his shield leaning against his back. Damnit, didn't even give me a signal or anything!

I get up too, finally having some room of safety. Inochi checks on me before pushing backwards towards the southern street with bullets bouncing all over the place. Everyone else does what Inochi says. They have their own protection, letting the kids stay further in the back where they won't get shot. We make it about three-quarters of the way there before the bullets stop.

Mantora calls out to everyone, "Is anyone shot? I think Charon let up."

"I'm good."

"Still living, unfortunately."

"That was scary…"

"Damn Charon… I'm not good enough where I can use Vectors on bullets…"

Inochi sighs in relief, and I think I do too. It's weird that Charon suddenly stopped firing. Too weird, actually… At this second, I could only hear everyone's heavy, adrenaline-filled breathing—and the inner mechanisms of Charon. Compared to before, those sounds were faint.

But now…

Inochi lowers his shield.

Charon is in front of us. He's on the other side of the plaza. Damn, that's one of the many flaws that humans have. If they experience too much stimulation at once, then their brain will immediately block certain things out so they can focus on the other. For example, if someone was being shot at from all directions, their senses would get overloaded. They hear the buzzing of bullets, their hands will feel tingly, and their eyes are trying to process everything that's going on; and when the shooting stops, they wouldn't be able to notice that an enemy tank rolled onto their position.

Time slows down. Inochi drops his shield, his hand immediately moving towards his katana. I leap back, yelling, "Usami!" I turn my head and she's staring at Charon, frozen. She can't do anything.

Charon raises his upper arms and takes the monument of All Might, snapping him of its foundations. Such big hands, yet Charon is being gentle with All Might. This… This thing is dangerous! A hulking brute with overwhelming power is scary enough, but one that's able to control its strength?! Charon's intelligence is meant to match ours, maybe even surpass it!

"Let All Might down!" Reichiru shouts with tears in her eyes. "You don't have the right to touch him!"

"Yeah! Let him down!" Yasuo joins the yelling.

I don't know if these kids are fearless or stupid. They were screaming in fear just the minute before, now they're screaming with courage. I look back at Charon, who's still holding All Might like a little girl with a doll. All Might… Charon has his thumb pressed against his head. He has his thumb against his indestructible smile.

_CRACK!_

"Char—"

Everyone yells in outrage, except for me. All Might's head, snapped off by Charon, tumbles towards the earth, spinning until it can't fall anymore. Inochi leans forward with eyes gleaming with the intent to kill.

Without hesitation dwelling within his heart—without preservation of his own life—he charges into the plaza alone. That idiot! It's impossible to win against Charon! It's not possible to defeat a titan of that size—that power. We don't have the strength. We're not 1-A, we're not All Might, we're not even the Big Three!

The only power that Inochi has is setting an example…

Because everyone else—the Pro Heroes—follows him.

They charged into the plaza while I haven't moved a muscle. The kids… They're aren't running away—Nezu too, but who the hell cares about him? They can't fight, but they're supporting us through words. Like how…

_"See this, Mama? I'll be cool just like All Might!"_

I was just like them when I was their age. I cheered for All Might just how they cheer for us. Every time All Might would defeat a Villain and flash that stupid smile, I would raise my fist in the air in the name of justice. I'm older now; I see things in a new perspective. At some point, I stopped seeing the light of the Symbol of Peace. Maybe it was because of Inochi, or maybe it was because of my own narcissism.

Seeing everyone now, people who were afraid—Hoashi, Fukidashi, Usami—people who were idle—Mantora, Kaibara, Rin—and everyone else was outraged… Especially the one who strives to be his image—Sanji Inochi.

All Might truly defined what the word "hero" means. There's some who would die for it and some who would kill for it.

Inochi may inspire his class, but there's one man that inspires everyone to perform the impossible, no matter the odds. That's why, in Japan, All Might is your role model or else you're a liar.

My heart's stirring.

Heh, that's annoying isn't it? Even though you're not here in flesh, All Might, I can still feel your spirit lingering. This might be suicidal, but there's no way that I'll let Charon tarnish your statue like that. You make everyone idiots, but they're idiots fighting for you. I'm glad to be one of yours.

I breathe in.

_BONK!_

_SHINING SUN CRESCENT!_

_SPROUTING SCALES!_

Four tails. I bare my teeth. Charon has his ugly claw about to snatch Tsunotori and Kaibara. For two avid Inochi fanatics, they do what I said. I should return the favor.

I jump onto a light pole. Not there yet, but I can close the distance with a few more jumps! I won't let them get hurt!

Forward!

_FOUR TAILS: FANGS OF THE YAKO!_

_SLICE!_

Before Charon got his hand on them, I leapt in just in the nick of time. My claws were sharp enough to sever all five fingers! If I limited myself to three tails, then I might've not made it! There's a consequence though—my body is slowing down. My vision's shaky. It's like someone dropped weights on my shoulders. Exhaustion is taking its toll on me, but I won't go down yet. I stand before Kaibara and Tsunotori. They both give me kind smiles; I give one back. "Why didn't you stupid idiots retreat like I told you?" I ask, which immediately kills their mood.

Tsunotori pouts and explains, "You—!"

I wave her off. "All Might, I know. You guys are so fucking dumb, but I'll be dumb with you. We—?!"

"—WRRRRRR!"

That motherfucker! It isn't letting up?! Kaibara clenches his fist on my shoulder, pulling me away from Charon. It won't do shit though! Even though I cut Charon's fingers off, it doesn't mean that he can't crush us with his palm instead! Tsunotori's horns buzz pass us, sticking themselves into it. Wasted effort! Tsunotori doesn't have nearly enough force to push it back even a centimeter! It's like an ant to a boot! Unless that ant has a Quirk, then it can't suplex the boot no matter how much it tries!

I could dodge out of the way, but what about Kaibara and Tsunotori?! I can't leave their sorry asses behind! Our Quirks combined aren't strong enough to repel this attack!

"It's coming down on us!" Kaibara yells before the majority of my vision gets taken up from Charon's palm. It's like a creeping darkness filling up my eyes. I can't lose here—

A golden glow emerges in the dark, flickering the area with a warm light. It's a man with overgrown black hair—Mantora. His entire right arm is shining with light. I can see his red and purple veins running throughout his fist. "—Oi, shithead!"

—Charon comes down on us!

Mantora steps forward—!

_BOOOOOOOM!_

The two overpowering forces collide—one from an overwhelming size and one with a Quirk whose function is to obliterate. They clashed fist-to-fist. The stupid automaton has the advantage, being much more durable than the average human. Every part of its being is made of steel, welded together and tightened with bolts. Charon was made to be a perfect killing machine. It was made to kill Pro Heroes, but that's where the advantages end. What Charon doesn't have is qualities that every human possesses.

I won't say that Mantora has the willpower that can overcome Charon's strength. That's too cheesy. No, right before the attack, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. There was a terrifying presence coming from Mantora like the Grim Reaper was his companion. It wasn't like Inochi's. During the Sports Festival, I felt burning hatred coming from him. That hatred spurred his killing intent. The only reason why he was scary was the contrast in comparison to his normal, kind personality. It doesn't minimize the fear I felt from his gaze, or how his body moved with the intent to kill. But here? From Mantora? He isn't the slightest bit angry, but the killing intent was still there. He doesn't need a trigger to activate it. For him, it must've be like a switch. He had it off, making it seem he was a lazy good-for-nothing guy. Then in the next, not even the devil could match his intense aura. He's dangerous. This is why I have an uneasy feeling about him. No, "uneasy" is not enough to describe it. In fact, I won't lie, I'm scared of the man named Shinzo Mantora. Because…

His killing intent exceeds Inochi's tenfold.

That's why Mantora has the advantage. Charon is created to kill, but power and electricity is supplying that action. For us humans, emotions are the energy. Lemme tell you—it's a greater fuel than gasoline. So, it takes a trigger for a man to reveal his killing intent, like Inochi. The anger drives his killing intent, which drives his action.

Mantora doesn't have anger.

His killing intent isn't the intermediate step, but rather the fuel itself. The killing intent _is_ his emotion.

That's why he'll win. Not only does he have the power to counter Charon, he has the heart. It's impossible for a heartless machine to match.

_SHATTER!_

Mantora's punch was powerful enough to drive Charon back a few meters—an amazing feat for something as large as Charon. The energy from the attack rippled throughout Charon's arm, bending the metal plates inwards. There is light running in-between the cracks, the very same light that Mantora produces. It runs to the joint, Charon's elbow, and blew his lower arm into pieces. The four of us don't have protection from the metal shrapnel that was produced, so we couldn't help but to get cut up as they wizz pass our bodies. Cuts, small tiny little cuts rip holes through our costumes and spill blood. Tsunotori falls to one knee, but she shakily stands up. Kaibara and I are firm in where we stand; however, the strength in our legs is being sucked out by the second. We're closer to victory though because we have only three arms left to deal with. And once we realize that fact, Mantora's killing intent disappears like it was never there in the first place.

He turns around and face us, then exhaustion takes over his body. Ah, Glowing Heart's drawbacks! The glow of his heart is directly connected to his stamina. It's dim. An attack like that can drain almost all of his energy. Kaibara doesn't waste time and lifts Mantora, carrying him away from Charon. Tsunotori and I retreat—she's going left with Kaibara and Mantora, I'm going right. I regroup with Rin, Fukidashi, and Inochi. They're focusing on ranged attacks. Damn, they're bunched together. If Charon decides to attack us, then they will be hit all at once. That isn't good.

Fukidashi talks to me first, "Suzuki! You okay?!" His voice is dying. "Thank goodness that Mantora destroyed that arm, right?"

"Yeah, guess so! Look dumbasses!" I point towards the other group that's across the plaza. "See how they're bunched? We're the same way! Charon can easily crush us with a single punch! We should spread out!"

Inochi replies while in the middle of reloading his crossbow, "That sounds like a good idea! But what about Charon's firearms? He could pin us down like last time!"

"That won't happen!" Rin cuts in. "I saw where the bullets were coming from—his shoulders. We're right under him, Inochi! He can't shoot us from that angle!" Charon lifts his foot and tries to stop the other group like ants, but Akagawa uses her Quirk to shift Charon back. Instead of stomping them like ants, it stomps a pile of dead Faux Villains into a pancake. And, everything jumps a few centimeters in the air just from the impact. Damnit, I think there's a limit to how much force Akagawa can exert with Vectors. She's straining herself.

Inochi swears under his breath and separates from the group. Rin quickly shoots a glance at me. He says, _Support Inochi. _Ugh, as much as I don't wanna help that bastard, I don't have a choice!

I chase after Inochi as Charon starts swiping his arms around the plaza. Damn, what is he trying to kill? The buildings? He's making the battlefield messier than it already is! Ugh, I hear Inochi yelling at the other group, "Everyone! You can't stick together like that! You'll be easy targets! Separate so Charon _has_ to target only one person!" They hear his order and immediately start separating, slowly surrounding Charon. Alright, with this formation, our miniscule odds increased by a few decimal points.

What do we have…?

We have ranged fighters, but they're way pass their maximum strength. Rin was bleeding during the waves of Faux Villains, Fukidashi's voice was dying earlier, Nichirin is still recovering from his spar, Akagawa's drawbacks are becoming too much, and Tsunotori can't keep making horns forever. They're already at their limits—physically and Quirk-wise.

Then, we have our close-combat fighters, including me. I would like to take Charon's arms off, but that is a waste of time when I'm thinking about it. I'm exhausted. Everyone is exhausted. Kaibara is trying his best to move in close without dying, Shishida's jumping around the plaza and bashing Charon in, Hoashi and Usami are useless, Mantora is the most exhausted, and me? I'm strong enough to sever Charon's fingers. Like hell that would kill him though. We need Charon to attack us so we can destroy his arm. Can we do that without dying in the process? I—

"Suzuki," Inochi gets my attention. He's standing beside me as everyone else continues the fight. We're not fighting one bit. "For five minutes, we were focusing on perseverance, but we can't last in this state. There's no way we could win like this, Suzuki. Unless we find Charon's weak point and destroy him. Ironically, his weak point was looking at us the entire time."

"His eye!" I exclaim. "If we can get through his eye and destroy whatever's behind it, then we can win!" Why didn't I think of that earlier?! It seems so obvious now! Wait, our ranged fighters can't get to it! If Charon can't shoot us, then they can't shoot the eye! They need a better position, like the rooftops! Shit, that isn't a viable option either! Charon was swinging his arms, hitting all the nearby buildings! There isn't a single stable building here! All it takes is one strong gust of wind and it'll all come down! Sure, they have _one _chance. Answer me this though—who would act first? An exhausted high school student or a tireless asshole?

So that means… If the ranged fighters can't get to it, then it'll have to be the close-combat fighters. Ugh, that's impossible. It's impossible…

We can't win.

I tell him, "Inochi, at this moment, we could have been resting in Recovery Girl's office. Yet, we decided to pull a genius move and tried to take down that monstrosity of a hulk. Look, only a close-combat fighter like us could destroy the eye. It's way too risky for a ranged fighter to do it. It'll be near-impossible to climb up there even with your grappling hook! We have been put in check! We need to retreat!"

"We can't, Suzuki." Inochi's gray eyes appear from his hood, the color flickering in the sunlight. His words are calm, contrasting the battle that we're fighting, contrasting the ragged breaths and the blood dripping from our wounds. "We need to prove that we're Heroes. You saw that Charon did to All Might. We can't let that slide. We need to—!"

_SHOVE!_

I pushed Inochi. His foot almost slips on a piece of scrap metal, but he recovers, getting taken my surprise. I don't care. I'm yelling at him anyway, "Do you think I like what Charon did?! No, of fucking course not! Unlike you, I know when we're in way over our heads! I thought we had a chance—a sliver of chance—that was a shitty lie! We got ourselves into this, so we can get ourselves out! We have to preserve our lives—!"

("Why are you two fighting?!")

("Guys, snap out of it!")

"_We_ have to preserve the meaning of heroism!" Inochi shouts back, stepping forward. "I saw how All Might look when I arrived! He was spotless! He was perfect! Our battlefield is a shattered city, yet All Might stood there unbroken! If we retreat, we're turning our backs on him—the shining image of a Hero! We absolutely _cannot_ betray the Symbol of Peace!"

("Inochi! He's not worth your time!")  
("Suzuki! Don't fight him!")

"You're _fucking_ delusional! I love All Might just like you! Just like everyone! You don't believe me, do you?! You think I'm a terrible person, y'know why?! Because I won't let myself be a martyr for a cause that can go _straight_ to hell!"

_PUNCH!_

Inochi punches me. I was supposed to feel pain, but all I feel is a dull sting filling my head.

("Damnit! Manga, stop him!")

("I-I can't… I don't have the energy…")

("Ugh! Why does it have to be right now?!")

Inochi stands there with the same burning hatred as before. I won't cower. "I thought you wanted to be a Hero! For a second, I thought you had what it takes! You were gifted with natural leadership, natural strength! How can you _dream_ to be a Hero when you sully the meaning of heroism?! That is _not_ what a Hero stands for!"

"I choose what kind of Hero I want to be! Not _you_! It won't ever be _YOU_ who'll choose! Only _me! _It will always be_ ME_!"

Inochi pulls his arm back and—!

_PUNCH!_

?!

Rin comes to my defense and punches Inochi hard enough that his hood unclips from his collarbone, drifting away in the wind. The top half of his face is vulnerable to the dust and metal that's floating around in the air. He only has a look of shock as Rin berates him, "INOCHI! This is no time to fight! We can settle this when the exercise is done, but I won't let this continue any further! So, I beg both of you, _get a grip on yourselves_!"

Inochi stutters, "R-Rin… I'm—!"

"—LOOK OUT!" someone yells.

A shadow falls over us. I don't see what created the shadow, but I know what it is. My hands move on their own. They shove Rin and Inochi out of the shadows and into the light, where they'll be safe. I'm the only one stuck in the dark. I had the time to get myself into safety, but I didn't. I spent my valuable second to save a couple of idiots who don't even like me. Hehe, that's funny… One of them punched me earlier. I still feel my face stinging. I don't feel the pain, but I felt the impact. Inochi has gotten stronger than our last fight.

Someone says my name—it could be everyone, "SUZUKI!"

I look up.

And like an ant finally seeing how insignificant it is, I see the boot.

Heh, this is a terrible way to die. I spoke big game about being a Pro, and the second after, I'm about to get crushed. I'm too much of an idiot.

I'll confess something though—I was selfish before I came to U.A. High.

_"Hey, call me 'Kari'. A cute girl such as yourself should call me that."_

_"Pro Heroes are famous for a reason. Tell me who doesn't want that for themselves?"_

_"One day, you'll look up at one of those big TV screens on the streets. Do you know whose handsome mug will be plastered over it? Yup, that'll be me."_

Fukidashi was right. He said that, on his first day with me, I measured my success with fame, women, and yesmen. That's what I believed in. The only thing I gave a shit about is myself. I used people—my class, U.A., and especially Hifumi Osuhashi.

Hifumi Osuhashi… When she died, I couldn't believe it. I remember saying to Mom, _"Mom, I killed a girl today."_ She said that it wasn't my fault. Mantora didn't say it was my fault, Kazeha, Gera, everyone. No one blamed me. "It was Catharsis's fault," they'd say. My friends—if I could call them that—tried to support me, Miss Kojoseicho too. But as time went on, we physically moved on too. The world doesn't stop; the dead won't stop the world. It doesn't mean that our minds will. I don't think I can ever atone for what happened, and the world won't punish me for it no matter how much I beg. They won't scold me for killing a girl. They won't put me in chains and march me to Tartarus.

All they will say is, "It was Catharsis's fault."

Becoming a Pro Hero is the only way I can make it up to the world. It's the only way I can redeem myself as a Hero—and most of all, as a person. What Togata said…

_"U.A. didn't expel you because they see something great in you, Suzuki. I do too! You just need to realize your meaning of heroism!"_

My meaning…

Despite it all… Despite the pain and the deaths, I'm still chasing after fame. I want to be famous. That's all I wanted to be. Ever since a child, I imagined myself standing in the middle of Musutafu with an adoring crowd. It's a selfish dream, yeah, but who cares? Those who'd criticize me are the same ones who feel the need to validate themselves as better people. We're doing the same thing here—to rescue and to defeat. We rescue and defeat; we defeat and we rescue. Why does it matter that our motives are different? The end result will always be the same. The only thing that should matter is the ability to do those two things.

But…

_"You haven't changed at all since the Sports Festival. You're exactly the type of person who Stain would kill."_

If I get sick of people complaining about me…

_"Kari, you'll be the bestest Pro! I know it!"_

I would use my fame to help others, like how I'm helping my five little rascals…

_"Suzuki, listen up! Years from now, you're gonna forget what I say, but I want you to remember one thing, okay?! Remember one thing! Remember that Hound Dog wanted you to never be the man you're not! Always strive to be the best version of yourself! So what if people hate it?! You're you, and that's great! Don't tryna be like the pack when they come howling! Embrace who you are, and never let go of it, y'hear?!"_

It really is the least I could do.

I won't be known as Armory, the most selfless Pro Hero. I won't be remembered as a selfless man. No, I'll be known as myself—The Fox Hero: Kitsune.

Right now, seeing that it could go to waste—that my entire life will be wasted.

It pisses me off.

"—!"

My senses flare. Time slows down. Everything is slower. Everything is clearer. I feel it now—the blazing fury. I never felt the fury of Nine Tails before. It was always there, being apart of me. The anger always lived in my subconscious. It was never a separate entity until now. It's like I can see into my own mind. Everything is—

"Ah—"

My chest heats up. It's burning. The fury of the Nine Tails is burning my heart. Wait no, I don't think it is. It's bathing my heart with fire, not turning it into ash, but tempering it into something greater.

"Ah—ha—"

My head feels like it's engulfed in fire. My mind and my heart, both in flames. Then my arms to the tips of my fingers, to my legs to my toes. The raging fire seeps into the fibers of my muscles, digging into my bones and fusing with the marrow. Exhaustion, the attrition that limited my ability to fight, melts away from the heat. This body is absorbing the fury of the Nine Tails through a baptism of fire.

In the darkness that Charon made once again, light appears. My tails—crimson red with white tips—are bolder. Brighter, shining as if they are the sun themselves. I look up at the insignificant boot—the underside of Charon's foot—that will crush me. My mind snaps into action. The fury of the Nine Tails won't accept that Karisuma Suzuki will die this way.

So my body moves.

"—!"

I emerge into the light faster than I can comprehend. Charon's foot slams down where I once was, and a wave of shock runs through my comrades, but I never took a second to address them. Before I know it, I leap towards Charon again, planting my feet on its shin.

This is his right leg, knee bent. With this leg, I can climb up like a ladder and head straight for the kill—his eye—while the fury of the Nine Tails is burning my soul. To rescue everyone, I must defeat my enemy.

I need to climb even if my muscles will give out during this battle.

_LEAP!_

Charon sees me coming. He sends his lower right arm forward towards me, like a fly swatter to a fly. The second before it hits, I kick my feet up and flip over where I land on his hand, avoiding near-death. The impact of his attack hits his knee instead, busting it open where wires are exposed. His right leg is unable to function.

I need to soar even if my body will break.

_FORWARD!_

Charon roars like a feral animal, yet his voice is automated and artificial. It vaguely sounds like a human. I sprint up his lower right arm until Charon tries to perform the same attack as before, but with his upper left arm.

"WRRRRR—!"

"—Hmph."

I cross over to that arm instead. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make Charon attack itself again. My position though…

I'm right below his eye. There must be a hundred meters between us. That's enough. I need to—!

"Ghrk—!"

I cough blood. Exhaustion starts to sweep my body once more. Adrenaline is wearing off too. The pain I was supposed to feel before is coming together, multiplying. I can't stop now, not when I'm so close! One last jump! One...last...jump!

I cannot squander the fury of the Nine Tails! These series of evasive maneuvers in quick succession, with a speed that's unparalleled, this will turn the tide of the battle! One last time!

I need to showcase my power as a Pro Hero.

"Come on, you bastard—!"

He roars.

I rise.

With this power, it's—!

_FURY OF THE NINE TAILS: SHINWA NO MEGUMI!_

I flash my claws and aim for Charon's head! I—!

_WHIFF!_

Miss.

Charon jerked his head just enough that my attack only scraped the side of his head, not his eye. From my last jump, I didn't have anything to stop my momentum, so I'm climbing higher in the air. Charon is below me now, and we're staring right at each other. The fire that's boiling me is starting to cool down. I'm losing power.

In this situation, I won't be able to destroy Charon. I can't. I had a chance and I wasted it. The only thing left to do is fall. I'm—!

Usami yells so loud that even I could hear her, "EVERYONE! COME!" The plaza below explodes into a white fog. Within a second, it spreads itself to envelop Charon whole before spreading to me. I'm hit with a cold blast of air until the fog dispels and—

!

Everyone is in the air with me.

_SOARING FOG!_

They joined me… And Inochi is beside me with his katana drawn. Inochi says, "We'll defeat this together. Everyone—!" Our comrades listen. "—attack the eye and destroy whatever's behind it! If you prove that you can be a proper Pro Hero, then embody the spirit of heroism and strike Charon down!"

Charon makes his move first. His shoulders open up and—!

_BBBBBBBRRRRRTTTTT!_

A spray of inaccurate rubber bullets fly pass, accompanying us in the air. This won't stop us. We'll still attack even if we're bled dry!

The first attacker, Honoteru Nichirin, leans in and flies towards Charon. "Farewell, dear foe!"

_SHINING SUN CRESCENT!_

Sen Kaibara. "Let's get this over with!"

_DRILLING LANCE!_

Kyoko Usami. "I won't back down!"

_KICK!_

Hiryu Rin. "This was a valuable fight, so it's a shame that we must part!"

_WITHIN TWO: JADE SCALED PALMS!_

Shinzo Mantora with his glowing fist. "Sorry."

_BOOOOOOOM!_

Manga Fukidashi. "I'm not scared of you anymore!"

_KA-BLAM!_

Jun Hoashi. "D-Don't hate me for this!"

_PUNCH!_

Pony Tsunotori. "Take this, you stupid big punk!"

_THUNDER HORN!_

June Akagawa. "You?! Tryna take me down?! That's funny!"

_EUCLID BARRAGE!_

Jurota Shishida. "Mister Charon, we are the shining stars of U.A.! Don't ever forget that fact!"

_SAVAGE INDIGNATION! _

Sanji Inochi. Despite our differences, he still manages to smile. It's the same smile that he shows to his best friends. "Here I go."

_SLICE!_

And I'm the last one. Charon is before me beaten. He stopped firing. His ruby red eye is cracked open, leaving his skull open. The fury of the Nine Tails disappeared, but I still have embers of its strength. Finally, let's end this.

I lean my body forward, my head pointing straight at Charon.

I fall, gliding closer.

And closer.

Then, I'm inside. Ah, the sound of his brain. It's singing for me to destroy it.

_FOUR TAILS: PROPSERITY OF THE INARI!_

I cut through his head, emerging from the other side with my back facing the earth. With one last cry, Charon is defeated. I don't have any way to land safely, so I close my eyes and let myself drop.

I—!

_POMF!_

This was not the ground I was expecting. It's soft like a pillow… Someone takes my arm and drags me to the cold, hard ground that I _expected_ to feel. I open my eyes and see a giant Onomatopoeia to my side—Pomf, the sound that resembles a pillow. A man says, "Suzuki, are you okay?"

"No…" I answer, groaning with each breath. My tails retract on its own. I'm just a weak little human now.

"Heh, I don't know what I expected. Thanks to you, our fight is over—!"

"It's not over yet!" someone else yells. "Charon is about to fall on top of us!"

"Damnit!" the man swears, lifting me up by my arms. "We'll get you out of here!"

The sun gets blocked out again, so annoying…

Charon is so annoying… I'm—!

"TEXAS SMASH!"

_SMASH!_

All Might is here… I think he… I think he punched Charon away where he wouldn't fall on us. Thanks for that, All Might…

The last thing I hear is, "Young Heroes, you exceeded my expectations…"

I shut my eyes.

* * *

"Well, that exercise freaking stank!" Kazeha complains to Mantora and I, _where we're lying in hospital beds. _The only thing that isn't bandaged is our mouths and eyes. "Guys, why are you silent?"

Gera grabs Kazeha by her bun, shaking her head. Kazeha makes a sound of suffering, and I'm savoring it. "Kaze, the boys got fucked up. But she's right, y'know. Our exercise sucked balls, even with Charon trying to kill us!"

"The best part was the kids, easily. I love men, but I love adorable kids even more!" Kazeha exclaims, showing me a picture of her and Koko. She braided Koko's pink hair into a pretty cute ponytail. I'd ask her to send me that picture if I didn't feel like tearing my bandages off and choke her to death. Actually, never mind. She would love being choked. Jeez, 1-A had a better time with the exercise than we did… They went after us too. If U.A. can repair Ground Beta within an hour, then why did it take them an entire day to fix the air conditioning in Gym Gamma?

Mantora lays back in his bed and groans. "Kazeha, what happened in your exercise? As you can see, me and Suzuki aren't in the best condition while you two are virtually spotless."

Kazeha awkwardly giggles and presses her index fingers together. "Well, it was like yours. Six teams of two. I picked Todoroki; Gera picked Bakugo. There were Kirishima, Uraraka, Sero, and Yaoyorozu too. When the Faux Villains were coming, we weren't together, so All Might yelled at us to head to the central plaza.

"You'd think that us six, the General Department, would be heavily involved in the fight, right? Nope, not really. 1-A told us to protect the kids while they tackled the hordes—"

Gera cuts in with a vein popping out her forehead, "And I said, 'Fuck that.' I got up and fought those ugly bitches. Bakugo was angry as hell with me, but I didn't give a single shit. When Charon popped up, I was excited that I could crush him! Finally, there was a big bastard who could give me a real challenge! But, do you know what happened?

"Uraraka, this crazy girl, literally ran up and touched Charon's foot. Her Quirk lifted him up, high, high, and super fucking high 'till she dropped the dope like a fucking meteor 'bout to wipe us out like the dinosaurs. All Might had to jump in and catch Charon, or else we would've died from the impact. Luckily, not luckily, he considered Charon to be defeated and called the exercise there! Now, when everything's said and done, I heard about what happened on your end and I'm pissed as fuck! You fought as equals with 1-B while we got treated like dirt! No, not that, lower than motherfucking dirt!"

And it's Kazeha's turn to speak, "Yeah… It was a terrible exercise. When we left Ground Beta, All Might gathered us around and said—" Kazeha clears her throat, preparing to imitate his voice. "—'1-A, you are amazing, gifted students. However, the purpose of this exercise was to tutor the General Department. You did not give them the opportunity to showcase their ability, so I am forced to deduct points from your overall grade.'

"Then, Bakugo was all like, 'But that's fucking bullshit! We did what we were ordered, All Might!'

"All Might looked at him like a disappointed dad. He replied, 'Young Bakugo, you cannot destroy the road that you are paving. For your information, the exercise with 1-B was astronomically more successful. All students received full marks plus extra credit. In fact…'"

Kazeha stops before she finishes the sentence. She picks her head up and tilts her head innocently. Gera smiles innocently too. They want something. Gera finishes, "All Might said that you had a Quirk Awakening, Suzuki. What was it like?"

_It felt like my insides were molten lava._

"Okay," I answer.

"..." Everyone is silent.

I roll my eyes, actually answering them, "Weird and painful. Before you guys did your exercise, All Might visited me with Nezu and Recovery Girl. They explained that yeah, I underwent a Quirk Awakening and wanted me to explain what happened. I told them that I was able to separate the fury, the drawbacks of Nine Tails, with my body, making them two separate entities.

"From there, I was able to properly utilize the fury to avoid getting crushed to death. My reaction speed was higher, my agility, strength, endurance, practically everything. I was at four tails… Hmm, my power was increased by… Hmm, how do I explain this properly without choking on my own words...?

"Right, I know how. You have two dice, right? One is a d9, the number of tails I have, and the other is a d2, when I'm able to enter Fury of the Nine Tails—that's what I'm calling it, by the way. With my first dice, I have a four. With my second, there's a two since I was in that state of power. I multiply my four with the two, resulting in eight, right? That's simple math, Gera—"

"I'm not that stupid, jackass," she retorts. I laugh right at her face, but my chest flares up in pain. Worth it…

I carry on with what I was saying, "Anyway, the eight represents my total power. My d9 is an additive die, so with each value, my power adds onto the last; but, my d2 is a multiplicative die. The value I have with my d9, my d2 multiplies that. Basically, during the fight, I had the power of eight tails when I had four. Theoretically, if I brought out all nine, I'd have the power of eighteen tails. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Kazeha nods, smirking like an intellectual—or, what she thinks how one would smirk. "Every single bit!"

Mantora hums. "Yup."

And Gera is Gera. "Not at all."

Mantora sighs and explains my new ability in simple terms, "Fury of the Nine Tails lets him become even more stronger than before. It multiplies his power by two, not adding onto it." Gera snaps her fingers and nods, finally getting it. Mantora huffs in annoyance.

Kazeha asks, leaning forward—that is a very sultry pose, "Can you activate Fury of the Nine Tails at any time?"

I shake my head. Well, I try to. It's in a brace. "I don't think so… Out of the blue, I can suddenly control the anger that Nine Tails give me. I need to figure out how to bring it out on command. Then… God, I might have a chance at getting transferred." I glance at Mantora. Somehow, I need to have the same amount of control as Mantora, who's able to call his killing intent instantly.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Gera mutters under her breath. She is still acting like I can't hear her. I'm a _fox_. My ears are meant to hear things better than average human ears. Seriously, her one brain cell must be working hard to get her through the day. I hope she's feeding it peanuts, because that's the size of her brain.

Jeez, I wish she would—?!

_HOP!_

"Kaze?! The fuck are you doing?!"

"What the hell is she doing?!"

"This is extremely uncomfortable."

I turn my head towards Mantora's bed and she's…

…

I look the other way. Kazeha is making herself comfortable on Mantora's bed. I don't think she's feeling him up, thankfully. Mantora calls for me, "Suzuki, tell her to get off. My arms are bind and I don't have the strength to push her."

"Suzukiiii," Kazeha says with a whiny voice, "don't tell her—I mean, me to get off. Mantora is more snuggly than he cares to admit~!"

I say, "I'm telling you both to fuck off and leave me alone." Mantora tries to speak, but only muffles come out. I'm pretty sure Kazeha is having her way with him one way or another. Gera decides to walk over, sit down next to my bed, and stare at a wall. "Gera, I'm not your therapist. But, if you want a mental evaluation, I'm afraid I can't give you one since all you have in your skull is empty space. I can't evaluate a brainless mook—"

("Someone help me.")

Gera replies like a reflex, "Please shut up or I'll take some gauze and stuff it down your throat." Hehe, good one.

("I know you can hear me.")

"Please do. My throat is dying after trying to explain a simple concept through your thick skull. It's so thick that it's thicker than even curry," I give her another of my famous insults. Gera laughs, rubbing her face.

("I won't stop talking.")

"Suzuki, you hear something?" Gera asks me. I shrug—wait, I can't. I can't nod either. Damnit, I have to use words.

("Please say 'yes'.")

"Nope. Gera, as much as I would love to continue our verbal fight, I want to complain about how this is the first day of the program. The next two days will be hell…" I tell her with Mantora being smothered behind me. He'll be fine. He's a tough, manly, and scary guy.

"For you, yeah. For me? It's even worse—it'll be boring! I'm not meant to wait around with a thumb up my ass. I'm meant to fight, damnit!" Gera slams her fist on a table next to her. That poor table!

"Sounds like you'll have a wonderful time. You know, I could have another Quirk Awakening during tomorrow's exercise. I just need Inochi to punch me again," I say, recalling back to the exercise. Inochi _did_ punch me, right? My memory's a bit hazy after going unconscious. If he did, then Rin surely punched him back. That was a satisfying moment.

Gera rolls her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Guessing Nezu didn't punish ya this time?" I shake my head. It was only a stern talking to. That, and All Might wanted me to reconcile with Inochi at some point during the year. It's not gonna happen. There's too many things wrong with him. Everything is wrong with him. What Rin saw—that was only the surface of Inochi's sins. Anyway, Gera keeps talking, "Jeez, I'd think you two would set aside your drama. Why d'ya still hate him? He's not a meek little guy anymore."

"'Course not. He's gotten stronger and so have my reasons for hating him. But, let me get back to you on the 'why'. I need to read a book," I explain, smirking. I found an internet forum that talked about this book. It was made by a heroism philosopher a few decades ago. With that he said, I think I can apply his knowledge here. I just need to find a translated version though, since it was originally written in German. Unfortunately, some things will get lost in translation—

Wait a minute.

"Suzuki, you're way too happy about reading a book. You're gonna rip those facial muscles."

My lips turn into a pretty smile, which makes Gera immediately recoil in disgust. "Gera, as a German, do you think you can help me out with something?"

Gera immediately takes offense and replies, "I swear to fucking God that if you're going to insult—"

"No, not that. Not yet, at least." I laugh, and my chest hurts again. Damnit, need to stop doing that. Ugh… I try my best to strike a deal—without showing that I'm in pain, "The book that I wanna read is in German. I was wondering if we could tag team. _You_ can help me translate the book, and in return, _I_ can help you with your academics. What do you have to lose?"

Gera stares at me with blank eyes. "To strike a deal with a fox is like striking a deal with the devil."

"At least the fox is handsome."

"At least the devil doesn't want me to gouge my own eyes out."

"So is that a deal?"

"Yup."

Finally! Something is going right today! I'm pretty sure the school's library won't have the book. In fact, in the City of Heroes, I don't think this book will be in _any_ library. The Commission can ban books if they are deemed "problematic" to aspiring Pros. This book surely falls under that category. Ugh, this will be a busy night. I should call Dad—?!

_BURST!_

Oh, it's them.

"Ah?!" Kazeha yelps behind me, jumping off of Mantora's bed. Gera stands up, ready to punch an unlucky bastard's face in, but… Those bastards are what I call "1-D". Plus, my five rascals are here too.

"Suzuki, did you really get a Quirk Awakening?!" "Did you prove to those 1-B bastards that you're better than them?!" "What happened to you and Mantora?!" "Tell us about your Quirk Awakening!" "Kari, I'm here!" "I'm here too!" "Did Principal Nezu really use kids for the exercise?!"

"Guys, guys! Slow down! You're talking all at once!" I exclaim and they immediately shut up. Out of the crowd, Miss Kojoseicho comes to the front with my five idiots around her. She has a soft, yet proud smile.

"Hey Suzuki, All Might told me everything. 'Fury of the Nine Tails', huh? It was such a dramatic and mystical name that Yamajiru foamed at the mouth once she heard it," she says.

Yamajiru escapes from the crowd and poses dramatically next to Yasuo. This stance, I recognize it. It's different than her usual set. Her bandaged arm is stiff at a downwards angle, her index finger pointed at the floor. Her other hand, the back of it facing me, is hovering over her face, trying to conceal the dark energy emanating from her eye. She boasts, "That was correct! I, Kakumi Yamajiru, felt my aching blood rushing across this body of mine! I swear to you, if you become any more powerful, then I'd be forced to reveal the secret of my Quirk!"

Ah, right… Yamajiru refuses to reveal her Quirk to the class. She says that if she reveals its name, "the entire world will be utterly, supremely, and most spectacularly obliterated!" The face I had back then is the same face right now—utter disgust.

Yamajiru keeps posing.

Keeps posing.

Posing.

Any second…

"Eeeek!" There she goes. She stomps forward and tries to put her hands on me, but Yibiju, from the crowd, holds her back. "Say something, damned kitsune! I practiced that stance for hours on end for you to acknowledge my strength! Why won't you acknowledge my supreme power?!"

"..." My eyes go blank.

"Karisuma Suzuki, answer me!" she demands. Jeez, she's really red.

Truthfully, like an honest person who isn't lying whatsoever, I answer, "Who are you again?"

_THUD!_

The strange girl is dead.

"D-Defeated once more…" Yamajiru utters as Yibiju casually drags her back into the crowd. Everybody watches in silence. Kazeha awkwardly stands beside Gera, holding her hand for support. Guess she doesn't want anyone to know about the crime she just committed.

Miss Kojo giggles and gets to the next part of her speech, "Anyway, Yamajiru being Yamajiru aside, we wanted to visit you and Mantora after the exercise. Despite what you think about us, we'll be here to support you. Especially these little adorable muffins." She rubs Shinji and Reichiru's hair, which they immediately pry her hands away out of embarrassment.

Gera huffs, pouting. "Go ahead and act like we aren't here, right Kaze? Kaze?" Kazeha's face is basically a red balloon about to pop. Eh, she'll be fine.

Miss Kojo runs up to her, inspecting her like how a mother would. She's firing questions one after the other about her well-being. Ugh, this will take all day… I check up on Mantora and he's unconscious. Great, he doesn't have to sit through this torture.

Yibiju clears her throat. I turn to her and she's holding a cake. "Are we commencing the party or will we not?" Did they really plan a party within the day? For us? That's...unnecessary. But still, Miss Kojo is occupied with something else.

Yamajiru announces, "Yes, let's! We will offer this feast to the dark ones who blessed this earth with Quirks!"

"Hell yeah!"  
"I've been waiting for this!"

"Are we gonna make sure that Kazeha is okay?"  
"Cake time!"

"Guys, is anyone listening to me?"

"Cake! Cake! Cake!"

"..."

Ugh, these guys…

Dumbasses, that's what they are. Yet, I can't deny that they make me smile.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

The day's over…

Let's… Let's just head home. Itsuka needed to talk to Mister Kan about something, so she'll meet up with me eventually. From the exercise, I didn't sustain much injuries, so Recovery Girl cleared me earlier. Everyone else? Rin, Kaibara, Pony, Manga, Shishida; they're still resting. Guess I'm lucky for having superhuman resilience.

Principal Nezu didn't punish me for punching Suzuki again—I had to, honestly. He got on my nerves again. Looking back on it now, I regret it. He led everyone so well despite the friction between him and my friends. They looked to him as a true leader, viewing him as an equal. When I came in, I disrupted it. That's why everyone ran after me when Charon destroyed the statue of All Might. I don't know if they followed me because of my leadership, or they see heroism as I do. Either way, I need to apologize to everyone tomorrow, especially Rin.

If I have to be honest, then I'd think Suzuki would be a good Hero. He has the skills, but his motive is something I cannot agree with. Heroism is a selfless concept, so it should be treated as such. That's what I believe, anyway. I won't stop fighting for it.

"Ugh…" I sigh, looking down at the floor I'm walking on.

That reminds me… Suzuki's Quirk Awakening. Principal Nezu told me that Suzuki gained the ability to separate his fury and use that as a power boost. He's lucky. Suzuki has a means to control his anger. Usually, when a drawback of a Quirk evokes strong emotion, it's hard to control it unless you have full mastery of your mind. With Fury of the Nine Tails, it becomes a tool for him to utilize. He needs to figure out how to activate and efficiently use this new ability. And finally, if Fury of the Nine Tails come with a drawback of its own, then Suzuki needs to find a way to limit it.

And here I am, still haven't went through mine. Everyone is looking forward to it. They are waiting for me to become the top ten Hero they want me to be. Once I'm finally able to use Dreams as it was meant to be, I won't be Sanji Inochi anymore; I won't be Armory, the Weaponry Hero. Instead, I'll be The Dream Hero, whatever my new Hero Name would be.

Just how would everyone react when I tell them that I'm able to collect their dreams? That I can enter my own mind? Who knows… I'm—?!

_SLIDE!_

"I AM HERE!"

"All Might?!" He just slid in from the corner!

"Young Inochi! I have arrived to greet you before you depart!" he announces, his voice echoing throughout the halls. He slams his hands against his hips, smiling like he always does. "Heh, I am truly glad that we ran into each other. Come, walk with me." All Might walks forward and I, having no choice, follow him. Honestly, I'd gladly walk behind him any day of the week.

I ask him, "Is this about the exercise, All Might? I'm sorry for what happened, but I believe that Suzuki would make a great—"

"No, that's not it," he says, stopping me before I finish. "I'm proud that you would feel that way, but this is not that conversation. You see, I wanted you to reveal your true intentions when you ran out to face Charon. Was it… Was it because he destroyed that statue of me?"

I don't hesitate to answer, "Of course! He destroyed the perfect image of a Pro Hero! You represent what heroism is Japan, in the entire world even! They admire you as the greatest man of all time! That's why, during that time, I felt that If I didn't protect the concept of heroism, then I wouldn't be a Hero!"

"...Is that so?" All Might replies. He stops in his tracks, staring down the hall, yet there's nothing there. "Young Inochi, please answer me—what is heroism to you? Is heroism the act of helping an elderly woman cross the street? Is it defeating an evil Villain who aims to destroy the peace we have?"

I explain what I believe in, "Heroism is a selfless cause that was made for the betterment of the world! It's a society that let the altruistic provide and support those who can't! There's no way a selfish person could ever contribute positively to heroism! By fighting as a Hero with selfish desires is the definition of hypocrisy!

"You were the one who woke me up to that kind of world! In seventh grade, I saw you on TV risking your own life to save others! I admired that aspect of you, All Might! To be able to lend my body to create a more peaceful world was the most honorable act I could do! That's why I swore, on that day, that I'd become a Pro Hero that followed your same footsteps!

"When I fought Charon, that was me fighting for what I believe in. So what if I destroy my body in the process? I recognize the fact that, in heroism, Heroes sacrifice their lives everyday! We might even resort to _killing_ Villains! I accept that reality! And, as a Hero, I don't want attention for it. Not fame, glory, none of it. The only thing I want is to save others with a smile on their faces. That's what I want."

All Might turns his head to the side. There is a look in his eyes that I can't describe. It's all sorts of emotions mixed into one, and I don't know what it is. "Young Inochi, did you see yourself smiling?"

"Yes… If others are smiling, then so am I," I answer. All Might nods and looks forward again. We have a few quiet seconds together. Then, without warning, he walks, but with a quicken pace. I follow him without word.

He continues on, "With what you said before you fought Young Nichirin, you said that you'd fight for a better world not for gain nor for status, but for a world where we can live in blissful peace. No, I'm wrong. You didn't say that 'you' yourself will fight, rather that 'we' will fight. Who is the 'we' that you spoke of?"

The "we"...? Ah, I remember now. I did say "we".

"I…" I stop myself. I can't answer that question because I don't know. The "we"... It came naturally, yet I don't know what the "we" is. I said it because I heard a voice. It was a man's voice speaking like the calm wind. "I...I don't know."

All Might accepts the answer with a disappointed hum. The air within the hallway gets heavier with each step. When I stare at All Might's back, it's like he's having a hard time to maintain good posture. His shoulders want to slump down, letting gravity take its hold, but All Might refuses. He picks his shoulders up. With a kind voice, he says, "You are a special man, Young Inochi. Already, you're inspiring the public to pursue their dreams despite if they are impossible. You are the embodiment of that strength. Luck and fate took you far, but your resilience and drive is taking you even further. Perhaps Young Tokage was right when she said that…"

The sunlight shines brighter through the windows, clashing against All Might. His body glows brighter with the light as he finishes, "You are the Symbol of Dreams."

I stop, and he stops too. "I can't," I say, shaking my head. "I can't become that symbol."

"Why not? I became the Symbol of Peace to Japan. With the new generation of Heroes and Villains, Japan needs more symbols to embrace—Hope, Victory, Peace, and even Dreams. As of now, you have a small following who look up to you as such. Young Inochi, why do you refuse?" All Might pleads with conviction in his voice.

"Dreams, that's why. They're meant to break the realm of possibility, turning the 'impossible' into the 'possible'. But, I can't be the one who governs them! I just can't! I'm sorry, All Might, but dreams are too precious for me to hold and use! Especially since…"

All Might turns around.

"I don't have a dream to call my own," I tell him. "I'll have too much shame if I call myself the Symbol of Dreams. That's why I refuse the mantle—"

"You must. You will refuse now, but when you awaken to your Quirk and become a new man, you must take on that title. From your words, dreams are the most valuable treasure one could have. They need a protector, Young Inochi. They need _you_."

"What about Midoriya? He's meant to be your successor, isn't he?!"

"He is. The world will embrace Izuku Midoriya—Deku—as the new Symbol of Peace. That is certain. He'll continue the reign of tranquility that I started—"

"Then he'll inspire dreams like how you inspired every single student in this school!"

All Might frowns, like he's remembering something. "Will he nurture them? My status brews dreams, but those dreams will never be cherished by myself. Yet, when I look into your eyes, I know that you will raise the world's dreams as if they are your own children! Do you understand, Young Inochi?! All men are fated to be what they are meant to be! You were meant to be a great Hero! Your words, your actions, your heart defines the heroism boiling in your blood! So, you must protect it as the Symbol of Dreams!"

"..." I go silent. I don't have anything to say. The Symbol of Dreams is something I'm meant to become. Then God, why can't I use Dreams, the very Quirk I'm meant to use?

All Might coughs, wiping his mouth. "This was a pleasant conversation, Young Inochi, but I'm afraid that I must leave. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good day." Before I could say goodbye, he dashes down the hall and takes a left, leaving me by myself. I sigh—

Behind me, someone has their hand on my shoulder.

_"Our future was determined from the moment we took our first breath. We can't fight it. Someday, we'll be the men that fate wanted us to be. It's a pretty scary thought, I know, but don't worry about a thing. Because… _

_"I will always be there for you."_

I look behind me and no one's there. I swore… I swore I heard a man's voice. It wasn't the soft voice like before. This man was firm in how he spoke, yet gentle like he was speaking to someone he cared about.

Jeez, I'm going insane… I'm—?!

"Surprise hug!" Setsuna appears out of the blue and tackle-hugs me. I manage to stay on my feet as she has herself around my arm again. Where _did_ she come from…? There's no possible way she could've—you know, I shouldn't think about this. She asks, "What's with the glum face, old chum?"

I laugh, brushing her hair. "It's nothing. Just today's exercise, but I'm ready to forget about it. Where's Itsuka?"

"Oh? Miss Itsuka Inochi? Well, she's—"

"Right here," Itsuka grumbles. "And, it's Itsuka _Kendo_. If, hypothetically, Sanji and I get married, I'm making him take my last name."

"That's disappointing…" I state, putting a hand on my chin. "I really like the sound of Itsuka Inochi. It flows pretty well off the tongue, kinda like caramel or honey."

"..." Itsuka looks like she's having an internal meltdown.

"..." Setsuna's looking at me like she's saying, _You beautiful playboy~!_

I state, "Guys, I'm being honest." Oh, Yui's coming into the conversation! I need her to make this a lot less awkward! "Yui! What do you think about Sanji Kodai? Does it sound good?"

"Mhm," she answers. From Yui's entrance, Itsuka breaks herself out of her meltdown. Good, crisis averted.

Setsuna shakes her head. "Sorry Yui, but I gotta disagree. Let's say that we get married. What sounds better to you? Yui Kodai or Yui Tokage?"

"Yui."

Setsuna goes blank-faced and responds, "That's very helpful, thank you. Itsuka, what do you think? Itsuka Kendo or Itsuka Tokage?"

Itsuka smirks and bats her ponytail. "Itsuka."

"That is _very very _helpful, thank you!" she exclaims before turning to me. "Okay, Sanji… I love you, so let's get married. Sanji Inochi or Sanji Tokage? And if I swear if you say 'Sanji', I'm going to kick you."

"Setsuna."

"Eh?! You're not going to change your first name to 'Setsuna'! That name is only for beautiful girls like myself!" she declares. Dang…

I choke up, "I-I'm not a beautiful girl?"

Yui defends me, "Sanji is beautiful."

And Itsuka joins the club, "Very beautiful. He could be Miss Universe. Don't deny his beauty, Setsuna."

Setsuna throws her arms up in the air—not literally this time—and storms off. Aw, we made her mad. Hehe, hope I didn't lose her love. I don't know how I would recover if I lost her.

"C'mon Yui, let's cheer Setsuna up," Itsuka says while patting my back. She catches up to her with Yui walking behind, taking all the time in the world.

I follow them with a smile.

* * *

**Woohoo, that fight is finally over. Also, if you see a lot more grammatical mistakes here, I'm sorry. I didn't edit this as much as I wanted to, but it should be somewhat comprehensible. Anyway, here's the name of the next chapter:**

**To Fight  
**

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**First: Shout out to my first review! I pretty sure I don't switch subjects (I rarely do anyway) in the same paragraph, but thanks for the advice! If you want to know, dialogue belonging to the same paragraph are (95% of the times) from the same speaker. You'll see two talking subjects in the same paragraph if it's stated or if they're (separated by a parenthesis). Sometimes, I wouldn't state that both (rarely more than two) pieces of dialogue are from the same person, but since it's in the same paragraph, it's implied. **

**Since this is , the formatting can and will get wonky. This wasn't my intention to make anything confusing, but since the website has a very unique formatting style compared to AO3 and Quotev, it forces my fanfic to suffer from formatting issues. Again, I'm sorry, but I don't know how to fix it.**

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**Discussion:**

**Karisuma Suzuki is the first character to receive a Quirk Awakening. Obviously, Sanji's Quirk Awakening is planned to happen eventually, and I'm excited to write it. Not only I wanted some characters to have that extra power boost, I also wanted to write a few Quirk Awakenings before I write the big awakening. If I can't write how Sanji is able to use Dreams effectively, then where's the good in that? So, Suzuki has an awakening. Besides from these two, there will be a lot of Quirk Awakenings for a bunch of different characters (1-B and OC).**

**Now the big event is out of the way, let's talk about characters. Shinzo Mantora: He's a lot more sinister than you're led to believe. He's a badass, but he's the type of badass that doesn't give a damn if he killed someone. Suzuki, the main focus of the arc, is finally becoming the idealistic rival to Sanji. Suzuki embraces the selfish side of him, even after being a very selfish man for a long time. He learns to be selfless enough that he'll benefit everyone, but also remaining selfish that he won't give up himself for anyone. Personality-wise, he's similar to Togaru where they're both basically male tsunderes. Togaru is a lot more "I'm sick of everyone's shit" while Suzuki is "Yeah, I'm better than you and I'm making you know it." I'd imagine that these two will get annoying, but they have a good heart, Suzuki especially. He saved Inochi a bunch of times and led the exercise. Compared that to how 1-A did in theirs, they sidelined (thanks to Todoroki and Bakugo) the General Department. In this fight, 1-B won.**

**And then, we have Sanji Inochi to talk about once again. His ideals of heroism are defined with his conversation with All Might. You have a better understanding of how he thinks, and just how he cannot fully understand why people do selfish things. In a way, he's a hypocrite. Or, he isn't. Depends on how you look at him. Really, at this part of the story, it's not meant to develop Sanji. It's rather meant for you to understand him better. Sanji is selfless to the point of becoming a martyr for heroism, as shown in his rash decision to fight Charon despite Suzuki's orders. This also reflects All Might's influence in society. Can you imagine a group of teenagers getting outraged enough to destroy a robot just because it destroyed a statue? The statue must've been pretty important, and it was. In Sanji's scene, All Might wanted to talk to him just to gauge how much of an influence he has on Japan.**

**When All Might started to push Sanji to be the Symbol of Dreams, Sanji refused (because he was ashamed that he couldn't use his Quirk), Sanji switched the conversation to Midoriya. Here, All Might says that he doesn't nurture dreams. You'd think he would, since he's All Might! But, we seen him destroy someone's dream before. We seen him destroy *Midoriya's* dream at the very beginning of My Hero Academia. That was why All Might frowned. So, he urged Sanji to be a symbol that Japan wanted him to be. This conversation here sets the stage of more ideological battles.**

**Anyway, it's time to describe Super Moves.**

**[Suzuki] Three Tails: Prosperity of the Inari - A single concentrated attack using claws.  
[Suzuki] Fury of the Nine Tails: Shinwa no Megumi - Using Fury of the Nine Tails, Suzuki performs a series of swift and precise movements that is followed by an attack that's quicker than the eye could see.  
[Kaibara] Drilling Lance: By spinning his arm, Kaibara thrusts it forward to pierce his foe.  
[Rin] Within Two: Jade Scaled Palms - His hands are held straight, becoming blades with his sharp Scales.  
[Akagawa] Galileo Disperse: Akagawa pushes every foe in sight using Vectors, dispersing them all around the battlefield.  
[Usami] Humid Mist of the Dreary: She covers an area with her fog, morphing into it and landing hidden attacks inside while her foes remain clueless.  
[Usami] Soaring Fog: A fog meant to encompass large areas so she (and her allies, if necessary) can traverse through in seconds.  
[Manga] Bonk: It's a bonk. Bonk.  
[Manga] Pomf: The Onomatopoeia of hitting a pillow.**

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**Next chapter will be out in two weeks! Thanks for reading!**


	33. To Fight

**Sanji Inochi**

It's the final day of the Hero Course Tutoring program. The media is making a big deal out of the last exercise—a series of fights that's a little bit similar to the tournament during the Sports Festival. Out of the twelve General Course students, they're divided into six among the two Hero Courses: A and B; and, one student from each class will fight each other. The first-years, my current grade level, aren't the only ones who're participating in this exercise. The second and third-years are participating in it as well. Since students in the Hero Courses, especially those in U.A., are treated as mini-celebrities, the media naturally focused on the General Course students who show great potential to transfer. That means they have an influence on who gets transferred and who doesn't. It might not be a big influence, compared to the Pro Heroes who'll watch the exercise and give their feedback on each student, but they have an influence nonetheless.

Personally, why would U.A. let the media in? Their presence will bring out the worst in people. Given how prideful the General Courses are—in my experience anyway—they'll be fighting not only each other, but fighting for the spotlight. I might be worrying too much about this, who knows, but there could be at least one who wants to hog the camera. At least one… Jeez, at least I'm not fighting today. My body's sorer than usual—from training and the other exercises—so I don't wanna push myself too hard. That's the reason Itsuka gave me, anyway.

The match-ups will have the first-years going first, which is appropriate. We'll be fighting Class 1-A again, but through proxies. Monoma is, for the lack of better words, excited. So excited that Itsuka is also excited to harm him. I can't let her hurt him, guess that'll be my job today. For my job right now? Food. I'm on food duty. I'm the fetch-it guy, which I don't mind.

The only thing I mind is…

"Tetsutetsu, help…"

I'm carrying a mountain of food that makes my arms look like twigs in comparison. Tetsutetsu isn't helping me! He has a giant turkey leg in his hand! I get that Lunch Rush makes amazing food, but now isn't the time to eat! No, "eat" isn't a good word to describe it! Tetsutetsu is devouring that turkey leg like it killed his family! I beg him, "Tetsutetsu, please help me… I'm strong, but I'm not this strong…"

Tetsutetsu swallows a massive bite of his turkey, wiping his mouth _with a free hand_. A free hand! A hand that could be helping me carry Shoda's bento box! "Huh? Did you say something, bro? I couldn't hear ya, sorry."

"Tetsu… I need your help. I'm not meant to be a pack mule," I plead, trying my best to carry the mountain of food I have. Lunch Rush makes amazing food, but that means everyone wants a snack. Why did I drew the short end of the stick today…?

"Oh shoot! Sorry!" Tetsutetsu shoves the rest of the leg in his mouth, and it comes out clean, very clean! Holy crap, he can do that the entire time? He just sucked all of the meat off and left no scraps! Don't tell me that he's been practicing eating techniques to help improve his Quirk! That sounds like something Tetsu would do. He throws his spotless bone away and literally takes everything from me. His eyes go wide in shock, exclaiming, "Inochi, this doesn't weight _that_ much! It's just hard to carry, kinda like a big bulky box!"

"Y-Yeah… Thanks." I bow my head in appreciation, and he shoots me a smile back. We start making our way back to Battle Zone Central where the final exercise—dubbed "Proxy Battles!"— is taking place. The Battle Zone Central is similar to the Sports Festival Stadium, but it was made with the sole purpose of having a sparring arena near the main building. It's large enough to fit the entire school and then some. It consists of four rectangle sparring arenas with bleachers along the walls. It was built to be near the school for convenience, which is why the cafeteria is flooded with students and guests alike. One could get a quick snack from Lunch Rush and head over to Battle Zone Central. If we compare this to the P.E. Grounds, which further away and more suited for private class instruction, Battle Zone Central is meant to be in the public's eye.

Tetsutetsu marches joyfully as ever. He's enjoying the workout. "Hey, how's your training comin' along? Bet you're one step closer to unlocking your Quirk, right? Just a stone's throw away? Right? C'mon!" he asks, urging again.

"Afraid not," I answer as a few people make room for us to pass. "I'm at the same place where I was at the beginning of the year. What about you? Think you're harder than Kirishima yet?"

Tetsutetsu sighs, shaking his head. "Sorry, I wanna say that I am, but Momma told me to never lie. It's like a video game, man. Kirishima is at Level 10 in Hardness, while I'm stuck at Level 1." That's like me and everyone else. My class has a high level of skill with their Quirks while I'm forcibly stuck at Level 1. That's my max level; it cannot be changed. However, I'm high-leveled in martial arts while everyone—except for the obvious red-headed girl—is low-leveled. What if I apply this thinking to Tetsutetsu? Wait, this reminds me of Rin…

_"My Scales aren't that durable, Inochi, but they allow for high-damage attacks. If you think of Scales as a Hardening-type Quirk, it's a terrible one. However, it's a great Quirk if you look at the offensive capabilities."_

Tesutetsu is like Rin. That's it!

"What if you _can't_ increase your Hardness Level? Steel, your Quirk, is not actually iron, right? It's a metal alloy, so a supermetal. Hayami taught me that. With that knowledge, you can't improve on super unless through dangerous means," I theorize, putting my finger up. Tetsutetsu picks his head up and listens closely like a puppy.

"Bro, what are you saying…?" he mutters, his eyes sparkling.

"You're like Rin, Tetsu. Rin can spread his Scales throughout his skin like Hardening and Steel, but out of the three, Scales is the weakest defensively. However, that makes Scales the strongest _offensively._ Hardening is the strongest defensively, because it can continuously be improved on by Kirishima, yet his offensive capabilities is limited.

"For you, I think you're right in the middle. You have set amount of hardness that cannot be increased, not yet anyway. Instead of focusing on how to get harder, then maybe you should focus on fighting! There has to be an offensive aspect to Steel! That's what separates you from Kirishima! He's the unbreakable wall, but you could be the iron fist that breaks through anything!"

"Is that my destiny?" he asks, his eyes turning from sparkling into glowing. "That… That must be my fate, isn't it?! Everything makes sense now! If I can't get harder than Kirishima, then I'll crush his Hardening into dust! I'm meant to be the unstoppable fist!"

This man is too easy to influence…

_Sniff sniff!_

And he's tearing up again…

"Tetsu… You're going to make everyone's food salty," I warn him. He sniffles and shakes his tears off. Tetsu's face stiffens. Is he…? I think he's trying to look determined. It's either that, or he needs to use the bathroom.

"Inochi, when we graduate U.A., I will earn myself a place on the top ten with you! Y'hear me?! We'll be like Hawks! He got himself into the top ten when he was eighteen! We gotta do that within our first month!" he promises with intense drive as his aura. There's no doubt that he'll be a powerful Hero. This year marks a new generation of upcoming Pros. Just wait until Japan sees my friends as the greatest Heroes in history. Hopefully, I'll be there with them.

"Of course, Tetsu. I'll hold you to that promise—"

"HEY!"

What the—?!

A girl, a teenage girl that's probably no older than I am, is incredibly close to me! I don't think she knows the meaning of "personal space"! Behind her too… There's more teenage girls! They don't belong to U.A., nor I don't think that they're involved with the media! How did they get into this event? I meekly answer, stepping back, "Can I help you—?"

"Keigo, you mentioned him. Do you know where he is? Don't you dare lie to us!" she demands! I can feel the fierce intensity in her voice! How can a regular girl like her emit such a powerful energy?! All of the girls are just from evil glares alone! I glance over to Tetsu and he's quaking in his shoes! These girls are no joke! They might be…

_The most powerful Villains in the world!_

"Uhm…" I need to say the right thing. If I say something wrong, then I'll surely lose my life. "I'm just a U.A. student… What about you? Do you have any business with Keigo—I mean Hawks?" Dangit, I didn't mean to refer to Hawks by his first name!

"Naturally! My name is Tadaka Junhiko, the president of the _official_ Hawks Fan Club! We pride ourselves on the going-ons of Keiko Takami, also known as Hawks—the No. 3 Pro Hero!" Junhiko answered with beaming pride. She's lying about the "official" part, isn't she? And she believes her own lie…

"Did he give you passes to this event? Because, if I'm honest, having you girls here could cause another controversy like the U.S.J. Incident," I tell them. Junhiko pouts, putting a hand on her hip.

"We're responsible enough! Even so, if Shigaraki attacks, Keigo will be out in a hot minute to put his ass into Tartarus! Why are you worried anyway? We should be the ones worried about Keigo's safety! He's the most handsome Hero of all time!" she argues, stepping forward again! What's up with her?!

Tetsu comes to my defense, "Hey! What do you think about Inochi? He's gonna rise up to be a top ten fast like Hawks! Just you watch!"

The girls behind Junhiko murmurs…

"Inochi? Wait, is this guy—?"

"He's the Quirkless student!"

"You guys didn't know? His face was plastered all over TV after the Sports Festival."

"I didn't think Quirkless guys could look so cute…"

Junhiko looks at her girls before looking back at me with a small scowl. "This is embarrassing… I managed to forget one of the hottest topics of heroism gossip—_you_. You're quite famous, you know. Might be for the wrong reasons," she says, her voice suddenly getting a lot more serious. Her eyes lit up when we were talking about Hawks, but now, it feels like she's analyzing me.

The girls behind her whisper to one another.

"Is it me, or he's a lot taller in person?"

"Stronger too."

"I heard he might be a top ten when he graduates…"

"His Quirk better be good."

Junhiko sighs, batting her hair. "As you can hear from my friends, everyone knows at least one thing about you. There's a still a ton of jealous mooks who hate your guts, but your fanclub is increasing in numbers daily. I guess people really love an underdog, don't they?"

She pulls out a slip of paper and a pen, handing it to me. I ask her, "What is this supposed to be?"

"An autograph, duh. It's for my little cousin. She's annoying, but she's a big fan of yours, especially since she's Quirkless too. I'm doing this for her, so don't get any wrong ideas," Junhiko answers, tapping her foot. "Her name is Ichiko Tazawa, by the way. Make sure you write something good down, even if it's cheesy."

An autograph? This is my first autograph? I'm famous enough to get asked for autographs… I don't like the idea of fame, but it'll be disgusting if I refuse this. I need to write something meaningful then.. Tetsu inches over behind me and whispers, "Bro, your first autograph! Write something down like 'You're the greatest weapon in my Armory!' or 'My fans are the sharpest weapon I have!'. Just wait until everyone else hears about this!"

Those are good ideas, even though they're corny, yet I don't think I should write something like that. Maybe…

_"From your words, dreams are the most valuable treasure one could have. They need a protector, Young Inochi. They need you."_

I ask Junhiko, "What's your cousin's dream?"

"Eh? Her dream? Why are you asking that?" she replies back with a question of her own. Tetsu tilts his head, being confused too.

"Please answer my question," I urge.

And she gives in, "Well, she wants to be a veterinarian. She loves animals." I nod, quickly writing my message down. Ichiko Tazawa, I will remember that name. If I could inspire her to chase her dream, even if it's just one person, then I'll be happy. Still, I don't believe that I could become the protector of dreams, but I can be something close to it. For now, Armory will be the man who wields Japan's swords. Dreams can come later.

"Here." I finish up, giving Junhiko the note and pen. "I hope she likes it!" I say with a smile. Some of the girls behind her blush. ("He's even cuter when he smiles!") Tetsu tries to read the note before I hand it back, but it was too late. Sorry about that…

Junhiko reads it out loud:

"Ichiko Tazawa, don't let any obstacles come in your way! Pursue your dream as a veterinarian and save animals like how a Pro Hero saves those in need! I'll be rooting for you - Sanji Inochi

"And remember: Dreams have the power to overcome the impossible! Yet, it's not enough. Work hard and you'll see the true strength of your dream! That's why you should never underestimate yours! Go beyond, Plus Ultra!"

"Like a true Pro," Tetsu compliments me. Aw, that means a lot.

Junhiko seems content. She folds the paper and puts it in her pocket. "Well, looks like Keigo isn't here, but at least I did something productive. Let's go guys." She walks past us with the rest of the girls. Some of them giggle and glance over at me. Tetsu nudges me with his elbow, signaling me to get going. Yeah… Guess so—

"Oh wait," Junhiko calls out to me, "you're a good-looking guy, Inochi, but you aren't Keigo-hot. Just for your information." She grins with a wink, like she's teasing me or something. Then, she disappears into the crowd. That was a strange encounter, but a welcomed one. First autograph down, first dream cherished.

I look down at my hands—And I somehow got ink all over them. Tetsu notices and immediately looks at me with pity. "You should head over to the bathroom, Inochi, don't worry 'bout me! I can handle the food all by myself! Call me 'Tetsu the Food Destroyer'!" Yeah, that's why no one wants to sit next to you at lunch…

"Thank you, Tetsutetsu. I'll be with you before you know it!" I bow my head before walking off to the boy's bathroom.

Tetsu should be able to deliver food to our friends, right? I hope so. He's a dependable guy. If I need anything, he'll be one of my first choices. Well, everyone in my class is a first choice, but with that much people, none of them would be my "first choice" by definition. Really, if I need something, and that "something" is really important to me, then I would go to…

_"Sanji…" _

Yeah, I would go to her first above everyone else. It might sound a little rude, but I trust her the most.

_Squirt!_  
_Hsssss!_

Anyway, let's just focus on washing the ink off. Simple as that. Nothing life-changing will happen here—

_FLUSH!_  
_Click!_

?!

"Jeez, I might be the No. 3 Hero, but Lunch Rush is No. 1 in making my stomach happy, y'know? Of course you know, you're a student here! Those P.E. uniforms are a bit tacky, by the way. Doesn't even have holes for wings, what a shame…"

Hawks?!

He just came out of one of the stalls! Oh crap, he's right beside me! He's washing his hands _beside_ me! And, I don't mean to insult him, but he's a bit shorter than I expected! I thought he'd be a taller, more handsome man! Wait, I shouldn't think that! Like what Junhiko said, Hawks is a very attractive man! Damnit! I need to get a grip on myself! I can't lose my cool here, especially not in front of Hawks of all Heroes!

I try to say something, but all that comes out are mumbled words! That isn't Japanese, Sanji! It's an alien language!

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Sometimes, food is too good that you start speaking in alien. Remind me to ask Lunch Rush for his recipe for his chicken and white rice. Heaven on a plate, I tell you…" Hawks says, laughing to himself. He lets out a sigh, like everything is great in life. Just from his tone, Hawks is a carefree man. Who wouldn't be? He has wings; the skies are no longer his limit unlike the rest of us.

"Mister...Hawks, it's great to see you in person," I finally find the words to say, turning off the sink. I awkwardly inch towards the paper towel dispenser. Try not to be a doofus… Just dry your hands like a normal person.

_Rip!_

There you go, like a normal person! No more ink to speak of! Now I don't look like I killed a man who bleeds black blood!

Hawks puffs his cheeks and...makes a weird expression that I didn't know humans could make, but it eases back to his cheerful self. "You're a pretty cool guy, Mister Sanji Inochi. Do me a favor—gimme a hint on what your Quirk is. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'm a trustworthy man."

"You know my name?!" I exclaim, taken aback.

Hawks laughs and rests his hand on the back of his neck. "Who doesn't? Oh by the way, I fired that guy who harassed you, you're welcome." I was harassed? When?

I bow, exclaiming, "Forgive me, but I don't know who you're talking about! How did I get someone fired?"

"Figured that you don't remember. It was back in September. You were walking around Musutafu like a mindless zombie until you accidentally ran into the guy. He shouted all kinds of nasty things at you, threatening that he'll ruin your life because he works—well, _worked_ for me. Then, out of the crowd, a beautiful girl named Itsuka Kendo rescued you, a stranger wearing a white hoodie. That was the first day where Sanji Inochi set foot within the City of Heroes."

…!

How could I forget…? Jeez, I can't tell Itsuka that I forgot how we first met. Wait a second, how did Hawks perfectly recall that day while I couldn't remember it until now? "How did you—?"

Hawks answers my question before I even finish, "I was watching you on top of a skyscraper. My feathers caught someone saying my name, so I decided to listen in. Who knew that, about nine months later, you'd become one of the most famous first-years in U.A.? 'Specially with a smack-ton of mysteries surrounding you. So…"

He walks up and slings an arm over my shoulder, bringing me close. With his other hand, he pulls out his smartphone—he has stickers of himself on the back of his case—and opens the Camera App! Crap, is he really—?! "Say 'cheese'!"

_Click!_

Hawks lets go of me, focusing on his phone. "There we go! This encounter of fate will be memorialized! On social media. With millions of followers. On each platform. Yup, I think I got it all. Anyway, you should start getting involved yourself, Inochi. You're ahead of the crowd in terms of fame. It's rare for a first-year to have a fanclub, even when there's a swirl of hate and resent around you."

I look away from him, stuffing my hands in P.E. uniform's pockets. "I'm not...fond of attention and fame, honestly. It's selfish, and they'll lead to bad things; you saw what happened to 1-B after the Sports Festival. It's why there was so many people who called for my expulsion. I haven't forgotten about that."

"No reason why you should let the negative stuff limit you. Why do you think All Might is the greatest Hero? He's powerful _and_ popular. He wouldn't be All Might without one or the other. Once people see him, they think, 'All Might is here! No one gets hurt on his watch!' It's a merit that a Hero should be judged on—the ability they can calm a crying child by their presence alone, no words spoken.

"And sorry for being a bit morbid, but Japan isn't the perfect place that the world makes us out to be. It's cruel sometimes. For a few kids, the image of a Hero is the only thing that keeps them going in life. If that Hero wasn't there, then we'd lose them forever. That's the power of fame. One time out of ten, it'll destroy a man's life; but, nine times out of ten, you're saving a life without meeting them in the first place. Do you understand, Inochi?"

…

"Yeah, I do." I stare down at the floor.

"Great!" Hawks exclaims before he heads towards the exit, his wings brushing against me. "Now, I need to do what U.A. wants me to do. See you around, Inochi."

"Oh!" I stop him. "You should be careful. Your fanclub is here. I ran into them earlier, and I somehow signed my first autograph for the president's cousin." Hawks's eyes go wide, not at the part about his fanclub, but about my autograph.

"Well look at you! Someday, you might be as famous as me. I'll be looking forward to it, _Hero_!" he says, then he leaves. Heh… Hawks is so cool! And approachable too! I never felt a twinge of fear when I was around him. No wonder he's the youngest Hero to scale the top tens in a short amount of time. What he said though… He makes a few good points…

Dang though… It's been nine months ever since I came to Musutafu, huh? Nine months and my entire world was turned upside down. I should head to Battle Zone Central before the first few fights start. Everyone's waiting for me.

* * *

…

"Kuhahahahaha! If 1-A was so great, then why haven't any one of you signed your first autograph?! I thought you were the more popular class, aren't you?! How bizarre! How terribly bizarre is that?! It's almost like you aren't famous as you once thought, 1-A! Maybe you're dirt?! No, worse than that! You're utter garbage that ought to be—!"

_CHOP!_

"You idiot… I let you out of my sight for one second… I ought to treat you like garbage," Itsuka mumbles before turning to 1-A, who're staring at us like freaks. "Sorry guys! Monoma is having one of his moments again! It would've helped if _someone_ dealt with Monoma sooner."

I have a feeling she's talking about me. I hold my two skewered chicken, one in each hand. "Yakitori."

"_This_ is the guy who signed his first autograph? Jeez Sanji, you're a mess..." she comments, hoisting Monoma onto her shoulder.

("Todoroki, you have a fanclub too, dontcha? Why haven't you signed your first autograph yet?")

("Oh c'mon Sero! You don't know that Todoroki's fans are comprised of women? Every time they see him, they're so stunned that their hearts explode outta their chests!")

("I'm able to make women's chests explode?")

("No, that's not what I meant, Todoroki...")

"Yakitori," I repeat, smiling. Itsuka gives me a look of disgust. But, I have one counter: Yakitori, it's delicious. I got two because...well, I wanted to share one with her. Anyway, weI should head back to our seats. I glance over to 1-A and say, "See you later! Midoriya, we should talk later about your current training, okay?"

"Oh, alright! See you later!"

"See ya, Ally of Love!"

"Make sure you give Monoma a good smack on the head!"

"He won't be doing that, Toru…"

Me, Itsuka, and Monoma head over to our section of the bleachers. She delivers the currently half-conscious half-unconscious Monoma to Kaibara, who accepts him without a word. (I personally give Kaibara a wink, but he shrugs it off.) After that, we find a seat on the second-to-last bench near the top. There we go! We could see the entire ring from here! Instead of the four sparring rings, it'll be combined into one massive ring. It's about the same size of the one in the tournament back in the Sports Festival. Well, I think. As of now, our proxies are at the bottom of the bleachers, ready to be called up.

"Yakitori?" I ask Itsuka, gesturing to one of my sticks. She sighs and takes one, finally giving up due to my persistence. Good, if she didn't accept, then I'd stuff it down her throat. And that sounded a lot more violent than I had anticipated. But this is too delicious to pass up! Each bite is better than the last!

I check on how Itsuka's doing, and she's staring at me with a little red in her cheeks. Huh, is hers spicy? I got two flavors, didn't I? I got Korean BBQ and I gave her the sweet and sour. None of them is spicy, or it shouldn't be. Itsuka catches me looking at her and frantically looks away. "D-Don't look at me like that!"

"Sorry! Did I give you the spicy yakitori? I swore that I gotten something else… Lemme taste." I take Itsuka's hand, the one that's holding the yakitori, and bite one of the pieces of chicken off. She sputters and pulls her hand away while I'm just munching. Yup, this is sweet and sour. Not spicy whatsoever. "Sanji?! You jackass!"

"Heh, sorry about that! I had to check since you were red," I apologize, offering my stick to her. "I'm a firm believer in equality, so please take a bite out of mine." Itsuka glares at the stick, still blushing. She...isn't doing anything. Does she heard what I just said? Please tell me she didn't forget how to eat. "Itsuka?" I check up on her.

"Why don't you just feed her, Sanji?" a voice emerges behind me.

"Good point, voice behind me—Wait?! Voice behind me?!" There wasn't anyone on the top bench! Who the heck could it be—?! Shojo?!

Itsuka exclaims, "Shojo?! Why are you hiding _under the bleachers_?! How did you even get up here?! We're near the top! You do realize that there's seats right?!" Oh my God, Shojo is behind the bleachers. All I can see is her glasses and her eyes! Why is she hiding there?!

"Yes, I am completely aware of that fact," she deadpans, kinda like Yui.

"Why are you behind there then?" I ask, inching away from her. Shojo was behind me this entire time. I thought she was in the 1-H stands with Hatsume and all the other Support Students.

"Large crowds scare me. And…" Shojo's presence suddenly gets darker. "Humans are evil. They are the most terrible, vilest creatures that ever roamed this planet. If I ever become God, then I'd wipe them off the face of the earth."

"Someone took the last lemon dango?" I say. Manga told me that Shojo always gets that at lunch.

"Someone took the last lemon dango," she confirms. Wait, didn't Komori said something earlier…?

_"Hey guys! I got the last lemon dango! Today's my lucky day!"_

Oh, that's not good. I look at Itsuka and we're both thinking the same thing, _We can't let Shojo see Komori. _I'll just divert the conversation that isn't about delicious, sweet lemon dangos. Crap, now I want one now… Ugh! Focus! Itsuka handles the next question for me, "So Shojo, why did you climb up here? Aren't you supposed to be with your class?"

Shojo replies, shrinking a little, "My class is full of demons. Yesterday, I walked into my homeroom and someone made a snowball cannon. _It's summer! _Oh, don't get me started on Hatsume. She's been chasing me around, begging me to beg you guys for any costume improvements. So I decided to make these bleachers my permanent home. Say goodbye to my social life, I'm a troll under a bridge now."

"You can't live there forever, you know…" I say, wincing a little.

"You can't stop me, Sanji. People overestimated the value of human interaction, but I haven't! I don't need it! I lived my life as a hermit before, I can certainly do it again! Just watch me!" she resolves, bouncing her head up and down—

_BONK!_

And she banged it right against the bleachers above her… Yeah, that looked like it hurt. Shojo whimpers, giving us the sad puppy eyes. Itsuka lays back and shakes her head. "Alright, you're a smart girl, Shojo..."

Shojo nods, letting her voice go soft as she speaks, "Y-Yeah thanks, but you see… I need something from you guys… When I saw you two coming up, I wanted to talk to you, so I climbed and climbed until I ended up here. But here's the problem, it's a very funny problem, please don't laugh, but—"

"You can't get down, can you?" I immediately cut to the chase. Shojo pouts, but she nods. She definitely nods. Well, I'm not going to let her fall to her death. I entrust Itsuka with my heaven on a stick before I reach down to Shojo. "C'mon, I got ya."

I grab and carry her out, placing her right next to me. She murmurs, embracing the new air, "Artificial light, oh how I missed thee…"

_Munch!_

"Wow, Korean BBQ is pretty good!" Itsuka comments, finishing the rest of my yakitori. I had three pieces left too… "What? Don't pout. You said that you're a firm believer in equality."

"For one piece." I hold up one finger. "You ate three." Then three fingers. "I expect two pieces of sweet and sour chicken to make up for this lost." Finally two fingers. Itsuka rolls her eyes and shows me the two...clean...skewers. She finished them both?! How cruel… I will never forget this act of betrayal…

Shojo sees me downtrodden and for some weird reason, her face lights up. "I got the perfect response! Sanji, seeing as you aren't repaid for your lost snack, you should kiss Itsuka, tasting the Korean BBQ through her mouth!"

"..."

"..."

Itsuka and I turn our backs to her. Shojo says, being depressed, "In shojo mangas, the male lead usually does that to their partner… Sanji seems like the type of guy who would do that…" I'd say that this is real life, not a manga, but what's the point? Sometimes, I feel like my entire life is just fiction, words on a computer screen that people can read. How creepy is that? Feels like my thoughts are being violated by people I don't know. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way? Perhaps all of us are just—

"Sanji's spacing out again," Itsuka says, pinching my arm. I yelp and tear my arm away. "Hehe, I had to get you out of your head somehow. Now, what should we talk about that isn't our nonexistent romance?"

Shojo taps her chin before coming up with an answer, "Conversation starter! I came up with a really good one! Sanji, on Flutter, Hawks posted a selfie with you and him. He captioned it with 'Found #Armory'. You're trending from the last time I checked!"

I… Huh, I don't know what I should've expected. Hawks _is_ really famous. Anyway, I say, "Not surprising. Hawks is a really cool Hero. I can see why so many people adore him, and I'm no different. In fact, Itsuka, he remembers the time when we first met."

Itsuka has a confused look. She looks like a lost chipmunk, I have to be honest. "We never met Hawks—Wait, we _did_ meet that asshole who worked for him! How does Hawks 'remember' us exactly though?" Oh, she remembers how we met. I'm the only one who forgot…

"During the time, he was eavesdropping during one of his patrols. After what happened, Hawks fired the guy," I explain, looking down at the arena, but I'm not staring at specifically anything. "Y'know, that was nine months ago, Itsuka. Think about how much had happened in nine entire months…"

She laughs and moves closer to me, our shoulders touching. If I could, I'd move even closer, but that'll make her turn red again. I don't wanna embarrass her _too_ much. Doesn't mean I won't. Itsuka jokes, "And it was a nightmare. Living with an incredibly kind man, who does his share of his housework, makes coffee for me every morning, and is my equal in every way… Yeah, it's been a real nightmare."

Itsuka gets closer. I can't help but smile. I reply, "It has been. There was this girl that, starting out, we were complete opposites—a timid man and a brave woman. As I got to know her, I was inspired more and more by her confidence. I looked up to her, you could say. In the end, I took some of her confidence as my own. She helped me break out of my shell and made me the goofy guy I am today."

"Sounds like a jerk, honestly," Itsuka insults herself. I nudge her and she laughs. "Yeah, yeah… There's a guy I know who really wants to be a Hero. He barely sleeps, so he spends all that time training like the world depends on it—and I guess, in a way, it does. That only scratches the surface though. He doesn't take care of himself. He's always running into these stupid situations that'll get him hurt, or _worse._

"I get that it's a good quality for a rising Hero to have, but I can't stop myself from feeling this way. Ever since I stepped foot into U.A., I knew I had to take care of everyone; my friends, my family, and especially him. I am The People's Fist, the one who protects the weak, but that protection extends to everyone I hold dear. I guess what I'm trying to say is—I care about this guy a lot, t-too much if i'm being honest."

This isn't new information, but this is the first time she's directly telling me this. Whenever she got mad at me for being reckless, I knew she cares about me more than anyone else. Itsuka will always worry about me. Even if I fight a weak Villain, she'd still worry for me then. She wants to protect me, and I want to protect her. I want to protect all of my friends too. We aren't that different from each other.

I say with a massive smile on my face, "Well, I'm not worried about this girl. She's tough in both body and mind. She doesn't need anyone to take care of her because she's taking care of everyone else, especially me. God knows how much she hurts Monoma, despite me scolding her, or how she keeps Awase and Tsuburaba in line. Yet, I won't let that stop me. No matter how strong she is, I want to be the one who protects her. It sounds a bit corny or cheesy, but that's how I feel.

"She does so much for me, so it isn't fair if I don't do the same for her. But, I'd be lying if that was my only reason. I admire her so much, even though I don't say it or show it as much as I want to. I guess… I guess I'm trying to say that she's really important to me. That's the truth."

"S-Sanji…" Itsuka mutters, getting so red that I even feel the heat coming off of her face. Well, I think I made her _really_ embarrassed. So much for preventing that, but it's great seeing that side of her. Having her flustered around me, her _letting _me see her vulnerable side, it makes me feel special. "I—"

_Scribble scribble scribble!_

The sound of someone scribbling interrupts her. We look for the source and it's Shojo, who I completely forgot about. She has a large drawing pad out with pen and pencils, scribbling like her life depends on it. I hear her muttering like Midoriya, "Cute! This is such a cute scene! Reminiscing on the past, reflecting on the bond that they have? Perfect recipe for romance! The girl who protects everyone and the selfless boy who cares not for himself! They find love in caring for each other, but never themselves! Such a sweet couple! Dangit, didn't mean to mess up there! C'mon Shojo, get it together—!"

"Ahem," I clear my throat.

"Ahem," Itsuka clears hers.

Shojo looks up, her glasses drooping a little. "Don't judge me. The scene I'm seeing is so sweet that my heart is dying from a sugar overload. I can't help but to memorialize it as a manga panel! Right now, it's a sketch, but just you wait! Oh, you guys know I'm writing a manga, right?"

"Your Quirk is literally named 'Mangaka', so I somewhat expected it," I say. Itsuka mumbles to herself and scooches away where we aren't touching shoulders anymore. She sounds a little upset judging from the tone of her mumbles.

Shojo raises a finger, beaming proudly. "Good! I'm glad you know me well! You see, since 1-B is a little unpopular relative to 1-A, I decided to detail your journeys in a manga. It's nonfiction, but I exaggerated a few details here and there. It has a working name too!"

Itsuka whispers to me, "Oh jeez, why do I have a feeling it's a bad name?" Honestly, I'd reprimand her for her lack of faith in Shojo's names, but I have the same feeling as well.

"'Hero Class 1-B is Good Too!'" she exclaims. That's not a bad name, but…

"That sounds more like a light novel than a manga…" I give my opinion. Shojo shuts her mouth and pouts. Her cheeks grow three sizes too… I think she's mad at me. I think she's really mad at me.

Oh, she isn't looking at me anymore. She refuses to even make eye contact with one of her best friends! I gave my opinion. I didn't mean to say daggers that cut deep. Though, when I'm looking at Shojo now, she looks pretty cute when she pouts. Awase would love this, since he's basically in love with Shojo.

Itsuka puts her chin on my shoulder. She's pouting too! What did I do this time?! She's staring at me like _I know what you're thinking, you disgusting pervert_. Jeez, one moment, I was talking to Itsuka about how much she means to me, and I somehow got both her and Shojo angry. Go me…

Wait, where's Setsuna? If she was here, then she would've ran up here and started to beg Itsuka and I to confess our love to each other. I haven't heard her voice anywhere! I ask Itsuka, "Have you seen Setsuna?"

Itsuka stops pouting and takes her head off, thinking for a second. "You're right… It's oddly quiet. I haven't seen her yet. Where is she?"

"I don't exactly know. Earlier, I swore I saw her dad talking to uhm… What was his name…?" His name… The man was a businessman like Mister Tokage. He's a redhead, his hair a bit darker than Itsuka's, and he has a weird pointy nose. I saw him before in the news. His name… I got it! "I remembered! It was the founder of Deternat Company, Rikiya Yotsubashi."

"Think Setsuna's with them?" Shojo cuts in.

I scratch the back of my head. "Well, I—"

"YOOOOOO!" It's Present Mic.

The Proxy Battles are starting.

* * *

**Shinzo Mantora**

The first match is Honoteru Nichirin versus Kingo Wakuri. I think Wakuri's Quirk is called Dust. He can telepathically control any dust particles in an area. It sounds simple, but the applications are dangerous. I don't doubt that he could create dust storms. It wouldn't kill a person, usually, but it'll feel like torture. Your eyes being pelted, dust filling your lungs, most people wouldn't be able to take it. Dust is a Quirk fitting for making Villains surrender willingly. We won't encounter Villains like Tomura Shigaraki on a daily basis. Realistically, we'll meet common thugs who're wimps. Any sign of trouble, they'll scatter or give up. It's rare to see a thug that's headstrong.

But Nichirin, he's stubborn. There's no way that he'll lose by surrendering. You have to render him unconscious to win. For Wakuri, he has to choke Nichirin out without getting hit with his energy attacks. Unless Wakuri is agile like Inochi, then he can't dodge his attacks. I don't know Wakuri all that well, but the only ones who has the agility like Inochi are in the Hero Course. He won't win. Nichirin will beat him.

"Lemme hear you say 'Heck yeah!'" Present Mic yells, trying to hype the crowd. A majority of the crowd are grown adults on the job. So no one, even students like me, says anything. A loud and incredibly awkward silence rings throughout Battle Zone Central. We could all hear how silent the building is. If it didn't work with eager teenagers in the Entrance Exam, then it won't work here.

"He tries too hard…" Suzuki says next to me, huffing and crossing his arms, "Mantora, who do you think you'll go up against? Your beloved girlfriend?"

"I hope not. She'll enjoy being beaten by me," I reply. Kazeha is a unique woman. Because she's so unique that I can't help but to think to myself, _Why is she obsessed with me? _She is a national treasure and it'll be selfish of me to keep her. It's the only reason why I want to give her away. If anyone says I'm lying, then they're wrong.

"Wow Mantora, how cold. You can't deny that your nymphomaniac is cute. Some men, I definitely know a few, would gladly date _and_ have their way with her," Suzuki tells me while raising a finger. Hmph, Suzuki and I probably know the same few guys. I rarely get disgusted, but the thought of one of them together with Kazeha… Ugh.

"Suzuki—"

He grins. "You're gritting your teeth. Looks like you're currently attached to Kazeha—don't lie. I have too honestly—not romantically because hell no. Don't tell her this, but she's fun to have around." Teasing me, without insulting me, is not like Suzuki. He's nicer today, which is weird. I had a feeling he enjoys Kazeha, but him admitting it is off-putting. It must be from his tutoring session with Gera.

"Uh huh. How's that German book? Did you get what you want out of it? Whatever it is?" I ask him. I overheard his conversation with Gera the day before while Kazeha was trying to kill me. I didn't enjoy that.

Suzuki nods, crossing his legs. "Mhm, that's why I'm in a better mood. Thank God that I discovered that book. It's the testament to what kind of Heroes that our society is brewing. No wonder the Commission banned this book. It's controversial like the _Meta Liberation War_, but not many people know about it. It's not in the curriculum too."

"Suzuki, I won't lie to you, but you're so obsessed with Inochi that you read a book in order to insult him more. You have problems," I say, turning to the field. I ignored what Present Mic said. It's probably how the Proxy Battles will work. Twelve students with six in Class A and B each, six matches, most points win. There's a five minute time limit and if no one wins, the match will be considered a draw. In a case where both teams have the same amount of points, an extra match will be fought as the tiebreaker. Oh, you can win by knockout, pushing your opponent out of the arena, or by forfeit. That's about it.

Nichirin and Wakuri step up to the field. Suzuki sighs, saying one last thing to me, "Shut up, Mantora. Let's focus on the match." Nichirin is in his costume and so is Wakuri. Wakuri is wearing a beige peacoat with a collar that covers the bottom half of his mouth. He seems like the silent type.

Present Mic announces, "Kingo Wakuri of 1-A, the King of Dust, is fighting against The Solar Knight of the Sun, Honoteru Nichirin of 1-B! Let's talk to Nichirin first, shall we?! Will the honored warrior of the Nichirin Family be the victor against the controller of all dust?! What do you say, Honoteru Nichirin?! Are you ready?!"

"Splendidly ready! I may be a knight of the sun, but a king will not topple me! I draw my power from the supreme source—the sun! Come Wakuri, I will give you a dazzling battle that will be recorded in history!" he loudly states to the entire crowd.

Present Mic claps. "Beautiful! Now onto you Kingo Wakuri! Are you ready?!"

"Mhm."

"Is...that all?"

"Mhm."

"Okay!" Present Mic says after Wakuri meagerly responds. He's different than I expected. Wakuri's stoic, standing with a strong posture. Silent but serious, those types of men has power to back it. Anyway, Present Mic continues talking, "Let this battle commence! Three! Two! One! Fight!"

"Here I come, Kingo Wakuri!" Nichirin shouts, his veins glowing yellow. He's still absorbing the heat in the air. Wait, Battle Zone Central is air-conditioned. I don't think he has nearly enough power as compared to fighting outside in the sun. He might be at a disadvantage here. But, Nichrin laughs. "Take this!"

_SHINING STAR CRESCENT!_

That Super Move, Shining Star Crescent, I saw it earlier with his fights. It was a lot brighter back then. Here, it's dim _and_ slower. So I thought, Nichirin is less powerful in a colder environment. Yet, he's acting like he doesn't know his limitations. He's either arrogant of his own abilities or he's acting, maybe both. This puts things into perspective. Even in this environment, Nichirin still has a strong Quirk. Inochi is really skilled if he was able to defeat Nichirin when he was at his strongest.

"Hmph." Wakuri steps forward and—

_CLASH!_

"Impossible!" Nichirin exclaims. Huh, Wakuri willingly got hit by the Shining Star Crescent. There isn't a scratch on his body, only a slight scorch marks on his coat. He took Nichirn's attack like it's nothing. That's impressive. Not only Wakuri's Quirk sounds strong, he's resilient as well. Suzuki swears under his breath about something. Wakuri says, "Here."

He brings his hand out.

_Whooosh!_

The wind picks up. Dust starts to condense in front of Wakuri. It's thick that I can't see the other side. Nichirin yells, "You're a resilient man, are you not?! In that case, I'll barrage you with so much attacks that you have to go over your limit!"

"Okay," Wakuri replies before his miniature dust storm flies towards Nichirin. It picks up dust, growing larger and larger until it envelops a quarter of the arena. Everyone in the audience move back as the storm grows even larger than that. "Nichirin," Wakuri says, "take deep breaths."

_SAHARA DUST!_

The dust storm takes up half of the arena, the wind howling around us. Hoashi cowers, trying to find a place to shield himself from the wind. Nichirin, like always, is standing tall. His smile disappears though, frowning.

"You brute!" Nichirin shouts as the storm roars closer. "Manipulating dust to create such a storm?! Such power, but I'm afraid this isn't enough to fell me! Come, I'll set this dust ablaze!" He raises his hand towards the storm and fires a small ray towards the base. What is he trying to do—?

"—You?!"

_BLAZE!_

Present Mic yells, "WOAH! Nichirin, you're getting reckless!"

Akagawa swears, "That crazy bastard, what is he trying to do?!" Nichirin just set the dust storm on fire. Not only he has to worry about a dust storm, he also has to deal with a fire storm too. What is he thinking? He'll burn the entire building down. I didn't think that his Quirk could set things on fire, actually, but it did. The fire must've sparked upon impact. It has more than enough oxygen, which is the bad part.

Suzuki watches the storm closely, explaining, "You forgot how Nichirin's Quirk works. He doesn't take up light, remember? He takes up _heat_. That storm, well mini-tornado if you wanna be literal, is taking up all the air in the building—the cold air. By lighting Wakuri's dust storm on fire, he's creating more heat for himself to use. Nichirin might be haughty, but he isn't dumb. He turned his poor circumstances into his favor, inflicting Wakuri with a disadvantage in return."

Nichirin puffs his chest as his veins glow brighter and brighter. Wakuri, from the look on his face, realizes what's going on and thrusts his hands forward, slowing the wind. He disperses the storm all over the arena, destroying the storm and extinguishing the fire. There's still a few specs of fire strewn on the field, but they're small and unimportant to the fight. Nichirin laughs, raising his head high. "Kingo Wakuri, let's try this again, shall we?!"

_SHINING STAR CRESCENT!_

He unleashes another crescent from his chest. It flies faster, brighter, stronger towards Wakuri. It's the same strength when he was fighting out on a sunny day. Wakuri puts his arms up as his crescent hits him again in his chest. This time, it deals more damage. His peacoat is cut open, revealing his skin underneath. Wakuri grunts in pain, stepping forward with his hands out. "Ah—! You—?!"

"Concede," Nichirin states, standing tall. "Your Quirk is powerful, but I'm your perfect counter. Anything you do, it'll only make me stronger. No matter how many dust storms you create, I'll use them as energy, _if_ they don't burn Battle Zone Central to ash. If you continue to fight, then I'll simply have to pummel you until you go unconscious! As your opponent, I must suggest otherwise! It's better for both parties if you surrendered."

"Okay," Wakuri accepts? Did he accept defeat? That easily?

"What the?!" Present Mic yells into his mic. "Kingo Wakuri admits defeat so easily?! This is unexpected! What a turn!"

Wakuri nods. "Nichirin is right. No matter how many storms I can send out, Nichirin will ignite them. If I let them be, he'll absorb the heat, so I'm forced to dispel them unless I want to kill everyone here. That means Nichirin made my attacks useless, putting me in an impossible position to defeat him. Of course, I could send dust directly down his throat and into his lungs, but that would kill him. No one wants to see that."

He walks towards the center of the arena. Nichirin does the same. When they meet, Wakuri extends his hand and Nichirin takes it. They shake hands. Wakuri says, "Congratulations, Nichirin. This was a good fight."

"Would you look at this?! Honoteru Nichirin of 1-B wins! Mark the first fight for 1-B, why don't you! They gotta be happy now! Look at Neito Monoma!" Present Mic says as everyone stares at Monoma.

"Hahahaha! Already?! 1-B won their first match against 1-A! Bakugo, I thought you said that you'll win 6 to 0, you arrogant-minded numbskull! Oh wait, does this mean that 1-B _is_ better than 1-A in this case?! Ohohoho, I thought—!"

_CHOP!_

Kendo knocks Monoma out again. She raises her hand, apologizing, "Sorry! I should control him better! C'mon Monoma, you're sitting next to me." He groans as Kendo drags him to her seat.

Alright then.

* * *

The workers finally cleaned up the arena for the next match, which Present Mic introduces just now, "The arena is ready once again! Here comes the second match! Coming all the way from 1-A is Roku Hosoo, the man of all three dimensions! He's up against the mirror master himself, Jun Hoashi of 1-B!"

They walk up to the field. Hosoo has a stride that says he's full of himself while Hoashi is walking like a stiff piece of wood. Present Mic asks, "Dimension Man, are you ready to fight?!"

Hosoo, his Quirk is called Dimensional Shift. He can shift his body between all three dimensions. The function doesn't sound as interesting as the name itself. He says, "Ready as I'll ever be. No hard feelings, Hoashi, but I'm gonna win. No doubt about it."

"How prideful! Jun Hoashi, what about you?! You ready to fight like your life depends on it?!" Mic asks, yelling at Hoashi who recoils under the noise.

"Y-Yes…" he meekly responds. I have a feeling that the fight won't turn out well for Hoashi.

"Awesome! Let the fight commence! Three! Two! One! Begin!" Present Mic starts the match. Hosoo runs towards Hoashi with a grin on his face while Hoashi stands there, shying away from his opponent.

Suzuki says, "Hoashi isn't gonna do anything. He'll lose." He's right. Hoashi isn't doing anything. He's just standing there, waiting for Hosoo to take the opportunity to defeat him.

Hosoo finally sees this and slows down to a walk, approaching Hoashi face-to-face. He asks him, "Hoashi, this _is _a fight. Fighting is something we do, but you're standing still and trying to look away from me."

"M-My Quirk is useless here, okay?! There's nothing reflective here! I didn't think I would join the H.C.T.!" he cries before turning around. He's walking towards the outer bounds of the arena. "I-I can't be a Hero at this rate… I can't win…"

And he goes out of bounds, forfeiting the match. Akagawa remarks, shaking her head, "Poor guy. His Quirk isn't all bad. It's the man who controls it. His self-esteem is so low that he won't believe in himself."

Present Mic, his voice soft-spoken, says, "Then, Roku Hosoo of 1-A wins the battle. The score is 1 to 1—"

"I believe in you, Jun-Jun!" Tsunotori stands up on the bleachers. She cheers for him louder, "You _can_ become a Hero!"

"...!" Hoashi stands there, staring at Tsunotori.

Komori joins Tsunotori. "That's right! If she believes in you, then I do too!" Komori tries to drag Kuroiro up with her while Tsunotori does the same to Kamakiri.

"The girls are correct! Hoashi, you are the master of reflection! If I had to choose a Hero to fight alongside me, I'd choose you within a heartbeat!" Nichirin announces.

Fukidashi stands. "You might not have any faith in yourself, but we have faith in you. Take it from me, the scrawny nerd who's afraid of everything. This really does make your heart go 'BA-DUMP' doesn't it?"

"Ugh, fine!" Kamakiri throws his hands up in the air, doing what Tsunotori wants. "Look, you ain't useless. If you were, then how the hell wouldja get into U.A. in the first place? Even if you don't believe in yourself, you got plenty of idiots who're sticking by your ass 'till the very end. Sure, they're rude as hell, but they're all you got. 'Specially this dope right 'ere." He pokes Tsunotori's cheek.

"That's right. With you on our side, I knew that we could defeat even Charon, and we did." Rin's next.

One by one, more of 1-B stand up for him before everyone joins in. Out of respect, I stand up with Suzuki who's smiling to himself. Jeez, I didn't expect this to happen. With what happened with Inochi, something as kind as this wouldn't have crossed my mind, but it happened. Because of it, Hoashi is crying. He wipes his tears off his face, but they keep flowing. All Might approaches him and wraps an arm around his shoulder, walking to the exit together.

Everyone chants, "Go Jun-Jun!"

Heh… Everyone needs someone to back them up. He's lucky that he has the entire school rooting for him. One way or another, we can relate to him. Feeling weak or worthless is something that everyone experiences, even guys like Bakugo. Seeing Hoashi embody that extreme brings out the same emotions in all of us. So, just this once, everyone can come together—no matter how weak or strong they are—and give Hoashi the motivation he needs. Even All Might is supporting him. That means everybody, doesn't matter who, was in Hoashi's shoes before. Those who say otherwise are liars.

As All Might and Hoashi leave Battle Zone Central, we calm down. Suzuki says, "That was a pleasant surprise. I won't lie, Mantora, but I thought Hoashi did the least in The Six Wanderers exercise."

"Because he had no faith in himself, you jerk," Akawaga scolds Suzuki, hitting him over the top of the head. "Self-esteem can do a lot more than you imagine."

Suzuki yelps, rubbing where she hit him. "I know, I know… Glad the entire school is with him. I hope that Hoashi becomes a good Hero for himself, I guess." He shrugs. We turn to the rest of the stands and bleachers. The Pro Heroes are amused, chatting to each other about what happened while the media is eating this up like it's candy.

Then, Present Mic clears his throat, ushering a silence that sweeps the building. "Woohoo! That is what U.A. stands for! Cheering one another on despite our faults! It's what makes this school great! Plus Ultra even! Yahoo!"

"What's the next match, Present Mic?!" Akagawa shouts, loud enough that it echoes. Everyone goes silent and stares at her, but she doesn't care.

"I'm glad you asked, June Akagawa! This next match is awfully funny, actually! This is the Battle of the Shinsos! The Brainwasher of the Weak Hearts, Hitoshi Shinso from Class 1-A! He's up against the Frightening Boy with the Golden Heart, Shinzo Mantora from 1-B! Which heart will shine the brightest? Which will be taken over by force?! Let's find out! Come on up to the plate!" Mic announces my match. At least I'm already standing.

Before I go, Suzuki advises me, "Remember Mantora, don't talk to Shinso. If you say a single word to him, he'll brainwash you and that's the match. You're not immune to him unlike Midoriya; hell, I heard rumors that Inochi is immune too." Yeah, I remember. During the Sports Festival, Shinso brainwashed Ojiro, Shoda, and countless of other students too. If I do get trapped by his Quirk, I don't have any way to snap myself out of it, which is what Midoriya did, pun not intended. It should be an easy match if I don't answer any of his questions. Just get in close and take him out.

"Got it, thanks," I say, walking off to my side of the field. Shinso stands on the other. He has his hands in his pockets with a blank expression. His costume is just his P.E. uniform, but there's white binds wrapped around his neck. It's like Eraserhead's. So the rumors are true—Shinso is being tutored by him. Don't think he's trained with it though. Right now, Shinso is staring at me, measuring me up, trying to find what ticks. It'll be hard though. I've been told that I'm an inexpressive guy—many many times from Kazeha.

"Hitoshi Shinso, the only General Course student who got into the Sports Festival, you prepared to fight your other heart?!" Present Mic screams into his mic.

"Ready. What about you, other Shinzo?" he asks.

"..." I don't answer.

He tells Mic, "Shinzo's ready. He's smarter than he looks, if he can even see through his bangs. Can you see?"

"He'd better see me! I'm rooting for you, Hentai Protagonist! You got this!" Kazeha yells from 1-A's stand. Gera sits her down and makes Kazeha bow her head. She's whispering something to her. Well, I'll just ignore what she called me.

Shinso shakes his head. "I'm too tired to even ask about that..."

Mic berates her, "School appropriate, Kazeha! Please, school appropriate words! Don't make us treat you like Midnight! She has to take faculty meetings every week on what's allowed in a school environment! She learns nothing!"

"Hizashi, you dumb man!"

"Wait Nemuri, I—?! Ack?"

_BANG!_

I think that was the sound of a head slamming against a desk. Midnight comes on the mic, "Hehe~! Don't worry about a thing! Shinso and Shinzo, please start your fight while we deal with some _technical _difficulties!" We hear gurgling before another _bang. _I look at Shinso and he looks at me. We mutually agree to not question the "technical difficulties".

With our match officially started, I dash towards Shinso. He steps backwards and with his right hand, he grips his binds. He's trying to capture me before I reach him. Shinso grits his teeth and whips the binds towards me, but his movements are stiff and slow. I side-step his binds, easily dodging it. He shouts, "Damnit! You—?!"

_Grasp!_

Before he pulls his binds back, I grab them and yank him towards me, causing him to go off-balanced. Unless he wants to fall, he needs to take a few seconds to re-balance himself. That's all I need to close the distance. I let go of the binds and run forward; Shinso takes the time to stand himself up again. He grits his teeth as he sees me getting closer. There isn't enough time for him to attack with his binding weapon again, but he has enough time to do something. For some reason, he's standing still, glaring at me. "Shinzo Mantora! Glowing Heart is such a good Quirk! Yet, you're just a lazy slacker who doesn't do anything good with it!"

"..." I run in with my right fist clenched.

"You can heal like Recovery Girl, punch like Midoriya! Who isn't envious of that?! This must be the first year where the General Courses _could actually _stand up to Class A and B without being sweeped away like dirt!" Shinso taunts me again.

"..." I'm closer.

His body goes stiff. Shinso glares, staring at where my eyes are supposed to be. He isn't trying to parry my attack. He isn't doing anything. The only thing he does is whispering, "Do you think you can be a Pro Hero, _Shinzo Kichoki_?"

?!

"How do you—?!"

_BRAINWASH!_

"Shinzo Mantora is spelled?! I thought that boy had nerves of steel! What did Shinso say to him?!" Midnight… That's...Midnight…

My fist stops...right before...Shinso's face… He smiles and...pats my shoulder...rewrapping his binds around his neck. I can't...move...

My mind is...drawing blanks…

"Shinzo Mantora, do me a favor and step out of bounds." Shinso...asks…me…

My legs are...moving on...their own…

I can't...see...how far I am… Everything's...gray…and dark…

I see the line… I…

I walk out of...bounds…

"Hitoshi Shinso is the winner! That's two points for Class A and a single point for Class B!" Midnight… I—?!

_SMACK!_

Principal Nezu. He hits me over the head, freeing me from Shinso's Quirk. The world becomes clearer again. He says to me with a slight frown, "Well, I didn't expect that, Mister Kichoki. I'll fetch Shinso and we'll have a talk, okay?"

"Okay…" I reply, looking back at him. Shinso stands in the middle of the arena with a soft smile on his face. We hear his classmates cheering for him, chanting his name. Eraserhead is by the 1-A stand, impressed. Damn…

He won.

* * *

**Karisuma Suzuki**

"Seems like Nezu is taking the Shinsos out for a talk. Got any ideas why?" Usami asks, nudging me with her shoulder. She doesn't know the answer? It's obvious. It must be the reason why Mantora answered Shinso's question. What did Shinso say that rattled his bones?

"It's about what Shinso said. If Nezu is involved, then it must be really important, or Nezu is Nezu. You can never know in this school," I answer, crossing my arms. Please don't tell me that not only Inochi and Midoriya are special, Mantora is too. Kazeha calls him a "mystery", so I swear to God if Nezu is addressing that mystery, I'm going to take a swan dive off a cliff. Wait, it means Shinso knows the mystery too. Ugh, just what the hell is going on?

"Yet, did you take a gander at Mister Aizawa? Shinso had the same restraining weapon as he did. The rumors are true, aren't they?" Nichirin rhetorically asks next, beaming with joy. "What a lucky man! Having a Pro Hero as a tutor must be dazzling! I fear that favoritism will play a role in deciding the transfers, but Shinso is a very lucky individual!"

Akagawa shakes her head. "I'm not getting transferred for sure, Hoashi too. If Eraserhead likes Shinso, then there's no chance that anyone else in 1-C will get transferred. With this many students in the H.C.T., U.A. will probably choose one kid from each class. Shinso is guaranteed to be the 1-C transfer, and with how All Might treated Suzuki, he's the 1-D transfer. Favoritism like that? Freaking obvious."

She has a lot of conviction saying that. It's coming out of a place of jealousy. I can see Shinso being the 1-C transfer, but me? Gera has a better chance than I do. She has a clean record and a better Quirk. Because All Might called me out directly, everyone thinks I'm a special case, which means I'll be favored over other students. I'm only being treated like that because I'm one step away from explusion, and I have the desire to change. That's why All Might took an interest in me. He wants me to chance.

"Then I'll be the 1-E transfer! I am impressive enough to join the mighty ranks of Heroes-in-Training! Don't you three agree with me?" Nichirin swears, his hair flowing in the wind, but there's no wind in here…

"Whatever you tell yourself…" Akagawa says.

"Honestly, no!" Usami weirdly exclaims.

"Sure, why not?" and I give him my thoughts.

Nichrin pats his chest, having his hand over his heart. "I'm taking your answers as a resounding 'yes', my dear friends!"

_Click_!

"Ahem, forgive us for our, uhm, 'technical difficulties'. It was...hard to resolve," Present Mic comes back, being the announcer again. "Now! Let's move onto the next half of the Freshman Proxy Battles! It is time for Sakuna Kazeha, the Sakura Bloom of 1-A, fighting against June Akagawa, the Miss Issac Newton of 1-B! Come on down!"

"Welp, wish me luck," Akagawa says, entering the arena with a walk that says, I'm badass and I know it. Yeah, she's a punky girl. On the other side, Kazeha skips to her end. She doesn't seem that bothered that her boyfriend ran off with a man with the same name as him.

Mic screams like an annoying banshee, "Alright! Sakuna Kazeha, the next Midnight, are you prepared to fight the Physics Punk?!"

"Ready as can be! Try hitting me when I'm sakura petals, Akagawa!" she taunts, leaning forward with a seductive smirk.

"Such confidence! But June Akagawa, think you can beat The Sakura Maiden?!" Present Mic asks Akagawa next, shouting into his mic. There must be so much spit on it.

She nods, smirking. "Naturally! I'm not only a punk, but I'm a smart punk. C'mon pretty girl, you're lucky that we aren't goin' fist-to-fist. I don't even need to touch you to win." This fight might turn out like Tokage's, but worse. Kazeha's a lot faster with her Quirk, smaller too. But, she can't fight with her petals. She has to reform herself to do any attacks, and that's a little risky.

Present Mic warns, "Kazeha, remember the out of bounds rule! If a single petal falls out of bounds, then you'll lose!" Kazeha responds with a thumbs up. "Alright then! Let the battle begin! Fight!"

Kazeha bursts into a flutter of sakura petals, flying extremely fast towards Akagawa, who widens her eyes. She shifts one of Kazeha's petals away from the crowd. Oh, she's been doing her research. Kazeha's unable to reform herself unless all of her petals are close together. If one is separate from the crowd, she can't be whole. Present Mic narrates, though no one's asking him to, "Only one?! Akagawa only shifted one?! What will she do now?!" Huh, so petals don't count as living people.

Akagawa smirks and starts running right towards a corner. Ah, I see what she's doing. Usami facepalms beside me. "Is she running out of bounds too? Or is there some masterplan that I'm not seeing because I'm an idiot?"

I snark, "You're an id—"

"Rascal, don't finish that sentence," she replies, trying her best to not laugh at herself, "tell me what Akagawa's planning."

"I think Akagawa just came up with the plan on the spot. Present Mic said that not a single Kazeha petal can go out of bounds, and Kazeha probably knows that Akagawa's Quirk only activates on what she sees. She would try to move out of her line of sight, but Akagawa knows that. That's why she moved to the corner. Do you see what I'm saying?" I ask, letting her finish my thought.

"That genius!" Nichirin stands up—he's not the one I wanted to answer. "She's forcing Kazeha into her line of sight so Vectors can take affect!"

"If Kazeha remains in her petal state. Because, from the looks of it, that's not the case," I tell them, watching the battle closely. Akagawa is standing at a corner, ready to intercept Kazeha. She regroups herself and swoops towards Akagawa. Before she could use Vectors, Kazeha does exactly what I think she'd do—

_LOVE FLUTTER STRIKE!_

Love Flutter Strike, it's a Super Move that Kazeha invented. Using the momentum of her petals, she reforms herself, still having the momentum from before; thus, her attack will be stronger. There's no way that Akagawa can stop her in time, but she had bragged something earlier, didn't she? Something about fighting Kazeha "fist-to-fist"?

Kazeha flies towards Akagawa with her right leg extended straight out, aiming for Akagawa's chest. This tactic is risky, because if the kick connects, Akagawa will be pushed out-of-bounds. "Sorry about this, Akagawa!" Kazeha exclaims.

"Like hell!" Akagawa snaps, hands ready. Before I know it, they connect.

_BAM!_

Akagawa catches her foot, but she doesn't budge a single centimeter, a millimeter even. Kazeha's eyes widen, and within a blink, Akagawa throws her out of the arena. She tumbles over, stopping a few meters before the 1-A stands. Kazeha picks her head up and pouts. "Jerk."

"Woah! June Akagawa of 1-B is the winner through toss-out! What a move! I'm impressed! The score is tied with two points for each class!" Mic says, and the 1-B stand goes wild. Nichirin gives Akagawa a round of applause; she gives him a wink in return. Kazeha and I catch each other's gaze at the same time. I stick my tongue out and she frowns, shaking her head in disappointment. Aw, she's getting grumpy.

Monoma exclaims near the top of the bleachers, "That's two points for 1-B! Ha—!"

"Monoma!" Kendo says before she chops him again—Actually no, Inochi catches her wrist. I wonder how many times he had to stop her from attacking Monoma? Too much to count, honestly.

Akagawa returns, sitting down and crossing her legs. After a few minutes of mindless chatter—thanks to a scheduled commercial break—Present Mic announces the next match, "The fifth match! It'll be Gera Rudolphus of 1-A, the German Seismic, against Kyoko Usami of 1-B, the Woman Born From the Mist!"

Usami spits her water out. "I have to fight Gera?!"

Akagawa smirks, playfully hitting her back. "Rest in pieces!"

I nod, glancing at Gera who's flexing her arms. "Have a good dirt nap."

Nichirin bows his head in respect. "Please try your best."

"I hate you three so much!"

* * *

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Wow Usami, guess you're like a rock stuck in a hard place, huh?" Honenuki makes a pun. We, except for Nichirin, shoot him a stare that says, Go jump off the roof and die.

Awase grabs Honenuki by his collar and pulls him back. "Yeah, he only wanted to make you feel better, Usami because, uhm, y'know… You're kinda…encased in stone at the moment."

"You think? I thought it was rock therapy. It's supposed to calm your body by sticking sharp jagged rocks very close to your heart. You should try it out sometime!" Usami says as a couple of workers try to chisel her out of Gera's trap. That's one of her Super Moves that she's been working on—The Deep Terra. A pun, it's a stupid pun. I hate her because of it. Only Honenuki would do that, and she stooped down to his level. What a shame. She's my friend, but now I'm disowning her.

"Yeah… Anyway…" Awase turns to me. I can tell he's trying his best to not tell me off. He adjusts his headband and says, "Suzuki dude, the score's up 3 to 2, and 1-A's winning. We can't let that happen again. Everybody's gonna think that we suck, and that's a stinking lie! I'm counting on you to bring the score to a tie."

"Everyone is," Rin adds, nodding. "I'm not one to focus on fame much, but we need to beat 1-A. That's why we need you to beat Yutani. We just need to figure out the volunteer for the tie-breaker match afterwards." Heh, I'm honored to have 1-B putting some amount of faith in me. They hate me, but they value beating 1-A over their hatred. That's sweet of them… Anyway, let's think about Asuka Yutani. Her Quirk is called Keratin Control. She can force herself to produce a ton of keratin—her nails and hair—using them at her disposal. Her nails become a weapon and her hair transforms into a restraining weapon like what Mister Aizawa uses.

"Suzuki!" Mister Kan says my name, walking up. He glances at Usami and winces before looking back at me. "I'm sure Awase and Rin already told you, but you're our last chance from a lost. You need to win this match, else Aizawa will win again. Damn those kids. They're great students, don't misunderstand, but their strength is immeasurable compared to previous years."

"You're really jealous of Eraserhead, aren't you, Mister Kan?" I ask, smirking slightly. He frowns, not because I told everyone his real feelings, but because I'm being smug about it.

"Yup, Class A and B are natural rivals. It's been that way since U.A. was founded. Midoriya, that kid, is special, Bakugo is a prodigy, and Todoroki is Endeavor's son. Compared to us, we have the granddaughter of Master Kendo, the grandson of Qinglong, and whatever Inochi is," he tells us, looking up at where Kendo, Monoma, Inochi, and Fukidashi's sister are sitting. (I don't know why she's with them considering she's in 1-H, if I remember.)

Rin speaks up, "I mean no offense Mister Kan, but our blood relations don't matter much. It doesn't define our morals or our values. Sure, we can be born with a great power, but if we're cruel with them, the power will go to waste."

"That's true, Rin. Whoever Shigaraki's father is, he did a good job at raising a Villain. Yet, your grandfather, Qinglong, taught you morals that you brought into 1-B. Kendo's grandfather taught her everything he knows in martial arts and how to protect the weak. Blood relations don't define you, but it defines your past, and that defines the kind of Hero you are today. Personally, we should be reminded of our past on a daily basis. If we forget where we came from and only focus on the future ahead of us, then…"

Mister Kan looks at Midoriya, who's currently talking with the screaming Bakugo. "We would lose ourselves. That's the difference between us and them. They can easily adapt in combat, considering they went up against the trash that's called the League of Villains, but their teamwork is abysmal. Their heroism was forged in fire, but not their hearts. Compared to us, we've been walking through hell, being criticized on whether or not we—my students—can become proper Pros. But… Heh, I never felt so close to my students before, I won't lie to you, but this is the first. That's why I believe that by forging our hearts first, our ideals of heroism will be stronger than theirs."

The 1-B students around us blush, feeling Mister Kan's love through his words. And then there's us General Students. We don't exactly fit into this conversation, but oh well.

Honenuki asks, pointing at Bakugo, "Even with the angry blonde pineapple over there? He's stronger than all of us. You think his heroism is strong too?"

Mister Kan laughs, patting Nichirin's shoulder only because he's the closest to him. "Of course not! I talked to Bakugo a few times. He only cares about winning and uprooting All Might as the top Pro! Those are shallow dreams compared to yours. Like I said before, his heart isn't steeled yet. When it does, we'll get to see exactly how his heroism cracks."

"You sound way too happy about that, not gonna lie," I comment. Mister Kan, Honenuki, and some others frown. I react by raising my hands. "What? It's true. I get that it's Bakugo, he's an asshole, but still!"

"My dude, that's ironic coming from you," Awase says, and I can't get mad at that. It's very true.

"What's going on?" Inochi comes down from the stands with his friends. Kendo and Monoma is with him while Fukidashi, girl Fukidashi, goes up to her brother. Inochi asks, "Are you guys talking to Suzuki about the last match?"

"He needs to tie the score! Else, we'll have another defeat by 1-A's hands! Something like that is unacceptable!" Monoma exclaims, standing up tall.

"For you, a pompous idiot who cares way too much about fame for his own good, definitely. Me? It's not the end of the world, though you'd surely cause it," Kendo comes in, putting a hand to her head. "Jeez though, Suzuki, just don't kill Yutani. I swear to God if we're going to have another incident like Golden Week—"

"If you have faith in me, then put it there. No need to threaten me again, or have your boyfriend punch me," I interrupt her, glancing at Inochi. He crosses his arms, showing no remorse whatsoever. "Remind me, he punched that livestreamer about a month ago, right? Lucky he wasn't sued or charged with assault."

Mister Kan clears his throat. "Moving on. Kendo and Inochi, I know you two aren't fond of Suzuki, but I know you respect him at the very least. And Suzuki, please don't say anything to provoke them for goodness sake. You're on the edge of expulsion, no need to look down the cliff."

I salute. "Roger that, captain."

Mister Kan rolls his eyes, then turning to his two star pupils. "Anyway, I was talking about how 1-A compares to 1-B, and that some of us here are related to great Heroes of the past. Inochi, remember anything about your family? Just out of morbid curiosity."

Kendo huffs, puffing her cheeks. "Mister Kan, I don't mean to be rude, but that's a sensitive subject for Sanji. You shouldn't ask a foster kid about their parents; it's like telling a girl that they gained weight." That's the first time I heard that analogy and it oddly fits.

Mister Kan sighs, giving into what Kendo said. He apologizes, "Sorry Inochi. You might hate it, but I wanted to brag to Aizawa that you're related to someone great as well."

Inochi replies, "I don't mind, really. A teacher should be proud of their students, and vice versa. So far, you've been great, Mister Kan. I can't ask for a better teacher."

("Why am I here? Please kill me," Usami says in the back, still stuck in Gera's prison.)

Mister Kan smiles, crossing his arms. "No need to get sappy, Inochi, but I appreciate it."

"Allllllllright! It's time for the final match of the Freshman Proxy Battles! Asuka Yutani, the Mistress of Keratin of 1-A, is fighting the infamous Karisuma Suzuki, the Raging Kitsune of 1-B! Come on up would ya?!" Present Mic tells us the final match. Welp, off I go. Better not disappoint 1-B—more importantly, I gotta impress U.A. and the other Heroes here. They have their eyes on me. All Might, Endeavor, Hawks, and the rest of them. Can't back down now.

"I give you my best wishes!" Nichirin exclaims with a hand on his chest.

"Good luck, don't mess up," Usami deadpans. She's almost free...almost.

"Yutani won't win against you. That's a guarantee," Akagawa says, smirking.

"Don't tuck your tail under your legs and run!" Honenuki makes another stupid pun. I appreciate the thought, but seriously, I hate it and him.

"Bring this home for 1-B! C'mon, we gotta get a win against 1-A!" Awase tells me, sneaking a glance over to girl Fukidashi.

"How ironic that our once-foe became our greatest hope! Carry us the way, Suzuki!" Monoma says. If this exercise means so much to him, then I feel sorry. I have more stock in this exercise than he does, but okay.

I look at the last three: Mister Kan, Kendo, and Inochi. The only thing they give me is a nod for good luck. That's just about what I expected. I leave the 1-B stands behind and walk to the arena. In front of me is Asuka Yutani, who's wearing an orange and black bodysuit. She has long gray hair, but she doesn't look like a grandma though. I wave, asking, "Yutani, how's your day?"

"Good, please go easy on me~" she says with a wink. She's definitely flirting with me. That's a good strategy though. Any guy would get their head messed with from that, but come on. I'm the king at taunting. She's awful at trying to distract me.

I say back, putting a hand on my hip, "Your definition of 'easy' is different than mine."

Yutani laughs, batting her hair off to the side. "That's funny, but the show has to go on. Let's have a good match, Suzuki." We go to our ends of the arena.

Mic, starting with Yutani first, asks, "Asuka Yutani! The Gray-Haired Mistress, think you can bring the trophy home to 1-A?!"

She replies, asking, "There's a trophy?"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'! What about you, Mister Mythological Kitsune?! Do you believe you can tie the score for 1-B?!" Mic asks me next. So loud… I think I feel his spit hitting the back of my neck.

"Sure, I'm ready. Hit me with what you got," I say my thing, keeping it brief. I grow two tails out. That should be enough to win. I'm still not able to utilize Fury Of the Nine Tails, but that's expected. It's only been a couple of days after all. Even then, it seems like a really hard to skill to use, let alone master to its fullest potential—if I manage to become a Pro Hero. I can't stress out about it, so I just gotta fight like normal.

Mic sighs and we hear him banging his head against his desk. "I thought you'd say more, but I'll take it. Now, if Yutani wins this battle, 1-A wins the Freshman Proxy Battles! If Suzuki wins, then there will be a tiebreaker match! Those are the stakes, so c'mon Heroes! Three! Two! One! Fight!"

Yutani doesn't give me a chance to blink. Her hair splits apart into five separate binds, all flying towards me in varying speeds. Seriously? She can control her hair too? That makes things a lot more annoying, especially with this many coming at me at once!

I find an open space to my right and duck into it, avoiding Yutani's attempt to bind me together. She smirks, causing my senses to flare up. Shit, I can feel her hair coming around to try another damn time. I dash forward, moving closer to Yutani, following the trail of hair that leads to her. Her eyes widen before narrowing—heh, she must be thinking that I'm trying to attack her or something! No, that's a stupid thing to assume! I'm not an idiot like Gera!

"Coming at me, huh?! Take this!" she says.

I feel the tips of her hair—!

_LEAP!_

I flip backwards, letting her five split ends fly pass where I once was. I land right on her hair, the part where it isn't split, trapping it with my feet. I take out my claws and give her a haircut courtesy of the best barber in the world! My nails go cleanly through her hair. It falls onto the ground useless. Alright, that's one problem down, another to solve! When I was running towards her earlier, she wasn't able to grow her hair out of anywhere that isn't the ends! Once I cut her hair, I made the new ends right underneath my feet, meaning that she'll bind me if I don't move right away!

"Y-You—?!" Yutani stammers before I sprint towards her again. I run with my body low to the ground, slashing and cutting and dicing her hair into pieces! I'm not going to let this flirt bind me so easily! She has to try a lot harder than that! She exclaims, "From my Quirk, the keratin proteins in my hair are more durable than the average human's! How are you cutting them?!"

"From overpowering you, you dumbass! So what if your hair is tougher?! It's nothing compared to a sword, in this case nails, that can cut anything!" I snap back, getting close to her. Only a few meters left! Yutani swears under her breath before moving her legs slightly apart, having her hands out. She's gonna show off her claws now!

"Then I'll prove that my claws are sharper!" she says before her nails grow out to be as long as short swords on both hands! Damnit all! Yutani raises her arms and—!

_SWIPE!_

_SLIDE!_

I slid right through her legs as the tips of her claws scrap against my white hood. That was a little too close for comfort, but I'm unscathed. Yutani yelps, realizing what I just did. "You just slid through my legs! You—!" Uh oh, she's attacking again!

Yutani twists her waist, swiping behind her with her right hand. But I'm sorry to say, I'm not there anymore! I pivoted myself to her left before she even thought to attack behind her! Once she sees I'm no longer there, I swipe her legs out from under her, knocking Yutani on her ass. She yelps in pain as I stand above her, placing my foot on her chest. "Sorry, but forfeit the match. Like I said before—I overpower you. What's an ant to a boot? A child to a giant that's able to touch the clouds?"

"I'm not weak, damnit! I'm strong, just you watch!" she pleads, struggling under my foot. A few people in the stands, all from the Support and Management Department, start to boo me. "See! They think you're being unreasonable! This is not how you treat a woman!"

I roll my eyes, glaring at the people who're booing me. Some are even shouting insults. Jeez, here I thought they loved me. "I'm seriously being heckled right now? This is unbelievable. I thought I was disliked, but holy shit, I was wrong."

"Yeah…" Yutani growls. Weird, her voice got deeper. It's like she's…

"Suzuki—! —air! —air!" Akagawa shouts from afar. Damnit, I can't hear parts of her sentence. She can't be talking about "air" since that doesn't make sense whatsoever. It kinda sounds like she's saying…

Yutani's hair wraps around my ankle, the foot that's pressed against her stomach. Fuck! That's why Akagawa was shouting! Hair! She meant "hair"! She was telling me that Yutani's making her move while I was distracted!

I raise my right claw—Yutani binds it. I raise my left—Yutani binds that too. She binds my other foot, making all four of my limbs immobile. Damnit, I shouldn't have let myself get bothered by those stupid Support and Management Courses!

"Fufu, I told you I was stronger!" Yutani exclaims as she raises me in the air. Her hair is strong enough to lift a man from the ground? Ugh, I really hate metaology sometimes. This girl, I don't know her that well—I mean, she was one of the ones who really hated Tokage and Inochi during the Sports Festival—but she seems like a real vixen. Best that I don't turn my back on her, else I'll find a knife in my spine.

Yutani stands back up before a strand of her hair wraps around my neck and—?!

"Ffrk—!" She chokes the air of my throat. The hell?! Is she really trying to kill me?! How did this psycho get into U.A.?!

"Something wrong, Suzuki? The reversal of fortune is terribly sweet, isn't it?" this bitch taunts me. The audacity… This girl's arrogance, it's like mine before I knew I had to change… I think… I think I could…

"I-I..." I struggle to say, choking on my own words. Yutani loosens the hair around my neck; I can start breathing again. She brings me closer so she could see my vulnerable and pitiful eyes right in front of her face.

"What was that? Speak up," Yutani demands, dragging one of her stupidly long nails across my cheek.

If the queen demands, then I say, "I-I knew you would do that, you dumb bitch!" My vulnerable and pitiful eyes? It's nothing to the weak ones she has.

I pull my head back and—!

_BAM!_

I used my forehead to make a dent in that pretty face of hers! She cries in pain, her hair around my wrists and ankles slip off like it was never there in the first place! I fall back onto my feet at the same time as Yutani stumbles back, creating some space between us. I charge forward, not wasting this chance, and jump, spinning around in the air and landing a kick right in the middle of her chest!

_KICK!_

She got sent flying down the arena, rolling and tumbling on the hard floor until friction stops her from moving any further. The entire building gets quiet as everyone watches Yutani slowly rise up, glaring at me. She puts a foot back, her gray hair levitating in the air. Looks like she's still ready to fight, however… "Karisuma Suzuki of 1-B wins! He tied the score 3 to 3!"

Hurray.

"Wh-What?! Impossible! How did I—?!" Yutani looks down at her feet. She's out of bounds. That's sad. She looks sad. I almost feel sad for her, but no. I don't feel any hint of remorse in my body. Call me "heartless", but I just don't care about a bitch like her.

Anyway, she isn't my problem anymore. My job is done; 1-B is happy; my friends are happy; everything is great. ("Come back here, you asshole! We aren't done yet! I'll prove to you that I'm strong! I'm stronger than your foxy ass! C'mon!") Huh, I think I hear an ant whining. Ah, it's too high-pitched for me to hear and way too annoying. There should be a nice boot that crushes the ant. Talk about doing society a favor…

I walk back to the 1-B stands where everyone's waiting for me. They run up and give me high-fives, pats on the back, good words, and everything else in-between. Would you look at me? I'm popular again. I might be a proxy—since "Proxy Battles" is literally the name of this exercise—but it's nice being the center of attention again, in a good way. Even Kendo is happy. I know her enough that she's happy because everyone else is, not because I won. Mister Kan breaks up the crowd, announcing, but smiling, "Now now! We still have to decide who's going to fight in the tiebreaker match!"

Everyone goes silent and looks at us four—me, Nichirin, Akagawa, and Usami. Hoashi and Mantora are still out.

I sigh, scratching my cheek. "Well… I think—"

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"My prince, that Suzuki boy really changed his act, hasn't he?" Claude says, looking at the posters of All Might and the other U.A. alumni. That's a bit odd question since we're no longer in Battle Zone Central anymore. We've returned to the main building where scarcely any people remain—only a few students who're skipping, a few reporters, and U.A. staff.

"Yes, but he still has a long path ahead of him. Even though All Might cares for him more than the average student, it doesn't mean he'll be transferred into a Hero Class. His relationship with Inochi and 1-B will play a big factor in U.A.'s judgement, so he has to amend that or he'll continue to stay within the General Department," I say, nearing the cafeteria. This isn't our destination, but Claude wanted to get a drink before we search for Principal Nezu.

Claude steps in, saying, "Finally! I love this place! Such a warm atmosphere—"

"Okay, okay! You gonna tell me that Mikani, this static girl, will fuckin' win?! She's a one-dimensional character like your damn head, Cartoony! Even Pony agrees with me, you uneducated nerd!"

"Kamakiri, hear me out! You only watched the anime, okay?! Just the anime! You haven't read the manga like I have! She will rise up to the top of the list, winning Daiji's heart and scores better than the other girls! Shojo agrees with me! You?! You only disagree with me because you and Pony are anime-onlys! You guys are so narrow-minded that it's stupid! So please: Read. The. Manga."

"Bitch, the only thing I'm readin' is you! All I see is stupid lil' words comin' out of your mouth that doesn't make no damn sense whatso-fuckin'-ever! Mikani does _nothin_' for the entire season! The creator gotta do some one-eighty reverso magic 'cuz I don't see this cardboard box goin' anywhere but livin' with ten cats, which by the way, is her only personality trait!"

Claude and I stand at the side, silently watching Manga and Kamakiri argue. Manga notices us and exclaims, "Grandmaster! Count! You agree with me, right?! Mikani is the best girl in _Superb Sixtuplets!_"

Claude raises his hand. "Before that, how did this argument start?"

Kamakiri starts to explain…

* * *

**Manga Fukidashi and Togaru Kamakiri**

"Y'know Kamakiri, I'm gonna put this out there—_Superb Sixtuplets _is one of the best harem stories out there."

"Uh huh."

"I'm serious. Mikani's gonna win—"

"Take that back."

"What?"

"Dumbass, you heard what I said—take it back."

"No! I'm standing my ground! She's the wife!"

"That's it, we're fightin'."

"Fighting?!"

"Bet your ass we're fightin'! All I'm smellin' is bullshit from you!"

"It's not bullshit, it's facts! You don't like the smell of facts?!"

"It ain't facts if they're fuckin' wrong!"

"You're only saying that because Pony hates Mikani!"

"No, that's one of the many freakin' reasons why Mikani's awful! Just tell me how she's the wife! C'mon! Say it!"

"Well—!"

* * *

I ponder for a brief second—for dramatic effect really—and say, "For your information Jack Mantis, I never took you as a man to enjoy the genuine article of what Japan is known for. I'm impressed. You are a man of true culture."

"Grandmaster, with all due respect, please shut up," Kamakiri snaps at me while Claude tries his best to not laugh like a howling wolf. Kamakiri though, I notice that he's holding a candy apple in his hand, which looks quite delicious. I suspect it's not for himself though. Rather, it's for Pony Tsunotori. He's grown awfully fond of her lately, hasn't he?

Manga's on his phone, reading something, an article I presume. "Hey Kamakiri, _My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?! _is having a second season. As the one who read the manga, you're not ready for the The Villain Overlord Arc." The Villain Overlord? That's one of the stories that was birthed in the Vigilante Era, or the Origin of Quirks. It's a story that's equivalent to… Well, All For One. If only these two men knew how ironic this is.

Claude speaks up, "Does this manga often adapt Origin of Quirk stories into material? That's a little odd, but then again, there is a story where historical and mythological figures are used and, excuse my language, bastardized to an extent."

Kamakiri nods, crossing his arms. "Yeah, in that universe, every single one of those stories are true. The Winter Samurai, Eternal Bein', Villain Overlord, Celestial Dragon, an' all the others I forgot. Really, ain't the...uhm...Order of Assassins the only confirmed story out there? 'Cuz y'know, they're raising havoc in the Middle East, ain't they?"

Manga answers, "As much as people like to deny it, yeah, the Assassins exist. Thank goodness that they're just at Iran or whatever it's called—"

"Syria," I correct him.

"Syria, yeah. Either way, they're not in Japan! We're not under the constant threat of being assassinated. We just have to worry about Shigaraki and his master, which if we combine the powers of U.A. and the Pros, it should be a piece of cake, right Grandmaster?" he asks me.

I look over at Claude and ask him with my eyes, _Should I lie to Manga? _He becomes offended and steps back, replying, _Why are you asking me? I don't know anything about Shigaraki's master. That's all you, my prince. _I sigh, shaking my head. _Yes, but I don't want to make Manga panic. For Kamakiri however? He'll most likely be unfazed._

"Why are you two havin' a conversation with just stares?" Kamakiri breaks the silence, tapping his feet on the pristine floor. "Lemme guess, Shigaraki's master is a lot more of an ass than we expect."

"Obviously, since he's Shigaraki's _master_ for a reason," Claude tells him, then flashing me a wink. "Seriously my boys, don't think the future will get easier. It'll be the opposite of that, but you have Shindeka and I with you. Oh! Speaking of that, you haven't given us your answers for your internships. Are you still working with us after you get your Provisionals?"

Manga looks down, trying not to meet our eyes. "I dunno. I do want to work with you two again, but I might try to, y'know, have some agency and convince a Pro to take me in. The only reason I was with you two was because of Catharsis." He's not incorrect…

Kamakiri's next, answering, "An' me? Pretty much the same thing. You two are great guys, not gonna lie, but I wanna try lookin' for a Pro myself. But if I can't find shit, then consider me apart of your team again. That sounds alright?" Claude and I nod, we both having smiles on our faces. Seems like only Kendo and Inochi is confirmed to follow us. Tokage is the only one who hasn't answered yet.

"I appreciate your answers. You two are becoming more mature by the day," I compliment them, bowing my head in respect. "I look forward to seeing Comicman and Jack Mantis on the TV."

Manga looks up and raises a finger. "Uhm, I do have a question though. I asked Principal Nezu about the first-year Hero-Workplace Studies. He said that 221B wasn't an agency that students can intern under? Is that right, or am I horribly wrong again?"

"You're always horribly wrong, Cartoony."

"Shut up, Kamakiri."

I didn't expect Manga to research that on his own time, but he's correct. Technically, 221B Agency isn't a valid agency that first-years can intern under. Second and third-years, yes, but not first-years. U.A. wants trusted agencies that has a lot of experience in protecting Hero Students and ensuring that they'll come back home safe. However, Claude and I are on the cusp of having first-year interns. It's why we're speaking to Principal Nezu after this, if we can find him. So, I answer his question, "First-years, no. However, we'll be speaking to your principal after this so we could have Battle Fist and Armory intern under us."

"You basically made an empty promise to them after Catharsis, didn't you?" Kamakiri says, and he's not technically wrong per se. He uses harsher wording than necessary, but it's the truth somewhat.

"That is not the case—Oui, that's the truth…" Claude immediately admits, bowing his head in shame. "Please don't let them know. Sanji won't mind, but Itsuka will mind _very_ much." Manga and Kamakiri nod, vowing to keep it a secret. Well, let's hope I don't get a phone call from one of the Kendo ladies…

"Anyway, we shouldn't bother you any longer. I know Kamakiri has a date with Miss Tsunotori and Manga should look after Shojo. Before I left Battle Zone Central, I thought I saw Mister Awase talking to her—"

"That slimy bastard!" Manga shouts, already sprinting out of the cafeteria. "I'm gonna kill Awase!"

Kamakiri promptly slaps himself out of sheer annoyance before sprinting after him. "You dumbass! You're gonna tire yourself out!"

And that's that. I look at Claude. "Well, are you going to get your drink? That's why we came here in the first place."

"Oh right, I'll get on that."

* * *

"Principal Nezu, there you are!" I exclaim, approaching him with Claude behind me, trying to find a place to smoke. Principal Nezu is just outside his office with a carefree smile on his face. "Is everything sorted with Mister Mantora?"

"Mhm, and I assume you want to speak to me privately, don't you? What about your partner, Claude LeNoire? Is he...okay?" Principal Nezu inquires, looking behind me. Claude is looking all over for an area that's designated for smoking…

"Claude, for God's sake, go outside if you want to smoke. I'll talk to Principal Nezu by myself, do you understand?" I tell him, and he tips his hat, walking away. There, now it's only Nezu and I. As much as I want Claude with me, I believe that Nezu knows what I'll ask about, and so the conversation will drift to something I'd rather keep a secret…

"Come inside, Grandmaster! We have many things to speak about!" he says, ushering us into his office. It's nothing impressive. Nezu's office consists of a singular room with partitions, dividing the space effectively. However, I would think that Nezu would have more posters of U.A. alumni, but it seems like I was wrong—and that everything here would be Nezu-sized, but they're made for the average person. "So, do you like my crib?"

"Your what?"

"Crib. That's what the kids are calling their spots, hangouts, place-to-be; y'know, things like that! Am I right?" Nezu asks, and I am not sure how to respond to that.

"Let's move on to more pressing topics, Principal Nezu, instead of...trying to use slang that makes my insides turn inside out," I say, finding myself a seat on his couch. I put my cane aside as Nezu stands in front of me, his smile never once breaking. "I wish to speak to you about—"

"You want Sanji Inochi and Itsuka Kendo to intern under you!" he exclaims what I was about to say. "However, U.A. hasn't put the 221B Agency on the potential agencies that first-years can intern under. And I know this because I made that list! You're here to convince me otherwise, aren't you?"

"That is correct. I believe it's beneficial that Claude—Pardon me, The Count and I have them as interns rather than any other Pro Heroes. It's not because I believe I'm superior to them, but rather that… Yes, rather that I have their interests, and to an extent, Japan's interests at heart. It might sound arrogant to you, but this is the truth. You're aware of the declining state of heroism, Principal Nezu. I can feel Japan shifting ever so slightly, inching its way into chaos and anarchy, and it's all stemming from Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains. With his master—"

"All For One," Nezu says his name. I knew he was one of the few men that's aware of All For One's existence and name, but I was never certain until now. "You want to prepare Battle Fist and Armory to fight All For One and Shigaraki. Who was it again…? Ah, Sorahiko Torino. He's the one who introduced you to our war."

I nod, putting my hands together. "Correct, when I was starting out as a Pro Hero. At the time, he didn't make me aware of All For One's existence, but I put the pieces together as the years went by. Nana Shimura was the seventh holder of One For All, then Toshinori Yagi, and finally Izuku Midoriya. It's ironic that for the past two generations of One For All, both its holders are Quirkless." I don't believe that Nezu knows about the fact that All For One slaughtered Shimura's bloodline. It's best to not tell him. I'm still sworn to secrecy by Gran Torino and Master Kendo.

"You know that All Might and Midoriya are Quirkless? Did Master Kendo or Gran Torino tell you that?" he asks.

"No, I deduced it myself. One For All is a stockpiling Quirk, correct? It's an addition to the user's Quirk, not replacing it. Considering that All Might and Midoriya use One For All in the same manner suggests that they have the same original Quirk, yet they aren't blood-related whatsoever. When researching Midoriya, he was originally listed as Quirkless for most of his life. If a Quirkless uses One For All in that manner, then it's safe to assume that All Might was Quirkless as well."

Nezu chuckles, obviously pleased. "You really are Sherlock Holmes! Why did you take on the name 'Grandmaster' anyhow?"

"Chess, actually. When I was a Hero Student, I was excellent in chess. In fact, I was one of the best in Japan. So, I was given the highest title a chess player could have—grandmaster. I decided to take on the title as a Pro Hero," I answer, faintly sighing. That was decades ago. I can still play chess at my prime, but I only play it once in a blue moon. Heroism, and certainly Claude, take up most of my time.

"How interesting! Can I ask you about your partner, The Count?" He asks, and I nod. "Hmm, how do I word this…? Aha! How are you two able to keep such a professional attitude? The Count is surely a flirtatious man."

...Damn, my face is warming up. "I'm not sure what you imply with that statement, Principal Nezu—"

"You two are in a relationship, are you not? Just earlier, I noticed how you looked at him! Those eyes aren't seeing The Count as a work partner, but as a different partner altogether. I do have to say, Grandmaster, you're excellent in acting like you have no romantic interest in The Count! You kept your relationship a secret from even the internet! That is impressive!"

I hide the bottom-half of my face with my coat collar. "F-Fine, I'll admit it… Claude and I have a relationship. I don't want it to go public, so he respects my wishes. We've gotten good at concealing it, though he loves to tease me from time to time. I'm… Ugh…"

Principal Nezu shakes his head. "You don't have to go on. This secret will be safe with me, but there is a reason why I wanted to ask this. In a case where both The Count and your interns are about to be killed by Villains, only you can save one of them. What happens then, Grandmaster? Who will you choose? Claude or Inochi and Kendo?"

"..." I go silent for a few seconds. I never want to imagine that situation, but it's plausible. It's plausible that I have to be forced to choose between the man I love and the future Heroes who could save Japan from ruin. If such a choice happens, I'd wish that I sacrifice myself instead, but if I truly had to choose…

"Inochi and Kendo," I say, giving him my answer. "I'll choose Inochi and Kendo. I...I love Claude, and I know that, in this situation, my body would turn to save him first. Yet, Claude would refuse. He'd refuse to be saved. That's why he would force me to save Inochi and Kendo instead of him. Really, this isn't a choice that I make. Claude will make it for me, and I'm simply carrying out his will. That's the truth."

I realize that I'm clutching onto my pants. I let go, putting my hands on my cane. Nezu has a glum look on his face, his hands folded on his lap. "Are you sure, Grandmaster? Are you sure that you want to take these two on as interns? The responsibility on your shoulder will be astounding, more than you might think. By taking Inochi and Kendo on, you would be carrying Japan itself."

"I'm sure… I refuse to stand idly as Japan sinks into chaos. All for One _is_ coming, All Might _will_ retire. When the time comes, it'll only be a matter of months until the League lays siege on Japan, trying to stomp out peace as the setting sun! I refuse to stand by and let it happen! All Might _will_ teach Midoriya to be the next Symbol, and I_ will _guide Itsuka Kendo to be The People's Fist and whatever Sanji Inochi becomes! He'll—"

"Here's something interesting about that, actually. Just the day before, All Might confronted Inochi about what he'll become. All Might wanted him to become the 'Symbol of Dreams', but Inochi refused," he tells me.

"Then so be it. I'll guide Sanji Inochi to become the Symbol of Dreams as he was meant to be. I'll aid him to discovering his Quirk and his past! Out of every student in U.A., _he_ has the most potential!"

"Even if you have to sacrifice your life?"

"I will gladly die if it guarantees Japan's safety."

"What if All For One passes his Quirk to Shigaraki?"

"It won't matter. I'm sure Midoriya and the others will still defeat him."

"What if Japan loses hope?"

"You underestimate humans, Principal Nezu."

"What do you mean?"

"There will always be hope, no matter how infinitesimal it may seem."

"You underestimate anger, Grandmaster. If Shigaraki uses anger alone as his power, then Japan would already be destroyed. Do you have any hope yourself in the future?"

"Yes."

"That's strange, I thought you were a pessimist."

"That's correct. The worst will happen, but the worst won't persist forever. That's where hope comes in. Hope is the belief that the worst is temporary, not permanent. But hope is not for a man like me."

"Really?"

"Yes. I firmly believe that the future will kill me."

"You can stop the future though."

"I could."

"But you won't."

"I won't."

"So the future kills you both ways, doesn't it?"

"Simply, yes. I only became a hero through my intelligence and nothing else. I'm quite lucky, Principal Nezu."

"No, like what you said, you're a genius! I think I'll accept your proposal, Grandmaster. You can take on Armory and Battle Fist as interns and whomever you want as well! Will that be fine?" Nezu says, and I nod. He stands up and marches over to the door like he's in a marching band. "But first…"

Nezu opens the door.

_THUD!_

Claude falls in the doorway. He was eavesdropping. "I wasn't eavesdropping!" Claude lies to me. Nezu sighs and kicks his arm, gesturing him to stand up. Claude gets on his feet and picks up his fedora, putting it back on. "So, I heard an 'All For One'. Is that who we're up against, my prince?"

I nod.

"Mon Dieu, what an awful name."

"Seems like we have lots to talk about, gentlemen!"

* * *

**I'm sorry that it took 3 weeks to publish the chapter, but I was moving to a new house and I wasn't on my PC for two weeks. But hey, at least you got to see this chapter! It's a bit sub-par in my opinion, but let's move on and not dwell on the bad chapters.**

**The next chapter is called: The Next Stage of Battle**

**Post-chapter business:**

**Sanji is getting recognized for his talents, finally! And there's a massive callback to the first chapter. You guys thought that I forgot, didn't you? Nope. Anyway, Shojo finally gets some screentime again after interrupting more moments of Sanji x Itsuka. After the Hero Course Tutoring Arc, I'll try to spend some time on these two, but again, it's transitioning into the Final Exams Arc, where Monoma and Kuroiro shine. The next chapter, The Next Stage of Battle, will actually introduce the antagonists of the I-Expo Arc, taking place after the Final Exams. I hope you like the antagonists because they're from canon material, not OCs like Catharsis.**

**Shinzo Mantora is revealed to be Shinzo Kichoki, but what significance does that have? Find out next chapter. I already foreshadowed the reason behind why Shinzo went under a fake surname, so let's see if you can catch it. Suzuki is Suzuki, nothing major happens in his scene. (Writing six fight scenes in one chapter was really exhausting my god.)**

**Which leads to the final scene with Grandmaster. It's confirmed that he's in a romantic relationship with The Count (hurray), but there's something more important than that: the future. I've been foreshadowing hard about the Kamino Arc, where All Might retires. As you can tell, that Arc is where the story in MHA changes. (Shigaraki becomes independent and the Symbol of Peace retires, ushering Midoriya's era.) How does that apply to Dreaming of Stars and specifically, Sanji Inochi? If you remember, I replaced the Kamino Arc and I didn't reveal its name. The name of the Arc will spoil the story, but know that the story shifts *extremely*. All of the build-up pays off here, leading into the Provisionals and the Nomu Trinity Arc, also known as the Internship Arc.**

**Anyway, that's in the future. Leave a comment, favorite, something to let me know that you enjoy this fanfic, alright?**


	34. The Next Stage of Battle

**Shinzo Mantora**

"Kichoki."

"I'm him."

"He is indeed!"

"I won't lie Principal Nezu, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this," Shinso admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "I only knew Shinzo's real last name through a chance encounter with… Ugh, what's-his-face?"

I answer, "Seiji. You used your Quirk on Seiji. That was why he was acting a little strange that day, but even with that, he didn't bother to tell me about it." About a week ago, give or take, Shinso encountered Seiji in a store. Seiji, being the loud-mouth that he is, ran on about a kid in the General Courses named "Shinzo Kichoki" who he _really _admired. Shinso got curious and used his Quirk—breaking the law, but I'm not qualified to judge him—brainwashing Seiji. He got him to describe what the kid looked like, describing him to a T. So, Shinso figured out that Shinzo Mantora and Shinzo Kichoki was/is the same man. I bet Seiji didn't tell me because he was too ashamed of himself. Gotta reprimand him later.

"Heh…" Shinso scratches his neck. "I had a feeling that something was off about that guy. I only asked him about you before letting him go. I didn't want to push my luck too much."

I nod, telling him, "That was a good choice. If you had gone any further, you'd end up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean." It's a bit shifty to take a body to the Pacific since boating laws are stricter today than before the Origin of Quirks. Honestly though, with the right Quirk, it's terribly easy to dispose of the body and clean up the evidence, no boat needed. Technology makes it really simple to do things like that.

Shinso looks at Nezu for a response, asking him, "Is Shinzo joking?" That's a good question to ask.

Nezu raises a finger and exclaims, "The look in his eyes say he isn't!"

"You can't even see my eyes."  
"You can't even see his eyes."

"Both of you are correct!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I'm joking," I tell him after the weird and sudden silence. I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. Shinso sits on the other side of the table with his binding weapon wrapped a little more loosely around his neck. Wonder how Mister Aizawa feels about his pupil being pulled away. He'd surely have noticed by now, but he's probably occupied with his class, especially Bakugo. Sometimes, I noticed him staring at me, both despising me but also interested in a hopeful sense, if I'm understanding that right. I'm not surprised that he knows about the Kichokis though. Miss Kojo doesn't know, I think.

"So…" Shinso focuses himself, staring at me. "Shinzo, I'm curious. How did...all of this happen exactly? With you being…"

I nod.

"The prince of the Jizen Mugen Yakuza." That's who I am; call me the Yakuza Prince. Second-in-line anyway. My great-grandfather was the one who founded the Jizen Mugen, my grandfather inherited it, so did my father, and soon Mato, my older brother. Once Dad decides to retire to a quiet life, he'll pass it on to him. Mato still has a lot of power anyway, but Dad has the final say.

I shrug my shoulders, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "Long story. The gist of it is—U.A. will let anybody enroll. Even if they're the kid of a genocidal dictator, U.A. would still let them join. I know a few schoolmates, who I can say for sure, shouldn't be in this school whatsoever for moral reasons."

"Don't you think that's a little ironic? Tell me Shinzo, is the Yakuza life like the movies? Is there gruesome fights with power struggles all throughout? I'm getting more curious by the second," Shinso asks me. I don't like the look in his eyes. He's probably up to something again. There's no harm in telling him the truth though. The Commission already knows mostly everything already.

"Gruesome fights? Not if we can help it." I glance at Principal Nezu for a brief second, still calm as ever. "You can say we have _some _power struggles. Hate to break it to you, Shinso, but the Yakuza is a dying species. Villains are taking over the space that the Yakuza once had." It's an inevitable truth that Dad's convinced about. Not Mato. He's rabid on making the Jizen Mugen great. As it stands, we aren't the strongest Yakuza out there. The strongest, well, that goes to the Shie Hassaikai. Kai Chisaki—also known as "Overhaul"—leads it. Him and Mato shares the same ideal about making our respective Yakuzas great. The only difference between them is… Well… One of them is a crazed sociopath who abuses a little girl and the other guy is my brother.

Principal Nezu nods, hopping up slightly. "He's correct! Ever since the Age of Heroes came about, the Yakuza has been declining in power ever since. Villain overlords took their place, mightier overlords such as Chikara Yotsubashi, also known as 'Destro!' You shoulda learned about him in your Hero History class."

"Why are you telling us about him?" Shinso asks, tilting his head to the side.

"This is a school after all! We are meant to teach and nurture the next generation of adults! In this case, Pro Heroes! That, and I've been told that my students don't really care much about Hero History. I'm making it my life's mission to add tidbits of history in whatever I say," Nezu explains, getting a lot more stern in the end. We stare at him, not really sure what to say or do in this situation. He has a really scary look in his eyes. "Boys, our scores in Hero History are lacking. Please raise them."

"Yes sir." I got an A in that class anyway.  
"You got it…?"

"Good! The Yakuzas are a great topic of research honestly. Any historians studying Hero History would love to have Kichoki as a primary source," he says, returning back to his usual self. He jumps on his table and paces. I think he's humming too.

Shinso shakes his head, his purple hair swaying slightly. "Moving on. Shinzo, let's get back on topic—you getting enrolled. How did this happen? We have all day to explain." You were the one who switched the subject to life as a Yakuza, but alright then, I won't judge you.

I droop my shoulders with a sigh. "Alright… For a little context, I grew up wanting to be a Hero just like pretty much everybody here—"

"Even when you're the Yakuza Prince?"

"Yup. My dad liked it and my brother, Mato, was...alright, I guess. I was still a kid then, so I hadn't matured. Fast-forward a few years and I'm a teenager, _still _hadn't matured yet, but that's besides the point. I told my dad that I genuinely wanted to be a Hero, and he wasn't angry. But Mato? Jeez, you'd think a man couldn't turn so red. He absolutely hated the fact that I wanted to become a Hero. You'd think my dad would get blood-boiling furious; Mato proved that wrong.

"He wanted me to give up on my dream. He ordered me to, commanded me, demanded me, and the other verbs that apply in this situation. Then Dad came along and said, 'Mato, you have to let Shinzo make his own decisions.' And Mato did. Not out of his love for me, but out of respect for the man who brought us into this world.

"Oh, with Mato being Mato, he figured out that our dad—and the rest of the Yakuza to an extent—gets government protection through a loophole in Heroism Laws. So when he found that out, he _slightly _approved. Not much really, not much. It didn't matter in the end because—"

"The Commission figured out that you were Shinzo Kichoki?" Shinso asks next, interested in my story. Heh, my story is interesting enough to tell. Suzuki would like this story, if I ever tell him one day.

"Yup, it was the day after I took the Entrance Exam. I was at home—just a regular house don't worry, I can be completely normal sometimes—where a black van came up. Out came the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission with a few bodyguards— _Pro Hero _bodyguards. Dad greeted them with respect and smiles while Mato fumed in the back, not bothering to show them any. Naturally, being the good guy I am, I did what my dad did.

"We let them inside—again, Mato was furious—and we had a little chat. The President said that she's aware of our roles as the monarchs of the Jizen Mugen. In fact, the only reason they didn't arrest my dad and Mato was because of two reasons—A: They had no evidence; B: They wanted to make an arrangement."

Again, I check on Principal Nezu, seeing how he's reacting to this. He's listening with that same posture and expression, yet in the inside, I can tell he's being serious. Yeah, this isn't something to take lightly.

"The arrangement was… How do I put this…? I was allowed to _attempt _to become a Pro Hero and the Jizen Mugen won't get prosecuted and a bunch of other benefits…if we follow a few several…? A lot of conditions, alright? It was a lot of conditions, but I'll sum up the main parts.

"We had to cooperate fully with the Commission. Whenever they need intel on something, we have to give them it. We weren't allowed to hurt Pro Heroes, unless in special circumstances, and we couldn't directly act against the Commission or against Japan in general, or conspire to plot its destruction. The President got really thorough with it and I honestly zoned out for half of the conversation. But my dad made the deal with them."

Nezu decides to butt in, "And this is where I come in! You see, the Commission would have refused Kichoki's wish to become a Hero and pursued to put all of the Jizen Mugen in prison! But they didn't! You know why? The Jizen Mugen is a special kind of Yakuza! They commit crimes, yes, but not against the people. No, they act _for _the people. 'Vigilantes' would be a more appropriate label for them! They kill those who they deem vile and disgusting, nothing more! They're a charitable group, giving back to Japan more than Japan gives to them!

"The Commission holds the Jizen Mugen the highest out of all of the Yakuzas! They match closely with the ideals of heroism even despite lynching Villains and terrible people! That was why they struck a deal with them. You see, crime will never end, and so will the Yakuza no matter how endangered they become. So in the Commission's eyes, having the Jizen Mugen be the top dog is the best outcome for society! Both sides benefit from having the Jizen Mugen as the most powerful Yakuza. The Commission can monitor the Villain underworld better and the Jizen Mugen will have a larger influence over Japan; ironically enough, they are both fighting for the same thing—a better country governed under similar beliefs."

That's right. I'm proud to be the Yakuza Prince. After all, if the Jizen Mugen didn't kill disgusting bastards like pedophiles or anyone like that, then we would be considered Heroes. Heh, some people would still consider us Heroes anyway when we enact vigilante justice. We're different from the rest, and we take that with pride. Pretty much everyone else despise heroism because it gets in the way of business. We don't. We respect heroism because it protects Japan from higher threats like Destro or some other overlord out there. Pro Heroes will handle the big fish, while us, we'll handle the little ones. We're content with that life—except for me. Admittedly, that was one of the reasons why I want to become a Hero—chasing after big fish. Dad always said that my ambitions are as bright as my heart.

Mato didn't like it. No, he absolutely hated it. He shares very different opinions with Dad and I. When Dad made the deal with the Commission, it took him two minutes to think about it. Mato was going to speak out against it, but I stopped him. After all, Dad had the final say in everything, and he exercised that power. When the President left, Mato yelled at him for agreeing to the deal within a short amount of time. He said that he doomed the future of the Jizen Mugen, making us slaves to the Commission and heroism itself. Then he turned the blame to me, saying that none of this would've happened if I hadn't taken the Entrance Exam. He stormed off into his room and since then, he respected us because we were his blood, not for our ideals.

He loathes heroism. I remember when I was only five, I told him that I wanted to be a Hero. He had a look of disgust and told me, _"Heroism is a game for fools, Shinzo. It parades a cannibalized ideal, hoping that it'll enslave the weak-minded for its crusade. If you follow heroism—No, if you follow _**_their _**_heroism, then you're submitting your life as a mindless servant." _

He always had a way with words. Mato is such an intellectual. Of course, I'm being sarcastic. Though, imagine what he said to me after the ordeal? Besides his outburst? Nothing. He said nothing. He was so disappointed in his little brother that he couldn't say a single word, so he never did. He let me go to U.A. without berating me or insulting me. Because, this is the life that I chose for myself. I might've tied the Commission and the Jizen Mugen together—we're using them as much as they're using us. Overall, we're still fighting for Japan— _Mato _still fights for a better Japan—a Japan that's greater than it ever was. Just… I don't know to what extent that he'll fight for those beliefs. For someone who hates heroism, he must love to parade his own ideals around. I just have this aching feeling that he loves them more than he loves his family.

I mean, Dad always told me that "he's like that" ever since our mom died. I don't remember her, but he did. Whatever happened, whatever she said to Mato, it influenced him. I would ask Dad more, but I'm a little afraid. There's only one man scarier than _the _Villain Overlord himself—I won't mention him by name—and that one man is my brother.

Against the false crusade of heroism, there he is. The Jizen Mugen, we're the Infinite Charity. Out of his own charitable heart, Mato will give his all. He will give everything. I might be the Glowing Heart—the Golden Heart; my brother, with me as a comparison, I'm nothing.

Because my brother, he is the "Mugen" in the "Jizen Mugen"...

He is Infinity.

I look up and see that Principal Nezu is still talking to Shinso. He's answering some of his questions. Good because chances are, I don't know the answer to them. Especially since he's talking about the President of the Commission. I don't know much about her aside from when we first met. She's...just about how I imagined her to be—strict and calculating. Running Japan is serious work, I'd imagine. Shinso asks Nezu, "Why did Shinzo go with 'Shinzo Mantora' as his fake name?"

"Nezu gave me that name, and I didn't complain," I answer, finally joining in. Principal Nezu smiles and nods.

"Mhm! I am very proud of that name!"

"You only changed his surname."

"So? I changed something in that boy's life!"

"Like my faith in my principal…"

"That's a little cold, Kichoki! How rude!"

"Uh huh."

"Say something more than that! I'm your principal!"

"I'm a prince. Technically, I have power over you."

"In what domain? What do you rule over?"

"Japan."

"Well, I can't argue with that logic!"

Shinso stares at us like we're freaks. "What is wrong with you two?"

I answer, "Just about everything—"

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Come in, Eraserhead!" Nezu says, and he's right. Mister Aizawa comes through the door like a walking zombie. There's bags under his eyes. He looks around the room, first noticing me and Nezu before taking a look at his apprentice. Nezu teases him, "Checking up on Mini-Shota Aizawa?"

"Be quiet," he snaps before resting his eyes on Shinso, "I came to see why Nezu pulled both Shinsos away—had to ask Vlad King to watch my class for a little bit."

"You what?"

"Seriously?"

"That's a poor choice!"

* * *

**Shota Aizawa's Mistake**

"Kuhahahahaha! How terrible that your teacher abandoned you! Guess you really aren't that great, 1-A! Mister Aizawa truly loathes each and every one you! Especially the Terror Trio—Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugo! You three are the worst!"

"Kahahahahaha! Now I get to talk to you personally! Aizawa is a good man, but I'm better! Take that as fact!"

"Sanji, that's our teacher."

"Itsuka, that's our classmate."

"Dude, should we stop them?"

"I have no idea, Awase. Honestly, I'm too stunned to do anything."

"Same."

"Yup…"

("Why are they like this?")

("Maybe Monoma is Vlad King's secret love child?")

("Todoroki, that's...very far from the truth.")

("Midoriya, I'm only joking.")

("Oh…")

"Kuhahahaha!"

"Kahahahaha!"

("Midoriya, I dunno about you, but I'm absolutely convinced.")

* * *

"Yeah probably. My class can handle whatever Vlad King does to them. I'm a stricter teacher than him anyway." Mister Aizawa leans against the wall, his hands in his pockets. "Anyway, I'm assuming Shinso managed to figure out that Shinzo Mantora is Shinzo Kichoki?"

"Yup!" Nezu answers, hopping up.

"Alright. Seems like you already explained the situation, so let me take these two back to Battle Zone Central."

"You're in a bit of a hurry, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Mister Aizawa answers, looking out into the hall. "Besides, I think Grandmaster and The Count are looking for you, Nezu. As for the Shinsos, we shouldn't miss the tiebreaker match. Gera is fighting Suzuki."

Really? We tied? Well, I shouldn't miss Suzuki's funeral.

* * *

**Karisuma Suzuki**

"The final match of the Freshman Proxy Battles is here! Boy, am I excited to see how this turns out! To my left reigns the Mistress of Earth, Gera Rudolphus of 1-A! She volunteered to fight in the tiebreaker match after defeating Kyoko Usami of 1-B in less than three seconds! Can we hear some noise?!"

"Gera! Gera! Gera!" Gera flexes her arm, having her clearly defined biceps showing. It's not surprising that she can kick my ass.

"That's what I like to hear! On my right is the Kitsune of Fury, Karisuma Suzuki of 1-B! After his match with Yutani, it's clear that he's strong in both body and mind! For 1-B, it was a no-brainer that he had to volunteer to fight the powerhouse that is Gera Rudolphus! Who thinks Suzuki will win?!"

"Suzuki! Suzuki! Suzuki!" Hey, glad to know I still have fans left. Too bad my five rascals couldn't come to see this. I'd hear them over everyone else.

"Awesome! Gera Rudolphus, got anything to say before the match starts?!"

Gera snorts, looking around at the stands and bleachers. "'Course I do! I'm gonna prove that you don't gotta be smart in order to be a Hero, even if it means beating up my good friend, Suzuki! Sorry bud, but you're gonna go down." She winks.

Present Mic roars into his mic, "How bold! I wouldn't get on her bad side! Honestly, I feel bad for Suzuki, but he volunteered to fight this monster of a woman! What does he have to say about this?!"

I run my hand through my hair, stepping forward with my dominant foot out. Three tails, that's all I have. Considering it's Gera, I probably need more to defeat her. Anyway, I announce, "Nothing! I'm not going to say anything! As much as I like becoming a Hero, I think my friendship with Gera is much more important."

Everyone exclaims all at once, "Really?!"

"No, I'm lying!" I reveal, throwing my arms up in the air. "What kind of an idiot do you take me for?! No offense Gera, but nothing's stopping me from becoming a Hero, even you!"

Gera slams her fist together, smirking. "That's the Suzuki I know! You almost had me tricked there, you dick! Don't go easy on me 'cuz I sure as hell ain't gonna go easy on you! In fact, just go all out!" Heh, how sweet. I should trick her more often, like this fight. Gera is not smart by any means. It took her a long time to understand that chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows.

"Yeah no, I wanna be a Hero, not a murderer," I say, cracking my neck. That will always be satisfying. "I still can't utilize Fury of the Nine Tails either, so you're fighting me way below my maximum strength, sorry to break it to ya."

I might have a theory as to when I can use Fury of the Nine Tails. The hint is in the name I gave it: fury. Unlike most people's Quirks, my Quirk involves emotions as a side effect or a consequence of the main function—growing tails to gain power. I won't activate that state from growing tails, but rather when I experience heavy amounts of emotion, presumably rage, anger, or something along those lines. Or it's something else altogether. It might activate when I'm in a life or death scenario. I heard about, before Quirks existed, humans can fully utilize their muscles when their life is in danger. The only problem is: They will destroy their muscles in the process. In normal circumstances, the brain prevents them from using their muscles like that. If I apply that logic to Fury of the Nine Tails, it explains why I was more injured than my classmates. Fury of the Nine Tails lets me go to my uppermost limits at the cost of destroying my body.

If I take a look at Gera's Quirk, it's nearly flawless. Her technique, despite being a nitwit, is better than most. Then again, it's not hard to beat the bottom line. You know the rule where 90% of everything is crap? Well, during the U.A. Entrance Exam, 95% of the testers were crap. A lot of them had strong Quirks, but they never had the technique to use it, thinking that their strength will carry them to Class A or B. Gera had both. She knows how to effectively use Earthen Feet to trap or defeat someone, but to use it to its fullest potential? No, she can't. She isn't smart enough _yet _. I'm tutoring her. I won't say this out loud, but I look forward to see when Gera is able to match her brains to her brawn. Guess I enjoy being a tutor, huh? Look at me getting all sappy… It's not like me.

"Al _riiiiii _ght! No more dilly-dallying! Side conversations must come to a close! It's time to decide who wins! Will Class 1-A, the class known having overwhelming power, be the victor once again?! Or, will it be Class 1-B, the class of controversy, pull a win out against 1-A?! Let's find out! C'mon Gera and Suzuki! Show 'em what you got!"

We hear Present Mic standing out of his seat. "Three!"

Gera steps forward. I can faintly hear the earth vibrating underneath my feet. That's not good. She's planning to trap me once the fight begins. "Two!"

_Rumble rumble…_

More rumbling. It's all around me. I won't be able to roll out of the trap. If I do, then I'd be rolling into another one. There's only one way I could go. "One!"

Gera snickers, locking eyes with me. She mouths, _No hard feelings. _"Fight!"

Now—!

_THE DEEP TERRA!_

_LEAP!_

I was right! Gera was planning to trap me right from the get-go! She used the same Super Move on Usami, but on a much larger scale! I jumped up in the air right as Present Mic started the match, but there's one big problem facing me—the landing. If I land, then Gera has another chance to trap me. This entire arena is her weapon. I could cut her off by taking her feet off of the ground, since that's her Quirk Factor needed for Earthen Feet to function. I need to get in close without giving her a chance to capture me. Good thing that there's a ceiling in Battle Zone Central!

"C'mon Gera, is that all you got?! You're just as stupid as I thought!" I taunt her while in the air. She growls and stomps her foot down, cracking the arena floor. From her offshoots of jagged rock, it grows like it has a mind of its own. It flies towards me with a bunch of sharp spikes that have my name on them. Jeez! It hasn't been ten seconds and she's already trying to kill me! Don't tell me that she'll "accidentally" turn me into a skewer?!

_RRRRRR!_

"—Hah!"

Barely! Just barely dodged the ever-living shit out her attack! Holy hell, that was too close! I spun just before the spike jerked forward. I spin back around and slam my feet against the spike's shaft, pain starting to well in my bones from how hard I slammed on it. Before Gera gets to do anything, I jump off, flying towards the ceiling. There's steel bars running across them, meant for structural support. I grab onto the edge of one of them, dangling from the ceiling with one hand. Gera sees me up there and shouts, "Hey genius, what's your plan?!"

"Tell me yours first!" I shout back.

"It seems like Suzuki's taking the high road! Literally! What is he doing hanging up there?! Is this part of his plan or is he jumping around like a headless chicken?!" Present Mic narrates. If I could make him shut up, I would. He's distracting me.

"Shut up Mic! I'm focusing on trying to kill—I mean _defeat _Suzuki 'ere!" Gera yells at Mic—and I'll just ignore the first part—before she turns to me, "Suzuki! If you come down here, I'll knock you out cold!"

What kind of deal is that?! "Is that supposed to be a reward or something?!"

Gera defends her ridiculous offer, "Do you know how many masochists who wanna get hurt by me?! It's a lot more than you expect!"

"You're letting Kazeha get to you! I told you she's a terrible influence, but does anyone listen to me?! Hell no!" I point at Kazeha below me with my free hand. She's looking at me with the most offended face in the world; it's like she's saying, _What did I ever do to you? _

In response, Gera raises her fist at me. "Don't bully Kaze like that! She's my best friend in the entire world! Much better than you, you son of a bitch! If I was speaking German, then I'd have better words than 'bitch', you bitch!"

("Gera, you sweetheart! I love you too!")

I scream-ask, "Can we start fighting again?! My ears are bleeding from hearing your nails-on-a-chalkboard voice screaming up here!"

"Oh, is the Pope Catholic?!" she…?

"...?"

"What?" Mic says into his mic.

("I believe the answer should be 'yes'," Shiozaki answers.)

"That's a rhetorical question, you dumbass! Of course we're fighting!" Gera points a finger to herself and sticks her tongue out. That's a mocking gesture isn't it? Jeez Kari, you made yourself look like an idiot in front of Gera. I'm not going to live this one down, am I? Gera groans and slams her foot again; it's enough to make a small crater. "Ugh! Just take this!"

A ton of more spikes pop up around me, coming out in varying angles and speeds. But, the base of her spikes is contained within the arena. Guess she can follow orders. This is a detail I should keep note because as of right now, I'm about to be skewered again. This is what I expected. All Gera is doing is giving me more footholds to use!

"Take a dirt nap, bastard!" she screams as she accelerates her spikes, but I let go of the beam.

_CRASH!_

The spikes crashed into the steel beams above me, bending and twisting them. The ceiling creaked and moaned, signaling that Gera did some structural damage to the building. I swear to God that if Battle Zone Central falls down on top of us… Ugh, Gera would kill everyone in here. She would literally do Shigaraki's job for him.

Moving on, I put my feet on the side of a spike that's nearly vertical in the air. Let's see, what combinations of jumps can I do that'll get me to Gera the fastest? Yeah I _could _jump around this place like a trampoline park. Won't be the wisest thing to do since it gives Gera ample time to run me through and put my head on a pike. That would be a really bad thing because I kinda need my head! How else would I give Gera some backtalk?! Jokes aside, I need to take her off her feet! That's how I'll win!

"Suzuki—!" Gera screams as she grows more spikes from the earth. They're coming by the hundreds it seems! Damnit, damnit! Of course she'd try to pull something like this! It's worse than before! Need to maneuver around them while continuously getting closer to Gera! If I'm not careful, then I can kiss my career goodbye before it starts!

"—Hah!"

_THREE TAILS: FANGS OF THE YAKO!_

My Super Move, Fangs of the Yako, is a technique that lets me leap around the battlefield even if the terrain is untraversable for the average human! That means in this fight, I'm the only one who can properly get around while Gera is stuck on her side! Unless she uses her Quirk to blast through the spikes she created, there's no way she could move around the battlefield without hurting herself!

That means my agility is my most valuable tool in this fight! It's a means to close the distance and defeat her!

"Gera—!" I bounce from shaft to shaft, flipping and spinning around incoming spikes that sprout from the ground! So many! Each time I evade her attacks, it takes snips out of my costume, leaving me with a few small and very annoying cuts on my body! It's hell to navigate around in her jungle jim, but there's something good that came along with it—Gera uprooted the arena with the onslaught of attacks! The only intact section of the arena is her end, which is a measly rectangle that's a few meters wide! She's making this way too easy for me!

"You gotta be kidding me! You're actually reaching me?!" Gera says, but I don't have the ability to say a fitting remark. Fangs of the Yako took more energy out of me than expected, but I'm still able to fight! Now to actually execute Fangs of the Yako, I need to land an attack on Gera! If I could take her out of the arena, or at least get her off her feet, then that'll end this goddamn nightmare!

I leap off of another spike, sliding myself through a narrow gap in-between two shafts. I flash my claw and hook it onto a skinny one in front of me, using it to rotate myself in the right direction before letting go perfectly right towards Gera! She grits her teeth and steps forward. Her nice little rectangle is ruined as she creates a platform that lifts her off of the ground, gliding her forward in the air like a hoverboard. Oh come on! I knew she was able to do this, but why does she have to be a bitch and make it harder?!

I change my position in the air then! I spin around, gathering momentum for a powerful right hook!

Gera laughs and leans her head forward, as if she's taunting, _Come and punch me, little dick!_

Alright, I'll give her what she wants—!

—She blasts forward, cackling!

_BAM!_

"—Tch…" Gera caught my fist. I stand in front of her, my feet on her platform/ride/whatever-the-hell-I-call-it. She smirks and wags her finger at me in a mocking—being frankly annoying and bratty like a rich girl.

"C'mon Suzuki, you know I got more muscles than your scrawny ass. You really think that this'll work?" she scolds me as she tightens her grip around my fist. Damnit, I put myself in a bad spot.

"It was worth a shot. I mean, it's a no-brainer that I—" In the middle of my sentence, I try to slam my forehead against her nose. But, Gera moves her head out of the way, letting my forehead smack against her hard-as-hell shoulder, and by the way, it hurts! Her shoulder is like obsidian! What is she made of?! "—Ugh!" I groan in pain.

"Stupid lil' Suzuki! What were you trying to pull?!" She—?!

_WHAM!_

"—Ghrk—ugh!" Gera kneed me in my chest, cracking a few ribs, probably breaking one from the sounds of it! Crap, it suddenly got a lot harder to breathe! Each breath I take, my nerves in my chest scream in pain. I let out a small cough and a few specs of blood splatter Gera's cheeks… She cringes in disgust. I laugh, pain inflaming my chest. "Gotta say Gera… Blood does not go well with your tan skin…"

"Hmph," she huffs before gripping my hand tighter, twisting my wrist in an angle that could make a grown man cry pathetically, shooting a sharp pain down my arm like she's sticking an iron rod through it.. Damnit, just gotta grit my teeth and endure it! Gera cockily urges, squeezing my wrist like a vice, "C'mon Suzuki, say 'uncle' for me!"

"Kiss my ass…" I answer through gritted teeth. Gera clicks her tongue, practically saying, _So be it _. With her other hand, she slams it against my neck. Air leaves my lungs again as I heave and heave, hacking up more blood all over Gera's ugly bodysuit that she wears for her costume. Her fingers wrap around my neck, her nails digging into my skin like tiny little needles. With her strength, she could snap a man's neck using only one hand.

She glares at me with fury raging in her eyes, her veins bulging out of her head. But damn… She's not… She's not angry at me. No, she's pretty fucking angry at something else. Unfortunately, she decided to take that anger out on poor little me. Gera's always been the aggressive type, always filled with protein and had more testosterone than the average man, but she was rarely angry, y'know? Sure, she screams and yells a lot, she does that to everyone—I won't lie—still though, she does that for fun. It's hard to get her pissed. Whenever we have one of our contests of "Who can out-insult the other?", it's just a game.

But here, she's furious. I know she is. I know because that's the same look I had when I was obsessed about Inochi, when I was ignorant to the effect that Nine Tails had on my emotions. It's a seething anger that can never be fulfilled, the kind of anger that searches for a scapegoat and blames all their problems on them. I used Inochi as mine, but this isn't some cliche anime. I'm aware of what I did, I'm aware of my faults, but I won't become friends with him. I will never become friends with a bastard like him. Gera though, she's too much of a good person to use someone else as a scapegoat. Shocking, I know. The toned tan girl has an honest heart. Really, her scapegoat isn't me or some asshole like Bakugo, but…

_"Y'know Suzuki, you keep tutoring me, but I still don't understand a single damned thing. I'm just a dumb musclehead who can't even do basic trig-no-metry or whatever the math-fucks call it! How the hell can I compete with geniuses like you? Good God, you know that I'm the only retard who got a zero on the written portion on the Entrance Exam, right? I'm still rocking a zero. There's no way _— _Ah forget it, doesn't matter. Forget I said anything, okay? If you bring it up, I'm punching you."_

Yeah, the scapegoat is herself. She's angry at herself for not being smart. It's the only reason why she wasn't accepted into the Hero Course. During the Sports Festival, she believed that taking out a few Hero Course students would elevate her chances, but from what she said just the other day, she cares about her academics. Gera is forcing herself to be all brawn when she knows that a Hero isn't just about might. I think I might've been underestimating her. Gera is academically dumb, but she isn't a complete numbskull. She can realize her flaws, but she can't do anything about them. So, whether she likes it or not, she has to act as a musclehead.

As she holds me up in the air, I say stuttering from the lack of air, "G-Gera—"

"Shut up!" Gera shouts and slams me against her platform hard enough that it cracks. My back takes the brunt of the damage, making my arms and legs go weak from the impact. She slides me a meter before throwing me deeper into the arena, where the spikes are, coming out in different angles and lengths. All of the ends are near the ceiling, thankfully, but the shafts? I'm heading right into a crowd of them. This… This will hurt a lot.

_CRASH! _

"—Ghrk! Hhrk!"

Through rock.

_BANG!_

"Ugh—!"

Through stone.

_CRASH!_

"Fhrk!—Agh!"

My body breaks.

_THUD!_

"Geh—ugh…"

I crash, rolling.

_CRACK!_

"Ah—uh!"

I lay on my back and everything hurts.

"Take this—take this—take this—!" Gera screams. She stomps her foot and more spikes erupt from the ground, around me! She's not trying to stab me—thank God—no, she's doing something else. Those spikes are—! They're heading towards the steel beams! She's trying to take them down—along with the ceiling! I can't move my body!

_WMP! WMP! WMP!_

_CRAAAAAAAASH!_

Her spikes crash against the ceiling and soon enough, the steel beams bend and groan. Before I know it, I see cracks forming in the concrete. The lights shatter, the entire building screaming as loud as my body is screaming in pain. A blanket of darkness overtake my eyes, then I hear everything falling on top of me.

_THMP!_

"Guh—!"

"Suzuki! Oh my goodness, is Suzuki dead?! To get thrown through ten pillars of rock and stone, _then _having Battle Zone Central's ceiling come crashing down on him?! Just how strong is Gera Rudolphus?! The match might be called there!" Present Mic narrates… Good God, he's too loud…

My eyes flicker open to a blinding light—the sun—my ears ringing, my head is pounding, and my breathing's heavy. It feels like my chest is about to crush my lungs. "Ugh…" I groan, pushing rock and concrete off of me. I'm not dead… I don't know what happened, but I'm lucky that I didn't get crushed…

"I'm...not...dead!" I yell loud enough, just enough that Present Mic wouldn't call the match there.

"Oh, Suzuki is still in the realm of the living! He's getting up, standing on the battlefield on top of the debris! His body might be battered, but his battle spirit is untainted! This is what defines a Hero, folks! When their body is broken, they keep fighting because hope—their hope is never shattered!" Mic builds up my rise. I grab onto one of the shafts of the spikes, lifting myself onto my feet. My right wrist is dislocated, and a few of my fingers are broken too. Ugh, my fingers aren't supposed to bend that way. It's disgusting to look at, but it confirms that I can't use my right hand anymore—well, if I don't wanna further injure it.

I walk forward—

And nearly trip over.

My left foot's busted too. I can walk with only a limp. Blood is running down the left side of my face. There must be a big gash on my head, isn't it? Damnit, I'm not as resilient as Inochi. But, pretty sure he'd get hurt too if he was thrown through ten of those spikes—at least that's what Mic said.

I'm in the middle of the arena from the looks of it. All around me is random shit—rock, steel, concrete, everything in-between. It's like I got dropped in the middle of a fantasy book if you look hard enough. God, would I love reading a book right now, a fairy tale even. I love fairy tales…folk tales, literature, I love them...

When I was a kid, Mom would always read them to me before bed. It calmed me down enough so that...that I would sleep in peace. I wouldn't...feel angry anymore. None of that… I wouldn't be mad. Because if I was mad, I'd be in trouble. Here, if I get mad...then Gera would get hurt. I don't want that. I'm afraid because…

Because I feel my burning heart pounding in my chest, like fire trying to burn itself through my ribs. Every part of me is on fire. My nerves, my limbs, my everything… It burns just like the time I fought Charon… My blood is like lava, pure fire that's trying to scorch my bones into ash... God damnit… I don't want this now… I don't wanna hurt Gera… I don't wanna win like this…

"Suzuki, you're still standing? You're…banged up. Look at yourself," Gera asks, shocked that I'm still moving. I inch closer to her, dragging my dead foot along the floor.

"Long, long ago…in Kyoto, the people of the...city were terrified of the accounts of...a dreadful ogre…who, it was said...haunted the Gate of Rashomon at twilight and...and seized whoever passed by…"

"Suzuki is reciting _The Ogre of Rashomon _?!" Mic exclaims.

"What are you doing…?" Gera asks me again.

"Long, long ago...there lived in Kyoto a brave soldier named Kintoki. Now...he fell in love with a beautiful lady and married her… " I was never that good of a singer…

Mic, from the sounds of it, stands out of his chair. "Now it's _The Adventures of Kintaro _?!"

"Suzuki! Snap outta it!" Gera urges me… I keep limping forward…

" Long, long ago...there lived, in Japan...a brave warrior known to all as...Tawara Toda, or 'My Lord Bag of Race.' His true name was...Fujiwara Hidesato...and there is a very interesting story of how he came to change...his name… "

" _My Lord Bag of Rice _?! Suzuki is pulling out all kinds of fairy tales today!" Mic says, sounding like he doesn't believe what's going on…

"He'd better stop if he doesn't want a scar on that face of his!" Gera cries. Her voice doesn't sound… It doesn't have any conviction…

" Long, long ago...there lived...in Musutafu...an arrogant boy known as...Karisuma Suzuki...who took on the form of a...kitsune...from the very stories...his mother sung to him on a winter night...when he was a small child... "

"His...His own story?!" Present Mic spits into his microphone, amazed…

Gera says, "Suzuki…"

"Gera… I've always been a piece of shit… Honestly, I'm not...quite the best to transfer into the Hero Course… Honestly, you...you're the strongest out of 1-D, and the entire… Yeah, the entire damned General Department…" I admit, looking at her with a broken smile. I feel blood staining my white teeth. It tastes awful…

She steps forward, lowering herself to my level using her platform. She says, crying out, "That's bullshit! You might be an asshole, but you're a better person than before! Back then, you never cared about us! You were arrogant as shit! But now, you've gotten better! Who the fuck cares if I'm strong?! The strong bastards out there?! The ones who can change?! They're the strongest fuckers in the world!"

Blood continues to pour down. The left side of my vision is colored red, crimson red, but I see Gera with my right, clear as day. I shake my head, fighting her, "Nah, you're wrong… I might be strong, but I killed a girl… I killed Hifumi...Osuhashi… I killed her..."

"Eh?!" Gera gasps, confused. "Suzuki, I'm not gonna tell you that it was Catharsis's fault, damnit! I will say… What I will fucking say is that you're a dumbass! You feel sorry for yourself, don't you?! Guilty?! Stop that shit! If you keep anchoring yourself, then how the hell are you gonna float back up?! Be a goddamn Hero! You're better than this!"

It's not that simple… Being responsible for Hifumi's suicide… There's a whole bag of emotions in that… What she says, it won't snap those feelings away… But I don't think that's the point she's trying to make… I think, I think she knows that these feelings aren't gonna disappear within the second. Maybe she wants me to let it fade slowly, not instantly, but slowly. The only way to do that is chasing after heroism, by saving and helping people, and doing whatever I feel is right.

I laugh, picking my head up and wincing in pain. "Alright Gera…"

The burning stops.

"You win, but you have to promise me a couple of things first…" I stand up tall, using my broken right hand, pointing at her with my broken index finger. "Are we still on for tutoring tonight? 'Cause...from what you said, you're just book-dumb. You're not dumb at life though, far from it… But I'll help you anyway…"

Gera's eyes widen before they soften. She nods and hums. "If you're up for it… A couple is 'two', right? What's the other thing?"

"Yeah… See, you _can _learn something!" I exclaim, trying my best to not laugh because my chest is on the verge of collapsing. "Anyway… To win, you have to knock me out. I won't forfeit, I won't accept going out of bounds as defeat... I gotta be a Hero, you know...? Even when a Hero's body is destroyed...just by standing up, they show true strength, true unwavering and stubborn as hell strength… That's what separates the fakers from the real ones… And…"

With my left hand, I wipe the blood off my face. I see Gera with clear, bloodless vision. I tell her, smiling with blood-caked teeth, "I dunno about you, but I'm no faker."

"Neither am I... Neither am I…" Gera repeats before coming down to my level. She clears away a few of her spikes, letting them sink back into the ground. The floor is a lot more even than before, but it's still uneven. She puts her fists up, getting into a boxer-like stance, hopping back and forth like a jack rabbit or a kangaroo. "C'mon Suzuki, I ain't gonna pummel you with my Quirk, only my fists. Got that?"

"Yeah… Got it… Hit me with your best shot, Gera…" I submit myself to a fight, a brawl between a girl who can carry Earth like Atlas and a kitsune who has a foot and a hand broken, not to mention his ribs. But, this is the fate that I, Karisuma Suzuki, submitted myself to. Accepting it, I stand tall, back straight, right hand out, left hand back, right foot forward, left foot back. Even broken, I'll still fight with them.

"This is the final brawl! Who will win?! C'mon crowd, c'mon students of U.A., chant the name of who you think wins!" Present Mic asks Battle Zone Central, and he gets an immediate response.

"Suzuki!"

Eh?

"Suzuki!"  
"Suzuki!"

Gera smiles, laughing at me like I'm a goddamn idiot. "Dumbass, wipe that shock off your face. They're not chanting for who wins—they're chanting for the guy who's stronger. C'mon, let's not keep them waiting. Right—?!"

_SMACK!_

With my right forearm, I block Gera's left hook, knocking her arm away. I might've stopped her punch, but even blocking it is killing my arm. She's so strong that if you just get tapped by her, you could get the wind knocked out of you. "Hup—!"

I kick her left foot just as when she's about to go for a low kick. Following up, she pulls her right fist back and tries to uppercut me, but I pivot underneath her arm, snapping to her right side. She might be stronger, but I'm faster even with a bum foot—!

_BAM!_

One blow! Left jab into her cheek!

"Ugh—!"

"—Hraaah!"

Two blows—!

Three—!  
Four—!

Five—!

I don't care if I'm using my broken limbs to fight! They can still punch and kick! Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, ignoring the pain I'm supposed to feel!

Gera glares at me with her bruised face, laughing with the thrill of the fight! "Gotta try harder than that, Suzuki—!"

—Damnit!

"Grrrrah—!"

She tries for a right hook, but I block it with my arm.

She punches—!

And punches—!

And punches—!  
Not letting up—!

"Damnit, lemme hit you good!" Gera yells after failing to land a good hit.

I shout back, screaming, "So stupid to think that I'll go easy on you—!"

"—Eh?!"

I pull my right hand back and she instinctively raises her arms. It's a feint. I jump up and spin around, performing a taekwondo kick into the side of her skull. Her body goes limp and she stumbles to the side! My chance—!

I step forward with my damaged foot, reeling my left fist back. This is coming towards her head! This might not knock her down, but it'll surely do something! "Gera—!"

I bring my fist down—?!

"Aghk—?!"

The second before! The split second before! Gera dodged and landed a punch into my chest, shattering my ribs further. I cough out blood, recoiling and stumbling back, barely able to keep myself upright. I hold my heart with my right hand, clutching my costume. It's hard to breathe! It's so hard to breathe!

"Suzuki—!" Gera yells before she punches my temple.

_WHAM!_

Again—!

And again—!

And again—!

"Gah—ugh, fhrk—!"

My face is bloody. It's covered, soaked. All I see is red with Gera blurry, shifting around in the light, but she's standing still.

I'm not...done...yet!

I step forward, using all of my strength I have left for one final punch! I scream at the top of my lungs before I send it out.

_THUD!_

But Gera catches it.

She grins, her teeth caked with blood too. She says to me, "You did good, Suzuki. See you when you wake up."

Gera pulls her head back—

_SLAM!_

The last thing I feel is her head hitting mine before everything fades away.

* * *

_Click!_

"You have a guest, Suzuki. It's—"

"I know who it is, Recovery Girl. Give us some privacy."

"I swear if you two wreck my office—"

"It won't come to that, I promise," Inochi says, holding his hand to his chest. "I came to check up on him."

"As you can see, I'm alive and everything's fixed. But whenever I look at you Inochi, I have the sudden urge to undo Recovery Girl's healing," I reply, turning around to face him. Inochi scowls before shaking his head, returning back to a neutral look.

Recovery Girl throws her arms up in the air and walks to the door. "Boys, if I hear any banging, I'm getting Aizawa and you both are getting suspended, _if _you're lucky. Do you understand? I'm not playing around." Wow, U.A. cares more about me than Bakugo, an arguably worse asshole. I'm touched.

Inochi nods. "Yes, Recovery Girl."  
"Roger. Have a good day." I nod too.

She sighs and leaves, shutting the door behind her. I walk over to my bed, grabbing my bottle of water and unscrewing the top. "Did your friends ask you to check up on me? If so, you should rethink your friends."

He answers, stuffing his hands in his P.E. uniform's pockets. "No, only me. Well, Itsuka too. After you lost, she said that I _had _to talk to you, and I agreed. So, once I got word that you were awake, I came here first thing."

"Aw, you love me," I tease him, drinking my water before I screw the top back on.

"Not at all," he shuts me down. Inochi is shooting me a glare. Looks like he isn't taking any of my shit today. "Talking about 1-B though, my friends are disappointed that you lost, but they don't absolutely hate you. They have...mixed feelings if I'm putting it simply. Monoma and Mister Kan _are _a bit upset that 1-A beat them _again _, but there's always a next time."

"What about your girlfriend?" I ask, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed.

He answers with a tired face, "Itsuka's not my—Ugh, never mind. I didn't get a chance to ask her, but I guess she feels the same as always."

"Because you hate me, so she hates me." I raise my finger. "You have a devoted partner, Inochi. You better take care of her, because you sure as hell aren't gonna take care of yourself."

"Now you're saying that too…"

"Of course I am. I know you better than you know yourself, which isn't a hard thing to do." I look away from Inochi, looking at a poster of the human anatomy. This doesn't apply to everyone, not anymore, because of Mutant-type Quirks, but oh well.

Inochi takes a step forward. "When we were in Kibo?"

"Yup," I say, still not looking at him. "First time I saw you, I thought to myself, 'What's wrong with this weak Quirkless?' At first, I thought you were depressed since you know—foster child and legally Quirkless. Not the best life, I admit."

"Still, you treated me like I was dirt. In our class, you went out of your way to make an example out of me—the foster child who's legally Quirkless—the easy target. You thought it was easy to crush my aspirations."

"No, it's the opposite! Those who were born strong, they get praised just for breathing. That's how much people today worship powerful Quirks, not the people. So, these guys get big heads with even bigger dreams. Lemme tell you something though—their dreams are like balloons. When a small, tiny-teeny needle comes in, it pops—" I snap my finger to prove a point. "—just like that. To the weaklings out there? Their dreams are as hard as diamond. No matter how much you beat them down, they stay there unscratched."

"But you still tried to beat me down."

"Yeah, that's true. Back then, I believed I was a diamond in the disgusting rough that's called Kibo—that's how I viewed things. I thought I could easily destroy your dream, but I couldn't, obviously. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't."

"And you only tried because you felt inferior, weak," Inochi says, pacing back and forth. "The old Suzuki, the strong, charming man that everyone adores—'The next All Might,' they would say—devoted so much time to a lowly Quirkless named Sanji Inochi. Why?"

Inochi stops. We look at each other, our gazes unwavering. He continues, "Because I think you knew, Suzuki. I think you knew that today, at this very moment, at this very second, I would be standing where I am today; and for you, you would be standing where you are. You were jealous of me from the very beginning, weren't you?"

I laugh, shaking my head playfully. I knew he would figure it out. "Yup, I was. Your diamond dream was unbreakable, Inochi. I wanted that for myself, but I could never get it."

"And at Golden Week—" Inochi snaps his fingers. "—your dream popped. You tried to pick up the pieces up until the Sports Festival, but you only fell further into your own despair. And I, in your words, rose higher. In my opinion though, I simply had a better life than before. That's an objective fact."

"It's just like in the stories, Inochi. Just like in the stories…" I look up at the ceiling. It's a nice ceiling. Perfect for a perfect school for perfect heroism, just perfect. "The arrogant man experiences a tragic fall due to his own hubris while the underdog rises to a higher standing. It's been told time and time again, and it never gets old."

"So what now? What happens after that?" he asks me. I can still feel him staring, trying to find something, but what he's searching for isn't on my body.

"A shift, Inochi. A grand shift. The timid and withdrawn boy becomes this beam of sunlight, the epitome of a good man. While the other guy? No one cares about him anymore! It's all about this man!" I exclaim, gesturing to Inochi. "All about you, Inochi. You're the hero, y'know? You're the hero and the _Hero _."

"I'm not… I'm not the hero, Suzuki. The attention I get, I don't think I deserve it. All I'm trying to do is become a Hero," he says.

I groan, banging the back of my head against the wall. "You stupid idiot. You say that, yet you're the most popular student in 1-B, one of the most in the entire grade. What about me? I want to be famous, but all I'm remembered for is nearly tearing your shoulder off. Besides that, no one really pays attention to me outside of school."

"Really? I thought you were still somewhat well-known," he says, kinda shocked. Heh, no one sees me and thinks, "That's Karisuma Suzuki!" Nope, all they see is a guy with fox ears and a tail.

"Nope, they notice my mutations, not my face." I get off the wall, taking a few steps forward. Inochi watches me, still uneasy. I can tell in how he breathes. He's calm, but there's still some bits of anxiety in them. "Inochi, congratulations. You have friends who adore you. You're even living with someone who loves you. Everyone says that you'll be a great Hero, a top ten guarantee."

"And you, you have friends too, no matter how much you curse at them. Gera cares about you, Kazeha, Mantora, and the rest of 1-D. Don't forget what Gera said—she believes that you're the strongest in the school. And about Hifumi—"

"Don't talk about her."

"Alright… Moving on, you stopped being a self-absorbed man. You started to give back to the world—tutoring elementary school kids, tutoring Gera, trying to be a better person. I think that's… that's a better story than mine, I believe."

"Eh, depends on personal taste." I shrug, crossing my arms. "But yeah, I'm moving on from middle school me. I'm becoming my own man, Inochi, my own Hero. I'll become a Pro just as great as All Might. Who knows, I might get into the top ten too? Being powerful _and _super famous? Recipe for success, I'd say."

Inochi rolls his eyes. He stops staring at me and looks over to a poster of All Might in his signature pose. "I don't understand why you would become a Hero for that. I don't understand why someone would become a Hero just so they could get rich quick, become famous, or for any self-indulging motives. That's not what being a Hero means, Suzuki. A Hero is meant to be selfless. They have to serve the society, and society isn't supposed to serve them in return."

A diamond in the rough… But he's an ugly diamond.

I respond, standing a little straighter, my words a little more firm, "No, you're wrong. Besides, who gave you the power to decide what society can or can't do? They just _do _, no one's controlling them. Sure, we got some celebrities like Mount Lady who relies on popularity more than anything else, but she's still saving people isn't she?"

" _Because _she wants to be more popular. To her, saving people is a means to an end. I don't mean to insult her, but that's what I believe."

"But, remember the but, people are still being saved. At the end of the day, she's fulfilling her role as a Hero, so it's fair that she could reap its rewards. It might be selfish for her, but it's perfectly reasonable."

"Still, being a Pro Hero means that you have to put selfish needs aside. Some Heroes out there, they wouldn't consider going into a burning building because 'it's too dangerous.' They aren't thinking 'people are in need, I need to save them.'"

"That's a bit suicidal. Inochi, lemme ask you about Stain. He believed that modern Heroes are cash-worshippers—"

"Don't compare me to him. Society has faults, Suzuki, but we shouldn't kill people or destroy the country to fix them. That's all I say about it."

I stifle a laugh. Okay, the tension just got a little thicker. I start to pace back and forth just how Inochi did earlier. "Y'know, being selfish isn't bad. Humans are naturally created to be selfish beings, and so is every animal on Earth, every plant even. Do you think plants care about other plants? Not really, all they want is sunlight."

"Yeah, I understand. But selfish desires chain us down, stopping us from moving forward. In order for heroism to properly work, every Hero needs to be selfless. The more selfless they are, the more people they save; the more people they save, society is being preserved. This is why All Might is the greatest Hero, why he stood out from the rest. He's so selfless that he became a pillar for society. He revolutionized the foundations of heroism—to rescue and to defeat, the dogma of heroism. I aspire to become selfless like him so I could save people without getting paid in wealth or fame. I don't want to be able to call myself a good person. I just want to see the world go on for thousands of years."

"That's a bit selfish though, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Wanting to be selfless? Wanting is a selfish word. 'I want to win'—'I want to be great'—'I want to be selfless.' The phrase itself is a contradiction, Inochi. If you want something, then you're truly aren't selfless!"

"You said it yourself, Suzuki! Humans are born to be selfish!"

"Yet you're treating 'selfish' as a dirty word," I tell him, turning around. I raise my arms up in the air, saying to Bakugo who isn't here, "Oh watch out Bakugo, you're being selfish. Time to put you in heroism jail and throw away the key. Enjoy your life in prison you selfish prick! Can't win in jail, can you?!"

"There's nothing good that comes from being selfish! It's why the media tried to destroy 1-B's reputation, why Villains exist—we need selfless people in the world to balance that, to ensure that society is good! If we don't, then who will?!"

"The selfish people, damnit!" I snap at him. "I guarantee you, there has to be one innovator who improved the world for a selfish reason—and I'm being generous! Oh, what about wars? Let's take All Might's war against villainy! He fought for _his_ _own_ ideals, trying to shape the world _into what he imagined!_ Not anyone else! Only himself! Isn't that selfish, Inochi?! Your hero is selfish! Good God, get me a rope and I'll hang him myself!"

"I believe in what he fights for! He's fighting for generations of selfless Heroes who'll take his place as the Symbol of Peace! He entrusts them with the responsibility to save Japan even if they have to give up their own life in the process! That's what being a Hero means! Sacrificing your life everyday for this country!"

Inochi gets face-to-face with me. I step away, because if I stand my ground, then I'm surely gonna punch him. I walk over to the window and stare out of it. There's the U.A. campus, pretty beautiful isn't it? I can smell the flowers of heroism from where I'm standing! It's putrid. "That sounds like a fancy way of saying 'suicide' to me, Inochi. Just what the hell… You're a barrel of contradictions, an empty man."

"I'm not empty, Suzuki. I've never been empty in my life. I have heroism, the very ideal that you won't accept."

"I don't accept _your _heroism. Why? That kind of heroism breeds husks. It creates empty men and women. They're enslaved to the hive mind that is heroism, getting them to kill themselves for it. That's what you did back when we fought Charon, and I sure as hell didn't like when I nearly had to become a martyr for a cause I didn't ask to fight for." I drag my finger along the blades of the blinds. Heh, no dust. So the robot janitors _do _clean these.

"I'm none of those things you describe me as. Heroes are alive as its society. I'm willing to kill for it so that no one else has to. There has to be someone who carries its burdens, so I'm willing."

"Jeez, this guy is sick in the head. I'm talking to an insane man, can you believe it? I'm not sure what's worse—his mental illness or his hypocrisy," I talk to no one in particular other than the possible phantoms in the room.

"I'm sane, Suzuki. You just don't like how I think."

"You're wrong. _I hate it _," I admit, I confess even! I turn my head to the side, watching him from the corner of my eye. "You are so broken that I can't tell that you were even whole to begin with. Every time I see you, I'm reminded of the reason why I hate you. You are a foreign entity to heroism, Inochi. You are the embodiment of every flaw it has.

"Even your name is a lie. 'Sanji' could mean 'third son', but it could also mean 'eulogy'. If you put 'sanji' and 'inochi' together, it would mean 'eulogy of life'. So let's praise Sanji Inochi for his suicide. He never had a life to begin with, he was never living in the first place—because heroism took his heart and never let go, and it killed him for it."

"Suzuki—"

"You're sick. You're so sick. That's why you have the Hero Syndrome, don't you?"

"The what?" the dead man named Inochi asks me, confused to the very mental disease he has. How funny…

I explain to him, " _The Fallacy of Hero Society: The Broken and Final Machine _written by Edmund Wahrmann, a German philosopher. His book is banned by the Commission because they believe this book can and will instill toxic beliefs into rising Heroes, faltering their ideals in a Hero Society."

"He defined Hero Syndrome in his book?"

"Of course he did. He's the one who coined the term, yet no one is willing to accept it. Don't get me wrong, Edmund Wahrmann was a hardcore nihilist who favored Villains over Heroes, so I understand why no one wants to acknowledge him, but some of his ideas are great, especially the Hero Syndrome.

"I'm no psychologist, but I know you have it. Wahrmann defined it as 'an individual who is willing to devote their life to heroism, everything else is secondary. They are always extremists, radicals who fight for their twisted meaning of heroism. They are selfless by nature, self-sacrificial by nature, and especially, most definitely…'"

I stare at Inochi, making him see the pure hatred in my eyes. "'They are the ones who will become the greatest Pro Heroes that the world births. However, they become cogs in the heroism machine, never personified as a person, but personified as an object whose sole purpose is to serve as a Hero. The most well-known example of this is Toshinori Yagi, more known as All Might of Japan.'"

"You make it sound like a good thing."

"Depends on who you're asking. Wahrmann said that those with the Hero Syndrome are mentally ill individuals, and society simply perpetuate those 'disgusting ideals, furthering the objectification of those with Hero Syndrome.' His words, not mine. Though, if you ask the average citizen, then they would encourage it. If you ask a Villain, they would agree with Wahrmann.

"So tell me Inochi, what do you think?"

Inochi shakes his head and turns his back to me. "I don't care anymore. Whatever you say won't change my ideals. I'll still strive to be a selfless man who saves others without question. I'll still believe that heroism is meant for the selfless. Just because I get diagnosed with some disease doesn't mean I won't be a Hero.

"All Might, I'm following his path. I'll continue to follow it throughout U.A. and into my career. I'll save people just like him, and defeat Villains like him as well. I don't want to be known in the history books, but I think that's inevitable at this point. All I want is for others to be happy and alive—especially my friends until the day I die."

"See you at your funeral in July, Inochi."

"That's next month."

"I know. If you want, let's meet in the middle and say early August."

"Hmph, see you around. Have a good day, Suzuki," he says to me before walking to the door. Before he opens it, he looks back at me. "You know, I do think you could be an effective Hero. That's all I'll say though."

Inochi opens the door and leaves, closing the door behind him. I hear his footsteps in the empty halls, echoing. They grow faint, fainter, and fainter before I stop hearing him altogether. Yeah, this is where we part ways. He's walking into hell out of his own volition, while I'm staying in here…

Here in this place, being the man—and a Hero—that I can be proud of. I have a long road ahead of me. Better not squander time.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"It amazes me that you can walk brazenly into U.A. despite of who you are."

"Why, I can say the same to you! Your name was ridden through mud and dirt! Yet, you are still able to enter U.A. without any care! I admire your courage, Fuyushiro! You're much more courageous than I am!"

"Flattery will not work on me. What do you take me as? A fool? I survived in this industry ever since I was born, so please, stop acting like I'm one. So, you ought to answer the question _without _lying—why are you here? You specialize in lifestyle support."

"Correct! However, I am thinking of reaching my influences to other places, like how Tokage Industries has their hands in many things—medical, technology, _Hero support _."

"So that's why you're in U.A.? Hero support? You're not at the top of lifestyle support yet, why go into Hero support now?"

"No, I will be though. Once that happens, I'll venture into the Hero support industry and rise to the top— _overtaking you _. It's bound to occur, my friend. Your stocks are plummeting ever since the Catharsis controversy. Really, your only saving grace is your Quirk therapy research that you're unveiling at I-Expo. I hear you're on the edge of genetically altering Quirks."

"Whoever you heard that from, they're not completely wrong. As for you, I heard that you'll unveil Hero support technology at I-Expo as well?"

"Correct! We both have reliable sources, Fuyushiro! Heroism is such a profitable industry, we both know that. That's why if I rise to the top, then those with difficult Quirks could live a better life. That is the reason men like Tomura Shigaraki and Risai Tatchikutsu exist. They were not able to fit into society's mold of a proper citizen, so they turned to villainy as an escape. Fuyushiro Tokage, do you still reject me?"

"Of course. Your vision of the world will lead to a utopia, but I see it as the incarnation of Hell. Absolutely disgusting."

"You say that like you're better, Fuyushiro. Such a shame though. Your mind is ignorant and stubborn like an old man. I would show you the better light, but not here. Frankly, you care more about your company than your—"

"My, are you listening in?"

"Eek?!"

Crap, Chitose Kizuki just appeared out of nowhere! This blue-skinned devil smirks, sitting next to me with her legs crossed. She radiates smugness, but she can back it up. Kizuki isn't just any ordinary executive, she's a powerful one. If the media was a Yakuza, she'd be one of the heads. The reason why U.A. is under intense scrutiny is because of her. She's able to research each and every student here, find every bit of dirty detail and incriminating evidence to damn us. I remember that she tried to call Togaru due to his relation to the Executioner Wasp, and everyone knows what happened during Catharsis. Her posture—yes, she's showing her curves off with that tight black dress, but that's not the point—tells me that she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice a few henchmen in order to get what she wants. In her mind, she's right, and that's worse than a Villain who knows that they're in the wrong. If someone believes that they are undoubtedly correct, then it's nearly impossible to prove them otherwise. That is called a "radical". Radicals are the most dangerous kind of people in the world. They're few in numbers, but they're able to change the face of the planet in an instant, like how she changed the public's perspective on U.A. and especially 1-B.

With her dangerous mindset, she has Japan at her fingertips. Whatever she writes, the majority of the country will take it as fact. Really, the only thing that's stopping her is the Commission and the federal government. They can prohibit certain materials from being published, like obscene content and such. Slander and libel are illegal—obviously—but someone as smart as her can navigate through those laws even without a super-attorney. I remember the death threats that Sanji had gotten over his transcript error. It was total bullshit, and all of my friends blamed the media for pushing a toxic narrative. However, we couldn't do anything about it. Honenuki couldn't do anything about it. He said, in his words, "Technically, Kizuki didn't send any direct death threats. She just...threw a can of gasoline into a bonfire thinking, 'I am a good person!' The Commission can't stop her, Mayor Yamamoto refuses to help us, and we can't sue her. The only thing we can do is ignore what's going on and focus on our studies. Mister Kan would want us to do that." For a silly guy, he really is smart. Doesn't do his homework, but aces all the tests.

So Setsuna, how will you get yourself out of this situation? Your left eye and ear is in the meeting room, eavesdropping on the conversation. Kizuki caught you red-handed, and it isn't smart to lie to her. Journalists can see through lies like two-way mirrors, especially her. She'll know if I'm being dishonest, so instead of acting dumb, I need to act like the heiress I am. In business, companies try to get ahead of each other all the time. Here, I could try talking to Kizuki, maybe throwing her a bone to chase after that'll keep the attention off of Dad and 1-B. Yeah, here's the problem though—I need to think of a bone. I could throw her any bone really, but it's the scent of it. If it smells rotten, she wouldn't chase it. However, if it's like flowers on a spring day, she'd run a marathon. So what's her favorite aroma?

"Miss Kizuki, I haven't seen you in a long time," I say, hiding the left side of my face with my hair. "Guess you caught me red-handed. You gonna tell my father?"

"No, I don't see why. Oh, for your information, there's no one in this hallway, not even a camera in sight. In all of U.A., this area has the least amount of security. Everyone is focused on the Freshman Proxy Battles. We're alone, Setsuna Tokage. You can recall your missing pieces now," she replies, turning her head towards me. I didn't see it, _but I felt it _. She's staring right at me. Kizuki's trying to find any cracks. There won't be any cracks in me.

Slowly, but surely, I pull my scouts back into my face. There, I'm whole again. I can't hear the conversation anymore. Dad's battling, so am I. I stare at the door, not giving Kizuki the eye contact she wants. If I glare back, I'll lose. I can't beat her. "How's Shoowashya Publishing?" I ask her.

"It's been quiet, but it's still thriving. Thank you for asking! This event will be a great story, you know! Karisuma Suzuki is enacting his redemption after Golden Week and the Sports Festival! Not only he's a major player, there's also Hitoshi Shinso who Eraserhead is keeping a close eye on. The other Shinzo—Shinzo Mantora—is the biggest player in them all. He—Oh, excuse my rambling. I almost gave up information that you certainly aren't aware of," she tells me with a haughty little giggle. Kizuki's trying to provoke me into asking about Mantora, isn't she? She rambled on purpose to spike my curiosity. If I ask about him, she would try to strike a deal with me to exchange sensitive information about my friends in order to get an answer. I can't fall into that trap. Besides, I don't care about Mantora that much—not to be rude. But if she has information about him, then who else does she have information on?

I shake my head, resting my hands on my lap. "Mantora can do whatever. I have a feeling that you want something from me though. Is it about a man named Sanji Inochi?"

"Ah!" Kizuki gleefully exclaims, putting her hands together, "you're intuitive, Miss Tokage! Of course I am. I asked Grandmaster and The Count earlier today; they refused to answer. I hoped that you're more keen to an interview, since you're one of his closest friends." Hmph, thank goodness that they refused, but they put me in a bad spot. If I refuse Kizuki, then that curiosity won't be sated. I need to satisfy her need to figure out Sanji and sic her to chase after another big story. That means I have to follow along.

"Why are you investigating Sanji? Running dry on stories that'll bring about a revolution?" I ask, glancing at her. She still has her laser-focused eyes on me. What a bother…

"My, you think highly of him. To answer your question, Sanji Inochi is an individual where my _curiosity _jumps whenever I think about him. You're aware of his status as a foster child, right?" I nod. "Like I thought. However, did you know that Sanji Inochi existed at five years old? How peculiar!"

"What do you mean that he 'existed at five years old'? Shouldn't he exist at, y'know, zero years old? Unless he's apart of an extraterrestrial species, which I don't doubt by the way, it's impossible for someone to magically exist when they're five," I find myself asking. Damnit, I should've thought out what I was gonna say, but if what Kizuki says is true, then… then Sanji didn't exist before the age of five?

"Yet, Inochi did. In the census a few years back, there was no one who had the surname of Inochi. Quirk Registry: nothing. The man is a complete slate. Unknown Quirk, only one with the surname 'Inochi', and he won't reveal his past. I even went ahead to track down his foster parents before he went under the care of Master Kendo. Most of them either refused. The ones who joyfully answered our questions didn't have any information to give, other than the fact he was introverted and withdrawn.

"We even tried talking to Gin Ikumoto, also known as the retired Pro Hero 'Vilemouth'—his last guardian before he came into the care of Master Kendo. Interestingly enough, he moved away from Kibo shortly after inochi's departure! We tracked him down to a remote, yet gorgeous, seaside town named Mugazuki! It was so beautiful that I'm tempted to search the town's history for the sake of it! Anyway, back onto Mister Ikumoto, we spoke to him, but he promptly swore and chased us out! We thought that he'd be a valuable source of information, yet we didn't think he would be so...protective. Mhm, that is the right word to say! Are you satisfied?"

Hmph, that answered a lot of my questions that I wasn't going to ask. Sanji, Gin Ikumoto, wherever the heck Mugazuki is… She didn't theorize what Sanji's Quirk is. She only went on about his past. As of right now, I know that Sanji's Quirk is a Mental Accumulation-type, which means it's probably an Emitter considering most, if not all, Accumulation-type Quirks lead to Emission. One of the passive effects, that we're aware of, is Sanji's Quirk makes him immune to other Mental-type Quirks that harm the mind—like Catharsis or Hitoshi Shinso's Quirk. The most notable passive is Adoptive Muscle Memory, which lets Sanji cheat at any physical task.

(A little information about A.M.M. itself—it's easy to assume that it's an actual Quirk. After all, it sounds like one and even has a unique name! Yet, it's not. If it was, then it'll surely fall under Mutant-type Quirks. One of the conditions to decide a Quirk is a Mutant-type is the mutation itself—like for example, Ojiro's tail. The mutation needs an abundance of AP molecules, energy molecules that power the Quirk. To Sanji, his Mutation would surely be his eyes, since A.M.M. activates on sight. However, I've been told that the amount of AP in his eyes are on par of an average person. From that fact, it disqualifies as a Mutant-type Quirk. We ruled out the impossible, so whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is probably the truth. And the truth is—Adoptive Muscle Memory is a passive effect of Sanji's real Quirk, like how Jiro's Quirk passively makes her have super-hearing. It's just that A.M.M. is a _really good _passive effect. I wouldn't be surprised if one of his parents had it as their Quirk. Even with this, Sanji is treated as a Quirkless. At least he's proving those naysayers wrong little by little. He's my little badass boy.)

Moving on, we also know that, in certain cases like in his fight with Catharsis, his gray eyes turn white—Shojo told me that. That's all the information I have. If we knew a single family member, we'd have more information about his Quirk, if it isn't a random mutation. Jeez, there's something that bothers me—Sanji knew A.M.M. isn't his Quirk before it was proven so. Every time I asked him—or someone else did—he changed the subject. He didn't use the biological excuse that I explained earlier. That means Sanji doesn't know Metaology that well, or he knows what his true Quirk is from the very beginning. Honestly, both might be true considering his grade in Metaology. I digress. If I could conclude that Sanji knows his true Quirk, then Kizuki has too. She wants me to tell her what Sanji's Quirk is, but I can't. No one can other than the man himself; he won't. No matter how much he loves me, he will never tell me what his true Quirk is. To him, it must be so sensitive, and the rest of us, we're here dreaming about it.

I need to turn the conversation around, putting it back on Kizuki.

I snicker to myself, saying, "You're clueless about his Quirk. That's why you're telling me this. Once his Quirk is known, you can track down his family history. Tell me, you're not investigating Sanji purely out of the need to inform the public, aren't you? This sounds a little insulting, but you're a heartless woman—heh, sounded a lot more insulting than intended."

"Let's not trade insults, Miss—"

I snap, "I'm not done talking." Kizuki gets taken back from my brashness. Good, she should react like that. I continue on, "You're worried about him, his potential. Once the rumor went around that he'd become a top ten when he graduates, suddenly the underdog of U.A. was meant to be the best of us.

"You know, Miss Kizuki, you have rumors yourself. It's natural that I heard of them—each and every one. They say, you deem these people who started these rumors as 'conspiracy theorists.' They say that you're apart of a larger organization who wants to topple our current government. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence to be had, but it's convincing the more I read."

"What are you trying to say, Miss Tokage?" Kizuki asks. Her voice was excited and cheerful, and now it became cold. I feel her glare becoming stronger, burning holes into my skull. I hit the jackpot. _This _is the bone I should throw. It's not about heroism, but her position of power. That begs the question: Who _is _Chitose Kizuki?

I reply, "I'm not one to conclude something based on circumstantial evidence, but the implication is damning. Hypothetically, let's take the implication as fact. That means—" I stare back. "—you are afraid of Sanji Inochi. Everyone is focused on Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki, but you're able to accurately predict their strength in the near future. Midoriya will have All Might-like potential, Bakugo the same, and Todoroki will rise higher than his father ever will. For Sanji? The mystery you describe him as? He's an unknown variable that cannot be predicted. That's why you're so focused on him. If you can't solve the enigma known as Sanji Inochi, then when he's _liberated _from his Quirk—"

Kizuki starts laughing. " _Miss Tokage _! 'Liberated' is such an odd way of saying 'Quirk Awakening'! Why else would you say something like that—?"

"—Meta Liberation Army."

"...!"

"Jackpot." I smile, flashing my jagged teeth. "You wanna know how I figured it out? Your office. I seen it in interviews and I went inside once before—business trip with my dad. I took in every single detail in your office. Do you know what gave it away? It was your books. You always had the _Meta Liberation War _on your desk or it was tucked away nicely in your shelf. Honestly, it's a miracle that no one has seen it earlier.

"I mean, you're close friends with Rikiya Yotsubashi, the very man who my father is talking to right now. Ah, 'Yotsubashi'... Sounds like the surname of Chikara Yotsubashi, also known as 'Destro', the grand commander of the past Meta Liberation Army, so Rikiya Yotsubashi is his son meant to carry his legacy. That's pretty clever, actually. Everyone would suspect a brand new, super evil mastermind-like organization to start a revolution, but no one would expect an organization as old as the M.L.A. to be revitalized.

"And before you talk, lemme confirm something with you—you're waiting, right? You're waiting to make your big move. Before you do, you need to figure out who would be a threat—like Sanji. I don't know what you have planned exactly, but I know it won't work. Villains like you, they don't last long in the world."

Kizuki sighs and stands up, adjusting her dress. She combs through her pale hair with her hand. Her entire demeanor changed, her aura. I haven't felt an aura like this since...Catharsis. "Little girl, you're playing a game meant for adults. Not only you eavesdropped on your father's conversation, you're fighting against something larger than you could ever imagine. Did you ever consider your precious father's place in all of this? Probably not. For a prodigy, you really are stupid! You're right about Sanji Inochi though. The world is waiting for him to awaken, to become liberated as a new man. When that happens, he'll surely become an enemy of our cause.

"Though, I truly am impressed that you're able to piece the information together. When the second advent comes, we'll have free use of our Quirks and I'll capture Japan's hearts with my journalism. That is why I _have _to give you my congratulations, Setsuna Tokage, because you possibly condemned your friends to death! I hope you're satisfied with yourself! The truth you were looking for is poisonous like cyanide itself!"

I stand up as well. "Like I said, that won't happen. All Might will stand in your way."

" _If _he doesn't retire. Face it, he's becoming an old man. Soon enough, that body won't be fit for a Hero."

"Then Shigaraki."

"Shigaraki? What about him?"

"Hehe, you should be worried about what the Heroes will do to you, but you should be worried even more about enemy Villains. As I see it, Shigaraki will stand in your way of a liberated world. In order to have it, you need to defeat him and the League of Villains. Lemme be honest, you won't win. He will decay your entire dream to ash. And when you fall from grace, it'll be because of your hyper-obsessive zeal."

"And when that happens, your pursuit of righteous justice and heroism will shed blood. It won't be any Villain's blood, but it'll be your allies. I wonder who it will be, Miss Tokage? The lizard with fangs will kill someone, so who do you choose?"

I grit my teeth. "Who are you really, Chitose Kizuki?"

"Curious. Refer to me as 'Curious'. And my friend, Rikyia Yotsubashi, he's Re-Destro. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lizardy."

_Click!_

Rikiya Yotsubashi, Re-Destro, leaves the room with Dad behind him. Kizuki smiles and puts her hands together. Re-Destro smiles and looks at me, still smiling. "Chitose and Miss Setsuna Tokage! What a wonderful surprise! I'm afraid I cannot chat with you Miss Tokage, as Chitose and I have other business to attend."

They start walking away, quietly chatting with one another. Dad's at my side, his eyes focused on their backs. Let's have the last word. I call out to Curious, "Miss Kizuki, at I-Expo, I'll have David Shield figure out Sanji's Quirk! From now until then, I'd personally wouldn't focus on Sanji anymore. Instead, I would look into Izuku Midoriya and his relations to All Might. Just a little piece of advice from you to me!"

Re-Destro and Curious stop, and only Curious turns around with a gleeful smile. "Thank you for the advice, Tokage! I'll be sure to treasure it! See you and Class 1-B at the I-Expo!" I give her a nice little nod before they start walking again.

Dad rubs his mouth with his hand. He's stressed. "Setsuna, did you really talk to _that _woman during my meeting with Rikiya? What did you talk about?"

"Sanji, which was why I said that I'll make David hook him up to one of his Quirk machines," I answer, watching the two Villains disappear down the hall. Dangit, what _did _I get myself into? I need to ask him—

"What did you find out? There's something more. What did you say to her?" Dad presses, grabbing me by the shoulders. "I never seen Kizuki that furious before. Tell me Setsuna, _what did you say to her? _"

"M-Meta Liberation Army… It's being revived," I stutter an answer. He lets go of me and winces, cursing under his breath.

"Don't tell anyone about this—"

"Why not? They're Villains! We need to tell U.A., the Commision, anyone—!"

"No! Are you insane?!" he shouts. I shrink, stepping back. "God, sometimes you're too smart for your own good. Let's think about if you tell the Commission about this, what would happen?"

"..."

"You're staying silent _now _? Setsuna, answer the question! You know the answer, so tell me!"

"I would...accelerate their plans."

"That's right. What are the consequences when that happens?"

"Uhm, the second advent that Curious—I mean, that Kizuki mentioned. It would happen sooner and Japan would be launched into war."

"Correct. The Meta Liberation Army is called that for a reason—it has an army of over 100,000 believers, including Heroes _within the country. _By revealing its existence, you're basically putting your head into an anthill of fire ants. Why? Because each soldier is skilled in their Quirk while in Japan, the average citizen is mediocre at best. We ought to hope that Rikiya didn't build the army in other countries like his father."

"So...we have to keep this a secret? From everyone?" I ask him, my voice sounding barely above a loud whisper. Dad nods. He nods… I say, "Japan could be destroyed if we withhold this information."

He replies, he calmly replies, "And it will surely be destroyed if we tell the Commission now. Setsuna, if you were in my position, then you would see that I'm more powerful than any Prime Minister or President. By the fact that I know, I hold Japan's fate in my hands. I could easily plunge everyone into war without calling the government to hold a vote. Really, it's the potential of what I could do. Do you understand? Something like this—I'm preparing you for it."

Even saying that, I still defend myself, "Dad, people will _die _. Do you expect me to live with that fact? I'm supposed to be a Pro Hero. We need to save who we can."

"I know. You have to sacrifice a few lives to save the majority. You need to do the most sinful acts to save the world. That's how it has always been, Setsuna. The world was always like that; it will never change."

"Is that my future?"

"Yes. You'll think negatively about it today, but when you're older, you'll understand. Come on, let's start our way back to Battle Zone Central," Dad tells me before leading the way. I follow him without a word.

The Meta Liberation Army… We'll meet them again at I-Expo. And what Dad said… Why is that life waiting for me? If we don't tell anyone, then the M.L.A. will surely kill innocent people. But if we do, then thousands will die in the second advent. Ugh, I never expected this.

* * *

"Setsuna—!"

"No."

"I haven't finished my sentence yet!"

"Don't need to hear it. Please Okichi, step off."

A tuft of Okichi's hair falls on his eyes from leaning forward too much. He chuckles and, in the most arrogant way possible, he flips the tuft back up, rolling it back with his hand. "Is that any way to treat a fellow student at U.A.? We could make a good partnership, Setsuna. You, a Pro Hero, and me, the manager of your Hero Agency! I can be quite shrewd like my father, you know. You'll be a star."

I roll my eyes. "I'm already a star. If I get any brighter, I could even outshine the sun, so sorry, not interested."

"Shame… May I ask why you aren't watching the Proxy Battles? I haven't seen you at all during the Freshman Round. When I left, the last match just ended with the score tied. The tiebreaker match is about to start," he informs me. Knowing the two powerhouses on each side, it'll be Suzuki versus Gera. It has to be. Unless they got really injured in their fights—which I doubt—they'll be fighting each other. Out of the two, Gera would win. I'm not saying that because I don't like Suzuki. He has a strong Quirk, but Gera's stronger. She's like Todoroki but with earth. And I'm also not saying that because I would enjoy Suzuki get his face punched in. Totally not!

I bat my hair, turning away from him. "Business stuff. I can be quite shrewd like my father, you know, who's currently meeting with others influential figures."

"How so? Did you already make a business deal at the ripe age of fifteen? I expect nothing less from a beautiful mind such as yourself," he compliments me. Yup, just go ahead and compliment me. I totally didn't anger what could be possibly one of the most largest Villain organizations in all of Japan. At least when we defeat them—or someone else does—I get to brag to my friends that I saw it coming, if they don't hate me for keeping it a secret from them in the first place.

"Flattery won't work on me as much as you think," I tell him.

"But it's working."

"...I hate wordplay sometimes." I shake my head just about at my maximum level of annoyance. "Anyway, lemme ask _you _a question—why are you here? I thought you wanted to watch lower class fight like barbarians?"

"You talk like you're a lower class yourself, which is obviously not true," he replies, laughing like an aristocrat from a movie—so basically stereotypical. In fact, he's what the stereotype is based off of. "Anyway, I wanted to roam around U.A. in peace. Usually, it's so loud and rambunctious. There are so many loud-mouthed egomaniacs in this school, Setsuna—namely Katsuki Bakugo. I can't stand him."

I mutter under my breath, "I can think of another loud-mouthed egomaniac who's standing right in front of me."

"You _do _realize that my Quirk is Super Hearing, correct? A whisper to the ordinary man is practically screaming in my ears—which it isn't else I'd already be deaf, but the analogy is still fitting," he reminds me. Jeez, you really can't get anything past this guy. His Super Hearing trumps Jiro and Suzuki's. They can hear things a lot better than the average person, but Okichi is scores above them. He can hear things up to kilometers away if he wanted to—key phrase: "if he wanted to." Okichi can selectively hear, so he can turn off noises close by and listen to the radio three blocks down the street in a quaint little cafe. Wait… Okichi was here and he was surely waiting for me, right? Then, he could've been eavesdropping on my conversation with Curious!

I face him. "Okichi—"

He interrupts me, "You realized it by now, haven't you? Your conversation with Miss Kizuki and Mister Yotsubashi? It was only natural that I listened in." This bastard! If he told the Commission about the Liberation Army's existence, then all of Japan could be in danger! He laughs and puts his hand on my shoulder. I think he's trying to calm me down, but I only feel disgusted, very disgusted. "Don't fret, their life as a Villain is a secret that I'll keep. But we ought to devise a plan, correct? Us two together."

"Why? What would I gain by coming up with a plan with you?" I ask, flicking his hand off. He frowns and walks up to a window, looking out into campus.

"The Army's destruction, of course. They're Villains, what do you expect that we'll do? Take them out for tea? No, as Heroes—you to be specific—we will instead have them drink tea in a dark, cramped jail cell in Tartarus with the rest of their ilk. In fact, today is quite a fortuitous day. I had suspected that the Meta Liberation Army was revived under a new leader, and your conversation proved it. And now, we could destroy them in one fell swoop."

"Really? They have over six figures of soldiers ready to die for them. That includes Pro Heroes that could very well be in Battle Zone Central as we speak."

"What's an army without their general?" Okichi rhetorically asks. "Setsuna, don't you know that their Top Executives are owners of various companies within Yotsubashi's circle? Politicians as well? And I-Expo, what is the main purpose of the event?"

"Stop giving me questions to answer, Okichi. Cut to the chase already, we don't have much time," I say, impatiently tapping my feet.

"Alright," he replies, continuing, "what I'm trying to say is—most of the major leaders of the Meta Liberation Army are attending the I-Expo, along with the Grand Commander himself. When the time is nigh, we'll defeat them." Okichi slams one fist into his palm.

"..."

"Is something wrong?" He turns around to check up on me.

I lower my head, trying my best to not laugh. "You want me to defeat Yotsubashi? His father was a dangerous man, so he'd be even more dangerous than him. Look, I might be smart, fast, gorgeous, but I'm not strong—far from it! Asking me to fight him is suicide! Unless I drag my friends in to help, it won't happen."

Okichi has a disappointed look on his face. "Not physically defeat him! I mean evidence! We find evidence that he is the son of Destro, that the Meta Liberation Army exists and has double agents within the foundations of Japan! You see, Rikiya Yotsubashi is a very meticulous man. He keeps very good records, so it isn't far-fetched to assume he has a list of every soldier at his command. We just need to find it. Once found, every single warrior will be arrested for conspiracy. It's quite ingenious actually; I came up with the plan ever since your conversation was finished."

"Okay, okay!" I throw my arms up in the air—not literally this time. I pace back and forth, just about to yank each strand of my wavy hair off. "This sounds way too simple to work. We need a lot more detail than that, Okichi. The hows, wheres, whens, _whats _! We're only teenagers trying to take down an evil organization! It's only us!"

"It's a task fitting for Hercules himself, I ponder. Such a massive trial, yet if successful, Japan will become safer than ever before."

"Yeah, but let's say if our plan worked and Japan gets this list—which by the way, we're not certain that it exists—what's stopping the exposed soldiers from waging a war? The Top Executives and the Grand Commander could go into hiding. What's stopping them?"

"All Might for one. And perhaps… The United Hero Nations if I utilize my cards correctly." Goodness, Okichi is insane. He's not only talking about taking down the Meta Liberation Army, he might get the U.H.N. to be involved too! I have to hand it to him though—he's thinking outside of the box. Instead of thinking nationally, he's thinking internationally. Yet, these are some big aspirations for someone who's only fifteen.

"God, we're going to die…" I say, shaking my head.

Okichi follows up, " _If _you help me. You don't have to answer today, but I need an answer soon. And if you refuse, then I won't execute my plan. You have my promise. I do warn you though—my plan is something that even you would admire." He claps his hands and starts to walk away towards the exit—must be going to Battle Zone Central. "As my proposition has been established, I need to depart! Au revoir, my Setsuna! I need to see barbarians fight! Oh, do not tell your father about this plan, obviously!"

Okichi—!

"'Barbarians'? Such an arrogant way of addressing your schoolmates, Tokugawa. That kind of thinking will only lead to sinful actions," Ibara comes in with a scowl on my face, but there's a smile on mine. Okichi chuckles and pats her shoulder, leaving without a comeback. Heh, coward.

I exclaim, running up to her, "Goddess, you're here! Don't tell me that you wanted to check up on me! You shouldn't have!"

"No, I came to get a snack from the cafeteria," she replied, looking down at me. Well...this is awkward.

"Oh."

Ibara suddenly laughs, her hair bouncing and swaying as she does. That's the music of God, no one else can convince me otherwise. "I'm only joking. I was wondering where you went, Setsuna. You disappeared for the entire event so far. The tiebreaker match is on its way."

I apologize, crossing my arms and my legs. "I know, sorry. Had to take care of things—heiress stuff as usual. I'm surprised that you came to fetch me though, not Sanji or Itsuka. Guess you're fond of your little sinful lizard."

Ibara sighs, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "Don't think of yourself as sinful. You are a treasured friend, something that is more valuable than the world's gold."

My face heats up. I look away to… Well, a wall. I'm staring at a blank wall. This will do. "Thanks… Can I ask you something, Ibara? It's a little personal, so think of it as a confession booth of sorts—an informal one at least."

"Ah," Ibara exclaims before nodding, "very well. Whatever you say will remain a secret. Now please, what is it?" She gestures us to start heading back to Battle Zone Central. We walk together side-by-side, our shoulders nearly touching.

I ask her, trying my best to not reveal much, "Is sinful acts necessary to preserve the world?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, in order to save the world, you have to do something that's considered 'sinful', like killing someone to save another. It's been itching in the back of my mind for awhile ever since Catharsis—" (Sanji tried to kill him,) "—and with everything that's going on in my life, I just someone to give me advice."

She says to me, "Well, those acts are sinful by action, but not completely sinful in nature. You are not allowed to take another's life, but those rules and conditions do not account for context, doesn't it? If a man steals bread to feed his child, then he's morally right, yet lawfully wrong. To preserve the world, we're simply thinking in a larger perspective.

"Here, I believe in nothing, because each case is different. I cannot judge one man the same way I judged another. I may condemn a man for his crimes, but admire him for his morality, or vice versa."

I pose another question, "What if you had to choose between doing a sinful act or going your own way? The sinful one, you let fate or God decide what happens; in the other act, you take fate into your own hands? What would you do?"

"I don't know. I can't answer that because I cannot see into the future. God will never give us a future that we desire, and because of that fact, us as humans try to take hold of God and try to control the future. Yet, arrogant as we are, we fail."

"It's worth trying though, isn't it?"

"Perhaps. The future isn't absolute, Setsuna. There might be a large chance that our future will end in villainy, yet there's a chance that it won't. For some, the existence of a chance is enough to fuel their willpower. For others, leaving fate up to God is enough. It depends on who you are as His child. But…"

Ibara smiles and stares out of the window as we walk, watching the trees sway in the wind and the sun shining brightly. "I believe that our friends are so stubborn that they'll try to create a future that they yearn for."

I laugh, looking down at the floor. "Yeah, they're stubborn alright. That's why I love them."

"So do I," Ibara replies, giving me one of her beautiful smiles. Heh, as much as I want to admire it, there's something more important.

My future… What do I pick?

Remain idle like Dad tells me to or—

—Take control and go along with Okichi's plan?

That's my decision, but no matter what…

The next stage of battle is at I-Island.

* * *

**The next stage of battle is at I-Island! The Hero Course Tutoring Arc is over! Here comes the Final Exams! The next chapter will focus back on Sanji and Itsuka *finally*.**

**The next chapter is called: A Day in Life**

**Post-chapter discussion:**

**Shinzo's Reveal: The Yakuza Prince! Originally, his backstory was darker where he escaped the Yakuza and tried to become a Hero despite his past. That's been kinda done before (dark past) with Kamakiri, so I decided to cut out the middle man and had him remain in the Yakuza and changed a few details around. So, we now have the Jizen Mugen! With Shinzo's perspective as a Yakuza Prince, we get to have an insight into the Yakuza world and especially into the Shie Hassaikai. (We might even see an appearance of a special man—and a little girl—soon.) Aside from that, there's the conflict about Shinzo's brother—Mato Kichoki. His ideals conflict with him and their father, so it might pop up again in the future. Mato's Quirk is called Infinity. Much like Catharsis, his Yakuza Name is the same as his Quirk.**

**The Tiebreaker Match: Starting out, I knew that Gera would win. Her Quirk is really strong and even though Suzuki is the highlight of the arc, he needed to lose. I had him lose not to change his character, but to clearly show how much he changed. That is what this match is about—showcasing change. Really, by finishing this arc, Suzuki rose to one of my favorite characters because writing lovable assholes is the best. If I ever decide to give him a love interest, then there's a lot of choices (both male and female) because of how well he bounces off others.**

**Debate w/ Sanji Inochi: And here, I would say this is where Sanji's story and Suzuki's story come together—the debate. We have a binary here—selfless and selfish. Suzuki represents the selfish desire of heroism and how he embraces being selfish. He sees it as a necessary—and a positive—thing. On the other hand, Sanji is completely against it. He stands against selfish actions and through his words, we see how much he believes in his own ideals. He believes in them *even if they are suicidal and contradictory.* That is what Sanji is: a hypocrite. In my opinion, Suzuki had a better argument, and this was intentional.**

**Hero Syndrome: Suzuki had a better argument because he accused Sanji of being mentally ill. Usually, the mentally ill doesn't have the soundest of arguments. He claimed that Sanji had Hero Syndrome (PS: Reminding you of Overhaul?). With this said, it explains a lot of Sanji's actions and beliefs, putting it into a definition. I'd say the others who have it are Izuku Midoriya and Mirio Togata through Wahrmann's definition. With Overhaul, I put in Hero Syndrome for a reason. I know that he's not relevant to this story whatsoever, but he accuses the heroes of having Hero Syndrome. It's not the same as Wahrmann's definition. Rather, he took the part where Pro Heroes become mindless cogs to the slave machine called heroism and said, "You know what, screw that shit. I'll eradicate Heroes like the plague." That's how I view it at least.**

**Reveal of the I-Expo Antagonist: Woo boy, the Meta Liberation Army is the antagonist of the I-Expo Arc, which will center around your girl, Setsuna Tokage. She went on and exposed Curious for what she is, what a badass. However, she can't exactly expose them because it'll kill everyone. But Okichi Tokugawa presented her with another option—destroy the MLA during I-Expo. What will Setsuna choose? Listen to her father or go along with Okichi's crazy plan? Whatever happens, her friends will be dragged along. Anyway, it's kinda cool how a lot of members of the MLA are corporate suits and politicians. By that logic, wouldn't they be at U.A. events? At the I-Expo? So, knowing this, I simply combined the two together and had the MLA as the antagonist. Yeah, this fanfic is definitely not anime-only friendly.**

**That's it! Now, the next chapter will probably be two weeks from now. Personally, I need to do a lot of writing because it's winter break. Ciao.**


	35. A Day in Life

**Sanji Inochi**

"You see, weight matters a lot when it comes to engineering. If I add too much weight, then your motorcycle will surely crash and burn, and no one wants a burnt nor a crashed Sanji. Plus, I designed your motorcycle to fit you—light and agile. Itsuka's on the heavier side—don't tell her I said that—but her bike packs a heck of a lot more punch, pun not intended. D'ya understand?"

"I...gathered as much. Here's the thing Hayami..." I hold up our empty cotton grocery bags. "We're getting groceries, unless the grocery store sells motorcycle parts. You know, I wouldn't be surprised. I learned so many new things ever since I moved here, like for example, I didn't know that J-pop is blared everywhere I go. That or K-pop, mostly K-pop actually." Operation Boys to Men, I remember it dearly. It was the time where girls thought I was a Korean idol. I mean, my undercover name was Jun-seo, but they thought that I looked Korean. Thanks to Shojo, I guess. She picked my outfit… I looked like, what did the word that Setsuna used…? Right, "emo".

Hayami sighs, tuning out the music around us. "Idol Heroes are popular, Sanji. Many girls listen to them, and many of those girls have shrines. I mean seriously, why wouldn't they? It's pretty boys on stage dancing and singing their hearts out—and on the side, they're kicking ass. It's everything a woman could want in a man."

I reply, slinging the bags over my shoulders, "Is that what you wanted? A man who's handsome, can sing, dance, and also fight crime? That's asking for a lot, honestly."

"So what? A woman can dream, and she did. She found a stupid idiot named Kaito Utsushi and married him. And boy, he had pipes. Being a martial artist, he could dance even better. Fighting crime? Well…" Hayami pauses. She stops looking ahead and instead, she turns to the sidewalk, shaking her head. "Well, he tried fighting crime and I haven't seen him since. I hope he's still an idiot in heaven."

I would say that he could be alive still, but that's so insensitive to say. Hayami accepted that Kaito's dead. It's been eight years right? Someone missing that long… There's such a small chance that they're alive; it might as well be considered zero. Itsuka hasn't given up though. One of these days, I hope we find the closure she needs. And—

Whoosh!

"The wind…" I comment. The wind picked up. Heh… As I was thinking, I hope that I find the closure that settles the mystery of the Inochi Family. Oddly enough, when I watch how the trees sway and how a chill takes over my body, I feel nostalgic.

Hayami comments, "It's a windy June day. You don't get cool days like these often, only in the spring. It's like the wind's singing, almost like how a mother sings a lullaby to their child. My mom, Itsuka's grandma, used to do that for me all the time. I would never sleep. I would stay all night tinkering with my toys, and only her voice could put me to bed."

"She sounded amazing. You had a good mother growing up. It's a shame that I didn't meet her before she passed," I tell her, giving my best smile. Hayami smiles back and playfully elbows me. Like mother like daughter.

"She was a saint. I…" Hayami stops herself, but she continues anyway, "I hope your mom was like that, Sanji. I know you don't remember her or the rest of your family, but I hope that they were great people. They brought you into this world after all." That's right, I remember. I told everyone that I don't remember my family. When I said it though, it was the truth. Now, what do I say when I've been remembering them since Golden Week?

"Heh, I'm not that great, Hayami. If my dad was a great man, then I would never be as great as him. Really, I'd say that you're better than me. After all, you took me in," I turn the conversation back to her. She rolls her eyes, becoming annoyed.

She says, "My idiot of a dad didn't give me a choice. Oh jeez, now that I'm looking back on it, you should've heard the things that Itsuka said about you before you moved in." Right… Itsuka didn't like me before we met. She was the one who started the rumor that I was a delinquent in middle school. I have no idea where or how she got that thought. Is it because I'm a foster child? Probably because I'm a foster child… Jeez, not every foster kid is a terrible person.

"Uhm, should I ask what she said? Other than me being a delinquent. I still have to talk to her about that."

"Yes! What did she say exactly…? Oh!" Hayami snaps her fingers. "She called you a 'worthless piece of crap'!"

"What?!"

"'A stupid boy who probably won't contribute to society'!"

"Are we talking about the same Itsuka here?"

"'A Quirkless who wouldn't amount to anything'!"

"Itsuka… To think that…"

"What else—?"

"Please no."

"Oh right!" ("Oh God,") "She even gave you a nickname—No Life Inochi. That's all I can remember right now. Any thoughts?" Hayami asks after round after round of insults. I never thought Itsuka loathed me that much! It sounded like she even hated me… Someone as sweet and kind-hearted as her… I knew she loathes those who hurt her friends, like Suzuki. However, in my case, I disrupted her way of living. To think that she said those things about me…

"Hayami," I say, my voice quiet and solemn, "I have a few several hundred thoughts."

"Can it, I don't wanna hear it," she quickly snaps. I move a centimeter away from her out of respect because I clearly said something wrong. Hayami laughs and shakes her head. "Wipe that look off your face, I'm joking. What Itsuka said, I wasn't lying about that. She genuinely hated you. One hour, she didn't know you existed and in the next, it was like you killed her pet hamster or something."

"She had a pet hamster?" I ask.

"Nope, but if she did, you would've killed it," Hayami snarks, and I… Uhm, that's fair, I guess? I'm the Hamster Killer now. "Personally, I didn't like you too. The family dynamic of the Kendos changed within an eyeblink. 'Course I wasn't fond of it. As the woman of the house, I had to make sure that Number One was taken care of first—my daughter. Anything she needs, I'll give her it. If anyone hurts her—"

"She would hurt them even more."

"Yup, it'll be my turn next then Dad's. No one messes with my daughter. I can't tell you how worried I was, honestly."

"About me?"

"Yeah. You could've been an asshole who wrecks my house, doesn't give a damn about authority, and all the other typical stereotypes of a bad boy. Dad told me that you weren't like that, but I'm a mother. It's my job to worry about hypotheticals. I was just afraid that you'll stand in the way of Itsuka's dream."

"I would never do that. You know how much I care about her."

"I know, Sanji, I know. You say that now, but back then? I didn't know. Even if everyone in the world says you're a literal angel sent from God, there would be a sliver of doubt telling me that you're a demon. Who knows, your Quirk might actually transform you into a demon…" Hayami giggles.

"One could hope." I laugh at my own joke. Hayami laughs too before she shakes her head, the wind swaying her long red hair. "Anyway uhm, what do you think about me today? I'm not what you believed me to be, thankfully."

Hayami turns to me and smiles. "No, you aren't. Itsuka, I always wanted what was best for her.

Frankly, if you were the devil incarnate, then I'd kick you out without a second thought, but you're the opposite. You're...so much better than I had imagined. Dad's instincts, they were right. That's why he accepted you actually—his instincts. It told him, 'Take care of this kid. He's someone great.' And he was, still is, and he will be." I find myself smiling too. I never knew that Master Kendo took me in because of his instincts. It's kinda weird actually. He seems like a logical man. Something as instinct or a hunch wouldn't be a factor in his decisions, yet he chose to listen to them full-heartedly. I still haven't done enough to repay him for his kindness.

I say to Hayami, still smiling, "Thank you, that means a lot. Guess I'm not the delinquent that you imagined me to be, huh?"

"A little, honestly, but that's not important. What's important is Itsuka. You're what she needs," Hayami replies. She looks so happy; it's the same look she gives to her daughter. "She's such a troublemaker, you know! Any time Itsuka sees a bully or a pervert, she feels the urge to beat 'em 'till they're down. Hell, if the world was a jerk, then Itsuka would literally fight the world. That's why she needs you. You're there to rein her in, making her channel that aggression to fight Villains, not the common asshole. With you around, you're a constant reminder of what's important."

"Hayami—"

"And frankly, you need her just as much. God knows how much you hurt yourself everyday. It's your defining trait, what makes Sanji Inochi stand out from the rest of his peers. So every time, Itsuka is there making sure that you don't kill yourself. She'd go as far as jumping off a bridge for you. You know what I think? I think she cares more about you than me—her own mother—and her grandfather." Hayami pouts, her cheeks getting twice as large as before. She pouts the same as Itsuka; they are so similar. I would think that Hayami is Itsuka's twin sister if I was an idiot—and I am, but I know better.

I scratch the back of my head with my free hand. "Uhm, I'm sorry…? I don't know what to say to that since you look...jealous?" Seriously though, what am I supposed to say here? Should I apologize? Should I be happy? Hayami looks pretty jealous, but I don't know how to please her!

Hayami shakes her head, huffing. "No, you don't have to apologize. It's only natural that she cares about you so much. You two live in the same house, train at the same dojo, and go to the same school. I mean Sanji, what would you choose? Me or Itsuka? It's a simple question, don't get me wrong."

"You're really making me pick?" That's far from a simple question. Choosing between her or Itsuka, that's a hard decision. I care about them both so much. Hayami treats me like I'm her son and Itsuka… Itsuka, she's...important to me. Damnit, I never thought I would favor one more than the other…

Hayami sees the face I'm making. It affirms her thoughts. "See? You realized that you would choose Itsuka over me. I'm not mad, Sanji. In fact, I'm pretty happy."

"You are? How could you be happy? Itsuka's your daughter. Shouldn't you be more upset that she treasures someone else more than you? I'd imagine that you'd be slightly hurt, but you're happy," I ask Hayami. Despite my question, I already know what she will say. That smile on her face is all the answer I need.

"Like I said Sanji, I'm her mom. It warms my heart seeing her with someone that she trusts so much. Every time I see them together, I get nostalgic of the time I spent with Kaito. Seeing her so happy, it's the best feeling in the world," Hayami says. She wipes a tear away, sniffling. "You guys are only kids, but you've already been through so much. You're so mature, more than you give yourselves credit for. Once I see Armory and Battle Fist opening their agency, I know that nothing will stop you two. And you wouldn't need me anymore, 'cuz you'll be the best damn Heroes in Japan."

We stop in front of the grocery store—"CRIMSON FOODS!"—and Hayami regains her composure. She gestures for us to head inside. But there's something that's still bothering me. It's definitely something that I don't understand. Hayami practically told me that I'm what's best for Itsuka. She's proud that we're so close, yet there's something else to it. I don't understand the reason behind those words. Hayami says it with such conviction, yet I'm remaining clueless. If it's about Itsuka—or even Hayami or Master Kendo—then I need to know. I can't be ignorant. I need to ask her now.

Before she heads inside, I stop her. "Hayami, what you said… Itsuka clearly loves you, but why are you so certain that she cares about me more than you?"

Hayami stops and laughs. She laughs like you wouldn't expect. She turns her head to the side with a wide grin and answers, "You haven't figured it out yet?"

I shake my head.

She laughs more before walking up and patting my head. "Stop lying, Sanji! You know the answer already, but fine, I'll enlighten you." Hayami takes my hand, forcing me to go inside the store. I'm not moving my legs, they're moving on their own. She says, "My daughter is in love with you."

...What?

She's...in love with me?

"C'mon, let's buy groceries for dinner. Are you cooking tonight?" Hayami asks me, letting go of my hand. I snap out of my thoughts. Right, right… Let's take a look around. Well, we're in the produce section. There's a ton of different fruits and vegetables here. The air's colder too, even more so with the A/C—naturally because they need the produce to stay cold so they don't rot. I always liked the cold.

I nod, opening a bag and putting a few green onions in them. "Yeah, Itsuka's favorite. I'll make sure that she doesn't help me because, as much as she's good at martial arts, it doesn't translate well into her cooking skills. Literally zero actually, absolutely zero. I'm being too rude, am I?"

"Nope. I'd describe her cooking skills much worse than what you just said. The only thing Itsuka can make is coffee, but you've been doing that for her, so I'm not even sure if she remembers now. Anyway, gimme a bag, I'll go get the meats." I hand Hayami a bag and she goes off to the meat section. Alright, let's find the ingredients for motsunabe. This will be a pleasant surprise for her. She's at the Dojo teaching some of Master Kendo's students for the day. I'd be there too, but I had to finish my homework—I don't like trigonometry. Seriously, it took me hours to memorize Unit Circle. I even taped it to my ceiling so I could stare at it in bed. It worked though! Got an 85 on the test! That's considered a good grade in my book. Naturally, Itsuka showed off by getting a perfect score, so did Setsuna, and Honenuki, and Monoma, and Yui too… Yeah, there was a lot of perfect scores. I was one of the few people who didn't get a 100. Heh, anyway, Itsuka will be happy when she comes home. She always smiles when there's motsunabe made, especially when I'm cooking.

Guess that's really strong evidence, isn't it?

I pick up a clump of mushrooms tied together with a band, putting it in the bag. After I get the vegetables, I should pick up a couple of boxes of mochi. Or maybe I could try making dessert—I don't know which one yet—even though I don't have experience. Eh, I'll watch a video and know how to. Adoptive Muscle Memory lets me cheat at life. It's amazing how no one hates me already. Oh wait, I need to pick up coffee beans. We're almost out, and if the Kendo women don't have their morning coffee, then no one will be happy. Might get some salmon too. I'm hankering for some fish lately.

"So much stuff to buy…" I mutter to myself right before I take some cabbage—?

"Ah." Someone takes the cabbage. I know that monotone voice! It's the girl where everyone in 1-B loves—Yui Kodai. Yui has a cute little bag that has chibi cats on it. She takes the cabbage from me and plops it inside. For a brief second, she glances at me—I smile—then she looks away as if I don't exist. Thanks Yui, I love you too.

She asks, "Sanji?"

"Yui?" I reply.

"Sanji."

"Yui!"

"Sanji."

"Yui…"

"Afternoon," Yui greets me after realizing that I do, in fact, exist. She looks beautiful as always. Today, she's wearing a simple dress. It's such a simple yellow dress, yet with Yui's beauty, she could pass off as a supermodel. Really, Yui looks good in anything. Even if she was wearing a teddy bear suit, she would still look amazing. Then here I am as filth—only a mere t-shirt and jeans.

"Good afternoon to you too!" I greet her in return, finally getting some cabbage. "I'm making motsunabe for Itsuka."

We move down the aisle, getting what we need. She says, "Mmm." Don't let Itsuka cook. We don't want a repeat of last month.

I respond after getting some chives, "I won't. Speaking of last month, good thing Hayami had a fire extinguisher. I'm sorry about Yin though. He was a good panda bear. His sacrifice won't be in vain."

"Mhm." Yang is still grieving over his death. She misses him everyday. Still haven't forgiven Itsuka for killing him, and she never will—I never will. Yui plops some potatoes in her bag.

"Life goes on, Yui. It won't stop for anyone, especially yourself. You just gotta take it one day at a time," I say, giving her my wisdom.

"Yup." Easy for you to say. You didn't hold Yin's charred corpse in your hands.

"Yeah…" We pick up a few more things before we, coincidentally enough, head down the snack aisle together. I'll run into Hayami eventually, so I don't have to worry. Yui tries to reach for some chips but she's too short to get them. She tugs on my shirt and I get some down for her. Her lips curl upwards just slightly, showing her appreciation. Good, seeing Yui smile is one of the best experiences in this unforgiving and miserable world.

Maybe this is a good time to ask her… She's here in person. I mean, it's better that I text her, but I like having her here in person. "Hey Yui, can I ask you something? It's...important. Really important."

"Sure." What is it?

"Did Itsuka ever, uhm, ever tell you if she liked anyone or not? And by 'liked', I mean romantically, not like best friends or even friends, maybe acquaintances…? Basically, what I'm trying to ask is—"

"Eh?" Are you asking me if Itsuka loves anyone? You?

"Why do you look so shocked?!" I never seen Yui look so surprised before! Her eyebrows are one millimeter away from its resting position! Her eyes are so wide too! Just barely a micrometer in difference! I groan and put my head on my forehead. "Ugh, yeah… I, the unbelievable man I am, is asking that. My question still stands."

Yui shakes her head. "No." She hasn't told me, but I know that she loves someone and I know who that 'someone' is. I'm keeping it a secret because I'm her best friend and it's sensitive to her. If you wanna know, then you should ask her on your own time. It should be a conversation kept to only you two.

"It ought to be, yeah. It's just that…" I stop myself. No, I shouldn't reveal that I know who the "someone" is. "Never mind. Let's move on. Don't tell Setsuna about this because she will probably explode." Yui agrees.

"Mmm…" Speaking about love, I think Awase likes Shojo. He's been texting her a lot recently. I heard from Reiko that Shojo is making support equipment for him. And Manga knows too. Did you hear that he's planning an assassination?

I chuckle a little bit. That's why Manga asked me if he could borrow one of my swords—of course, I said no. "Oh, Awase definitely likes Shojo. He told me himself. Whether or not Manga will kill him is another question of its own. Either way, we need to make sure that Awase isn't by himself. We might come across him dead with a knife in his back otherwise."

Yui aggressively nods, her hair bobbing back and forth. "Rest in peace." Awase may be a pervert, but he's a good man. Him and Tsuburaba. What do you think about Kamakiri and Pony? They're getting closer.

"I'm an avid believer in those two! It's only a matter of time until Togaru Kamakiri, the sharp-tongued man, confesses to the soft and innocent Pony Tsunotori! When that happens, all will be right with the world. I know for sure—" I do not. "—that he likes her, but do you think Pony feels the same? I mean, Pony loves everyone, but does she love-love Kamakiri?"

"Mhm." Pony doesn't stop talking about him. During lunch, Kinoko teased her for having a crush on him. She pouted and gotten angry at her. Pony hasn't spoken to Kinoko since, and I don't think she will until the end of time.

"Such is a tragic tale," I carry on the joke, laughing. "There's a surprising amount of romance in Class 1-B, so that leaves me with a single question that I'm dying to have answered." I look at Yui.

"No." I'm stopping you right there, Sanji. Don't ask.

"Do you—"

"No." Please stop.

"Have anyone—"

"No." Don't finish your question.

"That you like?" I finish my question anyway! Yui gives me a look that says, Why are you like this? I laugh and give her a headpat. Her eyes soften a little, appreciating it.

Yui shakes her head. "Nuh uh." I don't have anyone I like. Why are you so focused on everyone else's relationship and not yours?

Not my own relationship huh…? Sometimes, I really hate irony. I play it off, shrugging my shoulders. "It's my job to make my friends happy, which includes relationships. I am a certified Ally of Love—Ashido made very official badges for us—so I need to act as the ultimate wingman! With U.A. and everything else, I don't have time to stress about someone having a crush on me—if that is even the case. Let's be serious Yui, no one in 1-B is in love with me, especially not Itsuka."

"Not...Itsuka?" she repeats, her eyes widening again. "Eh…" Why did you point her out specifically?

"Because uhm… We've always get mistaken as a couple. Setsuna tries to push us together; heck, there is even a betting ring on whether or not we get together at Christmas or whatever."

"Mmm." It's more than just that, Sanji. I have 5000 yen that someone catches you two kissing during the summer.

"Thanks Yui, I appreciate that. Still, my point stands. It's…" I hesitate. "It's exhausting sometimes. Everyone wants us to be together, and Itsuka's more than tired of it. Don't think that I hate the teasing—I love everyone, I do—but she's clearly sick of how many times she has to explain that we aren't dating. It's taking a toll on her."

"Mhm..." I guess you're right. Is that why you asked if she likes anyone? You never asked something like that before.

"'Course you bring that up now…" I mutter, rubbing my head. Man, I'm supposed to getting snacks. "Anyway uhm, yeah. I came to the store with Hayami, so Itsuka naturally came up in our conversation. You can guess why I asked that question."

"Oh…" I thought I heard her talking with the butcher earlier. Uhm, about Itsuka, do you know for sure that it isn't you?

I nod, humming. "Yup. Call it my instincts." I try my best to act normal and grab some more chips off the shelf. As I look away from Yui, I can feel her gaze burning holes into the back of my skull. I know what's running through her head. She's thinking that I'm an idiot, a fool, and everything else in-between. Yeah, she's right. My instincts aren't telling me that Itsuka likes someone else. No, they're telling me to lie to my best friend. That's all I've been doing in this conversation—lying and more lying. What's worse is that...that I don't know why I'm lying. To dig my grave even deeper, I continue to lie, "Yui, you told me yourself that you know who she likes, and judging from your tone, it's not me. So once I know who that guy is, I'll make sure for one: he's a decent person; and two: she'll be happy. After all—!"

I spin on my feet and point my thumb to myself. "As an Ally of Love, I have to make sure that love blooms for all of my friends, especially her! I might remain a bachelor but it's something that I'll have to live with!"

"...Okay." Let's move on, Sanji. There's definitely frustration in her voice. Anyway, we walk around the store, getting what we need. Hayami's still at the meat section I'm guessing. We'll meet up with her shortly unless she decides to go home without me, which would really be unfortunate.

Heh, when I'm thinking as an Ally of Love, there'd definitely be at least one couple forming when the semester is over. There's a lot of people who have crushes on each other—one of which is...her. Now, let's not think as an Ally of Love. Think as Sanji Inochi. Hayami wouldn't lie about what she said. She wouldn't; it's Itsuka, her daughter. But I guess it's a testament to how much Hayami admires me. She believes that I'm the best thing for her daughter, like she's entrusting Itsuka's fate to me. I honestly don't know what to say or do. Jeez, do you know what's funny? I think Hayami was right. Maybe I did know all along, but I was too preoccupied with other things to notice the small details—the blushing whenever she was around me, the stares that last longer than socially acceptable, and how she always stood by my side no matter what. Facing this reality, there's only one thing to ask myself—how do I feel? That's a really good question y'know. Really good, like it's one of the best questions in the world.

How do I feel about Itsuka Kendo?

Yeah, that's a good question that I can't answer. Because uhm, because… I don't know what I feel. It's an unsatisfying answer, I know. I still hold her as someone very important to me. I would do anything for her—sacrifice my life even. What I feel right now is a jumble of emotions. My heart or brain is trying to make sense of it all, but they can't. I just don't know how I feel. To untangle myself along with heroism and everything else, it's too much. I can't do both. It's impossible to do both. I just hope that Hayami doesn't tell Itsuka that I know, because then, I'd have to face with a question that I cannot avoid answering.

"Sanji," Yui says and tugs on my shirt again, pointing at something. I break out of my own head to look at where she's pointing. Three people actually—two men and a woman. They're whispering to each other, but they're clearly whispering about us. They notice that we're staring at them and turn away. Aw man, now I know that they aren't gossiping about us—yeah no, they made it really obvious when they did that.

Without Yui's input, I walk up to them. She silently follows behind me. I ask them, "Is there something wrong?" Knowing my luck, it's about me. I'm well-known, which sucks. I'm easily recognizable. Whenever someone sees a tall man with black and white hair, it's me.

The woman shakes her head. "Oh, there's no trouble at all. We didn't expect to see, uhm, Sanji Inochi here. I was just talking about how taller you are in person." She chuckles, but it's a strained chuckle. She's trying to be polite when she has a negative opinion of me. At least she's trying to be nice.

Man One—the one with black hair—adds on, "Yeah, you're different than what we had expected." He's doing the same thing. The same chuckle with the same strained tone. These people really aren't fond of me.

Man Two—blue hair—says, "Mhm… Inochi, don't you ever think about others who could be in your place?"

"What do you mean, sir?" I ask him, crossing my arms. Yui tugs my shirt again, signaling that I should walk away. Yeah, I should, but I'm in too deep.

"Well, there's a lot of kids out there who show a lot of potential to be Heroes. These kids, they can't help but feel that you stole an opportunity from them. They don't think it's fair that you have such an envious position."

"Envious?" This is starting to sound like the old Suzuki.

"That's right, envious. Being trained by Master Kendo, a famous Pro Hero known for his martial art skills. I even heard rumors that you're...rather close with his granddaughter. It sounds like something out of a movie, honestly."

"Hato," the Woman whispers, "you should stop." Man One agrees with her. He tries to gesture to Hato that they should leave, but he's standing his ground. I narrow my eyes, making my gaze unwavering. Hato frowns and returns a glare back.

"Inochi," he says. "Don't you believe that heroism is for people who have—excuse me, who can use their Quirks? It's not for uhm, people who are in your unfortunate circumstances."

"Mhm."

"It's just that your...unfortunate circumstances usually make it impossible for you to pursue heroism as a career, obviously. It's expected that your Quirk will be disappointing and weak. Some say that U.A. is wasting their time with you, so you do understand how lucky you are though, right?"

"Mhm, very."

"And can I ask you about that scar on your left hand?"

"This scar?" I hold it up to him. Catharsis ran a knife through my left hand, so that's how I ended up with the scar.

He nods. "Yeah, that scar. You got it from a Villain, didn't you? For someone as young as you, and as a boy under some unfortunate circumstances, it's even more dangerous to pursue heroism."

"Naturally, no one said it would be a safe job."

"Well, what do your friends think about you?"

"What about them?"

"They must be worried, right? Especially the granddaughter of Master Kendo. She must worry about your safety a lot. If she cares about you, then I'd imagine she would asked you to stop going after heroism altogether—"

"No, that's wrong," I interrupt him. "You don't even know Itsuka, so stop trying to act like you do."

"I don't mean any harm." Hato raises his hands. "It's obvious that she cares about you. In my opinion, she clearly doesn't care enough to the point of letting you fight Quirkless for your entire career—"

I try to step forward, but Yui pulls me back. "Sir, she cares about me more than I give a damn about myself—and frankly, the world is less important than her. So please, I think we're done here."

"That's right," Hayami joins in, moving beside Yui, "Hato, right? Can you stop bothering my boy? We have to go home and cook dinner. We surely don't need you to ruin our perfectly good day and Yui's too."

Before Hato gets to say anything, the Woman takes his arm and pulls him away from us. Man One bows in apology before chasing after them. I hear him berating Hato for what he said to me. After they disappear from our sight, Hayami suddenly brings Yui in for a hug. "I haven't seen you in a long while, Yui! You're cuter than I remember! Do you have a boyfriend yet? C'mon, tell me if you have a boyfriend!"

I shake my head.

She shakes her head.

Hayami pouts. "Pity. Yui would make a great wife. After all—" She squishes Yui's cheeks together. "—Yui is the beauty of Class 1-B. Look at her, she's gorgeous! I wish I could adopt her, really!"

"Mmh." This is uncomfortable.

"Don't you think you're overdoing it a little...too much? People are staring," I say, gesturing to a few customers who're pretending to ignore us. Hayami pouts even more and lets go of Yui, rubbing her hair.

"Fine fine… I'll let Yui be. Anyway, I got everything we need. Let's check everything out," she tells me.

"Alright."

* * *

We say goodbye to Yui after we check out. Before I know it, we're already walking back home. I'm carrying the groceries like usual, trying to be kind. Hayami has her hands behind her back, looking ahead to the street in front of her with a smile. "Sanji, what's your answer?" she asks me. We both know the question even though she never explicitly stated it. There's no reason for me to play dumb.

I sigh. "Hayami, it's...complicated."

"Always is with you."

"Yeah, I just…just think that I can't worry about my own feelings. I don't have time to. Between this and heroism, I have to choose heroism. That's more important," I answer… Yeah, that's my answer. That's my choice. I have to devote my full focus in my training. I need to unlock my Quirk. Those are my priorities. It has never changed.

Hayami's expression doesn't change. Her smile is still there, so is the glimmer in her eyes. She doesn't change at all as if...as if she was expecting it. "I thought you might say that. So you really don't reciprocate those feelings?"

"I don't know, but I don't want anything to be different. Everything will stay the same as it always has been. I'll still treat Itsuka like I have for the past nine months."

"I know you will. But…" Her voice goes quiet. She speaks barely above a whisper, yet I can still hear her.

She says, "It's not a choice of heroism versus yourself."

I listen closely. "It's a choice of heroism versus Itsuka."

I keep listening. "So I don't know why you believe heroism is more important than her."

"Hayami—"

"Either way Sanji…" Hayami looks at me, smiling brightly as ever. "You are still my little man."

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

Bzzt!

A text! Would you look at that, it's Yui.

Yui: "sanji is a stupid"

Me: "a stupid?"

Yui: "a stupid stupid stupid"

Me: "i think that's grammatically correct"

Yui: "idk, but he's still stupid"

Me: "so what's new?"

Yui: "i ran into him at the grocery store with your mom

Yui: "he knows that you have feelings for someone"

He knows what?! Shit, I went to the Dojo for one afternoon and this is what I come back to?! I can't have a single day without stress! Wait, how does Yui know that I have feelings for someone?! I only told Mom and Grandpa! Maybe she doesn't know who it is…

Me: "how do you know?"

Yui: "i'm your best friend"

That makes sense…

Me: "that's true"

Me: "anyway explain"

Yui: "first, you like sanji don't you?"

Me: "no"

Yui: "yes"

Me: "yeah, don't tell setsuna"

Never mind, there goes that thought. Okay, so three people know about my crush. At least it's three people that I trust, and luckily, none of them is a girl named Setsuna Tokage. She would expose me faster than any journalist would.

Yui: "okay, but i knew it"

Yui: "anyway uhm, he asked me if you like anyone"

Yui: "blame your mom, she put the thought in his head"

Like I said, the one day I'm not at home, all hell breaks loose. I swear if she told Sanji that I like him, I'm going to—Actually no, she's my mom. I'm supposed to love her even when she does stupid things like that. But if she told Sanji, then I'd be mighty pissed.

Me: "you didn't tell him right?"

Yui: "i told him i knew who it is, but didn't name names"

Me: "good, so…?"

Yui: "he went on about how you guys keep getting mistaken as a couple"

Yui: "he said that you get tired of it"

Yui: "so he assumed that you don't like him that way and managed convinced himself that he isn't the one you like"

...That sounds like Sanji. Damnit Mom, you made him cut himself out of the picture. Ugh, knowing him, he would do anything to get me to date this imaginary guy. Well first, he would make sure this guy is good enough for me then let me date him.

Me: "you're right"

Me: "he's a stupid"

Yui: "i really thought he liked you"

Yui: "we even ran into a few people who clearly didn't like him"

Yui: "one of the men started to talk about you and he snapped at him"

Me: "like he was pissed?"

Yui: "yeah"

Yui: "pretty angry"

Yui: "he cares about you a lot"

Me: "that dumbass"

Me: "so what do i do now?"

Me: "sanji believes he isn't the one"

Yui: "idk"

Yui: "what would setsuna do"

"What would Setsuna do?" Thanks, that's a great question. I'm being sarcastic because Setsuna would get on her knees and propose to Sanji with a diamond ring that would cost millions. I'm not going to do that. I have to focus on becoming a Hero, not getting married. U.A. is ramping up its exercises because of the upcoming threat with the League and however Stain is influencing society—I have seen at least three guys with Stain's mask this afternoon alone. My training is really important to me, but so is Sanji. Really, these two are intertwined. Sanji wants to be a Hero with me, and from his determination and his outlook on life—pun not intended—it's why I became interested in him in the first place. He embodies what it means to be a Hero. But what's more important to me? What do I care about more? The first thing that comes to my head is…

"I guess… I guess I'm trying to say that she's really important to me. That's the truth."

The first thing I think about is him. My thoughts aren't lying to me; I'm not lying to myself. I guess that's what my heart wants. Yet, worst case scenario, am I really choosing him over heroism? Being a Hero is so important to me. It's what Dad was, what Grandpa was, I wanna be strong like them; I have to live up to their legacy. I'm The People's Fist, protecting the weak, stuff like that. I'm…

Protecting the weak. That's right, everything I am… Everything I do, it's for my friends, it's for those who are too weak to protect themselves. I never realized it until now that my life is always made for others. So I think that's why I would choose him over becoming a Hero. Heroism is only a means to help others in a more effective way. I don't need it. Hell, if I have to sacrifice my heroism career to save those in need, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That's what my reality is. As much as I want to focus on heroism, if it really came down to it, this is what I would choose. I'd still be happy either way.

But who says that I have to choose? This isn't the time where I have to pick one over the other. I can have them both because I'm a responsible person and have my emotions/feelings in check. There's enough time in the world to have both, even with Shigaraki active.

Yui: "itsuka, are you still there?"

Me: "yeah, i was thinking"

Me: "i could try to convince him otherwise but"

Me: "it'll be hard, harder than trying to be a hero"

Yui: "yup"

Yui: "so you're taking the challenge?"

Me: "it's not a challenge"

Me: "it's sanji"

Me: "i'd do anything for him, even the impossible"

Me: "he'd do the same for me"

Yui: "wow"

Yui: "you two are perfect for each other"

I feel my face heating up.

Me: "thanks"

Me: "you're helping me right?"

Yui: "yeah, tell me when"

Me: "i will, thanks yui!"

Me: "you're the best!"

Yui: "mhm"

Yui: "don't kill your mom"

Me: "can't promise anything"

Yui: "itsuka no"

I think that's a fitting end to the conversation! It's time to head back home where my wonderful mom, my stupid partner, and my somewhat-immature grandpa live. I'm amazed how the Kendos haven't self-destructed already.

* * *

"..."

"Itsuka, welcome home! Would you like dinner?" Sanji is wearing a pink apron with flowers on it, standing in the kitchen doorway. Ah, is that motsunabe I smell? He's making it for me?

He leans forward with an adorable smile, his messy black and white hair swaying all over the place. Jeez, why is he acting cuter today? "Or would you like a bath?"

Shyly, he looks away, fidgeting with his fingers. Wait, is he...blushing? "Or maybe you would like…"

Is he going to say what I think he'll say?

"Crap, I forgot the last line," he stops being shy and returns to his goofy self. Really? He was acting this entire time? In disappointment, he frowns, shaking his head. "Itsuka, do you know what the last line is? I was trying to reenact from an anime scene that Manga showed me." I won't lie, if he finished his sentence, I would be more than tempted to pick the third option. It was nice seeing him blush though, even if he was faking it somehow. He's so cute with a blush.

I walk up and pat his head. "Don't worry about that, Sanji. You managed to make yourself blush though. That's impressive… How did you do it?"

Sanji blushes again, and it's genuine this time. "Well, I just thought about what makes me blush."

"Which is…?"

He turns on his feet and looks into the kitchen. "Motsunabe! Let's talk about motsunabe! Unimportant details are just that—unimportant!"

"Sanji," I get his attention.

"Yeah?"

"You're a pervert."

He stares at me for a few seconds. Automated, he replies, "You too." That wasn't a compliment, but I just couldn't help but laugh. He breaks out of his stink and laughs too. "Anyway, I'm making motsunabe for you."

I ask, "Aw, what's the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion to make you happy?" he answers with a question. For an idiot, he's really sweet. Coming home to see Sanji in that ridiculous apron, cooking my favorite meal just because, it's like we're married. Things like that, it makes my heart flutter. I can't get any words out, so I just smile instead. He smiles back and says, "Glad you agree. Anyway, Hayami and Master Kendo are somewhere. I lost track of them awhile ago. They're—"

"Right here!" Mom distantly calls out from the garage. "Your senile grandpa is making sure your bikes are ready to be used as Hero Vehicles!"

"So you two won't utterly blow up! As much as Hayami is a great engineer and inventor, she makes a lot of mistakes!" Grandpa replies back.

"Hey! I'm perfectly perfect!"

"Perfectly flawed! Do you remember your flamethrower?!"

"I had a fire extinguisher!"

"Like that's any better! You shouldn't need to use a fire extinguisher in the first place!"

"You try working with highly flammable material!"

"Try inventing things that won't endanger our lives!"

"That's like saying, 'Don't be a Hero because it's dangerous!' It didn't stop you, Mom, Kaito, and especially my kids! In the past three generations, I'm the only non-Hero in the family! And I'm still tied to heroism!"

"And despite that, you'd still be a more dangerous Villain than Tomura Shigaraki!"

"Itsuka, take my side and fight against your grandpa!"

"Sanji, you gonna stand against Hayami or what?!"

Sanji and I look at each other. He tries to say something, but I cover his mouth with my hand. I say to them, "This is your problem, guys. We're staying out of this." Mom and Grandpa scream out in protest before I tune them out altogether. Sanji takes my hand off and pouts. I ask him, "What? Why are you pouting?"

"You didn't have to be that rude. One of them is your mother and the other is your grandfather-slash-mentor," he tells me.

I roll my eyes. I take a kitchen knife out of the knife holder, gripping it tightly. "Yeah yeah. You forget that rudeness and stubbornness runs in our blood. Anyway, lemme help cook. I know what I'm doing this time."

"..." Sanji suddenly looks terrified, like he's staring at the worst Villain in the world. Those eyes speak of immeasurable dread, as if he's looking upon a destroyed Musutafu, knowing that everything he holds dear is gone forever. That is what I see in his eyes, and I think I'm the cause of it. Quietly, in the softest voice he can, he says, "Please no."

I hold the knife backwards, sticking the tip in a cutting board on the counter. "Sanji, I know how to use a knife." I swear if he starts talking about how I can't cook, then I'm gonna kill him. I am perfectly capable of cooking. There's no reason that Sanji is better in me in that department. As much as Setsuna calls me "a hulkish tomboy", that doesn't mean I can't cook. (Setsuna can't even talk, she doesn't know how to cook in the first place.) I may have burned a few things, but I'm a quick learner and something better than that—stubborn as hell.

Acting like he's about to defuse a bomb, he raises his hands up to show he means no harm. Being a snail, he says, "Itsuka… Calm down a little… You know your way around a kitchen knife, that's good… But, you don't know how to cook…"

I take the knife out and wave it at him. He immediately lurches backwards as I ask him, "Sanji, do you trust me?"

"Of course! So much! But—"

"No 'buts'. I'm not asking to take this operation over. I am asking to cook together with you, us, one-on-one. You're gonna be a good husband, Sanji, so I need to be a good wife," I tell him. I don't like saying this, but Sanji is a better wife than me. He cooks, cleans, cares, and everything else too. I'm a little jealous.

"You'll be a great wife, Itsuka, an even better Hero too! You shouldn't have to worry about that!" he pleads.

"Easy for you to say! You can't be a better wife than me!"

"I'm not even a woman!"

"And I'm not a man, yet I'm the better husband. Do you remember the time where you had to program the cable box?"

"How could I forget? I programmed it perfectly, Itsuka."

"After five hours. I did it in less than five minutes. What about our motorcycles? Every time you test your bike out, something goes wrong and you ask me to help you. Every single time, it's a problem that you created."

"I'm not motorcycle-savvy! Adoptive Muscle Memory can only take me so far!"

"Stop learning how to do things and instead learn why to do things!"

"I am! I'm doing the best I can! And stop waving the knife around!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Sanji!"

"Then why are you telling me to let you cook?"

"..."

"See?" Sanji points out the obvious hypocrisy there. I lower the knife and he takes it out of my hand. Damnit all, I can't believe he got me. That's one point for Sanji Inochi. He asks me, rubbing my head, "Itsuka, do you really wanna help me that bad?"

"Yeah… I don't do enough in this house."

"Alright, I'll let you help on one condition—lemme help you. You don't wanna admit that you're...not good at cooking, so let me guide you step-by-step. Deal?" he says as he continues to rub my head like I'm a dog.

Hmph, I'm good at cooking. "Fine, I dunno why you think I'm terrible—"

Then he pushes his finger against my forehead. "I didn't say that. You aren't terrible, just 'not good'."

I push my head back, causing him to retract his annoying little finger. "That's basically Sanji Speak for 'terrible'. You use euphemisms when it comes to things like this. You're too nice to say the harsh truth."

"Would you like it if I said it factly?"

"..."

"That's why we use euphemisms. C'mon, there's a ton of people out there who don't even know how to boil water, and they don't bother to learn for themselves. Here, you're actually trying. No need to be embarrassed or feel ashamed, especially around me."

"It's hard to not feel embarrassed when you're patting my head," I say. My face is getting warm again. One part of me hates that I'm blushing while the other wants him to keep doing it. God, I'm such a mess.

Sanji smirks and lowers his head in amusement. "Sorry—" Stop saying that so much. "—guess I'm just No Life Inochi."

"Eh?" Did he say "No Life Inochi"? That's the nickname I gave him the day before he came to town! It was when I completely loathed his guts! "Sanji—!"

He lets go of me and checks on his broth. "It's going well… I think tonight's motsunabe will be the best! I put in the extra effort this time." Why is he acting normally?! He knows that I wanted him to die! He gotta be acting again like earlier! Damnit, Sanji must feel so betrayed and hurt! Why did I say those things?!

I plead, trying my best to apologize, "How do you know that?! Did Mom tell you?! I didn't mean it—well, I meant it back then—wait, that isn't the point! I don't hate you! Far from it! I'm sorry for saying those things! I'm—"

"Hahahaha!" Sanji laughs. He has to cover his mouth because of how much he's laughing. It's obvious that he's messing with me now. His laugh though… It's really nice to hear. "I'm sorry, hehe… I didn't mean to laugh so much. You should trust me more, Itsuka! Do you think something as little as that will affect my opinion of you?"

"...A little. I said a lot of hurtful things," I admit, hugging myself. Sanji faces the counter with his knife, starting to cut the cabbage while he hums gleefully. Why does he sound so happy? I insulted him a lot, including the fact that he's legally Quirkless. At that time, I was no better than Usami or the rest of the people who hate Quirkless. That's one of the worst things I said about him, but he doesn't care.

He replies so upbeat, "Hayami told me a few of them, which probably scratches the surface. I admit, some of it was unexpected since it came from you. In the end, do I care? Heck no. I don't care a bit. You're still the Itsuka I adore."

This guy… Everyday, he makes me wonder why a girl like me gets to have a boy like him. "Sanji, you're too ridiculous for me."

"I know. So are you gonna help me cook or what?"

"Hold your horses, don't get impatient. Where's the—?"

DING DONG!

The doorbell.

"I got it. I need to get away from Hayami anyhow." Grandpa comes into the living room, walking up to the door. I look for an apron of my own, tying it on as I watch him. It might be a salesman or something. Knowing our luck, it'll be someone completely unexpected. I hope the unexpected guest isn't Manga because he's been bugging me to smuggle him a sword from the Dojo. As much as I like him, I'm not going to become an accessory to Awase's murder.

Grandpa opens the door and—! "Oh, it's you."

I can't see who it is.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you gonna be a hospitable man and let me inside?"

"I don't let hobos into my home."

"Tell that to your beard."

"I can say the same thing to yours."

Mom walks out. She asks me, "Itsuka, who the heck is Dad talking to?" I shrug, Sanji shrugs too. She notices that I'm wearing an apron and shoots a dirty look to Sanji, who nervously chuckles. "Sanji, we're going to have a talk later about Itsuka and cooking."

"Mom—"

"Dad!" she ignores me, running up to the door. "Who is it—?!"

"Hayami, long time no see. Glad to see you still beautiful as ever."

"Uncle Sorahiko…"

Sanji and I look at each other. "Uncle Sorahiko?" we ask in unison.

* * *

**Sasaki Kendo**

"You were Midoriya's mentor during his internship, weren't you?" Sanji asks Sora. Thank goodness that he took off that ugly pink apron. I don't know why that boy goes out of his way to be goofy, but that's him. He goes out of his way for a lot of things in life.

"So you've heard of me?" Sora answers in the form of a question, chuckling to himself, He puts down the tea that Hayami made for him—she's manning the kitchen now, letting the kids talk to Sora. He rests his hands on his knees, answering seriously this time, "Anyway yeah, during your one-week workplace studies, I took Midoriya on as my intern. Inochi—"

"You can call me 'Sanji', Mister Torino, since you're an old friend of Master Kendo," he corrects him. Sorahiko makes no objections.

"Sanji, heard you were under Grandmaster and Count. I'd ask about what happened with Catharsis, but judging from your hand, I'd rather ask about something else. Like for example…" Sorahiko stands up and takes his cane in hand. He raises the cane and—!

WHACK!

"Guh—?!"

"Sanji?!"

"Goddamnit Sora…" It hasn't been ten minutes and he's already hitting Sanji.

"Your fighting style! What the hell is it—?!" Sora whacks him again. "—You have a messy way of fighting! I have no idea what you're trying to do! Take Saki's granddaughter here! She knows what she has to focus on—her punches and grapples! What about you?! You got kenjutsu, marksmanship, and whatever the name is for your grappling hook! You're a complete mess, boy!"

Sorahiko points his cane at me. "Sasaki Kendo!" He's using my full name. Aw shit, I'm in for it now. "What have you been teaching this child?! Yeah, he has Adoptive Muscle Shit-For-Brains, but you're treating him like a kid in a candy store! He needs focus! Specialization! He's trying to be too many things at once! A good Hero has specialization!"

(Hayami is humming in the back. Sanji is practically her son, but she doesn't even give a damn about him now.)

I sip my tea, slurping it as loud as I can. Ah, there's nothing like green tea. Alright, I set it down and take a deep breath in. "Sorahiko Torino, shut up. Sanji is one of the most combat-capable boy in all of his school, better than our boy, Midoriya. But, Sanji is a tough position in terms of his fighting style. Seeing as he'll fight people with close and long-ranged Quirks, he has to accommodate for it—hence his equipment, though I agree that it gets a little messy sometimes. Still, this boy can learn everything within a matter of days or even hours, so why do I have to restrict his fighting style? It's improvisational. Besides, I'm not telling him what to learn and forget about."

Itsuka nods, deciding to talk for me, "Yeah, in the Dojo, Grandpa teaches Midoriya and Ojiro martial arts too. He doesn't have a set curriculum for us to follow. We decide on what we want to work on. For example, if I want to work on my grappling, I'll tell him that and he'll teach me everything he knows until I decide to switch to a different area of study. All four of us are built differently. Sanji, as you know, has his cheat code, I have Big Fists, Ojiro has his tail, and Midoriya—"

"And Midoriya!" I take the conversation back from my granddaughter, clapping my hands. "Midoriya, he's been working on his kicks ever since you taught him Full Cowling. Pretty damn lucky that I know your fighting style, Sora. I could teach it to him even though my Quirk isn't Jets. Thanks for that. That boy won't destroy his arms any longer."

Sanji rubs his head, wincing in pain. That'll leave a couple of welts. "Mister Torino… I always imagined my fighting style was similar to Master Kendo's when he was a Hero. He had an dual-purpose weapon that acted as a naginata and as a bow, not to mention his quiver that had a ton of different arrows. He was just as improvisational as I am. His Quirk, Reversal, is well-fitted in close ranges and it's dependent on the power of his opponent, so he couldn't rely on it." I'm glad Sanji knows me so well.

Sorahiko grunts and goes to whack Sanji in the head again, but he ducks his head out of the way. Sora tries again—Sanji dodges—and again—he dodges again—then Sora just gives up. He says, "Ugh, my point still stands. Being a jack of all trades is good and all, but you can't be a master of all. That's why the full phrase is 'jack of all trades, master of none'. You have to master something and take it beyond where no man took it before, making it your original creation. Your skill is admirable for a boy your age, but without a Quirk, skill can only take you halfway."

He waves his cane at Itsuka. "As for you Itsuka, you're slow as hell."

"Hey!" Itsuka exclaims, offended. (Hayami is still humming.)

"You know it's true. Your Big Fists are weighing you down, I know, but how would you be able to fight Villains that are ten times faster than you are? You won't be able to land a hit with your Big Fists let alone when they're at normal size. When you have your arm pulled back, they're already behind you. You're focusing on training your arm strength, aren't you?"

She reluctantly nods.

"Just as I figured. Pure strength won't win one hundred percent of the fights, much like pure speed won't win all of them either. I taught some stupid Hero Students who believed otherwise. They were one-trick ponies and nothing else. Do you know what happened to them? They either died or someone else did. Your lack of speed and agility will lead to your death or someone else's. Learn to carry your fists like feathers and I'll guarantee that you'd be unstoppable. As I see it, your strength is enough."

Sorahiko turns to both my kids. He tells them, "Both of you are thinking to yourself, 'I have to get stronger quickly.' That's right, time isn't on your side—it isn't on your enemies' side either. They won't be dilly-dallying, waiting for you to get stronger, so that means you can't wait for them too. The greater evil you'll eventually face will be stronger than you can ever imagine.

"Battle Fist, Armory; I'm sorry to say, but your days as a teenager are over. You have to get stronger. I'm not worried about you, Battle Fist; but for Armory, he's a completely different case altogether," Sorahiko says, turning to Sanji again. Must be yammering about Sanji's potential. We all know what Itsuka's potential is—if she could be agile and strong, then she'd be the best close combat fighter in Japan. For Sanji, we don't know shit. His potential is over 10,000AP, coming close with Toshi's peak. The level he's in right now is nowhere close to it, especially when he hasn't awakened to his Quirk yet. Sorahiko continues, "I know everyone is bothering you already, but I'm going to bother you more. Your—"

"My Quirk, I understand," Sanji says with a somber voice, clutching his pants enough that his knuckles turn white. "Everyone has high hopes for it. And you'll say that I need to awaken to it before everything goes downhill. I heard this song and dance plenty of times, Mister Torino…" Itsuka's posture softens. She's gonna comfort him from her body language—and she does. She puts a hand on his back, rubbing it.

"Sora—I mean, Gran Torino…" Itsuka says, "everyday, Sanji is being pressured by everybody—including U.A.—to awaken to his Quirk. I believe that—"

"They're right to pressure him. You should too," Sorahiko lays down the facts. "He can't fight Villains properly without a Quirk. He could be the best human, but that's on the same league as an average Pro Hero, a superhuman at birth. To make up for the gap in power, that's where Quirks come in. Now, Quirk Awakenings are activated by two things—intense training or a life-or-death situation. I heard Sanji's been training himself every night to the brink, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, he has," I answer for the kids. "His endurance and resilience is incredibly high, Sora. He trains every night until his muscles go weak and sore, sleeping for only three hours at most. And yet, he can still function normally as if his body doesn't hurt. You need a hard mind and even harder determination to constantly perform that feat." Hayami finally looks like she's paying attention to the conversation now. She's been paying attention all this time, but she was acting ignorant.

Sora replies, "Guess it's a life-or-death situation then, huh? I—"

"Uncle Sora." Hayami walks in with the pot of motsunabe on a tray along with our plates of rice. She lays it on the table and we gather around. "Think we should be worried about stuffing our bellies to the brim and not the future. I don't care what time says, it can wait."

Before we dig in, we put our hands together. "I humbly receive," we say, then we eat.

"Y'know, you and Toshi are coming into our lives again," Hayami comments with a gleeful smile. "Everyday, I see Toshi on TV and I was thinking, 'That jerk never visits us anymore.' Then, once he became a teacher at U.A., he comes by every now and then. He can't visit often often 'cause, you know, he's the biggest Hero in the world.

"Then imagine my surprise when I heard that you were mentoring Midoriya for his internship. I was tempted to call Toshi or Midoriya to get in contact with you again, but here you are, showing up to our doorstep unannounced. How have you been all these years, Uncle Sora?"

"Old. Worn out," he jokes, but there's some truth to them. He sips his tea, sighing in satisfaction. "I've been around Japan, wrapping up some old business. Glad to see you all grown up Hayami. I swore it was yesterday when you were a small little girl on this idiot's shoulders." Sora takes a jab at my ribs, but I take it like a man.

I grunt. "Time's like that. Glad we could all get together and have dinner. Too bad it's in this pisspoor of a time, but hey, least we're still living."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Grandpa," Itsuka scolds me, taking a clump of rice and popping it in her mouth. "We got Midoriya."

"Everything seems to be happening around him and 1-A this year," Sanji comments, chewing on some tender beef. "All Might is a teacher, Endeavor's son is enrolled into U.A., the League's attack on U.S.J., Stain, and a bunch of other stuff."

Hayami says, "Not everything is centered 'round that boy. Don't get me all confused, Midoriya is a great, pure-hearted guy, but the world doesn't revolve around him." I glance at Sorahiko and he glances back. Yup, we both would like to say otherwise. Holding One For All? The very world does revolve around you. You're practically Atlas.

"He's still important," Sora comes in, being vague. These three don't know about the secret of One For All yet. They're so close, yet they don't know crap. "Hayami, you know that I taught Toshi when he was the kids' age. He specifically asked me to train Midoriya."

"And you only taught Toshi because of Auntie Nana," Hayami brings her up. All at once, the air goes still. Just by saying her name trudges up bad memories, especially for Sora. I wasn't there when she died, but he was—him and Toshi. When I think about Nana, all I can imagine is Tatemi.

The kids stay silent. They're talking with each other through their eyes.

"Yeah, I did that for Shimura. I shoulda asked her for money when I'm thinking about it," he replies, trying to joke to lighten the mood. It doesn't do shit. I take a sip of tea and I notice that my hands are shaking. Damnit… I ignore it and look up. Sanji's eyes are wider. He recognizes Nana's name; he knows it, Hayami told him and Itsuka her name before. Why is his eyes wide now?

"Heh, yeah… It was tough trying to rein in Toshi's Quirk. Back then, he destroyed the Dojo so many times that we nearly went broke. That's why we had the walls reinforced with steel and stuff," Hayami reminiscences. Her eyes soften when she eats, or maybe it's from her memories flooding in. "Jeez… When I remember Toshi when he was fifteen, all I can see is that boy with an overgrown bush as his hair. Their Quirks are so similar. Toshi needed to learn how to control his Quirk to prevent himself from utterly obliterating everything while Midoriya needed to do the same thing, but this time, without permanently paralyzing his arms."

"Toshi always had a strong body. He's a one of a kind," I say after sipping my tea. Hayami is putting the pieces together. She's such a smart woman. She'll figure out the secret first without me telling her. As for the kids, they'll find out together.

"That explains why Auntie Nana took him in as her student. And that Toshi always had a big heart," she says.

"About Nana Shimura…" Sanji finally speaks up. I'll find out why he knows the name. "One of my friends, Sakuna Kazeha—"

"Kazeha?" Sora asks. Oh crap, I knew that name sounded familiar. Kazeha, our Kazeha, had a granddaughter and she passed her stories to her. That's why Sanji recognized her full name.

"Yeah, Sakuna Kazeha… Uhm, she told me about Nana Shimura. From how she described her, she would've been the equivalent of All Might in terms of strength and popularity. But she wasn't that popular, right?" he asks us. Sora looks at me and I nod. Guess I'm answering for this clueless bastard.

"Mhm, Nana wasn't all too involved in the spotlight. All she focused on is taking down Villains." And raising her successor, Toshinori Yagi.

Hayami adds on, "It was the only thing she could do. Auntie Nana had a husband and a son, Kotaro. I used to play with Kotaro when I was super little, so I barely remember him. Mom told me that Nana's husband died from a Villain. Soon after that, she sent Kotaro away into foster care for his protection."

Sanji shuts his eyes. Heh, I didn't realize how similar Sanji was to Kotaro. They must've been the same age when they were put in foster care. Anyway, I see Sanji is bowing his head. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to resurface bad memories. From how it sounds, it was tough back then."

I nod. "Yeah Sanji, it was… It was a difficult time. A lot of good people died, including Nana and my wife, Hayami's mother. We haven't died yet, so that's pretty damn good in my book. Sora's still grumpy, Chiyo's still has a golden heart, and I'm still an immature brat. Why? I'll be one of the few Pro Heroes who will die in his bed."

"Right. Let's talk about the kids for a change," Sora offers, setting his sights on Sanji and Itsuka. "You two, are you ready for the Final Exams? It's that time of year."

Itsuka hums, swallowing her bite. "Yup, should be a piece of cake. The written portion will be incredibly easy, but I have to prepare for the practical portion. I have no idea what it entails."

"Take it from me, it's the Faux Villains. They're gonna use it in your practical," Sora tells her. Yup, U.A. loves their giant destructive robots. I have no idea how they're able to pay for that many robots, let alone this "Charon" that I heard about.

"Huh, that doesn't sound too bad… Unless they have Charon, then that will be a bit of a problem," Sanji says, sighing. "It took a lot to take him down. But as Hero Students, it'll be a lot more manageable."

"You got it! We have the best teamwork in the school. Charon will go down within two minutes, mark my words," Itsuka swears, raising her glass of water high. Sanji does too with a laugh.

Sora raises his eyebrow. "Charon? Is he one of the Faux Villains? Did they really name one of those rickety old things?"

"You bet. He's larger than the zero-pointers, twice their size I think. During the Hero Course Tutoring program, I had to fight one of the Charons alongside eleven others. It was...interesting to say the least," Sanji answers after drinking his water.

"Tell me about it," Sora says.

Sanji smiles and nods.

* * *

Dinner's over. Each of us told heartwarming stories that didn't make a child depressed. It was...better than I expected. Having Sora there made the mood better, which was a surprise. Sora has a habit of ruining people's day with a single sentence. It's his real Quirk and not a fake one like Jets. We did briefly mention Nana and Tatemi a few times, but it was in a positive, more cheerful light instead of being remembered as dead. They were sweethearts alright. The world didn't deserve them, and I didn't deserve Tatemi.

Sanji and Hayami are washing the plates in the kitchen, leaving the rest of us in the living room. We're watching a movie that I have already seen before, but it's a nice way to create some background noise.

All three of us are sitting quietly until I decide to break the silence, "Going back to the Yamanashi Prefecture after this?" I look at Sora.

"Where else would I go? Australia?" he retorts. I don't know what the hell he's talking about t hough. Australia doesn't exist. The people who lived there are living upside down, so they died from having too much blood flow to the brain. Joking aside, Sora keeps chatting, "Yeah, I'm going home. Have to take care of some things. I could use you, but you hung up the cape a long time ago."

"I have a family to take care of, that's why," I tell him. "Always been my priority, Sora. If heroism gets in the way, then damn it."

"...Huh," Itsuka says, getting our attention. She immediately laughs and puts her hands up. "Sorry, didn't mean to. I was thinking about something, that's all."

"What is it?" Sora asks. Don't think that's a good question to ask frankly. There's something off about it. Itsuka's hiding something for sure—call it instinct.

Itsuka lowers her hands, using a finger to curl her hair around it. "Well, I found it a bit ironic since Nana Shimura… She gave up her family for heroism. She cherished that above her own son, then I found out that she took All Might on as her student—she was his mentor! All Might, the Symbol of Peace!"

"She did it to nurture him to become what he is today, Itsuka," Sorahiko says, defending Nana. I'm staying out of this fight.

"I know, yet when I think about it, everything doesn't make sense. Why would she send Kotaro away when she was powerful enough to rival All Might in his prime? That implies that a greater Villain is out there, greater than Nana Shimura and Toshinori Yagi."

I look away from my granddaughter, not staring at anything.

"What are you trying to say?"

Itsuka raises her voice, "I'm saying that you aren't telling us who this Villain is. We know he exists, Sanji and I know he's out there. The 'greater evil' you spoke about earlier, he's the same Villain that killed Nana Shimura, the same Villain that's truly leading the League of Villains. He's the World's Most Dangerous Villain, isn't he?"

"He's a dangerous man with a Quirk that could bend the world to his knees."

"Then why aren't you telling us about him? It's obvious that All Might is training Midoriya to fight him and Shigaraki! Nana Shimura trained All Might and All Might will train Midoriya! You want us to help fight too! We aren't kids anymore! You said it yourself! We aren't teenagers anymore! Tell us what's going on!"

Hayami and Sanji run out of the kitchen. They look to me to stop the fight, but I won't. I knew something like this would happen eventually. Hayami pleads, "Itsuka honey, please stop—"

"Itsuka," Sora says, standing up, "this man is more than you realize. He's much more than you or Sanji could even comprehend—"

"Oh cut the bullshit, Gran Torino!" Itsuka shouts, standing up with him. "He's not God, he's human just like us! Why do you think he has Shigaraki as his successor?! This man is weak! He's injured! His time is coming to an end!"

Sanji exclaims, "Itsuka—!"

Sora interrupts him, "He's still one hundred times more powerful than you, Sanji, and Sasaki all combined together! Do you know that his feats? For a long period of time, he did have the world at his feet! He commanded Japan from the shadows! The gangs out there, they could only hope to aspire to be like him! Heroes had All Might, Villains had him! You don't understand how powerful this bastard is!"

"I don't give a damn! Don't you dare leave us in the dark about this! It's clear he has an influence over everything! Including our lives! Do you know how he impacted our lives?!" Itsuka yells before stomping over to Sanji. She grabs his left hand and shows his scar to him. "This asshole took in Catharsis as one of his soldiers! Guess what happened?! Catharsis almost killed Sanji and gave him this scar! He tried to kill Shojo Fukidashi, one of my friends, and he successfully killed countless others! This affects me as much as it affects you!"

Sanji rips his hands out of Itsuka's grasp. "Itsuka, please calm down—"

"Shut up Sanji! You're supposed to be on my side for this!" she yells at him. "Our lives are depending on this information, on this mystical secret that Gran Torino is keeping from us! That Grandpa, your Master Kendo, is refusing to tell us! It's why my grandmother died! It almost killed you once! How many times does it have to kill you in order for you to finally take action?! Two times?! Three?!"

Sanji goes silent.

Itsuka turns to Hayami. "Mom, are you going to say anything?! I know you told me to butt out of this, but you know something is wrong here! You lived this mystery for your entire life, but you never once questioned anything! Do you have anything to say to me?! It's our family for crying out loud!"

Hayami shakes her head. "Sweetheart… I never had anything to say."

"Grandpa…" She looks at me last, and I finally look at her. There's tears in her eyes. "How long will you keep this a secret from us? You already saw how close Sanji was to death. I was worried sick about him, all of us were. If it happens again, Sanji won't be able to reach his dream. Do it for us…"

I stand up and sigh. I walk up to a picture of Tatemi and hold it by the frame. I say, "You're an amazing girl, Itsuka… I can't ask for a better granddaughter. Damnit though, I don't think I have the heart to explain to you and Sanji now… I know I'm too much of a coward, but that's your grandfather for you."

Every time I remember All For One, all I can see is my wife lying in a pool of her own blood.

Itsuka chokes up before I hear her stomping out of the house. Hayami reacts, "Itsuka, wait!" I think she turns to Sanji. "Sanji, she's going to—"

"I know where she's going. Don't worry, I'll bring her back." And with that, Sanji's gone too. I put Tatemi down, turning to Sora and Hayami.

I'm crying.

Just realized that when a tear fell on my palms. I wipe my eyes, groaning in disgust. Hayami smiles a sad smile, putting on a jacket. "I'm going for a walk you two. I'll be back soon," she says, leaving us be. Yeah, we all need time to think. Sora stands there awkwardly like a sore thumb, knowing he ruined tonight. Ah, here I thought today was going well. I don't blame him though. The secret is a ticking time bomb anyway. It's better that Itsuka blew up than Sanji or Hayami. I wouldn't be able to handle them when they're genuinely furious.

"Sasaki, I—"

"Just be quiet, alright? I… God, I just…" I run my hands through my hair. "I need to think..." And yet, I couldn't think of anything.

For a few minutes, it's like that. Nothing. Just pure silence that makes my blood boil. It's—

Click clack!

I don't recognize those footsteps. "Uhm, hello? The door was open, so I let myself in. Don't worry, I can hardly be considered dangerous!"

Grandmaster comes into the room. His eyes go wide when he sees Sorahiko standing there with me. He analyzes the situation—and the mood of the room—and clears his throat. "I see that something had happened. Inochi and the two Kendos are missing… If you need my help, I'll gladly give it."

I shake my head. "I'm fine. What are you here for?"

"Uhm, it might not be an appropriate time. Considering that Gran Torino is here, Itsuka Kendo got furious when you didn't disclose the secret of One For All, correct?" he guesses it perfectly.

Sora comments, "Stop pulling that crap, Shindeka."

"Forgive me, but I am right. So, back to the topic at hand, do you want to talk another time?" he asks me.

I bat my hand and sit in my chair. The TV is still blasting. "Go ahead and ask me now. Everyone else left, so we have the house to ourselves." Knowing Grandmaster, it must be about the past. Since my wounds are reopened, I might as well make it worse… Jeez, I'm not serious about that. Whatever Grandmaster wants, I better give it to him. He's a smart man, so anything he can find out, it's better for all of us.

Shindeka nods and takes a seat beside Sorahiko, putting his cane on his lap. "Well, I'm lucky that I also caught Gran Torino here as well. It…" He takes a deep breath. "It pertains to the mission you partook in a few decades ago. It involved allying yourself with the U.H.N. and one of its agents—Mystic."

Mystic…? Haven't heard that name in a long time.

"Why Mystic?" I ask. "What do you want with him?" Sorahiko listens in closely.

"Well," Grandmaster starts to explain, adjusting his coat, "we need any information—even better, allies—against the upcoming threat. This turned me to this mission which I luckily received the file for through many contacts and acquaintances. The information is meager though, so I sought to ask you instead. From remembering what occurred, we might be able to discover something we didn't know before."

Sorahiko huffs, but he has a stupid smile on his face. He should never smile again. "Sounds like a good idea. Sasaki, are you gonna tell him?"

"Yeah alright…" I tap my leg. "So, first of all, the mission wasn't just us four—Me, Nana, Sora, and Mystic. There was six of us."

"Who were the other two?"  
"Zun Fei-Long, also known as The Astral Warrior: Qinglong; and the other one, Hyun Yeong-ju, also known as NO DAY: Bam."

Grandmaster's mouth drops. "Those names… They were—!"

"Yeah, during the time, they were both hotshots. So much that they were the No.1 Pro Heroes in their respective country; Qinglong in China and Bam in Korea."

I try to say something else, but I stop myself. How the hell do I say this? Well… Let's start with an introduction. "And they were with us in our disaster of a mission. Grandmaster, do you remember the Busan Bombing?"

He nods. "Indeed. What happened is...in the name of the event. It killed thousands of people."

"Yeah… Guess how our mission was a disaster?"

* * *

**The next chapter is called: Master and Mystic**

**A Day in Life, Master and Mystic, and Tragedy in Busan take place in a mini-arc just before the Final Exams. In this arc, we'll explore the Master Kendo's mission in South Korea, Busan.**

**Post-chapter things:**

**The Reveal: So, the "reveal" was something I heavily conflicted on, but in the end, my personal feelings didn't really matter. So yes, Hayami did reveal that Itsuka is in love with Sanji. It's now canon and I can't go back. Why? Well, it fits the characters. Hayami is a very caring mother who wants best for Itsuka, so in her eyes, telling Sanji that was the best way to make her happy. Yet, she knew it was a very slim chance because of Sanji's personality and ideals, but she took the chance anyway. For Sanji, he was bound to realize it soon. It's been stated that he kinda just had a feeling all along but never sat down and thought about it. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't *that* important because it tells everyone what they know already. However, what I did do was show the difference between Sanji and Itsuka. They value different things—Sanji and heroism; Itsuka and others. It's another sharp contrast between their personality and ideals, much like the argument between Suzuki and Sanji.**

**Yui: I'm sorry, but Yui's adorable. This is Sanji and Yui's relationship in a nutshell:**

**Yui: "Mmm."  
Sanji: *literally bursting into tears* "How poetic!"  
Everyone else: "what"**

**That's all I have for Yui.**

**Itsuka's Scene: Honestly, I wanted more banter between her and Sanji to help develop their dynamic further. Their dynamic may be developed already, but it never hurts to keep doing that. And so, we get to the next topic... Itsuka's outburst. It was bound to happen, honestly. She wanted to figure out the mystery of One For All, and the dinner teased that so much. In the end, she needed to know and no one gave her the right answer. She even yelled at Sanji, so you know that she was *really* mad. Hopefully, everyone will come clean soon...**

**Master Kendo: It's another flashback chapter! Oh my God, I hated his first flashback chapter. It was a bad chapter, a really bad chapter in my opinion. In fact, it's probably the worst chapter in Dreaming of Stars just because I couldn't write well during the time. However, I'll try my best to make up for it in the next couple of chapters. It should be really interesting because I'm going to explore the past along with heroism in other countries that isn't just Japan. That is why the setting is in Busan, because I wanted to make the world bigger. I could do the same for Sanji and the rest of the 1-B kids, but that will be a *very* long time from now. They are kids still, so Master Kendo lets me explore the international world of heroism. So, we get to explore three new characters. As a result, you can call this mini-arc the "Busan Arc" or something.**

**Mystic: He was first directly referenced in Chapter 30. He was an agent of the United Hero Nations. And honestly, his Quirk is hard to write. It's very hard to write just because his Quirk is stupid(ly powerful) in general. Expect that he'll be a major figure or influence soon, something like that.**

**Qinglong: Hiryu Rin's grandfather. Qinglong has the Quirk called "Astral", where you'll get to find out next chapter. It'll definitely shed more light into Rin's family and foreshadow his eventual character arc. I'm very excited for Rin's development since he hasn't been in the spotlight at all.**

**Bam: Originally, I wanted to make Bam a male, but I realized that Nana was the only girl in the team so I made Bam a female instead. "NO DAY" is the name of Bam's idol group, so you bet that Bam is an Idol Hero. You'll get to see her in the next chapter as well. (Fun fact: "Bam" means "night" in Korean.)**

**That's all I got, so cheers! Leave a review, favorite, follow, or whatever to show your support for this crazy fanfic! If you hate it, then thanks. There's that one review that bashes this fic and I'm sitting here like, "Very cool."**


	36. Master and Mystic

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Saki, you gonna be safe, right? I mean, you're heading over to enemy territory for goodness sake! What if they decide to host a public execution and hang you by the neck?! You, Nana, _and _Sora! As much as I heard good things about Qinglong, and I adore Bam's music—I mean, I love her work, _freaking obsessed _over it—they could eat you alive! You're only the No.2 Pro y'know! Oh, what about Mystic? Can we really trust a man named _that _? I say no! He must be mystically untrustworthy! Why wasn't I allowed to come?!"

"Because I said so, and frankly, I'm getting tired of saying that. Look honey—"

"Don't 'look honey' me! Saki, I'm your wife. Instead of being the overprotective man you are—"

"I'm a husband and a father. If you ask me, I'm justified in being 'overprotective', especially since something big is happening here."

"I know, I know! You're worried about me and Hayami, I get it, but don't forget that I'm a Hero too."

"For Japan. We can't bring _all _of our cards out to play, that's why you're back at home with Toshi and Chiyo. Don't worry Tatemi, this mission will be quick and easy. The team we have, it's made up of five of the most powerful Heroes in the world—six if you count Sorahiko."

("I can hear you, Saki!")

Tatemi sighed. She didn't like the situation one bit. Her husband volunteered to go on a dangerous mission with her best friend, who was required to. Sorahiko didn't count 'cause he was an asshole, and still an asshole today, but he volunteered too.

For a little backstory, this took place a couple of months after All For One managed a prison break in Tartarus. Remember that this took place decades ago, so the security then wasn't as hardcore as it is today, but it was still damn near-impenetrable. After the prison break, the crime rates doubled. But, this allowed Tartarus to get their shit together. Soon enough, they became known as the world's most fortified prison. Since then, they're constantly working together with companies and governments to improve their security. They spared and will keep sparing no expense. With Toshi becoming All Might, the Villains in Tartarus will stay in Tartarus. All For One was an idiot for attacking that place. The only thing he did was make the security strong, tough even for him. Though, I noticed this fact in hindsight. I wasn't looking at the big picture before. As you know, I had to take care of my family.

That's why I joined the mission. The U.H.N. was the spearhead of the operation. U.H.N wasn't as useless as the League of Nations or the United Nations; it had _some _semblance of power. Like this mission for example. It had to go through a shitton of bureaucracy though, lots of red tape that I can't be bothered to explain even if I knew how it worked. After that mess, they contacted Nana that one of All For One's henchmen had a hideout near Busan. He was an American, William Jacob Patterson, also known as "Core"—a terrible name honestly. Anything he touched, he'd heat it up to steel-boiling temperatures. Somehow, he was immune to the emanating heat.

Anyway, back to Nana, she was asked to work with the U.H.N. because they knew—or the higher-ups did—about One For All. A Japanese Hero like her wasn't legally allowed to work in another country, especially Korea, so the U.H.N. was the bridge that let her cross. When she told us, Sorahiko volunteered to come with her, and I did as well. No matter how hard she tried to convince us, she gave in. Along with other Heroes like Bam and Qinglong, the U.H.N. had their own player in the game too—Mystic. We'll talk about these three later.

For now, I was trying to calm Tatemi's nerves. We had just got off the plane, landing in the airport just outside of Busan. We had a private jet and everything, pretty damn fancy. Continuing the conversation from earlier **—** before I went on a tangent—Tatemi said, "Japan needs the three of you home— _alive _. You're the only wall that's in All For One's way. Without you, he could takeover Japan again in a fingersnap."

"I know, sweetheart. We're a band of badasses though. Whatever Core is planning, we'll put a stop to it, capture him, and squeeze the information he got. Well, if the U.H.N. isn't planning to screw us over at the end," I replied with a little laugh. Let's be honest, no one likes organizations like the United Hero Nations. Whenever I think about them, I imagine the stereotypical politician who will gladly destroy an entire country in order to save his reputation. Not every monkey suit-wearing bastard is like that though. Some of them, they genuinely care about the world.

"Yeah, if they do, we could get a movie deal outta this, I swear. People would eat this kind of drama up!" she exclaimed. I heard her clapping her hands on her end. She was always cute like that. "Hehe! Seriously though, watch your back. These people you're working with… Don't think that they have your interests at heart. Trust them enough to do their job and that'll be that. You can come back home to kiss me and embrace our little girl."

"Gotcha," I said. Sorahiko was looking at me, mouthing that I need to hang up 'cause Nana was talking to some guys in suits. I groaned. "Gotta go. Love you, and tell Hayami that I'll be back soon."

Tatemi hummed. "I will. I love you, Saki. If you can, get an autograph from Bam." She hung up. After that, I walked over to Nana and Sora, listening to their conversation. I wasn't really paying attention much honestly. I was thinking about my wife. What I did get was that we'll head over to the outskirts of Busan. We had a headquarters established there, which was near Core's hideout.

Sora nudged me with his elbow, scowling. He whispered, "My instincts tell me that something is off."

"Everything's always off with you," I replied; I was always an ass to Sora. "You're that type of guy to see a lost child and go, 'Y'know, that kid is really suspicious.'"

"Shut up, stop spitting out jokes and be serious," he snapped.

"Hey, I'm always serious about my jokes!"

"Boys," Nana got our attention, clicking her tongue like a disapproving mother, "we better get going. These nice men will drive us to where we need to go." She gestured towards the guys in suits. There was an SUV behind them, and one of the men was kind of enough to open the door for us. We filed inside, they joined us, and we were on our way.

During the drive, we didn't say anything. Nana, she was the one who would start up conversations. She was the light we needed whenever times got dark, especially during a terrible Villain attack. However, this mission involved All For One. She was dead serious. There was a small chance that we might've met that bastard, and she wasn't taking the chance lightly. God forbid, if we did meet him, we promised her that we would run away if we can, leaving her behind to fight him. Luckily, we never did. Of course, we all know when Nana _did _meet All For One; we know the story.

I forgot what I felt then, but I knew… I knew that I wanted to hear Nana crack a joke, making us smile—Sorahiko too. That was what she stood for—making people smile. She always said to us, _" A true Hero saves not only someone's life, but their heart too. How? By smiling of course! We give 'em a smile even when we're bleeding from head to toe, as if to say, 'I'm A-OK!' The strongest people in the world are always the ones who smile."_

I disagreed honestly. The strongest people in the world are always the ones who let themselves cry.

When we finally arrived to our headquarters, it was a decent building, I guess. It was only a few stories tall, concrete foundations, looked like the average office building. Inside it though, it was like those gigantic rooms you'd typically see in government buildings. Like uhm, large control panels full of buttons, computers, and IT guys who man those computers. Against the walls were a ton of TV screens that were watching Core's hideout. And where there weren't any TV screens, there were whiteboards with more information than I could process. I swear, there was only one car there, and that was ours. But inside the building was at least fifty people. It was stunning, frankly. Nana was amazed, I was too, and even the lughead named Sorahiko. The U.H.N. pulled out all stops here.

Now, once we went inside, it was like _bam _, we were the center of attention. Everyone looked at us for a good ten seconds, realizing that we were the strength, the power behind this operation. Without us, people would die. We were the hotshots, but we weren't that great. Without the analysts, scientists, researchers, scouts, whatever; this operation wouldn't have happened without them. Nana cleared her throat and like that, everyone went back to work. One of the men in black suits led us to a conference room down the hall. He said to us, "Mystic is inside. Qinglong and Bam will join you shortly to begin the briefing."

Then he left. I joked, "Look at us three, getting briefed. Almost like we're secret agents or something." Sora frowned, but I didn't care about him. I said that to cheer Nana up. There was a small chuckle coming from her with an even smaller smile, but that was it.

Patting my shoulder, she said, "C'mon, let's go meet Mystic." We went inside the conference room. There, we saw Mystic, who was writing something on a whiteboard, mumbling to himself. At the end of the room was a large TV screen. Y'know though, TVs aside, Mystic's entire existence was an anachronism. Why? Well, we were in a high-tech room and Mystic looked like he came out of the Sengoku Period. He wore a white and gold haori over a red kimono with a black hakama around his waist. The only thing missing was a katana. I found out why later. He was a young man then, definitely in his twenties. He had white hair that was neat, swept towards the front of his head. At the back of his head, there was three long strands of hair that went down his back. His eyes were crystal blue too. There was something dignified about Mystic, mystical you could even say.

Nana, being a people person, introduced us, "Mystic! Nice to meet ya! I'm—"

"Nana Shimura," Mystic said, his voice still and steady like the wind. An idiot would think he's emotionless. No, Mystic was calm, tranquil even, especially when he grew a faint smile and turned to us. His movements were precise, utterly perfect. Yet, I could see his aura. It was white, so starkly white. I felt it from across the room. It was so intense that it rivaled Nana's aura. "Sorahiko Torino and Sasaki Kendo. It's a pleasure to finally meet you all; a shame that it had to be under these circumstances."

Sora stepped forward. "Yeah, a shame. So Mystic, why are you dressed like you're about to defend your land for your lord?" I gave him a dirty look, practically telling him off with my eyes.

Mystic laughed, putting a hand to his chest. "The U.H.N. allowed me to choose my own costume, and this is what I chose. On missions, I often have to walk in public. With this on, it would be assumed that I am a Pro Hero. No one would dare to bother me, no?"

We nodded, though Nana studied him closely, specifically his haori. She asked, "Can I bother ya with a question? It's about your haori—"

"Ah yes, my haori…" Mystic turned back to the whiteboard, reading to himself. "They, my employers, didn't want me to wear my haori because it was passed down through my family. It could give away my identity, you see; however, it was a risk I was willing to take. After all, my family is practically unknown." When he was talking about his haori, something felt familiar. Nana felt it too, hence why she asked him about it.

"Uhm, alright… I feel like I heard about a samurai with a white and gold haori before. Dang it, I can't remember it for the life of me," she said, snapping dismissively.

"Does that really matter now, Shimura?" Sora asked her with a huff. "Either way, Mystic looks out-of-place with that garb on."

Mystic chuckled and nodded. "Generally, Heroes are meant to look out-of-place I'm no different, so really, I'm considered normal."

Nana changed the conversation, "Moving on, do you know the secret of my Quirk, right? The U.H.N. surely musta told you 'bout it."

He nodded and strangely, his eyes narrowed. "They have. Your Quirk is called One For All, being combined with your preexisting Quirk—Float. Ever since the Origin of Quirks, it has been passed down from generation to generation in hopes to defeat All For One. Today, you are the current holder, and Toshinori Yagi is your successor.

"Do not worry though. I won't reveal your secret to anyone else, and I am not saying that because I am bound by the United Hero Nations. I will genuinely keep it close to my heart until the day I die."

Sorahiko crossed his arms, shaking his head. He looked like he never heard so much bullshit before in his life. "Really? Let me put it frank with you, Mystic. I don't think you can be trusted, not at all."

Mystic straightened his lips, unfazed by Sorahiko's bluntness. He said, "May I ask why?"

Nana saw where this was heading and tried to stop him, but Sora kept on talking. He responded, "You're a lackey of the United Hero Nations, a puppet in a haori basically. Why should I trust someone like you? You don't have our interests at heart—only the guys who're pulling your strings. We want a better world while you want a world beneficial for only your employers."

"That isn't true."

"Then what is true?"

"I want a better world—"

"Then you should've became a Pro Hero."

"For Japan?"

"No, Canada—Of course I mean Japan. Where else would I be talking about?!"

"I'd rather help the world, that's why I joined the United Hero Nations as an agent."

"Really? Tell me how."

Mystic's gaze was still as if he was a willow tree. He told him, "God, or whatever beings there are, put me in this world for a reason, no matter how cruel or vile it may be. I was fated to give support, removing evil with my two bare hands —and with the world's backing. I was meant to give life to this world."

"Bullshit."

"Sora!" Nana and I scolded him.

"That's utter bullshit," Sora repeated again. "'Oh, I only want to help the world!' What an excuse to get us to like you better. You knew exactly what kind of people we are from the beginning. There's something you want from us."

"Your trust," Mystic answered. "I want your trust because if we cannot work together to arrest Core and put him where he belongs, then hundreds will certainly die! Don't you see that you're being selfish? Trying to put your desires over the people of Busan? All of South Korea even? For what? You think the United Hero Nations are no better than Villains—you may be right, yet Villains don't try to preserve the innocent lives, do they? Sorahiko Torino, I'm sorry that you think this way—"

"Oh screw me backwards, don't you tell me that you're sorry!" Sora complained, throwing his arms up in the air. "Attacking me for being selfish, well you might as well hang me! I get you're hopped up on the Bushido Code or shit like that, but you have no right to criticize me."

"Then you have no right to criticize me for my own motives. That's your hypocrisy, yet that doesn't matter." Mystic looked at Nana and I, who were staying silent in this argument. "Nana Shimura, I understand your possible reservations—you as well, Sasaki Kendo. However, we must agree that One For All is less important than the lives of the innocent. Do you agree?"

Nana nodded and answered, "Of course! I'm a Hero, aren't I? It's our job to sacrifice our lives daily to save those who need saving, and defeat those who need defeating! That's my motto, alright! The entire country is counting on us to do the latter, and might I say, I'm pretty dang good at fighting."

I laughed seeing how I just couldn't top that answer. I just nodded a lot harder and told him, "What Nana said. I'm terrible with words, but I'm not as terrible as Sora."

Sora interjected, "Sasaki—"

I grabbed his shoulder, tightly gripping it. As it stood, I was able to shatter his shoulder with one hand alone. I say, subtly threatening him, "Sorahiko, I told you that you're terrible at talking, so please shut up."

Sora glared at me. He whispered, "Because you're afraid of this clown? You? Master Kendo? You're afraid of a puppet like Mystic? He's an idiot in a haori that probably doesn't belong to him." Admittedly, I was a little afraid. I could feel his power in my diaphragm, which was saying a lot. For most of my life, I was around Nana Shimura, one of the most powerful women in Japan. Now, Mystic was here being just as powerful as her. I will confess though, Sora did make some good points; they were justified reasons to be suspicious, I'd say, but we couldn't focus on that. We had to focus on Busan and the people who lived there. Not only that, Mystic had our lives in his hands, and we had his. If we couldn't work together, then we'd be positively fucked.

Nana smiled her usual smile, putting a hand on his other shoulder. "Behave yourself, Sorahiko. You wanted to join me on this mission, remember? I can easily send you back to Japan. So, let's stop messing 'round and do what we need to do." Nana laid down the law right then and there. Sora would never listen to me, but he'd listen to her, so that was exactly what he did. He threw our hands off of him and stormed out of the room, taking a breather. You couldn't blame him. He might've been a prickly cactus on the outside, but he cared about Nana and the rest of us. So really, he was an annoying, protective dad that you couldn't get off your back. Nana shook her head and turned to Mystic, who was frowning. "I'm sorry Mystic, he's very serious about this. That's his greatest gift, but also his greatest burden sometimes."

"He has a good heart, that's certain," Mystic replied. "I am truly sorry that I couldn't reveal much about myself. I do hope we can work together, Nana Shimura and Sasaki Kendo."

"Why do you keep saying our full names?" I jumped in. Mystic laughed and scratched the back of his head.

He answered, "Now that is a question I _can _answer. I've never been one to remember names for the life of me. I always forget them. That's why I say your full name every chance I have. I'll never forget them that way."

"Do you remember _your _name?" Nana asked as a joke.

Mystic shook his head. "Not at all. Why else am I named 'Mystic'?" he sarcastically replied with another laugh. "But jokes aside, as much as you want to hear my name, I cannot. If we meet again though, under better circumstances, I'll tell you it alongside my Quirk." That was obvious. Couldn't reveal his name and couldn't reveal the real name of his Quirk. Those were the rules of the United Hero Nations.

"What's the pseudo-name then?" I asked.

"Let's refer to it as 'Mystic', the same as my codename. It's an Accumulation-type. In fact, some metaologists in the U.H.N. say that I have one of the strongest Quirks in the world. I'm flattered by the thought, but that isn't the case. Soon, we'll be allied with some of the strongest Heroes in the world, with the strongest being the stunning woman in front of me," he said, seemingly flirting a little with Nana; personally, I think he was just being nice. She waved it off, having a hand on her hip.

"That's hasn't been officially decided! We don't even know what Mystic does! C'mon, why don't you spill the beans already? Is your Quirk mystical as it sounds?" Nana urged with a bright smile.

"Don't pressure him too much, Nana." "Don't pressure him too much, Nana."

Mystic and I both said that at the same time. My eyes shot open and Nana's did too. We stared at Mystic, who had a cocky little smirk on his samurai face. It was like he read my mind, which was something "mystical", but that wasn't it. Oh hell, I wish it was that simple. What he said instead was something extraordinary better than a tacky power like mind-reading. He told us, "That is a passive effect of Mystic. I named this passive 'Limited Foresight'. I can see the future, but it's very limited."

"How so?" Nana asked him.

"I can see one second into the future. That's all. Only one single second, so I cannot see how each of you dies—unless you die within the next second, then that would create more problems on its own. How I can visualize the future is complicated to say the least. I can process time normally, yet Limited Foresight is also processing the future in one second intervals. As a result, my brain creates two different images—the present and the future. The images do not conflict with one another, so I'm able to see both clearly. And yes, Sasaki Kendo, it is happening constantly."

I lowered my finger, nodding. I was about to ask him if Limited Foresight was active constantly, like everyday, every hour, every minute, and things like that. It must be a nightmare though, honestly. How could he sleep?

Mystic continued, "It's an amazing power. However, I'd rather not be called a 'prophet' or anything similar to that. I mainly utilize this power in combat, predicting my enemy's moves and reacting appropriately." This man said that as if it was normal. It wasn't, far from it. From the day since he awakened to his Quirk, he began to see one second into the future every waking moment. What did he do? He trained himself. He trained himself to process his future vision and react to it under a second, _under one freaking second _. After that, he needed to do it again, and again, and again. That level of skill was immeasurable. His reflexies matched mine, maybe even surpassing it. And guess what? This wasn't even his real Quirk. Limited Foresight was a passive effect of Mystic. This man was seriously busted.

Nana exclaimed, "Awesome! You sound amazingly powerful! Limited Foresight isn't your real Quirk, right? What does Mystic _really _do? Since you're wearing a kimono and stuff, I'm guessing it involves kenjutsu! Y'know, Master Kendo is a master at kenjutsu, but he doesn't bother using a sword."

"Spears are better than swords," I gave my opinion, crossing my arms. "It has longer reach and it's easier to use. In a fight of spear and sword, the spear would win nine out of ten times." As much as swords are flashy, spears are more effective at doing their job. I'm still standing by that fact today. But does Sanji listen to me? No, he went ahead and decided to use a katana. His loss.

Chuckling, he said, "Nana Shimura, you're right _and _wrong."

"Really? How could I be right _and _wrong? Lemme guess some more!"

"Very well."

"Let's go with...fire."

"No."

"Water?"

"It's none of the elements."

"Dang… What about…" Nana looked at me. "Archery?"

"Right and wrong."

"Jeez, you're like Saki… Uhm… Saki, help me out here."

I sighed, giving in. "Alright Mystic… You must be a jack of all trades, so I'm guessing Creation-type." Creation-type Quirks, like that Momo Yaoyorozu in 1-A, involve creating objects from the body. They're a rare type of Quirk like Warping. I mean, in my career as a Hero, I've only seen two instances of a Warping-type Quirk. As for a Creation-type, it was three, not including Mystic. In forty or so years as a Hero, from all of the Villains I defeated, you can begin to imagine how rare those types of Quirks are. It was a bit exhilarating honestly, but also painful. Rare Quirks were often harder to beat.

And by ranting about this, you bet your ass that I was right. How did I figure it out? Instincts, that was how. Mystic gave me a nod of approval, basically telling me that I was smarter than Nana—that had never happened before. She shot me a dirty look like she was saying, _You're supposed to be an idiot, Saki! _I didn't take any personal offense, but her face was too easy to laugh at, so I did. Nana puffed her cheeks and punched my shoulder. Mystic cleared his throat and we focused back on him. He explained, "Mystic allows me to create white opaque constructs from my body. I would go in detail, but that would take a long time. I—"

Mystic immediately turned to the door. "It's them." That was Limited Foresight in action. By "them", he obviously meant the two latecomers.

The doorknob turned and out came our allies.

The first one who came in was a blonde-haired woman with a pink streak going across her hair. She had a black trench coat thrown over her shoulder, a definite contrast to what she was actually wearing—her Hero Costume, or should I say… Idol Costume. She wore a white crop top with the words "JUSTICE" written in colorful letters of the English alphabet. A black and gold jacket was thrown over her crop top, and it was literally sparkling with I-had-no-idea-what. The lady wore black shorts—pretty short shorts—with leggings that were torn to shreds. Then there were her black boots with gold highlights. She wore a belt that held a dagger and restraining equipment like handcuffs, zip-ties, stuff like that. The girl, she was definitely alluring alright. She was the youngest one here, and she wasn't afraid to strut her youth around. If you would there, you'd see her curves in full action. Naturally, I didn't give a damn because I was taken by the most beautiful woman in the world—Tatemi Kendo. Mystic, being polite, turned his head and scratched the back of his head again.

That was Hyun Yeong-ju, also known as Bam, who was the leader of NO DAY. She was the biggest Idol Hero in Korea, practically in the entire world. Idol Heroes were a big thing, still are today. "Bam defined an entire generation of music," some said. Do I care? Not at all. Music was Tatemi's thing, which she ranted about _a lot _. Being the good husband I am, I sat and listened. Anyway uhm, Bam was pretty damn good at combining hip-hop with pop, and I hate to admit it, but some of her songs were decent. Take that and mix some heroism in, you get one of the biggest Idol Heroes in history. She inspired future generations of Idol Heroes, like Kinoko Komori, one of my kids' classmates. I only know that because of Itsuka telling me about her.

Bam's Quirk was called Lightless. She could turn herself invisible at will. While she was invisible, her speed increases astronomically. I mean, imagine if you were standing on one end of a soccer field and her on the other. Once she turns invisible, she could reach you within a blink of an eye. She was that fast. It was said that she could only be invisible for a certain amount of time, but the exact number was a company secret. She was pretty damn good with a dagger and restraining weapons. Even when she was out of her Lightless State, she was a fast little lady. Out of the team, she was arguably the weakest. In Korea, they judge Heroes based on popularity more than actual merit and strength, but it didn't mean she was weak. Bam was the No.1 Pro for a reason.

For the second one, he was a much simpler man—thank God. He had fluffy black hair that was tied into a ponytail. He wore an azure and jade changshan, which is definitely easier to describe than Hyun's costume. Y'know, us Kendos have a bit of Chinese blood in us on Tatemi's side. It's why Itsuka wears a qipao because she wants to recognize her Chinese heritage. And yeah, I know what you're thinking—Hiryu Rin is the grandson of this man.

He's the grandson of Zun Fei-Long, also known as Qinglong. I never told the kids that I worked with Rin's grandfather before. That would've resulted in too many uncomfortable questions. Now, a little something about China, they take heroism very seriously. Over there, the Hero Billboards are a helluva lot more competitive than in Japan. The top ten was and still is dominated by rivaling families, vying for power and a better ranking —and of course, the Fei-Long Family was at the top for decades, and they aren't today. Another family took over and usurped their spot as No.1 unfortunately. No matter how many kids the Fei-Long Family has, they haven't reclaimed the title. Zun was the last Fei-Long who was the No.1 Pro Hero, and he wouldn't be able to take the spot back in his lifetime. So he decided to leave that up to his many kids, one of which was Zhang Fei-Long, his successor and Rin's father. Zhang was gifted the Hero Name of "Xuanwu". After that, Zhang followed in Zun's footsteps, but he didn't take the spot as No.1 yet. During his career, he did the same thing as his father —having a ton of kids. Out came his eldest child, Lian Fei-Long. Out of Zhang's sons, Lian is predicted to be his successor, so he will have the responsibility to reclaim the spot as the best Pro Hero in China. Once Lian's successor is named, they will adopt the name "Shangdi". And Hiryu Rin? He's the youngest child, forgotten I think. I don't know why he was sent to Japan; that's something you have to ask him yourself.

Zun, Zhang, and Lian all have the same Quirk—Astral. Astral converts their "life force" into physical energy that they can emit. And holy shit, I saw how Qinglong fought during the operation. His energy attacks were extraordinary powerful, capable of destroying buildings without breaking a sweat. Qinglong himself had a high semblance of control in how they formed and what speed they will travel in. After all, I expect that Astral is a Quirk that is power in its purest form. That's Chinese Heroes for you.

And before I forget, I'll talk about Mystic's Quirk—Mystic. I told you before that it's a Creation-type. Well, it was a lot more than that. His Quirk, and I'm being serious, is the most versatile Quirk in existence. If you have it in your hands right now, then you could nearly create any physical object. Your mind is your only limit. Mystic allows you to create white constructs of nearly anything, just couldn't create anything living because obviously, I don't think any Creation-type Quirks could do that. Anyway, Mystic—the man—was skilled in controlling his creations. They could explode, morph and shift into something else—Hell, what his constructs were made out of…they were some form of energy like Astral. However, unlike Astral, Mystic was able to channel his Quirk throughout his body like One For All. His Quirk was that good, almost made me jealous a few times. God, Mystic fit so many roles that one could need. He was one of the best fighters on the team. If he was a Hero, then I'd think he would be one of the best Heroes in the world.

Now, back to the mission, we were finally meeting Qinglong and Bam. Sorahiko was behind them—too bad he didn't scamper off like a stray cat. Bam saw the three of us and her eyes lit up. "Yoo hoo~! So you're the Japanese Heroes that I'll be working with! I met this stud out in the hall!" she said in perfect Japanese. Nana and I were taken back from how great her Japanese was. She had an authentic accent too. Sorahiko, in the back, scoffed at her compliment. He took a seat at the table, remaining silent.

Then Mystic corrected her, "I'm not a Pro Hero, but yes, I am Japanese. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hyun Yeong-ju."

Bam giggled. "Same to you~!" She skipped over to Nana and stuck her hand out. "Nana Shimura! So you're the lady I heard so much about! Yet, you're barely famous in Japan. Keeping your secret on the down low? I getcha!"

Nana shook her hand, humming. "That's right! You know, my best friend loves your music. Right Saki?" Nana leaned in close and whispered to her, "My best friend is this knucklehead's wife."

"Really?!" Bam exclaimed before she ran over to me. "Master Kendo, is Magnum Opus a fan of me? Well well well, what's her favorite song? If you want, I can sing to her and your daughter!" It took every bit of strength for me to not tear my ears out.

So instead, I turned to Nana and said, "Nana, no."

"Nana, yes!" she snarked back. While she left me to deal with Bam—who was ranting about an autograph, but I wasn't paying attention to her—she turned to Qinglong instead. "Qinglong, right? Sorry that Bam took the spotlight from ya."

"I don't mind," he said. His voice and demeanor was like Sora's—serious and all that. With my knowledge about heroism in China, I knew that Qinglong was only participating in the mission to secure his place as the No.1 Pro; luckily, that meant he was willing to cooperate. And, he spoke Japanese too. It wasn't perfect like Bam, but it was more than good enough. "It appears that everyone is here."

"Yeah," I said, brushing past Bam who just wouldn't stop talking. I went up to Qinglong and put my hand out. "Good to have you, Qinglong. We have an all-star cast of Heroes today, don't we? Hell, we could even take over a small country if we wanted to."

He shook my hand. "It's an interesting thought, but I'm afraid I have too much pride and honor to do that."

"And I have my fans," Bam joined the conversation. "World conquest aside, we gotta talk about something important."

"No," Sora snapped.

"I heard an enthusiastic 'yes'!" Bam hopped up in joy. "With so much power in a single room, we need a name for this team! After all…" She jumped on the table and looked around, then she pointed at Sorahiko.

She exclaimed, "We have Sorahiko Torino! The dashing Hero known as 'Gran Torino' whose Jets make him faster than a supersonic jet!"

She pointed at Qinglong next. "Here is China's best Pro Hero—Zun Fei-Long! As Qinglong, the Azure Dragon, he embodies the spirit of China himself!"

Then at me. "We have the master of all martial arts, Sasaki Kendo! That's why he's referred to as Master Kendo, 'cuz he could beat ya down with everything and anything in this very room!"

Mystic was next. "And the mysterious Agent Mystic! A handsome man who is cosplaying as a honor-bound samurai wandering the winter snow! You seem like a winter-y kind of guy, no offense." ("None taken.")

It was Nana's. "Then we have Nana Shimura, the lady who can fly with One For All in hand, fighting against her mortal enemy, All For One! And, she's probably the best Hero in this room!"

Finally was herself. "Finally we have I, Hyun Yeong-ju! I am the whimsical leader of NO DAY, under my stage name of Bam! I need valid opinions for our team name!"

Sorahiko spoke up, "How about 'Sit Down and Shut Up'?"

"Your opinion is no longer valid!" Bam declared. She waved her finger around, looking for someone to call on except for the guy with the invalid opinion. Eventually, she stopped at Mystic; he looked very confused. "Mystic, what d'ya got?"

He let out a small yelp, chuckling nervously. "Uhm, I don't have a fitting name… I would imagine something like 'Core Apprehension Team' or anything similar to that."

"Snappy! I like it! Personally, I would playtest the name first, but since this operation is a secret… Yeah, it's a secret, alright..." Bam rubbed the back of her neck, then she hopped off the table and sat her butt down on the seat next to Sora.

"Something wrong?" Qinglong asked, taking a seat across from Bam. This was when I took a seat too, Nana sat next to me, and Mystic sat next to her.

"Color me 'slightly concerned'. Busan… It might not be the soul of Korea, that belongs to Seoul, but it's still my people. I don't care that Korea and Japan are mortal enemies while China sits in the back drunk off their butt. Hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are resting on this one operation," Bam expressed her concerns. It was the first time that I saw her acting as a Pro Hero and not an idol. You know, that was when shit got really serious. If the idol of idols was serious, then you knew the situation was literal Hell. No amount of song and dance could solve our problem.

"We'll treat Busan as if it's our own child," Mystic promised, and in the end, it was an empty promise. But we didn't know it then, we couldn't see into the future save for him, and it was for only one measly second.

As comrades and allies, the rest of us nodded along, determined to keep that promise.

"Is all of Busan at risk because of Core? The potential of tragedy is that large?" Qinglong asked.

And Sora answered him, "Yeah, it's All For One; he's a large man. Whenever he plans something big, bet that thousands are at risk. He doesn't kill without a reason though. Never does."

"He always have a bigger scheme in mind. For example, an attack on a densely populated area would draw attention away from his true objective," I added on to what he said.

"Isn't this is his squirrely little henchman? It's not All For One himself," Bam said. "He might not be commanding Core, maybe Core is operating on his own?"

"That's plausible, but we can't rule the possibility out," Nana inputted, glancing at me for a tiny bit. In the end, All For One _was _controlling Core. The reason why though… It was scarier than the bombing itself.

I said, "Yeah, we can never know with that bastard—"

_CLICK!_

An Asian man in a suit walked in with neatly combed black hair. We stood up, but he gestured for us to sit back down. He first said, in Japanese, "All of you know Japanese correct?" Everyone nodded. "Good, then we won't waste time with translators. My name is Fujiro Hideyoshi, an official from the United Hero Nations that is commanding this operation." We greeted him with head nods and smiles.

Remember when I talked about good politicians? Hideyoshi was one of them. He made sure that innocents won't be harmed, even if they weren't Japanese civilians. Anyway, Hideyoshi went up to the TV and tapped the screen. It turned on with a blue circle in the middle. An automated voice came out — the edges of the circle moved as it spoke, "Fingerprint recognized. Greetings Fujiro Hideyoshi."

"Hello to you, K.A.M.I.. Scan the room for me, please," he asked. Out of the ceiling, a tile slid back to reveal a projector. A blue light emerged, circling every crevice and corner before it receded back. About K.A.M.I., she was a Smart AI that was made for the United Hero Nations. I'm speaking about this past tense, obviously, because she was replaced by a more advanced AI; that's what I heard at least.

"No foreign devices detected. Room is secured," she said.

"Good, activate _Operation Core _." The projector shone a light on the conference table. In front of each of us was a small blue circle, about the size of an American penny.

"Operators, please put your index finger on the circle for recognition," K.A.M.I. told us. We gave each other amused glances, and Hideyoshi smirked. He had this grin that said, _Never seen this before, haven't you? In any case, put your finger on the circles._

One by one, we did what we were asked.

"Recognized: Agent Mystic."

"Recognized: Nana Shimura."

"Recognized: Sasaki Kendo."

"Recognized: Hyun Yeong-ju."

"Recognized: Zun Fei-Long."

"Recognized: Sorahiko Torino."

"All operators recognized. Activating _Operation Core _upon command of Fujiro Hideyoshi of the International Villain Affairs block, speciality East Asia, of the United Hero Nations. Mission Level: Umbra—"

"K.A.M.I., what does 'Umbra' mean?" Bam asked while she was in the middle of whatever she was saying.

K.A.M.I. replied, her voice didn't surprisingly glitch out from the interruption, "Mission Level: Umbra—Each operation that is established by the International Villain Affairs bloc of the United Hero Nations is categorized into levels of various clearances. The lowest level is 'Green' while the highest is 'Umbra'. For _Operation Core _, a mission of Umbra clearance, only the highest-ranking officials are aware of this mission, including all operators involved."

Hideyoshi explained, "Usually, Umbra missions involve some of the world's most dangerous Villains, especially All For One. This applies to any missions regarding the nature of One For All as well. Very few people are aware of its existence, let alone how it operates. In fact, I don't even know the specific details of One For All and the past successors. I'm only aware of its name and a few miscellaneous details.

"Mystic here is one of the few agents who can go on Umbra-level missions. He is a very powerful man, capable of rivaling any No.1 Pro Hero. With his background and his family's history, it makes him an essential man for this operation."

"Hmph," Sora huffed in protest. Nana shot him a glare, which calmed his ass down.

"May I continue?" K.A.M.I. asked Hideyoshi.

"You may," he responded.

"Very well. Mission Level: Umbra.

"Location: Busan, South Korea.

"Target of Operation: William Jacob Patterson also known as Core.

"Main Objective: Apprehend and capture William Jacob Patterson alongside any conspirators.

" _Operation Core _is activated, commencing debriefing."

The projector shot a projection of Core's hideout. There were about twelve dots, eleven was red and one was black. Hideyoshi waved his hands around, spinning the projection so we could get a clear view of the entire place.

His hideout was a suburban home that was two stories tall. On the ground floor, going through the front door will land you in the living room which connects to the kitchen and laundry room. (Crossing through the backyard, you can go through the backdoor, which opens to the kitchen.) If you go left into the hallway, there's the bathroom, a couple of offices, and a closet. It's where the stairs are. Go up there, there's three bedrooms with two bathrooms—one of the bathrooms was in the master bedroom. Oh, almost forgot, there was a connecting garage too that you can access through a side room on the ground floor. Inside the garage were two identical black vans. Yeah, black vans were suspicious and all, but the idiots didn't even have license plates on them. The dots themselves were moving throughout the house.

Hideyoshi informed us, "There are twelve targets—eleven of which are henchman and thugs that are represented by a red dot, and you guessed it, the black dot is Core. Apprehend and incapacitate each target, but prioritize Core. If possible, collect any electronics like laptops or phones. However, that is not the primary objective. It is imperative that you capture Core alive."

As he explained the operation, K.A.M.I showcased the information on the table.

"Now for what's important—the strength of each target. We don't know the Quirks of anyone other than Core himself. He has the ability to dramatically increase the temperature of anything he touches. We know he's able to boil steel, but we're not certain if that is the extent of his Quirk. Either way, do not let him touch you with his hands—those are his Quirk Factors. For his men, expect that they are well-trained with their Quirk. Otherwise, that is all. This is a team made up of some of the world's most powerful Heroes and individuals, so a mission like this should be a cakewalk. But keep in mind what's at stake here. Failing this mission will lead to a massive loss of lives."

Qinglong raised his hand. "Hideyoshi, how did the United Hero Nations spearhead this mission? Usually, the national government or our respective Hero Public Safety Commission would command it." That was a good question. Whenever a group of Heroes was needed, the Commission would pick them. Then, once they got their pick, they send the list to the government along with details of the mission in order to get approved. Again, it's a lot of bureaucracy, but that's how the world works.

Hideyoshi began to explain, "Well—"

And K.A.M.I. interrupted him, "I can explain, Hideyoshi." He sighed and nodded, giving K.A.M.I. the pleasure. "The South Korean Hero Public Safety Commission heard rumors that Core was hiding within the vicinity of Busan. Since Core was known to have connections to All For One, a Japanese Villain, they contacted the Japanese Hero Public Safety Commission. There, they spoke with their respective governments and both countries came together for a discussion. However, they argued over which country had proper jurisdiction. This was when the United Hero Nations became involved.

"Hideyoshi himself recommended a joint operation with Pro Heroes from Japan and South Korea, alongside an agent of the United Hero Nations. To further ease tensions, he also recommended to bring a Pro Hero from China due to motives that involve another conflict. As a result, you were chosen, Zun Fei-Long. Through Hideyoshi's compromises, his recommendations were accepted and _Operation Core _was created.

"Initially, only Nana Shimura was asked by the Japanese Hero Public Safety Commission, but Sorahiko Torino and Sasaki Kendo volunteered to participate in _Operation Core _. Both men were approved by all four parties—the United Hero Nations, South Korea, Japan, and China. Does this sufficiently answer your question?"

Qinglong cleared his throat. It was clear that he didn't expect _that _much information to be thrown at him, neither did I. I barely know shit about Heroism Laws as it is, yet alone how it works internationally. But hey, Qinglong nodded. "Y-Yes… You have my gratitude, Miss AI."

"I am K.A.M.I., not 'Miss AI'."

"Forgive me…" Qinglong bowed his head in shame.

Hideyoshi sighed. "Anyway, anything else before we move on?"

Sora asked, "When are we starting?"

"Midnight tonight. We have six hours until then."

Yup, it was only six hours.

* * *

After some more briefing, it was time for the operation. We were split into two groups of three. I was with Mystic and Bam; Nana, Sora, and Qinglong were put together. I was Team Alpha—Team A—while they were Team Beta—Team B. K.A.M.I. analyzed that most of our targets would be gathered in the backyard. We decided that Team A was gonna bust into the backyard through a neighboring house, taking out everyone out by surprise. Team B was gonna back us up as reinforcements, making sure no ugly bastard would run with their tails tucked in-between their legs. Thinking about it now, it was supposed to be a simple mission—damn, it was so simple. Everyone was gathered in one place, so we could've taken everyone out in one swoop. But no, life decided to say "Fuck you" and everything went to hell.

"Team A, checking in. You guys doing okay? Ready to bring some righteous justice on these guys?" Nana asked through the earpiece in a whisper. Each of us had earpieces that allowed us to talk to each other, including K.A.M.I. and Hideyoshi. We were in the adjacent house. Mystic was on the second floor, looking out the window while Bam and I were on the ground floor, waiting to go bust into the backyard. When we were given the command, Mystic would do his thing and both of us would run out like a bunch of idiots.

I tapped the earpiece—that was how we turned it on—and quietly replied, "Team B, peachy. We're peachy. Bam is humming one of her songs while Mystic is…" I took a look outside, trying to see what Mystic was doing. He had his left hand out, and from his palm came a shaft of a pearly white bow, one of his creations. With his right hand, a white arrow seeped out of his skin, the triangular arrowhead sharp as a razor—another of his creations. He stood there, nocking the arrow and drawing it back. There was something majestic about it. A long white-haired man with a bow nocked, ready to fire given the word. His eyes were steady, so steady that not even a child crying would distract him. So I finished my report, "Mystic is ready to shoot a poor bastard's eye out."

"More like ending a Villain's career by shooting him in the knee," Bam commented, who stopped humming. "I dunno 'bout you, but I am more than ready to rescue my dear people of Busan! I'm already thinking about song ideas in my head, y'know!"

"Think about the operation first of all," I scolded her through whispers. "We need you focused, Bam! We have to take everyone out at once!"

"Hey, I got it!" Bam pouted. She took out her cuffs and binds, winking. "Imma restrain these punks, just watch me! These guys, they won't ever see the day! The only thing they'll see is night!" She made a pun. I only knew a few Korean words, but "bam" in Korean means "night".

I rolled my eyes, not dealing with her shit. "Really—?"

Sora clicked his tongue. "Play nice with Bam, Master Kendo. Your wife is a big fan of her. I'm sure she'd be disappointed if she found out how you treated her."

"She's already disappointed in me, Gran Torino. I'm _her _husband. What do you take me as? A perfect man? Hell no," I replied with Bam smug like a stupid little cat.

Qinglong joined, "Why are we talking about this _now _? Master Kendo, you told Bam to focus on the operation, yet you are going on about your wife?"

"I don't need you busting my balls right now, Qinglong. What about you? Are _you _focused on the mission?" I turned the conversation to him.

"Yes…?" There was so much uncertainty in his voice.

"Qinglong—"

"Master Kendo, please don't bust Qinglong's balls right now," Nana said.

Bam joined her side, "Yeah, what did Qinglong do to deserve ball busting?"

"I never took you as that kind of man," Sora stated.

Mystic huffed and told us off, "Everyone, please be quiet. Our full focus needs to be on this mission. It shouldn't be spent arguing over petty things. Am I clear?"

No one answered.

Mystic repeated himself, " _Am I clear? _"

"Yessir."  
"You got it."  
"Yes…"

"Sorry 'bout that, Mystic."  
"Let's get on with this…"

"Good," Mystic said, sounding too happy for his own good. He kept holding his stance without any shifting. It was impressive, honestly. Mystic had the bow nocked for a minute or so now; your arms would hurt at that point. Anyway, he spoke into his earpiece, "Hideyoshi, are we able to engage? We are waiting on your command."

After a couple of seconds, Hideyoshi answered, "There's something strange happening. The projection says that ten of the targets, including Core, is in the backyard."

"They are. We can hear them talking about random shit right now," I snapped.

"Yes, but we're getting reports that the targets are also inside the house and garage. K.A.M.I. counted fifty dots in all, which doesn't make sense. We confirmed and reconfirmed that there are only twelve targets. The numbers don't match."

"They tricked us," Bam said. I heard Mystic's breath leaving him. For me, I looked at her like she was crazy. "Mystic, Master Kendo; listen to their conversation."

The asshole was speaking in Korean, so I didn't understand a single thing. I gave Bam a dirty look, and she rolled her eyes. "He said, 'So I was with this girl, who was a total broad. Gotta say though, that night was pretty fucking amazing.'"

I snapped, "They're talking about a one night stand. What are you trying to prove?"

She explained, "The same guy said that two minutes ago, word-for-word. They aren't real. None of the men in the backyard are real. I guarantee that if Mystic shot them now, they would turn into dust or something."

"What? Are you saying—?"

"Yup, we've been exposed."

"Fuck!" I swore, tapping my earpiece. "You guys hear that? Did you hear what Bam said?!

"I got it! I got it!" Nana exclaimed. I heard her running outside along with two other sets of feet.

_Vrrrm!_

_Vrrrm!_

We heard car engines starting up. Hideyoshi yelled, "The projection just cleared up! All twelve targets are inside the garage, taking the vans! We can't lose them! K.A.M.I.—!"

"I am already sending two automated vehicles to Team A and Team B immediately," she said. It was kinda useless to bring a car to Team B, honestly.

I shouted at Mystic and Bam, "We need to head to the street!" Before I knew it, I was already running. I ran through the living room, and with my shoulder, I bashed the door open. Mystic and Bam followed behind me. As we reached the street, we saw Team B on the other side. We stared at each other helplessly as two vans barreled down past us. It wasn't any ordinary vans too. They were definitely customized because these vans were as fast as police cruisers. Sora shouted, "They're getting away! K.A.M.I.—!"

K.A.M.I told us, "I am sorry, but I am unable to identify which vehicle contains Core. Apprehend both vehicles for a maximum chance of success." Unfortunately for us, we couldn't tell which van was which. Both were black and didn't have a license plate. The fuckers planned this from the beginning. They wanted us confused and distracted; they even stopped K.A.M.I.'s prying eyes somehow! With how fast they were going, it would take awhile to catch up—by Quirk or by car.

But that didn't stop Mystic. Out of the corner of my eye, his veins brightened up, being white. His skin was illuminated with a white sheen, his veins crawling up his body and through his neck. It created lines that creeped its way through his skin, all around his head, but never going into his face itself. His bow disappeared from his hands, shattering like glass. He took a step forward as his veins faded away, his channeling coming to an end. His crystal blue eyes shone. I just blinked for less than a second, less than half a second, a quarter even, but when I opened my eyes—

— _SET!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: LIGHT SPEED!_

—He was gone. The only thing I saw was a solid trail of white light where he left behind. He was so fast that the pavement beneath him broke into pieces.

"Damnit!" Sora did the same. Within a moment's notice, he was standing beside Nana, and the next, he was using his Jets to chase after the vans. Nana chased after him using her Quirk—Float. She could fly like no other, and with One For All boosting it, she was incredibly fast. Qinglong followed suit, jumping after the three of them. Imagine looking down the street and see a samurai running, a woman flying, a man flying with her, and a Chinese man jumping like a monkey.

And I couldn't do any of that.

I turned to Bam, seeing if she would run after the vans too. She blew air out of her nose. "Sorry, Lightless makes me fast, but trying to catch up to a car is no good. Can't tell you why due to company secrets, no hard feelings…"

I muttered under my breath, "And now she tells me!"

I yell into my earpiece, "K.A.M.I., where are those cars?!"

K.A.M.I answered, "They are arriving within three seconds." Right after she said that, we saw two pitch black cars speeding towards us—one on each side of the road. They were definitely luxurious cars, more than I can afford. Team B's car just went zooming down the road while our car stopped. The doors opened on its own, revealing that there was no one inside the tin can—probably the same for the other car too. "They have arrived. Please get inside and brace yourselves. We will accelerate quite quickly. If needed, you can manually drive."

I, being the graceful oaf I am, dove into the back seat while Bam took shotgun. Through the earpiece, I heard Nana saying, "We'll take the left van! You guys take the right!"

Before I sat my ass down, the car was already accelerating at mach speed. My body smacked against the seats—thank God it was soft and wasn't hard like rock. I had enough back injuries. Anyway, I did manage to situate myself upright. In the front, Bam was trying her best to not get whipped around like a ragdoll. I held onto her seat for support, asking her, "Bam, how far are we from the van?!"

"Heck if I know! The car's moving so fast that I can't even tell if we're on the road!" she replied just as the car turned sharply to the right. I get flung into the side of the door, my left shoulder taking the brunt of the damage. Bam's head crashed against the passenger window, enough to have a nasty concussion. "Ow…"

On the dashboard, there was a computer screen. Guess who showed up? Yup, our blue circle friend named K.A.M.I.! "Greetings Hyun Yeong-ju and Sasaki Kendo. Currently, we are pursuing a vehicle that could possibly contain Core. It is highly likely that we will drive into Busan, South Korea. Agent Mystic is running after the vehicle on foot. Your primary objective, ordered by Fujiro Hideyoshi, is to retrieve Agent Mystic. He is two hundred meters ahead of your current position. Your secondary objective, if possible, is to prevent the vehicle from driving into Busan."

"Oh, how the hell am I gonna do that?!" I shouted at her.

The sunroof opened up. "May I recommend the sunroof, Master Kendo?"

"That might work…" I said, poking the upper half of my body through the sunroof. There was so much freaking wind though, but that was my only worry. We were driving on a highway towards the heart of Busan, so it was a straight road. There were a few cars out that weren't a bother. After all, if you saw a man in a haori running after a speeding van, you would pull over on the side of the road and rethink your life. Too bad I couldn't pull over, because that was _exactly _what I saw, believe it or not. Ahead of me, I saw Mystic running like a madman trying to catch up to the van. There was white solid streaks that was coming off of him, disappearing the second after it was generated. Team B got separated from him, I figured. I tapped my earpiece, yelling in the wind, "Mystic! What's your status?!"

"Ah—! Not good—! I cannot...cannot reach it at this speed! Geh—!" he replied through exasperated grunts.

I grunted, focusing my eyes on the van. I could barely see it, but honestly, all I had to do was aim my bow forward and let loose. Like I said, it was a straight road. So, I got out my multi-weapon and expanded it into a bow. The joints loosened, the shaft bent, and a string came out on the ends. I rested an explosive arrow against the arrow rest, nocking it. "You can go faster?!"

"Yes—! If I do, then I won't be able to fight efficiently! I have to conserve my power or else—!"

_BURST!_

"Mystic—!"

"What the hell—?!"

"There has been a new development."

The backdoor of the vans opened. Four men are inside. Two of them were large Asian men with bald heads; they were twins. They had a Mutant-type Quirk, and uhm… Well, I wished it wasn't so obvious. The twin on the right had a minigun for his right arm, and the twin of the left had a minigun for his left arm. They braced their Minigun Arm with their normal arm to handle the recoil. They were about to riddle the little Sengoku samurai with holes. I pulled my arrow back and warned Mystic, "Mystic! Coming at ya from behind!"

"Wait, you're—?!"

_THWISH!_

As soon as I released the arrow, the Twins saw it coming and aimed their Minigun Arms towards me. The barrel spun and spun before a hail of bullets came out. I immediately duck back into the car, narrowly avoiding a quick death. Through the windshield, I saw that they shot my arrow out of the sky. It exploded ahead of us, wobbling the car a little, but it still remained straight. Bam groaned. "Damnit! At least this car's bulletproof—hopefully. I'm sorry I can't do anything, Master Kendo! I'm not fitted for long-ranged combat!"

"It's fine! Just talk to Nana! Get an update on their situation!" I told her. I had no idea in hell were Nana and the others were.

The Twins stopped firing. I couldn't see them, but I knew they were about to take Mystic out. I popped myself back through the sunroof, nocking another explosive arrow. I called him, "Mystic! You gotta retreat! You gotta—!"

It was too late.

_BRRRRRR!_

_BRRRRRR!_

But Mystic, the man who had the world's most versatile Quirk, was prepared.

— _SET!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: STARLIGHT ARMOR!_

The cunning little samurai slowed his sprint, creating yet another construct of his. Within a second, squeezing through the gaps in-between threads of his clothes, white plates covered his body. It was stylized too, reminiscent of a samurai in full-body armor—even looking like Yoroi Musha a little bit. The Twins fired at Mystic, unleashing a sea of bullets that batted the armor, but every single one ricocheted off. They littered the roads, making a mess of the spotless streets. Mystic's armor did crack, it wasn't flawless armor, but if he hadn't donned it, then he would've died; and not only that, he wasn't at the same speed as he was before. He was forced to slow down, probably to conserve his energy. Luckily, he was the Twins' target. They were focused on him, while I could fire my arrow..

_THWISH!_

This time, the arrow hit the a meter or two behind the van. The force of the explosion knocked the Twins deeper inside, bumping into the two other punks. They stopped firing their miniguns, trying to recover from their tumble. The impact also sent Mystic back too. He stumbled over his own legs, twisting, barreling down the street uncontrollably. Each time his body hit the road, pieces of his armor shattered and dissipated into the air. He regained control of himself by slamming his right hand—armored with a thick gauntlet—and clawed into the asphalt. He straightened himself as the friction slowed him down to a halt, facing us with half of his helmet gone; there was blood that streamed down his forehead, but he was still in the fight.

Bam and I were coming up quick, within a hundred meters. From how fast we were going, we would reach him in about two seconds—three at most. I went back into the car and kicked the door open, screaming at K.A.M.I., "We're picking Mystic up! Don't slow down for even a second!"

"Very well, please brace yourselves" K.A.M.I. replied. She moved to the left side of the road. Then, the crazy lady spun the car around. I got slammed into the other door, trying to hold onto my bow so it wouldn't go flying out the open door. Bam knocked her head against the window again, latching her hands onto the car grab handles on the roof like her life depended on it. However, the car spun perfectly so that, at the right moment, Mystic jumped inside through the open door. His back crashed against me, his armor cutting into my costume and skin. We were pushed together as K.A.M.I spun the car back to its original position without losing any of our velocity, closing the door while she was at it too. Mystic grunted in pain, his armor sinking back into his body. He got off of me and took a second to regain his thoughts.

"Mystic… Ugh…" I groaned, cracking my neck. "You alright?"

"I'm still alive…" he answered. "Bam, how's Team B? Are they—?!"

_BRRRRR!_  
_BRRRRR!_

The Twins started to fire again, this time aiming for the car. K.A.M.I. reassured us, "This car is highly bullet-resistant. Only a high-powered sniper could penetrate the armor. Congratulations however, Agent Mystic was recovered. Your primary objective is to apprehend the vehicle. We are currently about to head into Jin-gu." The Jin-gu is a district in Busan. It's home to lots of shopping, entertainment, things like that. Out of the other districts in Busan, this one had one of the highest populations in the city.

Outside, we finally got to see how tiny we are compared to Busan. Tall buildings and bright lights. It was a massive city, embodying the spirit of South Korea. Compared to the highway, our jobs would be a lot harder. Then, it was a straight road with barely any civilians to worry about. Now, there were twists and turns. We were walled in on both sides, so the margin of error was low. If I missed with a shot with an explosive arrow, I would've killed a few innocents. At least it wasn't during the day—remember that this operation took place at midnight. Less people were out, but it wasn't a ghost town, far from it. From one look out the window, I saw at least one hundred people on the sidewalks, staring at us as we drove by.

Bam got her brains together, finally getting around to answer Mystic's question, "Team B—ugh—they uhm, they took another highway that led into Busan. They're trying to take their van down, but they're having trouble with a Quirk that's firing glass at them."

"Are they heading to Jin-gu too?" I asked her as the Twins kept on firing at us.

"Seems like it! Should we—?!"

_TURN!_

K.A.M.I. turned the car left. We heard that the Twins stopped firing. Mystic took a chance and decided to stick himself out of the sunroof. I looked at him as he formed another bow in his hands. "Mystic, what are you doing?! If you miss, you could hurt innocents!"

"I won't miss," he said as he drew his bow back. In the space in-between the string and a shaft, a white arrow formed. He took a deep breath in and let his arrow loose.

— _SET!_

_COMBINATION MYSTIC ARTE: CHAINED ARROW!_

His arrow flew through the air with a chain following it, attached to the end. Bam and I watched through the windshield as the arrow hit the Left Twin in the neck, but the arrow didn't pierce his skin. Upon contact, the arrow transformed into a chain that was wrapped around his throat. The chain was stretched across the road, where Mystic had the very same chain coiled around his right forearm.

And with one flick of his arm, he yanked the Left Twin out of the van. He flew towards us with a pained scream, colliding head-first into the windshield. He rolled, tumbling to the roof of the car where Mystic was. Without hesitation, Mystic grabbed the Left Twin by the throat and threw him onto the sidewalk. He nocked another arrow and shot it into the air without looking. It came down onto the chest of the Twin, wrapping him three times around his body with another white chain. As far as I can tell, that bastard was out of commission. Mystic tapped his earpiece, "One of the targets is apprehended."

The Right Twin cried in outrage, screaming at us in Korean. Bam cringed, so he probably said some nasty shit. His Minigun Arm started to spin so Mystic ducked back into the car. We heard Nana through the earpiece, "Hey, you guys hear me?!"

"Loud and clear! What's happening?!" Bam replied, then the Twin started to shoot at us again. He was a complete idiot. I wouldn't be surprised if his stupidity was a mental disability or something, because he kept trying to shoot at us for the past few minutes. He would've recognized that our car is bulletproof—or bullet-resistant, however you wanna describe it.

"What's happening with _you _?! I hear gunfire!" Nana exclaimed, her voice shaking with concern.

"One of the targets is firing a minigun at us. Unfortunately, he hasn't realized that our car is bulletproof," Mystic answered.

"Jeez, alright! On our side of things, we're deeper into Jin-gu than you are! We managed to overhear that they're heading to the Choi Yo-il Square!"

_BOOM!_

There was an explosion on their end. Nana grunted and yelled something at Sora. "Don't worry, that was Qinglong! Go to Choi Yo-il Square and we'll meet you there! We'll take care of these punks here!" she told us before her earpiece cut off. It was kinda ironic actually. Choi Yo-il was a former Pro Hero that was known for his rivalry against Japanese Heroes. Considering that I'm Japanese, and so are Nana, Sora, and Mystic… Yeah, we were about to dishonor his memory.

Bam's head shot up. "I know where that is! There's a shortcut that will get us there faster than they will!"

"What are you trying to pull here, Bam?!" I shouted at her.

She jumped into the driver's seat, taking the wheel. "I can't let this asshole keep firing at us! His bullets could ricochet into _innocent _people! K.A.M.I., I'm taking over manually! We're heading to Choi Yu-il Square to intercept our target!"

K.A.M.I. came on the radio, "Command heard. Please drive safely, Bam." At that moment, I thought we were screwed.

"Are you seriously going to drive?!" Mystic said in protest.

"Yup! Count on me to save the day!" Bam answered. "Now hold on tight, 'cuz I'm about to take you on a personalized tour through the great city of Busan!"

"Bam, you idiot—!" I screamed as she suddenly jerked the car to the right, going down an alleyway. The Right Twin stopped firing as the van went on their own way. Within seconds, they were out of sight as Bam floored it. I asked, "Do you even know that this goes to Choi Yo-Yo Square?!"

"Trust me! And it's Choi Yo-il Square!" Bam made so many turns, even drifting a few of them. Mystic and I were thrown around in the backseat. We slammed against each other, the roof, the doors, everything. So far, the car did more damage to us than the actual Villains. At one point, I just gave up on trying to recover, so I just laid on the floor as Bam drove us like a maniac on drugs. Mystic refused though. He was a stubborn man. Getting tossed around one hundred times meant nothing to him if there was a possibility that he could sit still.

"Bam!" I cried. "Are—?!" My head bounced against the floor. "We—?!" Then it crashed against the door. "There—?!" After that, it smacked against the passenger seat. "Yet—?!" And my head hit the ceiling somehow. Don't ask me how it was possible.

"Uhm! Yes?!"

"Why did you answer like that?!" Mystic yelled as we rolled into some random building. He sat up on the seat while I was still laying on the floor, my bow on my chest. I watched Mystic's eyes go from concerned to "I'm-going-to-die". "What are you doing?!"

"Taking a shortcut!"

"That shortcut involves jumping from a parking garage?!" Mystic revealed.

I sat up and looked out the windshield. We were in a parking garage, about one level down from the top. "She's doing what?!"

"Trust me, guys! I did the exact same thing in a music video! I do my own stunts!" she tried to reassure us, but Mystic and I weren't having any of her shit. "K.A.M.I., you trust me right?!"

"The vehicle's suspension cannot handle the landing, so after the landing, the vehicle will be unable to function," she told us. "However, there is a high chance that you will come out unscathed from the impact, set aside from your already sustained injuries."

"There's a chance that we _won't?! _" I exclaimed as we make it onto the top level. Bam turned right one more time before we started to accelerate into a low wall.

"You're driving into that wall, Bam! Do you think this car can get through it?!" Mystic yelled at her.

"If it can take bullets from a minigun, then it should break through a weak concrete wall easily! God, I hope so! This is not how I wanna die!" she said as we moved closer to the wall. On the other side about five stories down, the square was there. I didn't know how many civilians were there, so I hoped that we wouldn't crush any of them. Bam made sure by honking her horn. Anyone who wasn't deaf could definitely hear her.

"Yeah, same here! I have a wife and a daughter to come back home to!" I shouted. We were getting closer.

She assured me, "You'll get to hug them tomorrow, I guarantee it! And Mystic, I hope you have family!" Mystic didn't get a chance to respond.

We were at the wall. I closed my eyes and held onto the passenger seat for dear life. Bam started to scream and Mystic did too. I forgot if I screamed myself, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised.

_CRASH!_

We went through the wall, soaring in the air in a black deathtrap. I felt weightless as my body started to rise up towards the ceiling. I held on tighter to the seat as the seconds went by. It felt like an eternity though. I kept thinking about the impact, whether or not this would break my legs or my spine. And, my mind drifted towards my family. I imagined Tatemi's face, Hayami's little hands holding mine. I prayed to God that I would make it out of this alive—for them. It was always about them. Once I married Tatemi, I knew I had to— _we _had to make Japan safer with our own hands, and when Hayami came into our lives, that was our most important mission.

So when we landed, God or whatever the hell was up there heard my prayers. We crashed hard like a meteorite. The suspensions were killed and so were the tires. But Bam tried her best to steer the car as it slid forward about thirty-odd meters into the grass that was smacked in the middle of Choi Yu-il Square, avoiding an accidental death of a civilian. Luckily, barely anyone was out on the grass thanks to the "Do not walk on the grass" sign—at least that was what I thought; I couldn't read Korean. We tore up the dirt, but we were alive...relatively.

For us three inside the car, all of us hit the ceiling before gravity took us back down. My entire body hurt like hell, but it was better than being burned alive or getting shot. I groaned in pain while my bow was getting comfortable in the front seat with Bam. Mystic gasped out, clutching his chest before he kicked the door off its hinges, rolling outside. Bam unlocked her door and fell out. As for me, I crawled out on Mystic's end; I didn't wanna waste energy opening a door when Mystic did it for me. Bam saw me come out and threw my bow back. Did I catch it? Nope. The shaft hit me in the head. She winced, mouthing an apology to me. K.A.M.I. came back on our earpieces, which was surprisingly intact after what happened, "Team A has arrived at Choi Yo-il Square. Team B is currently apprehending their targets."

I stood up, my legs shaky and wobbly, but I got my bearings together. I picked up my bow and looked around. The lamp poles were on, thank goodness, so I saw that our van hadn't made it yet. I helped Mystic to his feet. He was coughing up blood though, so that wasn't a good sign. What was worse was the civilians. They saw us come in and immediately ran up, gathering in a crowd. We were surrounded—worst possible scenario when there were Villains right about to arrive. They shouted in Korean, both shocked and concerned. Most of them recognized Bam and asked her so many damn questions. I heard a lot of Bams, and some fans even tried to apprehend us for being possible Villains. I threw them back and Bam shouted at everyone, probably telling them to calm down.

Afterwards. Bam raised her arms in the air, waving them to the side, trying to chase them off like a stray of kittens. She was yelling at them to run, get out—at least that was what I thought. It barely worked. These people, they were too obsessed with making sure if their top Idol Hero was okay. Some idiots were even taking videos of this disaster! Then, there were a few—the ones who tried to take us in—who insulted us. They said something about "ilbon", which means "Japan" in Korean.

I was tempted to yell at these fools myself, but I didn't know the word for "go" or let's say, "get the hell out of town" in Korean. Mystic, from the look on his face, didn't know either. We were both idiots. Bam knew at least three languages—Korean, Japanese, and English. I only knew Japanese and bits of English while Mystic… I have no idea how many he knew. Anyway, not the point, we couldn't get these idiot people off of our backs. Because of that, they put themselves in a whole bunch of unneeded danger.

_VROOOOM!_

In the crowd, one man shouted, "CHA! CHA!" Before that, I didn't know what "cha" meant. Now? You bet your ass. It meant "car". Immediately, the people started to scream and ran in the opposite direction, away from the action. Me, Bam, and Mystic looked towards the source of the noise, where the car would be at. It was a van. A black van with no license plates. They were coming straight at us. Mystic took a step forward, but I stopped him by putting my hand on my shoulder. I said, "I got it."

I walked towards the van as it sped towards me. I flipped my bow around my right hand, turning it back into a naginata. The blade glimmered from the van's headlights and the lamp poles around us. I aimed to stop this van with only myself. Bam yelled in shock, "Master Kendo—!"

I laughed and taunted the driver, a normal-looking Asian man, to come and run me over. So he took that as a challenge. Naturally he had to. He was a numbskull of a Villain. He accelerated forward, making it his life's mission to run me over. It didn't work. Then, I used my Quirk—Reversal. If you forgot, Reversal stored energy from any impacts my body takes. After that, I could simply release the energy, supplementing my attack. During my U.A. days, Reversal was limited in a way that… Well, if I get punched, then I _had to _release the energy in my next attack. Yeah, I could've channeled the energy through my multi-weapon, having a much better strike, but there was no choice involved back then. However, a year after I became an official Hero, I had a Quirk Awakening. I could stack the energy from multiple attacks and release it all at once _at will _. Remember the car ride to Choi Yo-il Square? I bounced around in the car too damn much, but lemme tell you, I was storing the energy from those impacts. It added up—it added up _quick _.

So against this van? I was unstoppable. I spun my naginata around and gripped the staff hard. I counted the seconds until the van will hit me, and in the second before, I stepped forward, transferring all my weight to my right foot. Then my body came after it, and then my hands, and then my weapon. I transferred all of my energy, all of my force into a single strike that would hit the front of the van. The blade of the naginata was straight. I wouldn't miss. It was me against this van, and I aimed to survive.

"Hyah—!"

_SHRK!_

I thrusted myself forward, my naginata hitting the van first. I release the energy that I stored with Reversal. It was more energy than I had originally imagined, so much that I created a large gust of wind that smacked against the van alongside my attack. The van screeched and screamed in pain as it bucked forward, digging itself deeper into the blade, but it stopped. Ripples were sent throughout the sheet metal, tearing it apart like ribbons. All of the doors and wheels got blown off and the windows shattered, practically broke into dust. Since it stopped so abruptly, the passengers inside got really unlucky. The driver, who wasn't wearing his seatbelt, flew through the already broken windshield, flying towards Bam and Mystic. His passenger did the same thing; he flew with his buddy. For the others that were in the back, I couldn't tell, but I heard a pretty loud _thud _.

I stopped the van but it didn't come without injury. I couldn't negate the force of the van hitting me—that was impossible due to the laws of physics. The impact put stress through my naginata and into my arms, nearly shattering my weapon and my bones. My feet were skidded back a half a meter, but I tried to resist moving. It was a stupid decision because again, laws of physics were against me here. I felt my legs buckling, my ankles were on the verge of being permanently disfigured. Nothing broke though. My body would be sore as hell, but nothing broke.

I took my naginata out and slammed the blunt end against the grass, glaring at the two little birds who flew. They were grounded and nearly unconscious. Their faces were bloody. Bam ran up to them and threw some cuffs around their wrists. That was three out of the twelve down. We had nine left. Mystic checked up on me, "Master Kendo, are you okay?!"

"My arms and legs are killing me, but I'm fine. We should check up on the back for the rest of 'em. I think—?!"

_BURST!_

We heard the back door opening. We were about to sprint over there, but three men walked out to greet us. Only three, not four. This was our van. Unfortunately, we didn't have Core. There was the Right Twin who had a nasty gash on his head, skinny-looking man with a crooked grin, and a muscular man who could snap a child in half with his strength alone. They paced together, measuring us. We did the same. I said, "Stay cool. They're focused on us and not the innocents who still have their phones out—freaking idiots."

"Those are my fans, Master Kendo. Don't insult them," Bam scolded me.

"Quiet. I'll focus on the man with the Minigun Arm," Mystic said. He put his hands together and slowly separated them. In the gap between them, he formed a gorgeous all-white katana and grasped it with two hands.

Bam told us, "I'll take Skinny, then."

"And the Musclehead's mine." I twirled my naginata around my arms.

Skinny started to speak in Korean, touching his friends' shoulders. Suddenly, doppelgangers came out of Skinny's body. They looked exactly like them—Minigun Arm and Musclehead. The weird thing was—the doppelgangers were copying their counterparts' movements. Musclehead slammed his hands together, so did his doppleganger; Minigun Arm spun his minigun, so did his doppleganger. That meant that Skinny...he was the one who tricked us earlier. Bam said, "Skinny said the word 'record'. That's his Quirk. When he touches someone, he's able to create a copy of the person. I don't know how he's recording their actions though."

Musclehead laughed. "His head, ya motherfuckers," he revealed in Japanese. He sounded like a native speaker. His doppelganger playfully hit his shoulder.

I laughed with him, saying, "You should reveal your Quirk too, Musclehead. You'll make things a lot easier for us. Jeez, are all you guys _this _stupid?"

Mystic protested, "Don't provoke him!"

"Haha! Here's the thing…" Musclehead said before taking a step forward. He raised his fist and yelled, "I'm _already _angry, bitches!" He ran towards me and tried to slam his fist downwards against my head. I leapt back, causing him to punch the ground. His doppelganger ran in and lunged forward with a left jab. Again, like always, I dodged it.

_BRRRR!_

Minigun Arm was firing again—him and his doppelganger. It was a little shocking, actually. It meant that Record could create doppelgangers that can use the original person's Quirk. It didn't stop Mystic from donning his armor and running at him with his katana. Bam disappeared from my sight; I assumed she was fighting Record and whatever doppelgangers he'd whip up.

As for me, I had to focus on my own fight. I had two Muscleheads who were dogged to smash my head in. They were in front of me, trying to find out how to properly end my life. The one on the left was the real deal; the right was a fake. Being fake, that meant I could kill it without any repercussions. No one would care about a dummy.

"Master Kendo, right?" the real Musclehead said. "After I'm done with ya, maybe I'll go see your wife?" I gritted my teeth. This bastard was obviously trying to rile me, and it worked. When you were a family man like me, the easiest way to get me pissed was by mentioning my wife or daughter. Surefire way to anger me, but it was also the best way to get paralyzed from the neck down.

So the reaction I gave the bastard, it was fitting. I yelled, "Fuck off! How about I castrate you instead?!" I moved forward towards the real Musclehead. His Fake grinned and stepped forward, telegraphing a punch with his left. These guys were idiots—fake or not—they didn't know how to feint. To punish the Fake for it, I slammed the tail end of my naginata against the ground, using it as a pole to lift myself into the air. I twisted my body in the air with the dummy's punch brushing past my costume. With both of my feet, I slammed it against his chest and knocked the asshole back. Using his chest as a platform, I swung myself around and kicked the genuine Musclehead in the head. He grunted in pain as he staggered to the side. I got back onto my feet without a sweat.

"Bastard… I'll gut you alive!" he said as his skin started to have a tiny little tint of red. He dashed forward faster than before, his shoulder out. I whipped myself to the side as he ran past, spinning my naginata to smack him in the spine with the shaft. The fake one got up and started to charge at me too. I spun my naginata and _bam _—!

_SHINK!_

I stabbed the fake Musclehead in the heart. His skin turned dark and pale, turning into dust and ash. It collapsed into a disgusting pile. I didn't have to worry about him anymore. But the real guy? Well—!

_BAM!_

When I had my guard down, Musclehead came in and punched me hard enough that I fell, knocking my head against the dirt. From the punch, I let go of my naginata, one of my only advantages in this situation. He took it away, tossing my weapon away where I won't be able to get it. "C'mon, bleed more for me!"

Musclehead stomped up to me, seeming like he was about to kick me. I braced my body as he took his foot and smashed it against my knee, nearly breaking it right there. I screamed in pain as he took his foot off. "Not done yet?!"

_KICK!_

With his other leg, he dragged his foot against the grass before his shin connected against my chest. I got pushed back a few meters, my body rolling around on the dirt and grass. When I saw him, his skin was even redder—unnaturally red. That was the bastard's Quirk. Each time I hit him, his skin gets red as a tomato—not the good kind either. As a result, he became faster and stronger. I saw the difference. Before, he was a bit sluggish, but since his Quirk was active, he was fast. A guy with only muscles was terrible. Having muscles _and _speed? That would be a small problem. I ended up deciding that it was some sort of Bloodlust, I imagined. So "Bloodlust", that was what I called him.

Bloodlust laughed maniacally, getting off of the fact that I was hurt. "You mighta killed my double, you ain't gonna kill me!" He ripped his shirt off of him and started to pound his chest like some rabid gorilla. I slowly stood up; he opened his arms. "C'mon Master Kendo! Hit me! Hit me with ev'ry thing you got, you sonuvabitch!"

"Hrrah!"

I punched him square in his heart. He coughed out blood, splattering it on my cheeks. Bloodlust laughed as I pulled my fist back. "Not bad… Fuck me, yain't a master for nuthing… But that ain't gonna beat me. So—!"

_WHIFF!_

He tried throwing a right hook into my jaw. I parried it with my arms before spinning around, crashing my back against him. I trapped his arm against my chest, using my weight to throw him over my shoulder. He was faster with his Quirk, but he wasn't nearly as fast as me. I could react to a speeding bullet, so Bloodlust was nothing. He coughed out more blood—then I decided to axe kick him in the chest again, right where his heart was—he laughed again, pain flooding his face in the form of red skin. I pushed my foot down harder onto his chest, and he laughed even harder. This guy was definitely a masochist. Despite that, being a stupid genius, I taunted him yelling, "You were saying?!"

"That is what I like to see!" Bloodlust replied. Then from out of nowhere, Minigun Arm started to fire at me. I was forced to take my foot off of Bloodlust, rolling backwards as the bullets nearly put some holes into my chest. When I looked up, Mystic was re-engaging a fight with him, keeping him busy. He looked back at me and nodded, telling me with his eyes, _Don't worry about him! Focus on your fight!_

Bloodlust stood back up and cracked his neck, ready to beat my ass in. He said, "Ready to rumble, bitch?"

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," I remarked, wiping the blood off my lips. Bloodlust cackled, hearing such bullshit from me. It was like he couldn't believe that I was—and still am—a master at martial arts. Bloodlust shrugged his shoulders and did a stupid thing—charging at me. He telegraphed a left hook. I immediately went low and elbowed him in his gut using my right arm. With my left, I pumped my legs up, transferring the power to my fist, uppercutting his chin. His head snapped back, feet off-balanced, staggering backwards like a drunken man.

I didn't hesitate.

I jabbed at his windpipe, taking the wind outta him. Bloodlust's skin got redder, but he couldn't do shit to react. I spun around faster than it took the average man to punch; I leapt in the air and extended my right leg forward, landing a kick right in his side. Bloodlust, the giant that he was, got knocked down.

I ran forward, closing the distance for another strike, but he managed to hop up onto his feet. His eyes narrowed before he tried to throw another punch—that was all he was good at. I bent my body horizontally and lifted one of my legs up, letting his fist fly past my chest. Using my left, I went around and nailed him in his left cheek. I pivoted behind him and took out one of his legs, forcing him to go down on one knee. Bloodlust tried to relitate by throwing an elbow back, but I caught it. I hooked my arm around his and shattered it, breaking his arm. He screamed in pain as I let go, moving around to face him. His broken arm was flailing around like some stupid dumbass. Honestly, I should've knocked him out, but I wanted to gloat a little.

"Bastard!" he spat. I grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head back.

"Aw, don't like the pain?!" I teased him.

"Shut the fuck up—!"

"—Mind your manners," I said before I pulled my fist back. From Bloodlust's attacks, I was storing up energy for Reversal. And here, I was about to return everything he gave me.

_WHAM!_

My fist connected to his skull and knocked Bloodlust out cold. It was strong enough to draw blood, definitely cracking his skull despite how thick-headed he was. His body went limp and I dropped him like dead weight. That was one Villain down.

— _SET!_

_COMBINATION MYSTIC ARTE: CHAINS OF HEAVEN!_

Mystic shot an arrow into the sky. It came down on Minigun Arm's heel, chaining him into the ground. Before he could react, Mystic dashed forward with his Quirk-enhanced speed, his katana back. He appeared on the other side of Minigun Arm, and his opponent fell to his knees with a cut on his chest. It wasn't a deep cut; it was survivable. Mystic had enough skill that he could make a cut from a katana non-fatal. To properly incapacitate Minigun Arm, he came up and hit him over his head, making him go unconscious.

On Bam's end, she was dealing with a swarm of doppelgangers. She turned invisible and—

_'ROUND 'ROUND 'ROUND!_

Within an instant, all of the doppelgangers disintegrate into dust. Record himself, he did well to last against Bam's Quirk, but it was useless in the end. He blinked once, then he found himself face-first against the dirt with cuffs on his back.

I limped towards Mystic and Bam, with me clearly being the worst out of the three. Bam joked, "Master Kendo, you look pretty red."

"Yeah, that's my blood." I turned to Bloodlust. "Still, I wasn't at red as that bastard. His Quirk couldn't hold up to me though. I'm not a Top Ten Hero for nothing."

"Indeed. Thankfully, all of the targets in our end is apprehended. Here." Mystic handed me my naginata. I used it as a cane to help stand myself.

Bam tapped her earpiece and said, "Team B, where are you? You guys okay?" I didn't hear Bam's annoying voice in my ear. During my fight with Bloodlust, it musta been knocked out. No use trying to look for it. Either way, she shook her head. "No answer."

I looked towards the crowd of civilians. It had gotten bigger, too big. "Guys, the crowd's bigger."

"They wanted to see their beloved idol in action, that's why," Mystic said. "They don't care that their lives are in constant danger. Their desire to see a Pro Hero is greater than their sense of well-being."

"This isn't good… Damnit, not good at all!" Bam grabbed her blood-soaked hair in frustration. "They won't listen to me! If I tell them to run, they wouldn't run away! They'd run closer to me!"

I tried to cheer her up, "Bam, it's—!"

_ASTRAL FIVE: DRAGON'S HAND - AZURE PALM!_

A loud energy blast rang throughout the square. After that was a man's screams. Above us, an angel was coming down from the heavens. And by "angel", I mean "a miserable lowlife of a Villain". We watched him crashed into the concrete sidewalks of the square face-first. If his skull wasn't fractured by the fall, then I'd be surprised. But from that blast, I could tell that only one person was able to make that sound—Qinglong.

"Hey!" he called out to us, waving his glowing blue hand in the air. Behind him was Nana and Sora. They were running up to us with cuts and gashes all over their bodies. We stayed where we are, letting them approach us.

I smiled—it was a very stupid, blood-caked smile. "You're still in the land of the living, unfortunately. What the hell happened to you guys?"

Nana explained, "Remember that car K.A.M.I. sent for us? Well, it was following us so I decided to ask her to crash the car into the van."

Sora continued her story, "She did it too well. The van went through the ground floor of a building, and we had to fly through flying glass and debris in order to chase after it."

And finally Qinglong. "It wasn't a pleasant experience, but we defeated our four targets."

Mystic interjected, "Four? You only fought four targets?"

Bam said, "Yeah, we had six. That's ten unless I'm doing math wrong."

Nana's eyes shot open with a look of fear. "Core wasn't in your van? Along with a henchmen?"

I shook my head. "No…" I paced around, running my hand through my hair. "Damnit, damnit! He wasn't in your van?!"

"..." Nana didn't answer.

"Nana, was he in your van?!"

Qinglong answered in her place, "He wasn't. I thought… I thought you had him… Where could he possibly be?!"

Mystic turned to a tower, the Baek Support Tower, that stood in the distance. He said, "Everyone—!"

_BOOOOOOM!_

In the distance, we saw a fireball then a cloud of dust that enveloped the tower. It was loud enough that we nearly went deaf, but the screams we heard afterwards were louder. The explosion was powerful enough to take the entire building down.

* * *

"That was the first bomb, Master Kendo…" Grandmaster says. "It destroyed the Baek Support Tower, which fell immediately right after the explosion. From the first bomb alone, it killed over three hundred civilians and injured thousands more."

"And that was only Core's _first _attack," Sora reminds him, banging his cane against the floor, "as much as Saki likes to over-exaggerate his feats, everything he said is true. While we were busy with Core's punks, he was left alone to his own devices. From the beginning, he had us around his finger."

I sip my tea, but there's nothing left inside my cup. Goddamnit… "Yeah—" I put my cup down. "—he was definitely taking orders from All For One. All For One, that bastard, knew exactly how to manipulate Heroes and the public. After the first bomb, it woke all of Busan up from their sleep. They went outside to figure out what was happening, and those who were close to the explosion, they ran away, forming crowds of people. But Core and All For One? This was what they wanted. They wanted more people outside, and they got exactly that."

Grandmaster sighs, closing his eyes. "It's quite ingenious, if you think about it. All For One knew that the average civilian would go outside to investigate the explosion. They would meet with others and many would do the same as well. As a result, the numbers would rise astronomically. Yes, some would run away, but in today's day and age, many would take a video of the disaster up close."

"That's true, unfortunately. Hell, I think it's gotten worse today. I swear to God, if a teenager was being shot at by a Villain, instead of running away, he would get his phone out and tell the asshole to smile," I say.

Grandmaster looks at me and frowns. "Now I'm afraid that you're over-exaggerating."

"Is it because we're old, Grandmaster?" Sora asks in a very offended tone. He starts talking like a stereotypical old man, "Ohohoho! These youngers these days, stupid frickin' idiots! Back in my day, we ran away during a Villain attack! Now these punks are running in tryna to take videos on their phones! This generation is a buncha suicidal idiots who want nothing but clicks and views!"

"Gran Torino, I didn't mean to imply that—"

"D'ya think you're better than us?" I start talking in that stupid voice too. "Hey old man, this youngster think he's better just 'cuz he's younger! Ahahaha!" I playfully smack Sora's shoulder. He laughs too, slapping his knee.

Grandmaster sits there with the most disappointed look on his face. "I am diverting this conversation before it goes off-topic. Let's continue with the mission, should we not?"

I nod with a little smile on my face. "Yeah yeah… I just wanted to joke a little, Grandmaster. Talking about this, it brings back a lot of bad memories. I mean, we failed Busan. We failed thousands of people. That guilt doesn't just go away after a year. It sticks with you until you die. As Heroes, we couldn't save a few people—one or two here and there. But this? An attack as big as this? We had a mountain of souls weighing on our shoulders. And Mystic…"

Sora's eyes drift down to the floor. He's not looking at anything, but he's remembering. I continue, "And Mystic, he probably feels the worst guilt out of us all, even Bam."

"How so?" Grandmaster asks.

"He killed Core."

* * *

**Notes:**

**Thank you Horikoshi. Literally on Thursday, he revealed Nana's Quirk. But don't worry, I framed the fight where Nana won't be fighting much because I had no idea what her Quirk was before Thursday. Once I did, I only changed a few details to make the story work.**

**Anyway, the next chapter is called: Tragedy in Busan**

**Post-chapter discussion:**

**United Hero Nations: The U.H.N. is an organization that's made to expand the world of MHA outside of Japan. You get to see how they are involved in international villains affairs, like Operation Core. It has an American Villain fighting in South Korea, who has ties to a Japanese Villain. You can see that the jurisdiction could get a tiny bit messy, so that's where the U.H.N. steps in. You may say though, "Why aren't there any American Heroes?" Well, no one wants to include America. Besides, this was an East Asian affair, Hideyoshi's specialty. From this, you can conclude that there are other specialties out there that handle different areas of the world. With where the manga is heading towards (The Great War), I figure that the U.H.N. would be somewhat concerned.**

**Mystic: Mystic, the samurai with a white and gold haori. He is pretty damn powerful, even though I haven't shown off his potential. I hoped that by describing his Quirk, you could get an idea as to *how* versatile he is. He is a jack of all trades, being able to fit any role as needed: close combat, ranged, restraining, et cetera. With the name of the chapter, "Master and Mystic", you can tell that I'm kinda excited to show him off a little. And with the mysteries that surround him, like his name and origin, he becomes a tiny bit interesting.**

**Qinglong: Rin's grandfather. You can see how heroism works in China, which is a lot more focused on power and social status. The Hero Billboards there are dominated by rivaling families that are constantly fighting each other. With Qinglong, the former No.1 Pro Hero, you can begin to see the conflicts that Rin will eventually deal with, even though his older brother, Lian, will most likely be the successor to the Fei-Long family. With Astral, it is a very destructive Quirk. Much like Nejire's Quirk, Wave Motion, Astral transforms stamina/"life force" into physical energy. Unlike Wave Motion, Astral is much more powerful and can be controlled much more precision and grace. Admittedly, it's a very simple Quirk, yet simpler Quirks are pretty damn powerful.**

**Bam: Regrettably, I don't have much to say about Bam other than the fact that she's an idol. However, there is more than her airhead personality. You already saw that she can get serious and she's smarter than she appears. Yeah, she might be the weakest member of the team, but she's just the worst of the best. Lightless is a pretty good Quirk, especially in the right hands.**

**The Chapter Itself: Ugh. That was my emotion when I was writing this. I was never good at writing chapters like these, but I got down and wrote it. It might not be the best, but I tried. Especially with the fight scenes, I tried. You see, having six of the strongest individuals together usually calls for an easy win. However, I made it difficult for them because the Villains kept being jerks. Seriously though, remember this is a flashback of *Master Kendo's* memories, which means you won't get to see Nana's fight or how Mystic operates. I'm sorry, but I limited myself with only his POV for my sanity. Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Last but not least is Super Moves:**

**Mystic Artes: Techniques used by Agent Mystic  
Set - Before every Mystic Arte, Agent Mystic has to prime his Quirk in order to use an advanced technique.  
Light Speed - Channeling Mystic throughout his body, Agent Mystic's body is enhanced with various effects like greater speed, reflexes, and mobility. This technique is similar to Midoriya's Full Cowling.  
Starlight Armor - Agent Mystic creates armor around his body that acts as protection against any attacks. For him, his Starlight Armor is designed after a samurai. This technique is similar to a Hardening-type Quirk.  
Chained Arrow - A Combination Mystic Arte. Mystic fires an arrow straight in order to restrain his foe with a chain.  
Chains of Heaven - A Combination Mystic Arte. Similar to Chained Arrow, Mystic instead fires an arrow into the sky, having it come down to restrain his foe with a chain.**

**Bam: Her Super Moves are named after her songs  
'Round 'Round 'Round: Within her Lightless State, she quickly incapacitates a large amount of Villains and restrains them within a blink of an eye.**

**Qinglong:  
Astral: Similar to Agent Mystic's Set, Qinglong has to prime Astral for activation. (Astral Five is an example)  
Dragon's Hand - Azure Palm: Qinglong slams his palm into a Villain's chest before activating Astral, blasting the Villain with such force that they travel hundreds of meters away.**


	37. Tragedy in Busan

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Ah—!" I ran up to a screaming woman who was holding her husband in her arms. She was yelling at me to help—even I could understand her pleas despite the language barrier. Her husband had his left leg blown off from the knee down, and his chest was cut open with shards of shrapnel. I could see parts of his ribs, and the organs that were underneath. That was how deep the cuts were. He was bleeding badly, but he was barely alive. He knew I was there, he knew he was being held by his wife, but it was almost impossible to save him. That didn't mean I leave him to die. I tore my sleeve to make a rag and tied it around his left thigh, acting like a tourniquet. For his chest, I couldn't do anything.

"Saki, I need you!" Nana yelled for me. I looked at the woman who was bawling. From her eyes, she knew that this was the only thing I could do. I bowed my head, gesturing that I was sorry. "Sasaki! C'mon!" Nana yelled again.

I got up and ran towards her. She was having trouble lifting a piece of debris that fell on a woman's arm. I moved beside her and hooked my fingers on the bottom edge of the concrete. A good samaritan was standing by, ready to drag the woman out. She said, "We lift on three! One! Two! Three—!"

"Grah—!" we grunted as we were barely able to lift the concrete off of the woman's arm. She was screaming in pain as the good samaritan pulled her out of the rubble. Nana and I dropped the debris, checking on her. Her arm was barely recognizable. It was a bloody mess as if someone threw tomato paste all over it. God, I didn't know if her arm was still attached to her body, but if it was, then it was only by a few tendons. Nana and I looked at each other. We both knew that this was terrible, but we couldn't stay here for long. Nana turned to the good samaritan and he nodded, signaling that he'll take care of her, so we took off.

"God, Saki…" she said as we stopped, looking around, "this is terrible. I never seen a Villain attack this bad before."

"That's what happens when someone drives a car full of explosives into a building," I replied. Core took a van, a black van like the ones from before, and just drove it into the building. We found out due to eyewitnesses and Bam translating for us. So right now, all of us were on rescue duty. Paramedics, firefighters, and police were coming onto the scene. From the police that was already there, we took their spare radios and got into contact with Hideyoshi again. He gave us a new objective—find out if Core was alive. But he wanted us to focus on rescuing civilians first.

She shook her head in disapproval. "Don't joke with me, not now. How could we let this happen? How did Core slip through our grasp so easily?"

"You know the answer, Nana. He would do something like this! All For One—"

"Killing hundreds?! Thousands?!" Nana shouted at me. I recoiled in response, flinching from her sudden outburst. "Why does he have a vendetta against the world?! He would slaughter every man, woman, and child to hurt me—one person! Why would he go through all that effort to hurt me?!"

She knew the answer to her own question, but I still said, "He's that petty! He slaughtered your master's relatives because he wielded One For All! He wanted to break you mentally, Nana! That's how he is!"

"How can a man be so evil then?!" Nana faced towards the destruction that Core caused. She was looking at it as if she blew up Busan herself. "I… I will never understand it. This is why I sent Kotaro away, Sasaki. I sent my own son away because of this man. Because of him, he will never see his mother again."

"Nana, I—"

"I'll never see my own son again. None of us will. You promised that, Saki. All of you did," she said, and she was right. We promised that we would never come into contact with Kotaro, but as you know, Sorahiko broke that promise once All For One began to slaughter Nana's family and relatives. He started with Kotaro and worked his way down the family tree. The branches got thinner, but he didn't give a damn. All For One was so despicable that I still get sick to my stomach today.

When I looked at Nana, I could tell she was on the edge of sending me away. And no, I didn't mean sending me way to rescue trapped people. I meant that...that she was about to cut all contact with my family. She wanted to pull me and Tatemi out of the war for our own safety, but she didn't have the heart to say it. By her own hand, she took away her son. If she lost anything more, then I was afraid that she might go off the deep end. Yet I couldn't say a damn thing to support her. What the hell could I say? I never held One For All. Never in my life would I imagine sending Hayami away. There was impossible for me to understand what she was feeling, so I stood there like a dumbass. I just wish that I was a better friend, y'know? I couldn't help Nana as much as I wanted to.

Anyway, we said nothing after that. We just looked at the chaos and the whining of sirens and people. Before we knew it, Qinglong approached us; he was out of breath. He said, "Mystic wants everyone to investigate the rubble of Baek Support Tower. He already fetched Gran Torino."

"Where's Bam?" Nana asked him.

I actually knew where she was, so I answered, "She's a block down trying to provide support. I can get her. You two can go on ahead without me." Nana and Qinglong nodded. They gave me a comforting look.

"If you encounter Core, radio in immediately," Qinglong told me.

"That's if I don't kill him first," I joked before I ushered them away. They ran towards the ruins of Baek Support Tower, only a massive pile of debris. There was dust still lingering in the air, but due to a Quirk of a Support Hero who blew most of it away, it wasn't a dangerous amount of dust. Thank goodness though, because you would get cancer from breathing a big chunk of it in. Anyway, I jogged down a block, trying my best to ignore the pain that was around me. I had to find Bam—that was my mission. When I went down a block, she wasn't where I last saw her. I went up to a police officer and asked where she was. Well, I couldn't really ask in good Korean, so I just said "Bam?" and that was that. He pointed towards the block to our right, so I went down there. All along the sidewalks were survivors of the explosion. They had blood all over their clothes, dust strewn in their hair, they looked so miserable. No doubt that some of them lost a few friends, coworkers, or even family. I even saw a little girl sobbing into her father's chest. The sight of that broke me a little. Remembering it now, after all these years, it hurts a lot more than it did then.

Eventually, I did find Bam. She was wrapping a bandage around a man's head. He had her jacket draped over him. I walked up to them. She noticed me there, acknowledging my presence. After she was done wrapping the bandage, she said something to the man in Korean before turning to me. "Master Kendo," she said, her voice breaking, "did you find Core?"

I shook my head. "We're about to. Everyone's at the Baek Support Tower, or where it used to be. C'mon, we need you there."

"Alright… We can't keep them waiting," Bam said, wiping her eyes with her hand. We started to go back towards the site of the initial explosion. Along the way, people began to call for her. Bam looked at each and every person, repeating the same thing over and over. I didn't know what she said, but it was probably something reassuring. She said it in a confident voice and with a smile too, trying to mask the fact that she was sobbing inside. As an idol, she loved her fans more than anything, I think. In this incident, she felt everyone's pain and sorrow all at once. It must have been overwhelming for her, but she had a cool head. Bam looked strong, which was all that mattered to the public. It took a lot of strength to do that. You might be sitting here thinking, "Yeah, I could totally stay strong in a shit-show like this." Well, you're always wrong. You have no idea how you would react in an attack like this. Seeing bodies was, and still is, a common occurrence for Heroes, but at this magnitude? Like hell you can stay strong. But Bam did, and that was admirable.

When we got closer to the site, we saw the news came in. They had spotlights and cameras everywhere, trying to broadcast this to the entire nation. Bam saw them and tried to walk up. I grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. I reminded her, "Bam, the mission. The news can wait."

"I need to reassure everyone, Master Kendo. I'm their voice," she told me, but her voice was cracking.

"Sing for them after you beat Core into a pulp. We need you right now, Bam. If Core's planning something—anything, then we need you," I tried to convince her, and reluctantly, she nods.

Finally, we met up with everyone else. They were talking to the firefighters and other Pro Heroes who were on the scene—well trying to anyway. We were in front of the initial blast zone which was taped away for the public's safety. All that stood of Baek Support Tower was now reduced to rubble. When Bam came up, all of the Pro Heroes turned to her for leadership, immediately shouting at her in Korean. They definitely said something about stupid Japanese people being stupid—and even Chinese if you think about Qinglong. I went up to Mystic and Sora, who were looking at the rubble. I asked them, "Find anything?"

Mystic shook his head. "Afraid not."

And so did Sora. "Nothing. The car is buried somewhere. Do you think Core survived?"

"I fucking hope not. If I see his face, then I'm punching him back to America," I answered, spitting in disgust.

Mystic scolded me, "We need him for the mission, Master Kendo."

"Fine, but give me a locked room with him for five minutes, alone. I'm not gonna kill him, but he isn't going to walk for a year or two," I told them. Sora scoffed, but I knew he wanted to hurt the bastard as much as I did.

"I know you're upset, Master Kendo…" Qinglong joined the conversation, looking at the debris with us. "But we ought to divert our anger into action, honorable action. Revenge isn't sightly to see in a Hero, especially in a man like you."

"Uh huh. I'm glad you can control yourself, Qinglong. For me, it's hard to control my anger when I see the littered corpses of the innocent around you. These were someone's sons and daughters. Some might even have children of their own. So yeah, I pissed. Y'know why? This reminds me that at any moment, Japan could end up like this! My own family included! That's why I need to take All For One down into a six foot grave. My family can't be happy when he's in their way."

Mystic shut his eyes and lowered his head. "You care for your family, don't you?"

"More than anything, Mystic. A family can humble you more than anything. That's why I need to be a Hero. It isn't a want or an obligation—it's a need. Ensuring my family's happiness is my priority."

"As a Hero?" Qinglong asked me.

"As a father and a husband most of all."

"That's Sasaki Kendo alright," Sorahiko said. "When we were students at U.A., he used to be an egomaniac. But once he met Tatemi Kintawa, he got his head on straight. His ego is the last thing on his mind now. All he cares about is his family."

"You should try it out sometime, your ego's getting a little too big for my taste," I replied.

"A family isn't for me."

"Family…" Qinglong repeated, sounding like he was going into his own thoughts. The poor bastard was raised to be a Hero from birth. I'm not sure if he had any true family to call his own. And naturally, that reflected onto his son, and then his grandsons.

I asked Mystic, "You'll understand someday, Mystic. You're not a hopeless man like Sora, so you'll get to have a family."

He told me, "Hopefully, I do dream that I'll have a family of my own—sons, I would like. However, I won't live long enough to hold my grandchildren."

"You'll make it out of this alive. The only person here who would let you die in a fire is Sora."

("I am standing right here, you bastard.")

Mystic leaned his head back and laughed. I hoped he laughed because of my joke, but I was half-serious saying it. "In any case, after this mission, I hope to meet you again in Japan, maybe I'll have a family to speak about."

"Well, let's hope so. I'm afraid I can't give you tips for raising sons, since I got a little gremlin of a girl," I responded with an annoying little laugh before Bam finally made it back to us with Nana. Those other Heroes and rescue services took longer than I woulda wanted, but at least none of them wanted an autograph from Bam. That would've taken forever.

"Everything settled?" Sora asked them.

Bam nodded. "Yeah, emergency services and Rescue Heroes will search the site for any survivors—or for any bodies. One of the Rescue Heroes have a Quirk that detects heartbeats from a distance, so he's our best chance at finding Core alive."

"What if he's dead?" Qinglong asked next.

"Then we fail our mission," Mystic answered.

"We already failed." Sora looked out into the destruction. We could see blood staining some of the debris, even catching glimpses of a few bodies. Who knew how many else was under there? "Right now, all we're doing is damage control."

Emergency services and Heroes ran past us, going into the site. Nana gestured for us to join them, and so we did. We helped them lift up debris, carry out bodies, call out for anyone. I saw enough gore that it's better to skip past the details. A lot of people died horrifically, that's as far as I will tell you. Little by little though, the Rescue Hero that Bam talked about earlier went through the possible survivors. We were right there with him, seeing if one of them really was Core.

All we found were tears and blood. The survivors were so confused, disorientated from what happened. Some of them even had family in the area. The first thing they did was trying to run away, checking if their families were okay. We had to stop them and let the paramedics carry them off as they lay sobbing in their stretcher. Never in my life did I ever witness a horrific attack such as this. Yeah, some fuckers out there only want to kill or maim, but this? So many people at once? You aren't just attacking the public, you're attacking the entire damn country. Something like this won't be forgotten. It won't be a headline on the newspaper only for it to be replaced the next day. The current generation then was defined by the Busan Bombing, like during All Might's rise as a Hero, that defined his generation. Since then, things have quieted down. But Itsuka's generation—Sanji's generation too—they haven't been defined yet. And what they will experience, that's something that I'm afraid of.

Eventually though, something finally happened.

Mystic found a man miraculously untouched—relatively anyway. He had scratches and was bleeding, but compared to others, he was practically unscatched. Uhm, how did he find him…? Right, he threw off some blocks off and found him lying on a flat bed of concrete unconscious, almost like he was living inside a hut. Mystic called for some of us to help. Me and Bam scaled a small pile of rubble as Mystic lifted him up. We took him off of his hands and gave him to the Rescue Hero, who commented something in Korean. Another round of paramedics went in and we went down back to stable ground. The Rescue Hero said something, then Bam told us, "He said that there's another heartbeat right of where we found the man."

"Let's free them," Qinglong said, heading to the right. There was like a teepee of rubble, or a very skinny pyramid—however you imagine it—where the survivor was. Qinglong took a look at it, trying to think how to dismantle it without the entire thing falling apart. He suggested, "We might need structural support to remove the rubble safely."

Bam agreed, "Mhm, I'm no architect, but that thing's unstable as my love life."

"Do you really have to make that comment?" Sora complained.

"I take it back. Gran Torino's lovelife is a lot more unstable." Bam stood up. The Rescue Hero narrowed his eyes in disgust as everyone around him was talking in Japanese. Bam giggled and explained the situation to him in Korean.

Clatter…

The structure moved. We immediately snapped into focus. None of us touched the thing. There was wind, but it wasn't strong enough to take it down—else a lot more stuff would've collapsed already. It was impossible for any outside forces to bother it, so the cause had to be within the structure itself. Naturally, we would assume that a civilian who didn't know better was moving around, but the tensions were high back then. If there was a chance that Core was under there, then we had to take it seriously.

And the Rescue Hero, he said something to Bam, and she translated, "Whoever's in there is conscious, but their heartbeat's steady."

Nana said, "The average civilian wouldn't have a calm heart in this mess. Unless they're abnormally calm in situations like this, but that's pretty much impossible. The only answer is—"

"Core. It's Core," Mystic concluded.

Bam looked at the Rescue Hero. He nodded and ran away, calling everyone away from the site. At once, everyone started to yell, running away from Baek Support Tower. The structure started to shake and rumble before a hand emerged—a dusty and bloody hand. It started to fall apart as the man inside began to break himself out little by little.

Mystic formed a katana in his hand.

I brought out my naginata.

Nana began to Float herself a meter off the ground.

Sora prepped his Jets.

Bam put a hand on the hilt of her knife.

Qinglong brought his hands together.

Then in an instant, Core leapt out. I saw a flicker of red hair—Irish descent—dashing towards us. What little time I had to react, I put up my naginata to guard any possible attacks. He would close in the distance to touch us with his Quirk, burning us alive. Qinglong stepped in and yelled, "Get back!"

_ASTRAL THIRTY: HEAVENLY PALACE - TWIN DRAGONS!_

From the palms of his hands, two azure-colored dragons shot out with terrifying speed, as if they were shot from a gun. With ferocity, they moved towards Core, circling around each other with such power that the entire block rumbled and moaned. The twin dragons roared as if they were alive. A brief wind came out that shook our costumes, almost seeming like they were about to be ripped off our bodies. They hit Core before he was able to touch any of us. We heard a scream, then the sound of a body being sent backwards before a loud crash. The dust quickly settled as Qinglong's dragons dissipated. Core had his back against a bed of hard concrete against the building next to where Baek Support Tower used to be. He moved slightly, and that prompted Sorahiko to jet forward with his Quirk. He spun around in the air and smashed his foot against his face; it was so hard that he knocked a tooth out of Core's mouth. Sora bounced off of him, flipping backwards and landing in front of Core. Sora grabbed him by the collar, yelling, "Give up, Core!"

Nana yelled, "Get away from him, Gran Torino! He could use his Quirk—!"

"You're too late, Nana Shimura..." Core muttered in Japanese. Sora's eyes widened in anger as he threw him against the slab of concrete he was laying on, breaking it in half. To punish him further, he threw him over to us, flying over and putting his foot on Core's back as he laid on his stomach.

Pressing on his spine, Sora demanded, "What was that, Core?! Spit it out!" Nana continued to Float, glaring down at Core.

Core cackled, writhing on the ground. "Nana Shimura, you lost from the moment you set foot in Busan."

Sora pressed harder. I heard Core's back cracking. It wasn't becoming for a Hero to do this, but all bets were off here. Besides, no one had any qualms seeing this bastard in pain. Mystic asked him, "You have another bomb, don't you? Is it with that other henchman of yours?" Once he said that, my blood turned cold.

"You think I'll tell you, Mystic? You're not even a real Hero," Core replied, glaring at him, practically confirming that there was a second bomb out there—somewhere. Each of us gave worried looks—no, it was more than that. The looks we had...there was absolute dread in them. There was this terror I didn't know that anyone could feel until at that very moment. I remember that I felt like puking my guts out from the possibility of failure—it was that bad.

Mystic's face tightened, just trying to process how the situation got even worse. He got out his radio and started to talk to Hideyoshi. Bam just started to run towards the emergency services, who were trying to evacuate the survivors. Sora gritted his teeth, pushing his foot down harder. Qinglong and Nana were the only ones whose face didn't change, but I could tell how they reacted through their eyes. They were furious. Out of the six, I was the only one who managed to speak, "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Core replied.

"The bomb. Does your shit-for-brains of a minion have it?"

"What bomb? What minion?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you motherfucker—"

"I'm not playing dumb—!"

"Oh shut the hell up! Where the hell is the bomb?! If not, a broken spine will be the least of your worries!" As soon as I threatened him, Sora emphasize my point by putting more weight onto Core's spine. He gasped in pain, writhing like a pathetic worm.

"That's enough, you two," Nana told us. She gestured to Sorahiko that he had to take his foot off. He did, and she hovered over Core. Her fury was silent, we all felt it. Feeling her anger made my body go weak. Her eyes narrowed, but she smiled her signature smile. It was utterly terrifying. "Core, why does All For One want to destroy Busan?"

"Heh, you don't know?" he said, lifting his head up slightly. "He's looking into South Korea, simple as that." All For One had direct control over the shadows of Japan. With the Busan Bombing, he wanted a hand in Korea's stakes as well. This was meant to show to the Villains in Korea what All For One could do—forcing a country to its knees. He was a powerful man, but with this addition, he'd be even more powerful. The entire world was—and probably still is—within his sphere of influence. With more direct control, that sphere of influence would become an empire.

Mystic nodded and put the radio away. "Hideyoshi said to detain Core. Bam and I can restrain him."

Qinglong volunteered, "I'll help you—"

"Aye, don't think either of ya will be doing that."

_FWMP_!

From the ground, he launched himself into the air with molten concrete following his hands and feet, both of them red like lava. We jumped back, avoiding the molten concrete from splashing on us. Sorahiko countered by jetting up to Core, swinging his leg around to kick him. Core put his hands up and blocked his kick. He pushed his leg aside and tried to grab Sora's face, hand still red hot, but Sora smacked his hand away before he could.

"Sorahiko!" I yelled. There wasn't any time to change my naginata into a bow, so I held it like a javelin and threw at Core. He did a backflip in the air, avoiding getting impaled. Out of his feet, he blasted magma out of it that seared the ground below, using it to propel himself further into Busan. An ability like that was impossible with his original Quirk, which only could dramatically increase the temperature of anything he touches.

That was why Nana exclaimed, "Core has two Quirks! All For One gave him Magma Propulsion!"

"Gotta be kidding me!" Sora yelled before he chased after him, using his Jets to chase him through the buildings. Nana immediately began to fly after Core using Float, being slightly behind the two.

"Astral Fifty—!" Qinglong yelled.

"—Set!" Then Mystic.

Then at once—

_ASTRAL FIFTY: CELESTIAL STAIRS - SURGING FOOTSTEPS!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: LIGHT SPEED!_

They left me behind. Much like Core, Qinglong sent an energy blast through the soles of his feet, launching him into the air. He left behind a crater large enough to fit a car. I was pushed back from the shockwaves that came afterwards. I watched him lean his body forward to minimize the air resistance, flying towards Sora and Core like a missile. Mystic performed the same technique from earlier when he chased after the vans like a speedster. His hair grew bolder and in an instant, he ran forward, sprinting after the others.

And I was alone, completely unable to catch up. All these people were capable of moving from one end of the city to the other in minutes. Lucky bastards. I was standing there with a Quirk that only accumulates force and energy, nothing else! I couldn't channel energy to give me something like Full Cowling, or blast me to space like a rocketship. All I had was my two God-given feet which was completely useless in this situation. Out of the six, I was the least agile. I was a good sprinter, I could run marathons in my sleep, but I was out of my league here.

Luckily, I had a friend. Bam joined me and yelled, "You have to be kidding me! I left for three freaking minutes!"

"Got any bright ideas? We can have K.A.M.I. call us a car or something," I suggested, my tone near defeat.

Bam shook her head and put her hand on my shoulder. "I got a better idea."

"What are you—?"

Everything stopped. I mean it, everything stopped. While this mess was going on, there was constant blaring of sirens and people yelling at each other. Once Bam touched me, every single noise stopped. The only thing I could hear was my own breathing and the beating of my heart. I looked around the block. I saw fires that were standing still, static like they were made out of cardboard. I turned to look at the nearest person—a man. He was running away from the blast site with his face full of panic and fear. He was taking small strides with his legs, trying to run away, but he didn't see the piece of concrete that was in his path. The man stood in that exact position like a statue. He wasn't moving an inch.

I turned back to Bam, asking her, "What did you do?"

"Stopped time, what do you think I did?" she retorted before running towards the street that everyone barreled down in. I didn't have a choice but to follow her. Along the way, I picked up my naginata that I threw at Core, which missed.

"Hold on a second! Your Quirk doesn't let you turn invisible?!" I asked another question, which annoyed her. We were both fast runners, thankfully. When we went into the street, we saw Mystic on street-level while a little further done from him was everyone else including Core. The only difference was that… Well, they were in the air. There were civilians cowering inside buildings and on the sidewalks, trying to find cover. Having so many people there wasn't comforting in the slightest.

She answered, "Nope. When I first used Lightless, people thought that I was ridiculously fast when I was invisible. It wasn't true, but I didn't want to reveal the true function because keeping it a secret would give me an upper hand against Villains. Really, the true name of my Quirk would be 'Timeless'."

Bam had a Chono-type Quirk, which had the same rarity as Warping and Creation-types. Chrono-type Quirks allowed the user to access time; by "access", that could mean a ton of different things. In Bam's case, she could control time by stopping it. However, Chrono-type Quirks like Foresight, which belongs to Sir Nighteye, allows for a greater perception of time—hence his ability to see into the future. And Mystic—of course I gotta mention him—his Limited Foresight, if it was a Quirk, would fall under Chrono-type.

I let out a dry laugh, still having my focus on Core and the rest of the gang. "One of your 'company secrets' then? What's the other secrets? Lemme guess, you use autotune."

"Oh shut up, who's the world's greatest Idol Hero? Yeah, not you. Besides, J-Pop got nothing on K-Pop, just the facts." Bam sighed, knowing that we needed to stay on topic. "But since you're here, you could probably guess that I can pull others into Timeless with me."

"Wait." I perked my head from a sudden realization. "Your Quirk stops time right? Under that umbrella, sound is stopped too. So how in the hell can we hear each other?"

"Don't ask me. I'm a singer, not a metaologist," she said. Then suddenly, to our right, I saw a woman's head moving. It was in-between two positions, flickering between both of them—one looking at the flying men above everyone and one looking at the girl beside her. That was not normal.

"Bam, what the hell is going on with her?" I asked.

"Oh, that was faster than I expected," Bam muttered.

"Bam!" Little by little, more people started to do the same thing—moving between two states of time. That was really far from normal. Being the man I am, I naturally expressed my concerns, "Tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Well, you know how the universe is pretty cool?"

"...Oh God."

Bam winced. "Yeeeeah, that's an oops from me. Look, long story short, I pulled us out of the natural state of time—"

"You did what?!"

"Lemme finish! Imagine if there's a line right? Humanity lives on one line, but Timeless pulls us off that line, entering a plane unfit for human comprehension! The universe saw us and said, 'You weren't supposed to do that!' Being a buncha dicks, they're trying to forcibly pull us back into the plane of time where we, mere mortals, are meant to exist in—or they're pulling that plane to us. Either way, we're in a little trouble."

"We haven't ran for even a minute—in our time plane or whatever the shit it is! The universe acted that fast?!"

"Normally, they would pull this stunt around two minutes. Of course, they had to be overachievers tonight!" Bam said before she stopped right beside Mystic. His arms were freaking out. He was stuck in-between two very amusing expressions—angry, angrier, angry, then angrier. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to laugh at him too much. We had a Villain to deal with.

I looked up at the rest of the high-fliers above. I pulled out my naginata and morphed it into a bow, nocking an explosive arrow. I asked Bam, "You can pull us back out of Timeless, right?"

"Yeah, but we have less than twenty seconds judging from how everything's freaking out," she replied, watching me.

"That's more than enough."

_THWISH!_

When I released my arrow, it was frozen still right in front of me. The shaft of the arrow was bent slightly due to the archer's paradox, but that wasn't something to worry about. On the other hand, my arrow was stiff. It wasn't going to travel in Timeless, but it was going to travel in Time. I aimed the arrow where it would hit Core exactly.

And then I fired another explosive arrow behind the first one.

And another, behind the second one.

And another, behind the third.

Four arrows total. They weren't going to hit Core at the same time. No, that wasn't my intention. The first arrow would hit him while he was in the air. Due to the explosion and my masterful aiming, he would be knocked downwards to the spot where the second arrow would hit him. Now that arrow, it would knock him down some more, where the third hit. For the fourth, you can assume it was the same. It was a staircase of explosions.

Being impressed, Bam whistled. "Ready for me to send us back?"

"Ready."

She touched my shoulder again and sound came back into my ears. I heard everything at once—screams of the innocent, sirens of ambulances, and most importantly...the whistling of arrows. Mystic ran a few steps forward before he saw my arrows, stopping to watch them fly. They approached the four, the first one weaving just through the gaps between Nana, Qinglong, and Sora, hitting Core in the back. It exploded and an uproar of civilians cried in terror. (Yeah, that was a bit of a mistake. These guys knew that there was another bomb and I raised their anxiety tenfold with each explosion.) Anyway, Core went down a few meters before the second arrow hit him. Another explosion happened, and he was sent down more. You know the gist, don't need to explain what happened with the third and fourth arrow. From the constant attacks, Core went down like a truck, slamming into the road and definitely into a couple of cars.

Qinglong and Sora looked back at me from above, and Mystic turned to look at us in shock. I saluted them, smiling. Nana laughed and waved, asking Bam and I, "How did you get here so fast?"

I jokingly said, "Oh, I stopped time and the universe flipped its shit. Bam tagged along too like a stray cat." Bam rolled her eyes at me.

"Funny!" Nana replied before gesturing us to hurry the hell up to Core. They started to fly towards Core with us three—me, Bam, and Mystic—being behind them. Core decided to go to sleep with a car as his bed. Wasn't the most comfortable mattress, but it was gonna be softer than the shit they give him in prison. Core saw the predictament he was in and jumped off of the car, using Magma Propulsion as jets to shoot him into the sky once again—the absolute motherfucker. He shouted in English, "Come on out, Big Guy!"

And the Big Guy? Well, guess who that was? That's right, the final henchman. From ten or so blocks away, a man with a Gigantification-type Quirk emerged from the deep. He didn't look like the average man. No, the bastard was ugly. He had hair all over him like he was a grizzly bear, but he didn't have the head of one. It was like a crow's head mixed in with a dog's mouth. He was absolutely horrifying to look at—honestly, it was one of the worst Gigantification-Quirk I seen appearance-wise. I mean, I always hated these guys anyway, so much of a hassle to deal with.

With the Big Guy's appearance, we were distracted for a few seconds. This gave Core ample time to propel himself away, but unbeknownst to him, it woke us up from the surprise. Nana yelled out orders, "Gran Torino, Qinglong; you're fighting the Gigantification Quirk!"

"I'll come with them! Don't worry about me!" Bam volunteered before disappearing. She went off stopping time and destroying the fabric of the universe, normal Idol Hero things—sounds like a shitty anime if I'm being real with you. Once Bam jumped into Timeless, Qinglong and Sora took Nana's orders and flew off to the Gigantification Quirk, already engaging in combat, specifically Qinglong.

_ASTRAL FIFTY: PRIMORDIAL REALM - WHEEL OF FORTUNE!_

He spun vertically in the air with his right foot out, using Astral to increase his momentum. An azure-colored wheel was created with him as the center, bright enough to be one of the stars. His heel collides with the Big Guy with an impact strong enough to shake the nearby buildings, even shattering the windows. They had this covered.

_MYSTIC ARTE: LIGHT SPEED!_

Mystic was already gone; he was chasing after Core. Nana flew down to me and took my hand, warning, "Hold on tight, Saki!" She immediately took us into the skies where the wind was clashing against our bodies. I tried to look ahead with the wind trying to blind me, and I barely was able to see Core leaving our sight. I swore under my breath as Nana flew us after him and Mystic. She kept flying, and flying, and flying. We flew for such a long time, so long that I was getting sick to my stomach.

Nana yelled, "We're almost there, Saki!" The only reason we knew that because of the noise. Despite the howling winds, I heard fighting nearby. We finally heard fighting after God knows how many blocks and streets. However, we were deeper into Busan, entering an area that was populated and wasn't blocked off by the police. It was far from the Baek Support Tower after all; they wouldn't have to worry about any further attacks. Like what I said earlier, the first explosion woke Busan up, so they went outside wondering what the hell was going on. That, in turn, gave Core the lives he wanted.

But Mystic wouldn't let Core take them.

Nana and I chased after them for five minutes—a long time. But Mystic was done chasing after Core, and Core was done running.

They were fighting.

_BLAST!_

Each sound they made.

_—SET!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: ORION'S BELT!_

Each small explosion I heard.

_BOOM!_

Everything that they did.

_—SET!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: SILENT NIGHT!_

It drove me nuts. The anxiety in my chest felt like it was gonna pull my heart out and crush it into pieces.

But somehow, we saw them after two minutes. We were flying into a long triangular plaza with skyscrapers all around us. There was a large TV on one of the buildings, flickered to a news broadcast. The anchor there was trying to explain what happened while we looked down below the clear plaza, a swarm of people surrounding Mystic and Core. These idiots didn't have the mind to run away. Nope, they stood around and watched, filming it with their phones. They were filming Mystic and Core's fight.

Mystic looked awful; his hair was more blood red than white. He wasn't wearing his haori anymore. Instead, it littered the ground in burnt tatters, barely recognizable. His kimono and hakama were damaged. In fact, half of his kimono was torn diagonally, revealing his bare chest underneath, toned. There were several cuts on his chest, and plenty more I'm sure. He had his hands gripped around a white katana that was burnt, the blade bloodlied. His head was lowered. He was unspeakable pain, yet he didn't scream at all. Nana and I, we saw him. She flew forwards, trying to reach him as soon as possible. Then, before we knew it, he activated his Quirk.

_—SET!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: MOONLIT DISTANCE!_

We kept flying towards him.

"Arrogant shit!"

_BLAST!_

But you should know something…

_—SET!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: LIGHT SPEED BURST!_

There were thousands of people.

"Mother—!"

_MYSTIC ARTE: MOONLIT DISTANCE!_

Core could have killed all of them within less than a minute.

_BLAST!_

_MYSTIC ARTE: LUMINARY AEGIS!_

_BLOCK!_

Yet…

"Just die already—!"  
FWMP!

There was no bodies.

"I won't—!"

_DODGE!_

For seven minutes, Mystic fought Core. For seven minutes, he didn't let him take a single soul away from this world. Mystic wasn't Korean; he wasn't a Pro Hero; he was just an agent for the United Hero Nations. In movies, you would think men like him would be a villain—hell, today, you would assume he was evil.

"Die—!"

_SLAM!_

That was wrong.

"Here—!"

_COMBINATION MYSTIC ARTE: CRACKING AEGIS!_

_BOOM!_

It was wrong. Mystic teetered on the brink of death, yet he still fought. When I saw him fighting Core...

"Guh—?!"

"—Set!"

What I saw was a hero.

_MYSTIC ARTE: STILL MIDNIGHT'S PIERCE!_

_BLAST!_

With his right hand, Mystic drove his katana towards Core in a stabbing motion, faster than what the naked eye could process. It was a technique so fast, elevated through the channeling of his Quirk, that it could be near-impossible to follow with my eyes—even then, it was only because my reflexes were so honed. Core thrusted his arms forward, spurting magma through the palms of his hands.

_CLASH!_

Blade met fire. The boiling magma was enough to melt Mystic's katana, having it shatter into small shards of glass-like pieces. Mystic's right arm was engulfed in the magma, burning his entire arm up to his shoulder. He screamed in pain as Core grew a wicked grin. Nana yelled, "CORE!"

She looked at me and I nodded, and without hesitation, she dropped me twenty-five meters from the air. Core saw me coming and decided to focus on me instead. He kicked Mystic away, letting the flesh on his right arm melt and blister. From the soles of his feet, he boosted himself up to meet me, faster than the speed of my descent. I spun around in the air with my naginata ready, using the momentum of the spin to aid in my strike; Core thrusted his left foot forward, aiming for my head.

We flew towards each other, our attacks primed. But at the last second, when he least expected it, I pivoted to my right. Core's eyes went wide from the suddenness, probably thinking, Why the hell did he dodge? He had a chance to kill me.

While he was focused on me, he wasn't focused on Nana, who was right behind where I was. Nana screamed out in fury as she drove her right fist into the left cheek of Core, having her attack boosted by not only her speed, but also by One For All. The impact of the punch created a gust of wind that shook the clothes of every bystander there, even making me tumble in the air. Core himself flew back into the ground, making a crater where he laid. I landed too, a bit roughly in my opinion. I hit the ground hard, back first. I recovered back onto my feet, gripping my naginata tightly.

I saw Nana soaring towards Core, who was only begun to pick himself up. He saw her coming and blasted a spew of magma towards Nana, forcing her to weave out of the way. Core changed up his attacks, instead of blasting beams of magma, he shot small bullets, fast enough to give Nana a hard time. All of them hit the buildings behind Nana, none of them making the mark. It gave him the chance to finally stand up and walk out of the crater, recuperating a little.

But I wasn't about to let him give him that chance. I ran up from behind Core, sliding on my knees with my naginata back. He saw me right as when I sliced the back of his left knee, forcing him to go down on it. He yelped in pain as I spun around, swinging the staff end of my weapon into his head.

_CRACK!_

The blow was hard enough to fracture his skull. Core lifted his head up and gave me a dirty glare, one that set my hair on end. He picked up his left hand and sent a blast of magma towards my direction. I put my naginata up, using it as a shield against it. It wasn't very damn effective, I tell you, but it worked for the first second. The metal and wood of my naginata was melting, bending in on itself—not to mention how fucking hot it was when my hands were literally gripping it. My instincts told me to let go, but I forced myself to hold on for just one more second.

I yelled like hell, before… Well, before I tossed my naginata off to the side, spinning around the beam of magma and closing the gap between me and Core. He shut off his magma and with his other hand, he tried to fire another round at me, but I jumped over his attack, spinning around and letting my heel contact with him.

But, Core grabbed me with his left hand. His original Quirk, Core, activated. Within a fraction of a second, my foot felt like it was melting off my bones. I screamed and fell to the ground, and like the bastard he was, Core grabbed me, wrapping an arm around my neck. He managed to stand up despite the cut I gave him, facing Nana who finally was able to react. She saw the situation I was in, which wasn't that bad, and landed. We both knew that I was his hostage. She said, "Core, let him go."

"Why would I?" he replied, "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't kill Master Kendo."

"What do you want?" Nana asked him. I shook my head, but she didn't care. She was willing to give him anything if it meant saving me.

"Bitch, that's a question, not a reason!" Core, with his other hand, pressed his finger against my cheek. My skin started to burn, smelling like burnt flesh. He started to press harder, trying to tear a hole in my face.

"Guh—?! —Gah!" I screamed.

Nana screamed, "Stop it!"

We were ten meters away from each other. If she flew, it would take her three seconds for her to each me. It wasn't fast enough where Core couldn't react, he could.

So when Nana did fly towards me, Core immediately reacted. He pulled his finger away, stepping back, and then wrapping his disgusting fingers around the top of my head. Nana extended her hand towards me, screaming, but she was too far away.

Within three seconds, Core would kill me.

Within three seconds, Nana wouldn't be able to save me.

It was rigged from the start. Core wanted to further demoralize Nana by killing one of her best friends in front of her eyes. Taking me hostage, that was a mere formality—an appetizer before the main course. He wanted to give Nana hope before he replaced it with despair.

And, he would've gotten away with it. But then—

"Rrrraaah—!"

_SHINK!_

"Uguh—?!"

Behind us, Mystic picked up my naginata and stabbed Core through his chest, almost stabbing me as well. Core immediately let me go and I couldn't do anything but fall. Nana tumbled onto the ground and lifted me up, on the verge of tears. We turned our eyes to Mystic, the man who saved my life.

Core looked down at the blade that pierced his heart, blood pouring out of his mouth. Then Mystic pulled the blade out and let Core fall to his knees, staring up at the sky with smoke blanketing the moon.

Mystic dropped my weapon, his right arm barely recognizable—he stabbed him using that arm. He looked at us and smiled, blood covering the whiteness of his teeth. It was a smile that despite the pain he felt, he was happy that everyone was alive. But then, seeing what he did, he frowned. "Forgive me, but I wasn't about to let… Core kill you… Master Kendo…"

"Mystic…" I said, but I didn't have the strength from saying anything more than that.

Nana looped my arm around her shoulder and lifted me up. "I don't blame you, Mystic. Not at all." That was one thing we conflicted on, honestly—killing Villains. Sometimes, it was a necessity, but Nana truly wanted it to be a last resort. In my opinion, I didn't have any qualms killing Villains. These bastards wanted to ruin lives, wanted to kill others for the sake of killing, so having them out of our lives permanently was better for the world. But Nana didn't see that way.

"I don't believe in killing Villains; we should knock 'em out. 'Cause, as a Hero, our biggest priority is becoming the beacon that others turn to, and we can't be that beacon with blood on our hands. When the tough gets going, the people we save needs to see that we're saviors, not killers. Heroes should be remembered for saving lives, not taking 'em." That was what Nana said.

In the end, it doesn't matter. She's dead.

"I'm sorry…" Mystic apologized, bowing his head. Slowly, on the verge of collapsing completely, he approached us step-by-step.

"Mystic…" Nana said his name. "I'm—"

"Heh…" Core chuckled, coughing up blood. I was really annoyed that he wasn't dead yet, but at the time, I was more shocked than annoyed.

"Why aren't you dead yet?!" I shouted.

Core laughed, blood streaming down his mouth, "Haha…"

Mystic stared at him, then his eyes went wide. "Everyone—!"

"—Hahahaha! Hahahaha—!"

"—Run! You have to flee!"

"Mystic?!" Nana tried to call for him, but he stood in front of us with his arms out.

But we didn't run.

"—Hahahahahahahaha!" Core continued to laugh. That was when I saw it—his body was glowing a burning red.

Mystic formed a rectangular shield in his left arm, just as tall as him. He slammed the bottom against the pavement, embedding it into the ground.

_—SET!_

_FINAL MYSTIC ARTE: ACHERNAR - SEVEN SNOWFLAKE BASTION!_

In front of Mystic, seven walls formed in front of his shield, with him as the eighth layer. I didn't have the opportunity to take in his technique, because by the time he completed it, Core exploded.

It was a deafening sound.

The earth shook.

And we were blinded.

I didn't know what happened, but Mystic saved us once again.

Being the durable wall, he protected us from the explosion.

But the same couldn't be said for the civilians, who were watching the fight from the very beginning.

Nana held me close, telling me that I'll make it back home.

Then there was nothing.

When the dust cleared, there was nothing.

Mystic stood there; he survived the explosion as well with his arms shattered and a bone sticking out of his left leg.

He looked into the ruins of the plaza, his eyes wide with horror.

Core was the second explosion—a suicide bomber.

I don't know what went on in his head, but he just ran.

With his body broken, both physically and mentally, he just ran.

And that was it.

I'd…

I'd rather not describe what I saw.

Because Mystic saved my life, he ended up being the indirect cause of the deaths of over five thousand people.

Because I needed to be saved, I was the indirect cause of over five thousand deaths.

Because Nana couldn't save me in time, she was the indirect cause of over five thousand deaths.

Because none of us did our job, we doomed seven thousand people.

This… This was a victory not for the Heroes, but for the Villains. We're still reeling from the aftermath to this very day.

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"After the second explosion; Qinglong, Sora, and Bam was thankfully alive. They took me and Nana to the nearest hospital outside of Busan. Chiyo, Tatemi, Toshi, and even Hayami flew out to meet us in South Korea. I never forgot how much Tatemi cried. Chiyo told me that she just wouldn't stop crying. Hell, even Toshi was in tears. Chiyo herself couldn't make a snarky remark, and my little Hayami… She was worried about her stupid dad.

"Anyway, Hideyoshi greeted us, saying that the mission failed and what not. But he wasn't angry. He knew that we did all we could. For our troubles, the U.H.N. would pay us a lot of money. Nana declined and so did I—everyone did. We all agreed that it should be spent towards Busan.

"We asked about Mystic, who wasn't in the hospital with us. Hideyoshi said that he was tending to a woman who was buried under rubble. She was the sole survivor of the second explosion. Because of the incident, Mystic retired as an agent of the U.H.N., and it was because the U.H.N. wanted to deny involvement and for Mystic's health. I couldn't be mad honestly. I didn't have the strength to. So, in the end, Hideyoshi said that Mystic would go back home and live a quiet life, right in Japan."

Master Kendo looks at me. "Grandmaster, he might be out there somewhere. I haven't thanked him enough for saving my life."

"He very well may be," I say, standing up and bowing. "Thank you for recounting the details even though they are very traumatic."

"Don't mention it. Anything to help the fight against All For One," he replies with a small nod. Gran Torino stands up as well with his cane in hand. He has a solemn look. It is quite clear why he has that look. An incident such as the Busan Bombing would be incredibly traumatic even to the most strong-willed individuals. I can only imagine how Nana Shimura felt during this. It's a shame that Master Kendo did not go into too much detail of how she felt, but then again, he isn't Nana Shimura. I won't pry further anyhow. Most men would be broken from those events, but at least master Kendo had his family. Without them, then I would expect a very different man today.

Let's see though, six individuals…

Master Kendo.

Nana Shimura.

Gran Torino.

Qinglong.

Bam.

Mystic.

The first three, I know their stories already. I'm speaking to two of them at the moment while the third is deceased. For Qinglong, after the Busan Bombing, it seemed that his reputation took a massive hit in China. It was one of the reasons that he lost his spot as the No.1 Pro Hero, if not the reason. Because of the Busan Bombing, he wanted his family to retake their "rightful" spot. As a result, Hiryu Rin is now studying in Japan. I need to find an opportunity to speak to him.

For Bam, after the Busan Bombing, she devoted her time to rebuilding Busan. She donated millions to its recovery, uplifting spirits through her career as an idol. To South Korea, she was still the same Hyun Yeong-ju that everyone adored. However, the incident left mental scars. She ended up retiring as an Idol Hero five years after the event, striving to become a mentor to future Korean Pro Heroes.

Ah right, let's not forget Fujiro Hideyoshi. On the U.H.N. website, Hideyoshi became the director of the International Villains Affair block, the entire department. He still is the director today. If I could get a chance to speak to him, then I need to ask him for information—a lot of information.

Finally, Mystic… His real name unknown. When Master Kendo described him, something clicked within my mind.

"Grandmaster," Gran Torino gets my attention, "you really think you could find something? Mystic was just an agent, he wasn't important."

I correct him, "He wasn't just an agent, Gran Torino."

"What was he then?" Master Kendo asks.

"How did you describe him, Master Kendo? Appearance-wise, I mean," I answer, asking a question. He huffs, straightening his lips to showcase a slight annoyance and frustration.

"A samurai that came out of the Sengoku Period," he says.

I finish his answer, "Wearing a white and gold haori."

Gran Torino raises his head, realizing the conclusion that I came to. He looks at me, then at Master Kendo, then back at me once more, surprised by the result. "Wait, Grandmaster, are you saying—?"

I nod. "I am. Mystic is the descendant of the Winter Samurai, a supposed myth that came from the Origin of Quirks—or the Vigilante Era, however you describe the period. With his existence, we can confirm that the Winter Samurai is real. Mystic's family had justice and goodwill running in their blood from the sounds of it, so it is a mystery as to why none of them became Pro Heroes. Additionally, I have a reasonable suspicion that the Winter Samurai and One For All—"

"One For All? The Quirk?" Master Kendo asks.

"No, the original creator himself," I correct him.

"What does he have to do with any of this?" Gran Torino inquires.

I sigh and cross my arms, tapping my shoulder. "Please let me finish. It is a theory that is barely rooted in evidence. The only evidence I have is the fact that the Winter Samurai and One For All were active at the same time. Given the Winter Samurai's status as a powerful Vigilante, there is a high chance that he would have encountered One For All eventually, or even All For One. Given Mystic's nature and how Japan adores traditional values, it would not be a stretch to believe that the Winter Samurai would help One For All in his endeavors. However, I need proof to back my thinking."

"Is that what you'll be doing then? Becoming a history buff?" Master Kendo says, joking just a little. I laugh and nod, gesturing it so.

"Indeed. It should be an interesting task given the lack of concrete history, yet I will try nevertheless." I bow once more. "Yet anyhow, thank you for having me here. I hope to bring you results soon."

"Take care of yourself first," Master Kendo tells me.

Gran Torino agrees, adding, "Yeah, you aren't alone. After all, it's not all for one, but one for all."

I smile, lowering my head in the corniness of what he said. It's an admirable comment though, something that would stick with me for a long time. "Of course. If either of you need me, either call or come to my agency. Have a good night."

"You too."  
"Yup."

I leave, walking out the door. Outside, Hayami Kendo is standing a few meters from her home, leaning against a light pole. She has her head down, surely having a hundred thoughts running through her mind. I approach her and bow my head as a simple greeting. "Miss Kendo, I didn't expect you to be out here. Your father—"

"I know, he's still inside, thanks," she replies with a hostile tone. As I thought, she isn't in a good mood.

"Don't you want to talk to him? He cares about you deeply," I suggest. Master Kendo said it himself—the only reason he was fighting All For One was to ensure a happy life for his family. In a way, he did everything just for his daughter. However, I don't know how Miss Kendo perceives it, whether it be in a positive light or a negative one.

She scoffs. "Isn't that obvious? Sasaki Kendo is a stupid man. He just sits, y'know? He sits and he sits. He lets the kids do whatever they want. He's their self-proclaimed, yet he isn't doing enough. You wanna know why, Grandmaster? He stands for absolutely nothing, so when he falls, he'll fall for nothing."

"He stands against a greater threat," I say, automatically coming to his defense, yet Miss Kendo scoffs again.

"Yeah right, he's retired. So is Uncle Sora, but Dad refuses to fight. He just sits, teaching at our Dojo everyday. Some of the kids he teaches, they're absolute demons. 'Master Kendo' this, 'Master Kendo' that. They think that being taught by him is a ticket to becoming the next All Might, or hell, from the whispers I heard, some of them are only in it for my daughter."

Inochi wouldn't be pleased, but nevertheless, I understand her point. "He hasn't sold his integrity—"

"No, he gave that up once he stopped fighting. The Dojo was once a place where future Pro Heroes were being taught, where Toshinori Yagi was being taught at. Now, we got rich kids from who-knows-where coming in. We're only teaching four kids, four kids who will be Heroes—Itsuka Kendo, Sanji Inochi, Izuku Midoriya, and Ojiro Mashirao. That's it. Our students used to be comprised of just Heroes-in-Training, and now it's not."

"Miss Kendo, I must insist that—"

"Insist nothing!" she yells at me. I take a step back from her sudden outburst. Miss Kendo realizes that she shouted. She shrinks herself as if she is apologizing. "Don't say a word. As much as you insist, you won't convince me of anything. Damnit, I wish that Dojo never existed at all!"

"You don't wish for that," I tell her, firm in my words. "There's something else that's troubling you. How do you think I know? I have to deal with Claude. You'd think he's an easy man to handle, but he's far from it. Heh, anyhow, what's your issue? It's better to tell me rather than your family, considering that they are the cause of your grief."

Miss Kendo sighs, realizing that my words are right. I can see it in her eyes. Much like her father, Hayami Kendo is a family-orientated individual. She is a mother after all. In a world of Pro Heroes, women like her are often overlooked. With what she had experienced, I'd say she is one of the strongest women in the entire city. She says, "Us Kendos, we're a heroic family. Heroism is our blood. We pound it into our marrows everyday. We were always meant to be a family of Heroes. No matter what, whenever we see an injustice in the world, we just have to fix it—make it right, better even! That's what we're made to be."

"However, you're not content with it, are you? In the past three generations, you are the only one who isn't a Hero, but your career still falls within heroism."

"Of course I'm content with it! What makes you say that?! Why would I be saying that—?!"

"Miss Kendo, you're a mother, not a Pro Hero."

"..."

"No matter how much you may convince yourself, you simply don't believe that heroism is the right answer. Frankly, I see where you're coming from. Living with a family of Pro Heroes, seeing how heroism enveloped their lives, you started to believe that it became the absolute answer. Then, you became a mother and your entire world changed."

"..."

"I was trying to say, well, you had your daughter, Itsuka—"

"She was a baby," she says, interrupting me. I don't believe she interrupted me intentionally. Her tone changed and so did her posture, becoming meek and withdrawn. "She was a tiny, chubby little baby—so adorable and sweet. I never had to worry about her going off to fight Villains—what would she fight them in? Diapers? Heh…" Miss Kendo dryly laughs, trying to cheer herself up.

I keep listening to her.

"God, I need to stop lying to myself. Look, when Itsuka was growing up, we had a few years of peace. Itsuka was my little girl and that was it. I didn't have a little Hero, I had her, a child. She was everything, then heroism indoctrinated her—thanks to All Might and especially Kaito. He is the reason why my daughter is in that cursed school. I never told him that, whenever I associate Itsuka with heroism, my heart had this ache—an ache that's practically saying, 'This is wrong.' For years, I had no idea why I felt this way, but when I saw Itsuka yelling at Dad—her grandfather—about I-don't-know-what, I knew why.

"I hate heroism, yet I had to accept it."

"So it seems."

"Yeah, I hate heroism, but like you said, Grandmaster… Heroism is the absolute answer. Poverty? Heroism. Disease? Heroism. Crime? You bet it's heroism. It's the ultimate answer for everything! If I don't accept it, then my family will suffer! If I accept it, then my family will still suffer! This is the world's cruelest ultimatum!"

Ah, the Heroism Ultimatum, a philosophical concept coined by Edmund Wahrmann. He was a philosopher who criticized heroism, creating terms such as "Hero Syndrome" and the "Heroism Ultimatum" that Miss Kendo surprisingly came up with on her own. The Heroism Ultimatum states that heroism is the definite and final answer to the world's miseries. Accept heroism into your ideals and you shall expect suffering from its toxicity. Decline heroism and society shall admonish you, treating you as a pariah. Whichever path you take, you will always find pain in the end.

"There is no God, only heroism." That is the quote that Edmund Wahrmann is most known for. (Unfortunately, some nihilistic teenagers like to use this quote without knowing the original context nor the author himself, which is a disappointment. Sometimes, Claude would like to "choke the ever-living hell" out of these teenagers.)

I chuckle, turning my attention to the singing birds above us. I barely catch a glimpse of their silhouettes in the night. "'Tis the world we live in, I'm afraid."

Miss Kendo replies, "Don't be an indifferent idiot! The worst thing you can do is be indifferent! Do you know how heroism ruined every life it touched? It killed my mother and made my father depressed! He's only helping Toshi and everyone else just because it was his obligation to! Aunt Nana gave up her own son in order to be a Hero! What about Kaito, my husband?! He went out on that patrol and never came back! I don't even know if he's dead! Heroism can't even give me a dead body to mourn!"

She's in tears.

"And my kids, dear God my kids! Itsuka's following Kaito's footsteps, believing that she could find him or something stupid like that! And… And Sanji, who the hell knows what he's been through! Everyday, every night; I see him push his body further and further! Further and further until his muscles turn into dust! Can you imagine the pain he feels?! Can you even notice his obsession with heroism?! Heroism is forcing him to hurt himself! And everybody, especially Toshi, praise him for it! They praise him for hurting himself! Am I supposed to stand by and let that happen?! Am I supposed to cheer when he's suffering?!

"I want my family happy! That's all I want from this world! All… All I want. My kids, Dad, everyone. But, why does it have to be through heroism, the one thing I'm powerless in? Why am I so powerless in general? I tried and tried to make my family happy, yet they are going to fall the same way as before—through heroism."

I hear her. Her pain comes from a motherly heart, it's clear. She has first-hand evidence of how heroism negatively affects the ones she loves. Miss Kendo is truly, very much so, stuck between Hell and war. Personally, I believe that Hell is where sinners and the vile go to suffer, where in war—everyone suffers. Between the grand war of All For One versus One For All, the battle is heroism versus villainy. With Miss Kendo, she stands against heroism. She never grew up watching brave Heroes on television. Instead, she grew up with Heroes around her, and eventually witnessed their downfall. She never broke free of the chains of heroism. And by her own words, Hayami Kendo hates heroism.

Yet, you would be a fool thinking she supports villainy. The world is not so simple, I'm afraid. Things are never black and white as the public makes it out to be. When Heroes came about, it became easier to categorize every action into "heroism" and into "villainy". Evil is evil, good is good, that is the world. There are oxymorons such as a villainous Hero or a heroic Villain, but the result is still the same—a Hero is a Hero, a Villain is a Villain. Admittedly, it's a shame that today's people are so narrow-minded, dividing their thoughts into these two sections, so quick to judge. Heroism is the entire feast, yet they want a single meal. I guarantee that, if they heard Miss Kendo's words right now, they would say, "So you approve of villainy?"

That is never true.

Miss Kendo doesn't believe in Option A and doesn't believe in Option B. Not A nor B. That is a valid answer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Master Kendo watching us through the window with Gran Torino in the back. I tap my cane against the pavement and bow my head. I answer her dearly, "I'm not the one you should ask. I am The Detective Hero, Miss Kendo. From that very epithet, I am the epitome of indifference."

"Why did you become a Hero in the first place?" she asks, wiping her tears away.

"To solve mysteries, of course. I am a prodigy! A man of genius-level intellect! But, I am a fool. It's a folly, you know. The wisest men in the world are the world's greatest fools, and frankly, I don't deserve to be called the greatest fool just yet."

"Grandmaster, you're a lot of things, but a fool isn't one of them."

"I beg to differ. I want to see the world prosper under great Heroes, so through my mind and body, I shall solve any mystery that comes in my path. However, I am utterly doomed. The task I brought upon myself is so terribly large that I might as well crumble from the weight of it alone. It is a weight that no man could carry."

It's a tragedy. There is no possible way that the Heroes will come out unscathed. The League is growing by the day. These peaceful days we have left, we should admire the cherry blossoms that glide in the wind. When they fall, that will be the day when peaceful days died, and the great war will emerge. Not all of us will come out alive, I'm afraid. We could very well see the strongest individuals die before our eyes. Thousands, perhaps millions will be casualties in this war. But I shall uncover the mysteries, the ones that will save lives. However, some will be so horrifying that we should have left it as a mystery. Being the fool I am, I will never forget it and it will always haunt my memories. And through discovery, I shall attract the attention of the Villains' wrath, surely dooming my fate to a horrible death. That is my folly, a madness even. Yet if it would lead to a brighter world, then I shall gladly embrace that madness. What is one life to a million?

"I'm insisting—"

"Please do not insist. That is the truth, Miss Kendo. Remember that I am the man of indifference! I do not travel left or right. Why would there be a left or a right when forward is the best path? Occam's Razor is it not? So forward I will go," I say before I turn around. I overstayed my visit now. The best course of action is having Miss Kendo reconcile with her father and her children—it's the only reasonable thing to do.

Miss Kendo sighs, realizing that I'm leaving. She tells me, "Heroism is the only way, so please, I'm putting my kids' fate in your hands, Grandmaster—The Count's too. I'm counting on you to help my kids find happiness."

"I'll be sure to guide them," I say, leaving. My footsteps click against the pavement as I start my trip back home where Claude is waiting.

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

_BAM!_

_BAM!_

_BAM!_

_BAM!_  
_BAM!_  
_BAM!_

"Show him some mercy, Itsuka. He's black and blue," Sanji says, sounding like he's standing in the doorway. He's been watching me for awhile, hasn't he? Ugh, I just noticed him when he spoke. I bet he's here to get me to calm down. He took it upon himself to chase after me, I guess. I turn around and I'm right. Sanji's standing there with a small, reassuring smile like he's saying, Sorry that I interrupted you.

I start unwrapping the binds on my fists. "Sanji, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be at home."

"You know why I'm here. Don't try to push me away," he replies, taking a few steps forward. He has his arms at his side, his fingers fidgeting a little. Sanji's nervous.

"Hmph," I huff. "You wanna talk about it, don't you?"

Sanji shifts around before nodding with a small sigh. "Well, we can't end the night sour. We have to talk about it, no matter how painful it could be. And, you have to reconcile with Master Kendo—"

"I'm not apologizing to him," I declare—well, "declare" is a strong word. But my word holds, I won't apologize to Grandpa. Something as big as this, I can't ignore it like how Mom has for her entire life. I just can't be ignorant anymore. This war Grandpa's involved in, it stretches to our—me and Sanji's—generation. He nearly died already. One of these days, I'll witness him lying in a pool of his own blood. I don't want that day to come.

"Never said that you need to apologize, just reconcile. Itsuka, the Kendos are a prideful family. I know how you guys operate," Sanji corrects me, crossing his arms with a cocky little smirk.

"Don't smirk like that. You're too good for smirking, leave that for Monoma," I scold him, throwing my unwrapped binds over the dummy I was punching earlier. "Seriously though, I'm not backing down. Grandpa needs to tell us what's going on."

Sanji frowns. "No, he doesn't. Itsuka, he doesn't need to do anything—"

"He does. For me, this is a need," I say, approaching him. I hate that he's way taller than me, but differences in height won't get me to back down. "Our friends are involved in this war. Shojo's involved, Manga, Setsuna, Kamakiri, everyone. Why aren't you just as worried as I am? Grandpa, he's being selfish."

Sanji's face stiffens. He lets his arms fall to his sides, his eyes staring down at mine. "Master Kendo lost his wife, Itsuka—your grandmother. I don't know how she died, but I have a feeling he was there when she died. Can you imagine the trauma that he experienced then? The pain? Knowing that you failed at protecting the ones you loved? That you were useless?"

"Do you think I want to end up like him? That's why I'm doing this, Sanji."

"At your grandfather's expense?"

"His expense or ours?"

"Now you're being selfish."

"Don't go down that road. Every time you bring that word up, I want to punch you," I say with a threat lined behind my teeth, enunciating every word. Sanji isn't intimidated though, just annoyed.

Sanji shakes his head, disappointment flashing in his eyes. He shoves his hands in his pockets and approaches the dummy I was wailing on earlier. "It's a valid point, Itsuka."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah, 'course it is. You're basically saying that you're willing to put your grandfather in pain just to have some relief for yourself. If that isn't selfish, then I don't know what is."

"Just shut the hell up, Sanji."

"Itsuka—"

"I had enough of you ranting about me being selfish any time I do anything you don't like! Don't you see that I'm doing this for our friends?!" I walk up and grab his shoulder, spinning him around so he could face me. He looks down at me, his eyes appearing like blanks. Is this asshole even paying attention?

He asks, "...How?"

"How?"

"Yeah, how will this help our friends?" He steps forward, forcing me to take a step back. His voice is quiet—this is different from usual.

I say, "It'll—"

"Will it give us magical powers?" He steps forward again; I step back.

I keep pressing, "Don't—"

"Will it save our friends' lives?" Again.

I can't back down. "Sanji—"

He yells, "Will it give me my Quirk?!" I shrink from his outburst, my breath leaving my lungs. His voice bounces off the walls with a quiet echo coming afterwards. I try to find the words to say, but I can't. "Itsuka, tell me that this secret is worth everything, right?! It's important enough that our friends' lives hang in the balance because of it! This is more important than anything else in the world!"

"You're being dramatic!" the words come out of my mouth, and my arms move on its own. I push him back a quarter of a meter. Sanji's eyes widen for a brief second, then they narrow. He's glaring at me with those gray eyes. "I want to know the truth to protect our friends! That's my goal here! That's always been my goal! This mystery has been gnawing at us ever since we were accepted into U.A.! Ever since the U.S.J. Incident!"

"I know! I understand Itsuka, but—!"

"No you don't! You never understood! Damnit Sanji, you are supposed to be on my side! You promised me that you'll help me solve this mystery!" At the carnival, some time after his fight with Catharsis, he promised that. This stupid idiot promised that he'll help me. We figured out that the League is being controlled by the same man who hired Catharsis, and this man is the World's Most Dangerous Villain. Why isn't Sanji worried about this? Why isn't he worried about anything?! He was supposed to be on my side, not Grandpa's! We need to solve this mystery together!

"I'm not taking anyone's side!" he says, shouting even louder.

"You're taking Grandpa's side—"

"This isn't an argument that you can win!" He takes me by my shoulders. "This isn't about sides, this isn't about who's right and who's wrong! Itsuka, I want to protect everybody just as much as you, but this isn't how we can do it!"

"Then how can we do it?!" I shout back as my eyes water.

"I… I don't know!"

"How do you not know?!"

"Just because I don't know, doesn't mean that there isn't a better way! If we cut straight to the heart, then the only thing we'll be doing is bleeding all over!"

"Sanji—!" My voice breaks. "—this is for our friends! For everybody! I-I need to protect everyone!"

"You don't have to do it alone! You…" Sanji pauses. He loses the angry look in his eyes. "You… We… We're fighting for the same thing; all of us are—you, me, Master Kendo, Hayami, everyone."

I can't believe it… I feel tears running down my cheeks. "I-I know… I know! I can't stand by and let the League destroy Japan! I can't let these bastards hurt the people I care about…"

"Itsuka, I—"

Before I know it, my arms go around his back as I press my head against his chest. Sanji lets out a small gasp as I use his shirt to dry my tears. It won't be the only tears that needs to be dried, because I'm… I'm crying. "I-I don't wanna see you hurt… My heart won't be able to take it…"

Without hesitation, Sanji brings his arms around me, placing one hand on the back of my head. He gently holds me close. I can't see it, but I feel a soft smile coming from him. He says, "I'm sorry, Itsuka… For yelling at you, I mean…"

"I'm sorry too... " I say, sniffling. "I didn't mean to yell at you so much… I'm pretty stupid person, aren't I?" I laugh, turning my head and pressing my ear against his heart. It's beating. And he's warm, he's really warm. Just by being in his arms, my heartbeat slows down, and I'm not crying as much anymore.

"You aren't stupid, don't say that. You're one of the smartest I know, way smarter than me," he counters with a small, cute laugh in his voice. His chest puffs with each little laugh. "I mean, I don't know how to program the cable box."

This dork. "But still Sanji, I'm not—"

"Oh be quiet, take my words as facts."

"I'm trying to depreciate myself here, and what do I get? A load of—"

"Compliments."

I pull my head back, just enough so I could look up at him. Heh, why does he always look so cute? "Jeez, you jerk… If you're gonna do that, then I'll say that you're just as smart as I am."

"I appreciate the effort, but that's gonna be a 'no'."

"I'll go beyond and turn that 'no' into a 'yes'."

"Then I'll go further, turning your self-depreciation on its head."

"You're way too humble, y'know? It's annoying…"

Sanji blows air out of his nose, can't help but smile the smile he always uses with me. He always has that pretty smile. It makes my heart race—in a good way, not like before. I don't think I'll ever get bored of it. With that silly smile, he says, "Yeah, I know. Itsuka, can you promise me something?"

"As long as it isn't stupid," I reply, smiling back.

"Let's protect everyone, alright?"

"Of course, dummy. Why would you say something like that?"

"Don't attack me! I'm just…" He pauses. "I'm just… How do I say this? You guys are… You guys are my only family."

Oh… Damnit, I'm such a dumbass. I forgot that he's a foster kid and he doesn't remember his family. He never had one growing up. To say something like that… It means so much to him. I respond, "Sanji…"

"It's true. Having this life, I'm… Jeez, I really am blessed." He shakes his head, blinking his eyes a lot. No matter how much he tries to hide it, his eyes are getting watery. "I—"

"You don't have to say anything more than that. I understand completely, don't worry," I assure him. Sanji breathes in and nods. We hear two sets of footsteps going down the hall—I recognize them. It's Mom and Grandpa. I break away from the hug and trying my best to compose myself. Sanji snickers a little, which I promptly respond by elbowing him in the ribs. He yelps a little, rubbing the spot where I hit him.

Mom and Grandpa walk inside. They see us and they immediately look happy; they look happy seeing their kids goofing around. Grandpa walks in front of Mom, his eyes red. He says, "How are you two doing?"

"Better," Sanji answers, and I nod.

"Good… That's good… Your mother—well, your guardian in your case, Sanji—and I talked about you-know-what. I'm not gonna bother saying it because that's hell and a half," Grandpa explains, laughing at his own joke. "But yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Itsuka, sweetheart, every time I look at you, I wonder why I'm gifted with such an amazing granddaughter."

That's all Grandpa says for a second or two, which leads to Mom clearing her throat, probably reminding him that Sanji is here. Grandpa stands up straight… Yup, he forgot about him. Sanji scratches the back of his head. "So Master Kendo…?"

"Yeah yeah, I know. Sanji, when I look at you…" Grandpa genuinely looks at Sanji, but then, for some weird reason, his eyes widen. He sees something that shocks him, or maybe it's confusion? I don't know. Either way, he shakes his head to get whatever thoughts out of his mind. "You're a good guy," Grandpa finishes.

Mom and I share the same look of disappointment. Grandpa raises his hands, trying to pull the innocent old man persona. Yeah, I'm not falling for it. But jokes aside, we need to talk about what's important. I say, "Grandpa, what did you and Mom decide anyway?"

Mom says, "We decided—"  
Then Grandpa. "I said that—"

Mom and Grandpa look at each other.

"You can explain, Hayami."

"You can say it, Dad."

They straighten their lips. Grandpa puts his hands together and sighs. "Okay, I'll explain what'll happen. Itsuka, I won't tell you and Sanji the secret, not yet anyway."

"Why not?" I ask him. I don't have the energy to yell again, especially not at my own grandfather. "Gran Torino said it himself, we can't be treated as teenagers anymore. We're ready."

"That's what we all say, honey. We're wrong. This is something that you can never be ready for. Once you know, you'll be involved in something greater than your two selves combined," he warns us.

"A war for Japan?" I ask.

Grandpa answers, "For the entire world."

"Then I'll give life to it," Sanji declares, standing tall besides me. "After all, we're training to be Heroes. It's what we're meant to do."

Grandpa shakes his head again. "You're way too enthusiastic Sanji, but at least you take heroism to heart."

Mom comments, "A little too much honestly." She pouts at him, and Sanji scratches the back of his head again. Yup, that's the one thing unique to Sanji, I guess.

"Let's get back on topic," Grandpa says. "I'm not finished. Look everyone, I'll tell you in due time. I promise you, you will know. In fact, I'll have Toshi and Midoriya be there when it happens. They're more involved than us."

I sigh, crossing my arms. I figured that they're involved. I mean, it's All Might after all. He's the prime example of a Pro Hero. If it involves him, then he's definitely the center of this mess. And Midoriya, he'll inherit his mess. One way or another, Sanji and I will help Midoriya become All Might's successor. That's what we're fated to do, I guess. I sound a little disinterested—it's a little rude I know—but I'd rather focus on helping Sanji become a Hero. After all, I like him. More importantly, I treasure his dream as much as I treasure mine. When cherry blossoms bloom, I hope I'll see him as the best version of himself—that's my hope.

"Grandpa," I say, getting his attention, "I just wanna say, uhm, I'm sorry… I'm sorry for yelling at you and everything, Gran Torino too. I wasn't a good granddaughter then, but I hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course I do, sweetheart. I understand your pain. And if you ask me, Sora always needs a good scolding. He deserves it," Grandpa jokes, and Mom slaps him across the head. He doesn't even react to the pain—Sanji does by wincing.

"We'll tell him you said that," Mom says, acting like nothing happened. "Besides, some of the fault lies with us too. None of us are completely blameless." Guess that's true, but I feel a tiny bit guilty still. Sanji would scold me, I know, that's how he is. But, everyone forgives each other. Our family dynamic isn't ruined, and we'll know the truth in due time. Until then, we'll move through life.

Sanji stuffs his hands in his pockets. He says, "Let's head home then. Tomorrow is still a thing."

"Oh God, don't remind me," Mom complains, leaning her head back. "I have to meet with a few Pros who are absolutely obnoxious. Don't tell them I said that."

We laugh.

"At least they're more tolerable than me," Grandpa says, making us laugh harder. He starts to leave. Mom follows him, and then Sanji. I follow behind them as they idly chat. Once we're out of the room, I grab the door, but I take a good look inside first.

"Yeah…" I mutter. "We have tomorrow."

I slide the door shut and follow everyone back home.

* * *

**Okay, Busan is over with and done! For the next chapter, we are finally heading back to Class 1-B!**

**And, the next Chapter is called: Put Your Hands Up**

* * *

**Post-Chapter Discussion:**

**Busan Bombing: The Busan Bombing is meant to shed a realistic light on heroism. Because heroism is basically a prettier version of law enforcement, and they deal with a ton of crap on a daily basis. Heroes *can't* save every life and they *can't* prevent every tragedy. This would be an example of that where seven thousand people died and thousands more injured. It would set in stone how much chaos a Villain could do given the right resources. Even though MHA paint heroism in a positive light, Dreaming of Stars is a bit more serious than that. Lives are actually being lost and we see that effect on the characters, especially Nana Shimura. And know that this is only Master Kendo's POV too! This isn't even the main characters' POV, so imagine tragedy that they will experience.**

**Mystic and The Winter Samurai: Chapter 28 is when I first introduced The Winter Samurai, a Vigilante who wore a white and gold haori. With Mystic being confirmed as TWS's descendant, we're starting to go through Mystic's plotline as the story continues. Like most of the currently developing plotlines, it'll sit in the back until I bring it up again. And I guarantee you, you will find out most, if not all, of the Mystic Artes, including the Combination and Final Mystic Artes. But in the mean time, Mystic will sit in the back. (And damn, I like his character. He's dignified, honorable, and willing to do the hard thing. Mystic is a good guy.)**

**Hayami Kendo: Here we go! In my opinion, Hayami is a very underrated character given what she went through (and that she's literally a blacksmith). Her mother died, her father depressed, and her husband is missing. Sanji and Itsuka, they're going down the same path as them. So, wouldn't be natural if she loathed heroism this entire time? She saw what happened to her own family! Her anger is justifiable! She values her family, as a mother, over heroism, a concept she had to embrace by birth. However, she is a bit of a hypocrite. She condemns Grandmaster for being indifferent while she was being indifferent when she ignored the secret of OfA. However you take this, it's up to you. You can see it as her lashing out unfairly, or her trying to change herself in order to properly support her family.**

**Itsuka and Sanji: Oh boy, they're fighting. Here, Itsuka is focused on the short-term benefits while Sanji is more focused on the long-term. We see that out of the two, Itsuka's a bit more impulsive than Sanji, which makes sense given that she's willing to throw hands with anyone who insults her friends. We even see that she was willing to hurt her own grandfather in order to get the truth, which is selfish in my opinion. But realize that Sanji almost died from Catharsis, so in that sense, she was justified in her anger. She didn't want him to get hurt further and to an extent, her friends as well. Sanji, on the other hand, is more sympathetic to Master Kendo. He's the mediator that eventually calms Itsuka down and helps facilitate reconciliation. It shows just how close they are, and considering that if you look at the pairings... Yup, makes sense.**

**Put Your Hands Up: The next chapter stars 1-B again! And Shojo Fukidashi, she's an honorary student of 1-B. The title is a hint to what the main scene will be about. If you don't know, Present Mic's radio show is named "Put Your Hands Up".**

**Super Moves:**

**Mystic:**  
**Orion's Belt - Mystic fires three arrows simultaneously that explode upon impact.**  
**Silent Night - When faced with an incoming attack, Mystic immediately dodges/parries the attack and counters with one of his own. The counterattack is so fast that only ones with masterful reflexes could see it.**  
**Moonlit Distance - Mystic dashes across a long distance to deliver a single slash to his target.**  
**Luminary Aegis - Mystic creates a shield that's able to protect him from harm.**  
**Cracking Aegis - A Combination Mystic Arte. Mystic detonates his shield to both blind and force his target back.**  
**Still Midnight's Pierce - Mystic thrusts his katana forward so fast that it is near impossible to react.**  
**Achernar—Seven Snowflake Bastion - One of the Final Mystic Artes. Mystic creates a wall of seven layers that act as the ultimate defense.**

**Qinglong:**  
**Heavenly Palace-Twin Dragons - Well, Qinglong shoots a couple of dragons out of his hands. They are capable of destroying a small building.**  
**Celestial Stars-Surging Footsteps - A movement-based Super Move that allows Qinglong to traverse even the toughest of terrain.**  
**Primordial Realm-Wheel of Fortune - Qinglong spins vertically in the air, delivering a powerful heel kick that could send even a Gigtanification Quirk back.**

* * *

**By the way, formatting suuuuuuucks. There are some things you are missing out because of the poor formatting on this website, and I don't know how to fix it. Honestly, I'm too lazy by the time I publish my chapters.**


	38. Put Your Hands Up

**Sanji Inochi**

_SPLASH! _

"Yo Inochi! You okay?!" Awase shouts, casually standing on the deck of a nice and _dry _ship. This is the first and last time that I'll fall for that trick, thanks Honenuki. He's laughing his butt off beside Awase. He said, _"Oh hey Inochi, I think there's a dummy still in the water." _Naturally, I looked over the railing to look for the poor guy, but instead, Honenuki turned the tables and I became the poor guy.

Honenuki shouts in-between cackles, "Are you choking?! Are you choking?!"

Awase replies, "Of course he's choking! Look at him! He's drowning! Right Kuroiro?!"

"He's floating," Kuroiro tells him. "He is doing the literal opposite of drowning, you inane fiend. Are you proud of yourself, dear jester?" Awase and Honenuki go silent. I don't think they know who he's referring to. Honenuki points at Awase, Kuroiro shakes his head, Honenuki nods again, still pointing at Awase, and Kuroiro shakes his head harder.

"Guys, I'm cold," I say, trying to get their attention. Yeah, they can't hear me. Great, never thought I would take a swim today. Honestly, if I swim back to the center of U.S.J., it'll be faster than the time it takes for them to actually rescue me. It's not the rescuing itself, but the time it takes for them to realize that I need rescuing. Ugh, that's too much energy though. I'll just float like a useless log.

"I am not a jester!" Honenuki defends himself, taking his helmet off and tossing it to Awase. Awase being Awase, he puts it on. ("Wow, this is really wet.")

"You are right, Honenuki." Kuroiro grins, running his hand through his hair, eyes widening like the grand schemer he is. "You are the entire circus! A circus of misfits and fools, know-nothings and halfwits! Given the chance, you would toss a friend off the railing of a ship in order to net a few dirty coins to feed your addiction to greed!" ("Dude, how can you even see in this thing?")

"Hey, I'm still floating." Yup, still haven't realized I'm here. I could just grapple my way onto the ship, but my grappling hook doesn't work well when waterlogged…

"Now that isn't nice, Kuroiro! Just because I tossed Inochi off the ship doesn't mean I'm a bad guy. I only wanted to play a little prank on him. I'm a prankster in modern terms, y'know. You need to be _somewhat _smart to play a few tricks," Honenuki explains. ("Man, everything is dark…")

"Speaking of intelligence, what _do _you do in your freetime? You don't do any of the homework, yet you manage to get full marks on most of our tests!" Kuroiro asks him, sounding a tiny bit envious. Yup, that's Honenuki… He rarely does homework. Really, he only works on big take-home projects and that's it. Somehow, he scores really well on tests. I don't know how he does it. Out of the entire class, he's one of the smartest by far. ("Oh shit, I can't take this off…")

"Your skin is turning green with envy! Are you getting jealous, Kuroiro? Well too bad, secrets oughta stay secrets," Honenuki replies while Awase is trying to pull his helmet off, but failing. Yeah...his helmet is now glued to his face. ("Guys, I need butter…")

"Yo, I'm still in the water!" I yell, but again, I am ignored. Let's try again… "Hey—?!"

_Roar! _

Oh crap, the Flood Zone turned on the waves! It's pushing me away from the ship! I try to swim towards it, but the strength of the waves is too much! I'm getting swept away into the sea! Honenuki, how could you?! "Honenuki—!"

"You hear that, fiend? Those are the lost souls who curse your name! They are the ones who you slew by your two hands!" Kuroiro exclaims, completely ignoring the fact that I'm about to be a lost soul!

"That's just Inochi. He isn't lost," Honenuki replies and he couldn't be more wrong in his life! I'm farther away from the ship! Crap, their voices are getting distant.

"Awase!" I call for him. He perks his head up and looks around before laying his eyes on me—I hope because he's still wearing Honenuki's helmet! Awase nods and tries to run towards the other two and—?!

_BANG! _

He hit his freaking head against the wall! Oh God, now he's unconscious! Damnit Awase, you were my only hope! The waves push me further and further away from my ship haven, my friends becoming mere dots soon. I can faintly hear Kuroiro and Honenuki's arguments, ignorant to the fact that I, their dear friend, am dead.

That is right.

I, Sanji Inochi, am dead.

There is no hope for me now. No dreams to protect, no friends to cherish. I am dead. There is no afterlife, no reincarnation. There is simply infinite emptiness, that is all.

I was killed thanks to a simple prank played by Juzo Honenuki, Mudman. He threw me off the ship and into the roaring waves below. Afterwards, I was never seen again. That is how Sanji Inochi dies. Not by getting shot or stabbed in the stomach, but by returning to my rightful place under the sea.

My body is washed onto solid ground, my head turned to the blinding lights above. This isn't heaven's lights, but the light you would see before you die. However, something blocks the light, something dark. A woman wearing a tight scaly suit looks down at me, her wavy green hair bouncing—she has great hair. The woman smirks and gently kicks me. "I found a Sanji!"

"And I found you after so many years…" I reply, altering my voice to sound exhausted and weak. "I came from a long voyage just to see my queen again, gracing me with her beauty. Through mountains and through seas, through tribulations and trials, it tested my soul, all for a chance to stand in front of you again."

"And my knight, you finally found me. Let my dazzling good looks bless you, so that you may fight for me for thirty years more," Setsuna plays along, giggling. I hear another set of footsteps walking up to us.

"Ohoho, you two ought to audition for a play. You would be amazing actors," Monoma tells us with his usual smirk. "With you as the stars, we could create a play that would garner such a positive reputation that will eventually triumph over 1-A's undeserved glory. Just you wait!"

"Okay," I say.

"Very cool, Monoma," Setsuna says after me.

Monoma laughs and gives me a hand, helping me back onto my feet. I nod in thanks, shaking the water out of my equipment. Setsuna shields herself from the water while Monoma doesn't seem like he minds.

I groan, cracking my neck. "Never let your guard down around some people. That's how I became a castaway. Speaking of which…" I look around U.S.J.—what a strange place. "What country am I in? Greece? Where's Odysseus?"

"He's not here! You're somewhere much worse!" Setsuna exclaims in horror. "Japan! The worst country in the world! We are so pitiful, Sanji. We need you as our savior! Dear God!" She dramatically falls down, putting the back of her hand against her forehead. I catch her, and Monoma stares at us with an eyebrow cocked.

"Like I said, audition for a play. You have amazing chemistry," Monoma says with a light in his eyes. I push Setsuna back up, and she playfully rolls her eyes at Monoma. His antics are too much for us.

I take a look back at Flood Zone with the ship still there. "Is anyone gonna ask me how I ended up here?"

"Honenuki threw you off," Setsuna answers. "Then the Flood Zone's waves turned on and washed you onto shore. Simple really."

"You deduced that yourself, Miss Prodigy?" Monoma asks.

"No, I saw it happen. Oh, Awase got his head stuck in Honenuki's helmet too. He's gonna have to rip his ears off, ouch…" Setsuna winces at the thought; I do too. Awase with no ears? A nightmare. I mean, he doesn't listen in class much anyway so it won't change much, but everyone looks better with ears than without. Unless y'know, you're Manga then that's an entirely different story. Or Suzuki, who has fox ears… Or that one senior who has six ears… Or maybe elf ears like Amajiki... Yeah, where am I going this again? Maybe—?

_Tug! _

"You have really cute cheeks, Sanji." Setsuna tugs on my cheek, pulling me metaphorically and literally back into reality. I slap her hand away out of instinct, taking a step back. She laughs and puts a hand on her hip. "Welcome back! Did you have a nice little trip into your own mind? I betcha you got an entire world in there."

...She isn't wrong.

"Well uhm, yeah, in ways more than one," I say. I turn to Monoma next who has his hand under his chin. He's rubbing it like some kind of evil mastermind plotting to take over the entire world in one fell swoop. I ask him, "Monoma, you doing okay? You plotting something?"

He answers, "The unfortunate disappearance of Katsuki Bakugo, the revelation of Izuku Midoriya's Quirk, the toppling of Class 1-A's dynasty over U.A., and among other things. You have to be more specific, my friend." Huh, I can help with one of those things—to an extent anyway. It's been a week or so since Itsuka's outburst about the secret where Midoriya is pretty much at the epicenter. We haven't asked him about it yet, and I don't think we will. But given the nature of current events, the secret _is _Midoriya's Quirk. How do I know? Bakugo, actually. I ran into him a few times and well…

_"Outta my way, Shitty Deku!" _

_"What're you doin' here, Shitty Deku?" _

_"Don't talk to me, Shitty Deku!" _

Yeah, I'm Shitty Deku. From Bakugo, there's been rumors that Deku—I mean Midoriya, was Quirkless… If that's true, then the secret must involve Quirks—it's a logical deduction! Continuing this logic, the only way for a Quirkless man to y'know, not be Quirkless, is receiving a Quirk. Though, I never heard of a Quirk that can be transferred to others, but it's not out of the realm of possibilities. If Monoma's Quirk can copy other people's Quirks, then one that could be transferred or inherited isn't too far off. Though, it's just a theory. Theories, more likely than not, usually are wrong.

"Fascinating…" Setsuna comments, copying Monoma's pose. "My beard is giving me amazing schemes. Schemes that could further the fame of 1-B."

"Such as?" Monoma inquires, rubbing his chin harder. Setsuna takes that as a challenge and rubs hers even harder.

"Love. If word gets out that our precious little friends decide to become lovers, then people will naturally know about us. Especially if, let's say, one of our friends is an upcoming Hero who will certainly be on the Top Ten Billboards?" Setsuna suggests, nudging my shoulder with hers.

"Setsuna, we have twenty-one people in our class. Not all of us can be in the top ten," I say, feigning ignorance.

Monoma sighs, his arms dropping to his sides. "No, she meant you, Inochi. You are arguably the most famous student in 1-B, especially since Hawks took a selfie of you and him. Not to mention that—"

"Oh hey, I think I heard Kaibara's calling for you!" I look around for Kaibara, who definitely called Monoma's name. Totally! I didn't make that up out of thin air, trying to divert the conversation where it won't be about my lovelife! Not at all!

Monoma puts a hand to his chest and nods. "If he comes calling, then I must respond. I'll talk to you later, dear friends. Farewell!" He takes a bow before sliding on the balls of his feet, heading towards the Conflagration Zone. Right, Kaibara was training there with Pony, Shishida, and Komori. I never liked that zone. It's my least favorite of the bunch. I _really _don't like scorching heat—I like the cold better. Anyway, I don't think Monoma fell for my trick. He's way smarter than that. What really happened was: he saw me uncomfortable and decided to stop pushing. Simple! He's a good friend.

Setsuna clicks her tongue. She's ashamed of her beloved Sanji. He stooped to lowly tricks, so unbecoming of him. "Sanji, you really had to manipulate him like that? I mean, he _has _a crush on Kaibara."

"And Kaibara likes him too, in a very...passionate way," I tell her, which she responds by blowing air out of her nose. I will never forget what Kaibara said during _Operation Boys to Men _.

"Look at Mister Matchmaker here! You're an Ally of Love, right? You ought to worry about your own relationship. Look Sanji, my little handsome Hero, Itsuka is in love with you, alright? Madly in love, like _extremely _in love. You are perfect for her, so please, don't deny it," Setsuna tells me, so I won't say anything. Why? Why not, that's my answer. I'll just look down at her and stare. And stare. And stare. And stare.

"Gonna say something, Sanji?"

Stare.

"Sanji?"

Stareee.

"Hello?"

Stareeeeee.

"You're spacing out again, aren't ya?"

"Stare."

"Why did you say that out loud?"

"I said that out loud?"

"...Yes."

"Well… Stare."

"You're so cute, Sanji."

"Thanks," I accept the compliment. I stop staring at her so I could stare at the rest of U.S.J.—dang, this place is massive. I do see some of our friends heading back to where we are, the Central Plaza.

Setsuna hooks her arm around mine and rests her head against my shoulder—I'm still wet. I wince a little though, my shoulder is a little sore from training last night. "Aw dang it, forgot you took a dive in the drink. Eh, don't care."

"It's gonna take awhile for my stuff to dry…" I complain with a sigh following after. My costume is so wet and so uncomfortable… Thanks Honenuki…

"You have my sympathy…" Setsuna says, supporting me full-heartedly. "Anyway, what're you doing after school again? It's something for Present Mic, isn't it?" Right, almost forgot about that. Present Mic asked me to… Well…

I tell her, "I'm going on his radio show."

"Oh my God, is my Sanji going to be popular?!" she exclaims. Heh, Present Mic's radio show is called _Put Your Hands Up Radio _or PYHU. It's really famous throughout Japan. There isn't anyone who _hasn't _heard of PYHU, whether it be adults or children. It features every Friday during the PM drive, where Present Mic has music on and chats about stuff. Once per month, he has an interview with a Pro Hero. Last month, it was Yoroi Musha. This month is different, because it's not gonna be with a Hero; it'll be with me.

"He's going to get a better grade in English," I correct her in third-person. "Present Mic bribed me with extra credit if I do it for him. Apparently, Mister Aizawa was supposed to go but he canceled last minute, so he turned to me for help." Mhm, that's right. Instead of asking Midnight or Snipe to go, he asked me. Of course, I asked him why he chose me, and he said that it was the best choice. I recommended Midoriya, since y'know, he has strong ties to All Might. But Mic wanted me. It's a weird choice, honestly.

"Oh, but Sanji, you're good at English. What did you get on the last test?" she asks, placing false hope in me. Yeah, I'm not like Honenuki or Pony. I can't speak perfect English like them. I have a terrible accent and poor grammar. If I spoke in English right now, then I would probably offend an American. The best I could say is: Oh hey, how you doin'? Very cool, sonofabitch!

"Take a guess," I offer.

"Ninety."

"Nope."

"Eighty-six?"

"Lower."

"Jeez, seventy-five?

"Sorry, gotta go lower."

"Oh my God, seventy?"

"...Little more."

"...I don't wanna guess anymore. You win."

Again, I correct her, "No, I did not in fact 'win'. I very much lost. With this extra credit, I have a good chance at passing English with a good grade; even more so when Present Mic is making it a test grade. I have to sit there for a couple of hours, which could be spent studying for our Final Exams."

"You study?" Setsuna jokes with me. Or, she's being serious…? With a prodigy like her, I have no idea. Her IQ is oceans beyond mine. She might not be the strongest Hero, but she's one of the smartest—and that's why I adore her.

"Yeah, I study," I respond. "I'm just but a mere peasant who studies. My intelligence matches that of a common farmhand."

"You're not a peasant. In an alternate universe, you'd be a lord of a castle—a prince even. Why? You're handsome as heck!"

"I'd be a stupid lord."

"But a handsome one!" She didn't even try to counter what I just said…

Anyway, approaching us are Rin and Kamakiri. Setsuna waves at them, and Rin nods his head. Kamakiri just huffs. She says, "Dragon Shroud and Jack Mantis, what's the sitrep? Was your mission successful in the Ruins Zone?"

"Airhead nearly got our asses killed," Kamakiri explains, gesturing to a cut on his left arm. "The dumbass collapsed the ceiling on top of our sorry heads. I'd say that he lost a few brain cells, but he had none to lose. Right now, Vines is tearing him a new one."

"I have to admit, Tsuburaba isn't that smart," Rin agrees with his torn visor in his hands. His face is covered in bruises and dirt. "And Inochi, why are you...wet?"

I answer, "Honenuki threw me off the ship."

And Setsuna answers too, "Mudman decided to take him to Pranktown, population one."

Kamakiri cocks his head. "The hell? The asshole really threw ya off the freakin' ship? What kind of idiot does that?"

Rin nods, wiping the dirt off his jiangshi. "Not a smart one, frankly. It's an easy way to get Inochi angry, and no one wants that." Yet, Rin managed to calm me down by punching me in the face—it was during our fight with Charon. We did forgive each other—well, I apologized to _him _, he didn't apologize to me. It was my fault, and I'm willing to accept that.

_"You're the example of Class 1-B, Inochi. Whatever you do, we follow. I'm holding you to that responsibility, and I won't be afraid to call you out," _he said. Really makes a man think, y'know? What he said, it's true. I mean, it was literally proven during the fight. My friends followed me when I charged in to fight Charon. I'm their example. It's big shoes to fill, but I'll fill it. At least Rin won't be the only one who won't be afraid of telling me when I'm in the wrong.

"More like an angry Itsuka," I'd say—well, I _do _say not "I'd say"... Anyway yeah, no one wants an angry Itsuka. I elaborate more on that statement, "I don't get angry, but her on the other hand? Yup, I restrain her a lot."

"How many times did she try'n chop Broadway?" Kamakiri asks. Well, let's start with today… During homeroom, Monoma tried to skip class to visit 1-A and berate them. Then in Metaology, Nezu visited and Monoma tried to bribe him in order for him to "spill the details" about Midoriya's Quirk. In English, Monoma said something in English which made Pony incredibly upset—Honenuki and Setsuna too. And in our U.S.J. exercise with Thirteen, Monoma recommended that we use Class 1-A as dummies. That's four times today. _Today. _I stopped her _once _.

Let's count yesterday's incidents…

"One…" I start tallying the numbers in the air. "Two… Three…"

Rin chuckles and rests his hand on his neck. "You know it's bad when Inochi starts doing math."

"I'm a prodigy, but even I can't count how many times Monoma got the axe—or in our case, the chop," Setsuna comments.

"Hey," I get everyone's attention, "does getting hit in the head with a textbook count as a 'chop'? I think it does."

"I don't see why not," Setsuna says.

"A hit's a hit." Rin.

"Prolly." Kamakiri.

"Alright thanks!" I go back to counting. "Twenty…"

Rin exclaimed, "We were at three! I never realized just how much Monoma gets himself into trouble…"

"He _is _trouble," Setsuna replies with a tired sigh—tired not because of the exercise, but because of the rascal named Neito Monoma.

"Lizard Head, both you an' Broadway are trouble," Kamakiri remarks, adjusting his black cloak over him. His skin looks very ashy. That means he used his Quirk a lot. The drawbacks of Razor Sharp is itchy skin, and in worse cases, his skin bleeds.

"Hehe… 'Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble!'" she makes a Shakespearean allusion! I actually know where that comes from! King Lear, obviously.

"Since when you two are witches?" Rin asks Setsuna.

"Since always. I dunno 'bout you, but I look great in a witch costume. I might not have a big bust like Itsuka's, but mine are modest," Setsuna...brags about herself? I'm not sure if _that _qualifies as bragging, but it's Setsuna, so she does whatever she feels like doing and is awesome at it. Uhm, though… Once she mentioned Itsuka's bust size, everyone turns to me. They're expecting something.

"...Fifty-three," I give them exactly what they want! I'll just won't think about Itsuka's, uhm, bust. That'll make me a bit of a pervert. Actually no, that'll make me more than just "a bit". It'll make me a lot of a pervert, very much a lot.

Everyone groans. Rin whispers to Kamakiri, "I have a few thousand yen on Inochi being a closet pervert."

Kamakiri whispers back, "I got a couple thousand on them confessin' on Quirkless's birthday."

"Isn't it July 24th?"

"Yeah, same date as the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival. It's gonna be a confession to remember, that's for sure."

Setsuna skips up and joins in on the whispers, "Itsuka's gonna confess, calling it here."

"We finally agree on somethin'. I bet a few thousand more on 'er bein' the one to confess," Kamakiri says with a smirk.

"..." And I stand here. They aren't whispering! If I can hear them whispering, then that isn't whispering! That defeats the entire point of the action! It's just quiet talking!

"You won't win, Kamakiri," Rin says in confidence. He looks at me, then Setsuna, then Kamakiri. They're looking at me again.

I sigh. "What did I do to you guys?"

"You're one of 'em shonen protagonists that Cartoony an' Glasses read 'bout," Kamakiri says.

"Agreed! Manga references anime tropes just as much as Monoma references literary tropes," Setsuna adds.

"Yeah, no offense Inochi, but you were definitely born a little special," Rin adds some more. And that's really ironic considering he's the grandson of Qinglong.

"Hey Inochi." Behind me, it's my group—Awase, Honenuki, and Kuroiro. They got off the ship finally, and they look mighty dry. Awase has an innocent smile—he got the helmet off—while Kuroiro is pushing Honenuki towards me. Honenuki, on the other hand, seems like he's scared. His face is obscured because he's wearing his black and orange helmet; he probably doesn't want me to see his guilt. Awase says, "We got a present for you."

"It's a jester—no, a fiend. You wonder why men have nightmares? It's because of him, the one who curses dreams, transforming them nightmares," Kuroiro tells us. Well now, Honenuki has become my mortal enemy. The man who curses dreams into nightmares, the ones that run rampant in the mind? That cannot happen! I, as the man who wield Dreams, stand against it.

"So, you gonna kill him?" Awase asks me. "I won't judge you if you do."

"Well—"

"Why is Sanji killing Honenuki?" Itsuka enters the conversation with her group—Yanagi, Yui, and Bondo. Immediately, I end up scratching the back of my head, to which Itsuka comments, "Sanji's scratching his head again… That's never a good sign."

"I'm not gonna kill Honenuki, don't worry!" I assure her. Behind Itsuka, Setsuna starts to _actually _whisper to Rin and Kamakiri. Now I can't hear them.

"Heh, _you _might, Fists," Kamakiri snarks.

"Eh?"

I stop Kamakiri, "Let's not—!"

"I wanna hear Kamakiri out, Sanji." Itsuka places a hand on her hip, her head slightly to the side, and her eyes focused on Kamakiri. Aw crap, this won't be good. "Whaddya got?"

Kamakiri begins, "Ya see—"

And I end it, "Nothing happened—!"

He _ends _it, "Bony 'ere—"

I end it for him again, "Nothing happened at all—"

Kamakiri really should _end _what he's saying. "Decided to—"

I reprimand him, "Kamakiri—!"

"Inochi, let Kamakiri speak," Yanagi tells me.

"Mmm." _Terrible idea, Reiko. _

"Wh-What's happening?" Bondo asks us.

"Cement Head, Bony tossed Quirkless off the fuckin' boat an' left him to drown," Kamakiri explains it _very _bluntly. Honenuki didn't leave me to drown! I know how to swim! He just...didn't pay attention to me. When I think about it, that doesn't make a very good case for him.

"Manga did _what _?" Itsuka says…?

Rin reminds her, "Wrong man."

"Sorry! Didn't mean to mix names up!" Itsuka clears her throat, then shoots a glare at Honenuki. "Explain yourself, Honenuki. Why did you throw Sanji off the ship?"

"...It would've been funny," Honenuki defends himself with his head hung low, his voice sounding like a downtrodden little kid. Itsuka sighs and nods, probably deciding how to deliver his punishment. And knowing her, it'll be painful—a pain that I don't wanna submit others to. With Big Fists, Itsuka is starting to _bend steel _. If that isn't scary, then I don't know what is.

"Honenuki," Itsuka says, her face showing resolve and justice, "you have five seconds."

Honenuki runs.

"Run," Yui tells him.

"Be free like a nightingale," Yanagi says.

"B-Be safe!" Bondo exclaims.

"He's dead," Kamakiri submits.

"Yup," Setsuna agrees.

"Guess Inochi was right…" Rin comments, remembering from before that an angry Itsuka is worse than an angry Sanji.

"Itsuka," I get her attention.

"Three," she replies with a smile. I casually step in front of her with my arms raised, blocking her path. I hear Honenuki sprinting away, his footsteps becoming softer and softer.

"Two…"

"Itsuka, no."

"One."

_CLASP! _

"Let go of me, Sanji! You're wet!"

"I went for a swim, what did you expect?!"

"That's why Honenuki ought to go for a swim—in the Conflagration Zone!"

"He would get a heat stroke first rather than getting burnt to a crisp!"

"Whatever works for me!"

"You're way too thirsty for revenge!"

"And _you're _way too nice! Guess that really sets us apart! Now lemme go!"

"To tell you the truth, I'd rather not!"

"Sanji, you jackass!"

"At least this jackass doesn't want Honenuki to get killed!"

"I will—!"

A woman clears her throat. "Ahem."

It's—?!

"Are you two done?"

Thirteen?!

* * *

"This is why we don't play practical jokes during a rescue exercise," Thirteen scolds us—all twenty-one of us—but mainly me, Awase, Honenuki, and Kuroiro. We're the troublemakers, the rebels, the juvenile delinquents! At least I was accused of being one during junior high! That means I have a head start in this race!

This will be the beginning of my rebellion!

I bow. "Please forgive us, Thirteen."

She sighs, pressing her hand against her helmet. "At least no one was hurt. Next time however, you might not be so lucky."

"I understand, Thirteen." Honenuki bows as well, along with Awase and Kuroiro. We stand back up in unison, awaiting what she'll say next.

Thirteen pulls out a sheet of paper and nods, exclaiming with glee. She says, "We should now discuss what's important—criticisms! Bare with me as I go down the list…" Thirteen starts to name everyone out individually, telling them what they need to improve on. The entire class will hear one another's criticism. It might seem rude at first, but it's actually really helpful. These criticisms might apply to us or give birth to an idea that could be beneficial to our training. Or some could be completely useless like Yanagi's advice, which it was suggested that she should study structural engineering to efficiently use her Quirk for rescue-purposes. No one other than Yanagi has her Quirk. Well, I guess Monoma too, to an extent.

And for me, my advice is…

"Armory, you haven't improved much since the last exercise. You're strong and agile, but those two things won't be enough to save lives. Rescuing requires a different thinking style than combat. Remember, you are a Pro Hero; you are not meant to inflict harm, but to rescue instead."

That's my piece alright. I already knew that I wasn't good at rescuing, since my specialty lies in combat. I know the basic skills, and the what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's. Rescuing seems simple at first, like how All Might lifts up a building to save those who're trapped inside. However, that isn't the case. Each situation is different, so I need to think different and do different. Easier said than done.

I nod, then Thirteen moves onto Kuroiro.

When she finishes, she takes a deep breath in after about twenty minutes of non-stop talking. She lowers her head, letting her arms drop to her side. "I'm done. It's time to head back and wrap up for the day. You all did extremely well despite my criticisms, so take pride in that. I'll see you all next week for our next exercise!"

We bow in respect before we start to head towards the exit. Along the way, I loosen the straps on my bracers—they were digging into my skin. Besides me, Awase has a big grin on his face. Being the curious man I am, I ask him, "What's with the smile?"

"Victory," he beamingly answers. It's like he's radiating happiness. There's only two things that could make Awase this happy: passing tests he didn't study for and girls. This must be about a girl—a specific girl actually. I imagine it's about an auburn-haired girl with glasses, who stands about 150 centimeters tall. She's short, yet the perfect height to embrace in a loving hug.

"It's Shojo, isn't it?" I say, already coming to the conclusion. A faint blush grows on Awase's cheeks, just below his eyes. He nods, hiding his embarrassment by pulling his collar up, hiding most of his face.

He replies, "Yup, we're hanging out at the arcade after this. We specifically agreed that we wouldn't tell Manga 'bout it, 'cause you know… He'd…"

"Absolutely murder you?" I finish his thought.

"Yeah, that's putting it nicely. Least he's tutoring again with Suzuki today. I'm kinda surprised that they're chummy," Awase comments, his blush fading from his cheeks. Yeah, don't think he would blush when we're talking about Suzuki. The tensions between him and 1-B did ease a little, but the tension between me and him—that's an entirely different story. We will never come to an agreement.

I sigh, scratching the back of my head. "Manga has that effect, y'know?"

"On assholes?"

"I was thinking 'moody red-haired kitsunes'..."

Awase blankly blinks for a few seconds. "Dude…"

"Yeah…?"

"That definitely implies something gay."

"Moving on," I declare, looking straight ahead to the stairs. We ascend them slowly, taking it step-by-step. "After this, I gotta head to the teacher's lounge so Present Mic could take us to his radio station."

"So I heard! You better rock your interview, man. A whole two hours!" Awase says, supporting me full-heartedly. Those two hours will fly right by hopefully.

"Thanks… Present Mic put the announcement on his website. Usually, he gets fifteen million listeners a week. But for mine…the statistical analysts said that we'll get double that amount," I tell him. Saying those numbers out loud, it's really putting everything into perspective. That's not thirty thousand people, it's thirty _million _. I was well-known after what happened months ago, but with _Put Your Hands Up Radio _, I won't be considered unknown anymore. Everyone will know my name, even if they don't pay attention to heroism news whatsoever. Once they hear "Sanji Inochi", they will go, "Oh, I heard that name before…". I guess there's no more turning back now. It's near-impossible to get un-famous, but absurdly easy to get more popular and famous. If I think about it in terms of heroism, then with what Hawks said, one of the essentials of becoming a Hero is a fanbase—a presence in the entertainment industry. That's how I can justify this. However, I'm just not that simple. My stomach is twisting at the thought. Can't do anything about it though…

Awase notices the glum look on my face. He knocks his shoulder into mine as a show of support. "C'mon dude, be more happy 'bout this! No one, not even 1-A, will get this amazing opportunity! I mean hell, millions of people are gonna listen to _your _voice! We, your best friends, might be forgettable, you won't be! I'm happy for ya, man!"

Heh… I can't help but smile. "Thanks Awase…"

We reach the exit of U.S.J., heading out the gates. I see Itsuka at the front of the pack. She stops, yelling at everyone to gather around. Everyone glances at me before rushing forward towards Itsuka, forming a circle. I won't be left behind! I chase after them, jogging towards the rest of my friends who're just getting settled. I seamlessly join the circle, my eyes towards my Class Representative, who says, "You guys know why I gathered us here! It's about Sanji and his interview in _Put Your Hands Up Radio _. I'm not one to give out homework, but for today, all of you are required to watch it, or at least listen to it. Got it?"

"What happens if we don't?" Tsuburaba asks, obviously joking.

Itsuka jokes back with a smile, "Then I'll punch you!"

"Duly noted…" he replies, taking her joke very seriously.

Itsuka raises her finger, about to tell Tsuburaba that she was joking, but she shakes her head, deciding against it. She sighs and puts a hand on her hip. "Anyway, let's give Sanji our support, alright? He's by himself here! We need to let him know that we support him!"

"You guys already do," I speak up.

"Then we'll make sure you'll never forget," Setsuna says.

"Never ever!" Pony exclaims. "If ya forget, I'll pull an Itsuka and slap ya silly!"

"Good luck, Inochi. I'll be rooting for you," Kaibara tells me.

"We shall become more famous than 1-A will ever be!" Monoma vows.

"Good hell, Broadway… But yeah, just don't mess up. I won't let ya 'ear the end of it if ya do," Kamakiri promises.

"Make sure you show 'em what you got, Inochi! Japan's hearts will go 'BA-DUMP' after this!" Manga.

"Let the Lord guide your words, Sanji. He is with you always, especially when you are a kind-hearted man." Ibara.

"You can do it, bro! The world's gonna know your name!" Tetsu.

"Uhm, I know you'll do great…" Shoda.

"Kehehe! I'll make sure I'll call in to tease ya a bunch! And make some bad jokes while I'm at it." Honenuki.

"This is only the first of a thousand-step staircase. Better make your way up as soon as you can." Rin.

"Be sure to mention me when you're in there!" Komori.

"Dude, you'll crush this interview, guaranteed." Awase.

"Mhm." Yui.

"There is no doubt that you'll perform highly." Shishida.

"Y-Yeah! You're confident, and strong, and brave… Wh-What else…?" Bondo.

"I think you got it all. Either way, if you aren't gonna boast 'bout yourself, I might just call in and do that for you." Tsuburaba.

"Your trial seems nerve-wracking..." Yanagi sighs. "Regardless of how I feel, remove yourself from the spirits that give you unwanted uncertainties."

"Lest you desire to be cursed, which I know a few tidbits about hexes." Kuroiro laughs. "I jest, I shall give you my darkly blessings born from black mist."

"Always with the dramatics, huh Kuroiro?" Itsuka jokingly says, a laugh apparent in her voice. Her eyes flutter as she turns to me with a bright smile. "Sanji—"

"Thank you," I say, "I appreciate it."

"You didn't let me finish!" Itsuka exclaims, her left cheek puffing up.

"You don't need to." I look at everyone else, who's looking back at me. Yeah, I'm their example. I don't think anyone had predicted this future honestly. Who could imagine that an entire Hero Class who turns to a Quirkless man as their leader? That sounds like one crazy world. So, as the man that everyone turns to, I can't let them down. I refuse to.

I run my hand through my black and white hair, my eyes naturally looking at the ground. I tell everyone, "I'll try my best! Don't you guys worry!"

* * *

**Shojo Fukidashi**

"I am very much worried."

"It's just an arcade!"

"With people."

"I'm people."

"You're a singular thing—person, a noun. 'People' is plural, unless you have a split-personality, which will be amazing for your character development."

"Why the heck should I have a split-personality? It doesn't make sense."

"It'll be an interesting plot twist, Awase! The loyal best friend who turns out to be a traitor who's been hiding his real personality this whole time! It's been done so many times, yet each twist pains the heart just the same!" I cry! Awase, who's way too tall for his own good, stares down at little Shojo Fukidashi! The look in his eyes, he must be making fun of me inside his head! He must be thinking, _Dudeeeee, Shojo is such a nerd, bro! Who would ever wanna hang out with a nerdy girl like her? _To that I say, "Some people hang out with me!"

"Uhm, who were you responding to?" Awase asks with a head tilt that says, _You are a freak! _But damn, curse my overactive imagination! I responded to my own thoughts, yet I cannot back down now! I am facing a Hero Student, a member of Class 1-B! At least it isn't Class 1-A, those stupid jerks! I ran into Bakugo the other day and he called me a "Midget Nerd"! A freaking Midget Nerd! I cried the whole time in Metaology! But tears aside, I mustn't—archaic-sounding I know—let Awase think I am a freak of nature!

"I was responding to your eyes!" I boldly exclaim, pointing at his rounded gray eyes! Awase pulls his head back and fiddles with a button on his shirt.

"My eyes?" he asks.

"Yes your eyes! Your Mystic Eyes won't fool me, Awase! I can read them like a book! They say—" I clear my throat; I'm gonna imitate Awase. "—'Hehehe, that Shojo Fukidashi is such a weirdo, dude!'"

Silence. "..."

Deafening silence. "..."

A very loud silence. "..."

"Awase, please say something, you dummy!" I grab his stupid shirt and try to yank him around, but I'm way too weak to even do that! It's like I'm pulling on a cable cord that just won't come out of the freaking outlet!

Awase comes back to reality and laughs. That's an insulting laugh! He's insulting me again! I doubled down and became the butt of every joke, didn't I?! Stupid Shojo! You not only become a clown, but the entire carnival! I need to crawl back into my hermit space and become one with the blankets! That's where I truly belong! I turn around—!

"Shojo, you going somewhere?" Awase stops me with his voice. I pause and slowly, just gently turning myself back around.

"...Home," I answer him.

"Can I ask why?"

"As much as I love fresh air, I kinda like my bed better. Good night, Awase," I say before I take my leave!

"Shojo," Awase says my name, but I'm not letting him stop me!

He walks in front of me.

So maybe he can stop me! "C'mon, I asked ya here for a reason!" Awase tells me.

I pout. "To make fun of a nerd like me?"

"To hang out with a cool girl like you!" he...corrects me? He thinks I'm cool?! Me, a nerdy girl who has shelves upon shelves of manga?! The way he's smiling too, it makes my heart flutter! No one thought I was "cool" before! Gosh, I never realized how weak I am against compliments! Especially from a cute guy like him…

I blush, looking away from him. This is the classic move of the female tsundere! The avoidant look with cheeks red as the fiery heat within her heart could make the knees of men weak! Normally, this would be accompanied by an insult with the word "idiot" at the end, yet I won't go down that route. Instead, I say, "Thanks, that means cool of you."

What the hell did I just say? I was thinking about saying either, "That means a lot to me" or "that was_ cool _of you" (with the emphasis on "cool"). The first one was supposed to be heartfelt and the other was a witty response! What I said was neither heartfelt nor witty! Why did I end up saying what I said?!

Awase laughs again, harder this time around. "That means cool of you too! C'mon, we should head aside! I know a buncha good games here!" He gestures me to head inside. I shake my blush away—my embarrassment too—and follow behind him into the famed _HERO CENTRAL ARCADES. _It's a really big place. There are at least a hundred different games here, ranging from simple rhythm games to pachinkos. On the eastern side of the building is a food court, and on the tail end is VR, bowling, and stuff like that. Thousands of people visit here daily, and I even see some people in school uniforms too. I don't recognize anyone from U.A. though. On the other hand, me and Awase aren't wearing our U.A. uniforms. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his headband still wrapped around his head. While on my side of things, I'm wearing a pretty light blue dress with thigh-highs.

But dang, so many people… So many… Is there ten birthday parties here or what? So loud too! It's like everyone is yelling into my ears kinda like a shotgun firing right next to me! Where's Awase—? Oh, he's right in front of me! Thank goodness! His headband is recognizable! I make sure I'm directly behind him as we push our way to the front where a guy's there, sitting behind the counter. Luckily we don't have to wait a while, only a few people. Once we get there, Awase pulls out two _HERO CENTRAL ARCADES _cards and places them down on the counter. He tells the guy, "Yo, let's get a refill of 1000 credits, each." After saying that, he gets out his wallet and puts a few bills down. I can't tell how much he's paying for this; I should _at least _contribute… I'm not dirt poor…

The arcade guy takes the money and the cards, putting the cards in a machine. After a few seconds, he takes the cards out and hands them to Awase. "Enjoy your date."

Eh?! "We aren't on a date for your information!" Awase smirks, not even bothering to correct the jerk! How dare he think that this is a date! This is a simple hang-out and nothing more! Awase and I are friends, platonic pals even! Platonic pals doing platonic things! That's it! I open my mouth to say something, but Awase decides to head into the arcade without a second thought! Dangit Awase!

"Shojo, what do you wanna play first?" he asks. As much as I wanna play the "I'm Grumpy" game, I kinda wanna try out a certain rhythm game that requires the highest of dexterity—_ Hiku! _. With _Hiku! _, you have to drag your pen all around the place; tapping bubbles, dragging the bubbles along, and sometimes even just spinning your pen around a dot. It gets really hectic really fast.

I raise my finger and answer, "I'm trying out _Hiku! _."

"Oh, I saw videos of that game online. Crazy how some of 'em ace the harder levels. It looks impossible, yet they make it look easy," he comments, looking around for the machine. Once he does, his head perks up slightly, and before I know it, we're already walking.

"I know right? I heard it takes a lot of muscle memory and focus," I say.

"So basically, Inochi could get a perfect score within a few tries?"

"Pretty much. Stupid Adoptive Muscle Memory. The national competitions don't allow Quirks to be used, so at least Inochi would get disqualified right off the bat."

"He wouldn't care much about _Hiku! _anyway. Besides, I would think he'll be more amazed by how the game works than actually playing it."

"What do you mean?"

"Shojo, me and Tsuburaba took Inochi to see a tech demo a week back. They were letting people use freaking _jetpacks _meant for Support Heroes. The three of us were in line waiting, but once we got there, Inochi didn't move a single inch. All he said was, 'Technology is so amazing' and stood there like a doofus. We ended up kicking Inochi out of the line so Tsuburaba and I could fly."

"How did he react? Wait, how did flying go?"

"...We crashed."

"This is why jetpacks and enthusiasm shouldn't go together. They lead to destruction of epic proportions."

"More like destruction of my brain cells… When Inochi saw us, he looked so disappointed, but he helped us in the end. He's a great guy."

"Yeah… He is." If there's only a way to repay him for everything. Sanji does a lot for us, like defeating Villains who severely traumatized you. Let's hope he's doing well in his interview with Present Mic. For an outgoing guy like him, Itsuka said that he gets nervous whenever there's cameras involved. That's why, as extroverted as he is, Sanji is an introvert through and through. Considering Itsuka knows him so well, she loves him.

That's why I joined the betting ring! This is a very lucrative business! The entire class of 1-B has a betting ring on these two. I, an honorary member of 1-B, officially joined the group chat yesterday! Sanji and Itsuka may be aware of the betting ring, but they will never be allowed to see the inner mechanisms!

Anyway, we're at _Hiku! _now. No one is playing thankfully! Awase gives me a card; afterwards, I skip up to the screen as he leans against a pillar. I swipe the card through the card reader, take the pen that's attached to the side, and start tapping. Let's see… Oh! Here it is, this is the song I'll play! And it's the hardest song in the entire selection. Just gotta do this for three minutes and forty-six seconds! I point towards Awase, "Wish me luck, Welder! By the way, change your Hero Name! It sucks!"

"You're not my boss," he replies, smirking. I huff and tap the "START" button. Here I go! This will be a fight to remember!

_TAP TAP TAP TAP! _

This is a little difficult since the screen is a lot bigger than my trackpad, but I can manage! This isn't even my final form!

"Holy shit Shojo..."

_TAP TAP TAP TAP! _

A minute and a half has passed! I am going strong! No mistakes, no errors! I am a flawless machine! With a pen in hand, it's mightier than the sword!

_TAP TAP TAP TAP! _

"You're almost there!"

Thirty seconds left! I am still the perfect machine I am! That's right, I have tricked Awase into thinking that I was a beginner! But instead, I am a master at _Hiku! _; even more so, I am known as KaguyaYuki within the community! KaguyaYuki is the famed master of masters, the one that everyone adores and inspires to be! It's been rumored that KaguyaYuki is a beautiful woman, so beautiful that you'll be blessed just from eye contact alone! But it's just me, nerdy little Shojo Fukidashi.

"TIME!" the screen yells and the music cuts off. It tallies my score, and man, it's satisfying to watch the numbers go up and up. After a few seconds, it declares that a perfect score has been achieved! For the first time in the history of the arcade, no one has ever conquered the distant perfect score, yet I have—KaguyaYuki!

Everyone around me watches as I achieve the highest score! They look at me amazed, shocked that a fragile woman like me could have the dexterity as a Pro Hero! And Awase, he has a small smile, kinda like he's saying, _I had a feeling you were swindling me. _Then suddenly, tickets come out. Oh right… Each song has a designated amount of tickets if you successfully complete them, and if you get a high score, you get double the amount. By doing the hardest song, which nets me 2500 tickets, I'm gonna get 5000 tickets. Yup, this will take a long time… While that's going on, I'm putting my score on the leaderboards. I _could _enter my full username, but that will give away my identity. So, I'll simply put "KgY" for KaguyaYuki.

I hear whispers and murmurs from the bystanders, who are surely praising me. Awase walks up, watching the tickets spill out of the machine. He puts a hand over his mouth. "Where the hell are we gonna put this?"

I suggest, "Wear it as a headband, Headband."

"Why are you and Tokage calling me that now? Ugh, damnit Kamakiri… I'd rather have a flattering nickname," he says.

"Like what?"

"Something cool! Something unique! Something that properly shows just how much of a badass I am."

"How about Bubbles?" Yosetsu Awase… The "awa" in "Awase" means "bubble".

"...No."

"If you say so, Bubbles! That's my gift from me to you!"

"If you say so, _Girl! _"

"Hey!"

"Your name literally means 'girl'. Your name is pretty much Girl Fukidashi, which isn't wrong."

"Hmph." I pout. The machine finally spits out all of our tickets. I tear it off and bend over a little bit, gathering everything into a neat little stack. The whispers get louder for some reason, but then I hear Awase moving around behind me, and the whispers stop. How strange… Eh, it'll take too much brain-power to figure out why. I fold everything up and give the, frankly quite big, stack to Awase. "Here you go, this is the fruit of our efforts."

"Right now, _your _efforts," he replies before cocking his head towards the rest of the arcade, slinging the tickets over his shoulder. Then, without further ado, we start roaming again.

"Were you impressed, Bubbles?" I ask, still running off the high from my perfect score. Achievement is a better source of dopamine than any drug.

"Of course, Girl! I've never seen you like that before," he says, adjusting our tickets a little.

"Happy?"

"Focused," Awase tells me, "your eyes were so focused on the screen, almost like there was a fire in 'em. And your smile, it kinda said, 'I'mma destroy this game's career.' It was really cute actually…"

Hmph, my face is getting a little warm. He was focusing on me more than the game itself. I'm flattered honestly. Complimenting me like that, well I need to come up with a witty response! And that is… "Bubbles, are you flirting with me?"

Awase smirks, rubbing the back of his head with a free hand. "Just the truth."

He countered it perfectly! Damnit! "Hmph, so you're saying that I'm cute only when I'm focused?"

"No, you're cute all the time. You're just extra cute when you get into the zone," he counters again! Awase is blushing _just _slightly, while my face is heating up like I'm in an oven! Where did he learn his power? Is he a harem protagonist all along?!

"What else is true then? C'mon Bubbles, spill the beans!" I exclaim. I came up with it on the spot! I didn't recall my infinite knowledge of the art of conversation! This was the first thing that popped in my head, so this better not backfire completely! I have to win! I gotta make Awase flustered!

Awase takes a good look at me. He starts down at my feet then makes his way up my body, stopping at my eyes. "Shojo, your thighs are something to die for."

"Eh?!" I know my thighs are very attractive, but I never expected to say that so brazenly! I mean… He _did _take a good look at them on my first day of school. Okay, maybe I _should _have expected that!

"I'm serious, I would be a Hero just for 'em."

"Jeez Bubbles, I knew you were a pervert, but I didn't know you were _this _perverted! You're getting excited just by thinking about my thighs, aren't you?"

"More than you could ever imagine, Shojo."

"..." Okay, I give up. Awase is too good at this game. If I say anything more, I'll become so flustered that I'll explode. This rascal probably dreams of me wearing a bunny suit, doesn't he? A thigh-loving pervert like him would think that's heaven personified. How about me? What kind of assets does Awase have? He's far from ugly—really far—he has muscles, he's a really nice guy, and he seems like he'll do anything for his friends. It's not like Sanji though. For Awase, it's kinda like undying loyalty. That's how I'd describe it. Nobody messes with his friends, else they're getting their asses kicked.

"Heh," Awase laughs, practically exclaiming, _I won. _"Y'know, I—"

What the…

I stop, also stopping Awase by putting my hand on his chest—yup, he's toned. "Awase—"

"Shojo—?"

"Look." I point towards the distant prize booth on the other side of the arcade. One of the top prizes is a figurine of Miko Kamishiki, the female protagonist of _My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?! _. She's dressed as a shrine maiden! I don't have her figurine in my collection! It's really expensive, but if we play our cards right, I could buy it here with tickets! It costs 20,000 and we have one-fourth of the amount already! I must have it!

"She's pretty," Awase comments, and she is! Shiki is a very pretty woman!

"That's why I must get her. That figurine is one of the few that I don't have from _My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?!. _Awase, we have to get Shiki by all means necessary!"

"Alright! Ready to bring your Plus Ultra, Shojo?"

"You bet I am!"

* * *

17,135 tickets acquired. At least, that's my mental calculations. Awase couldn't hold over ten thousand tickets so he went to the ticket machine to convert it into a simple paper slip. He left ten minutes ago. Jeez, I should've asked to stay with him because there's so many people around me! But, if I want Miko Kamishiki—the fair maiden—then I have to be by myself! My anxiety might be too much, but the shame of not getting her would be even worse! Once Manga sees this, he would be so jealous! That's right, Shojo! Do this for Manga! Do it so you can shove Shiki in his stupid little face! Then, I'll invite Pony over so we can geek out together! Kamakiri too, because he obviously has a thing for her.

"One more round…" I say, staring at the wheel. The jackpot is 3,000 tickets, enough to give me what I deserve! I have enough credit for one more round before I have to find Awase. Just gotta spin hard, putting everything I got into getting the jackpot! Luck has a part to play, so I need to pray to whatever God there is! "Please… Bless me with Shiki garbed in miko."

I grab the handle and—!

_SPIN! _

It spins! The wheel spins around and around, the numbers flying pass the red arrow that's on the top of the wheel. The jackpot better land there! C'mon! C'mon!

It's slowing down! The jackpot passes the arrow, but it has enough speed to go for one more revolution! I mutter, "You better not wimp out on me! You can do it! I believe in you!"

It's slower now! So close! It's getting there! Almost...there! The jackpot is right under the arrow! You're almost there, buddy! Just a little more! A little more! And—!

"Ten tickets!"

…

It spits out ten tickets. Literally one centimeter. Just one centimeter to the left and I would've gotten it. I take my ten stupid tickets and say, "Y'know what, I hate you too. If I had a Quirk like All Might's, I would punch you into oblivion."

It asks, "Wanna try again?"

"Go to hell." And die, that too, but I didn't have it in me to scream like Bakugo because I am not an angry pineapple choking on his own ego. Nope, I am just a mere nerd who's drowning in panels and panels and panels of mangas. Ugh, facing Awase with utter defeat would be terrible. He wouldn't mind; I know, but it's embarrassing! Especially since this ugly butt of a machine decided to screw me over! At this rate, my chances of getting Shiki is slim!

Anyway, let's find Awase. He should be at the closest wall, since that's where the ticket machines are. Only problem is… People.

Yup.

People.

And I am a midget. Alright Shojo Fukidashi, it's time to die. Embrace that you are a pitiful woman who accomplished nothing and will never accomplish anything noteworthy in her life. Death from a crowd of people is something you deserve.

And anxiety—so much freaking anxiety. My heart is swimming in anxiety, and I can't even swim! I don't know how to swim! And a bathing suit? I love a beach episode the same as the other girl, but being in one will be terrible for my heart.

Ugh, never mind! I gotta get going!

I squeeze through tiny gaps between people. Some of them are cute little kids while others are hulking giants capable of squashing me with their thumb. You have to thank Mutation-type Quirks for that. Anyway, gotta find Awase! Gotta find Awase; gotta find Awase; gotta find Awase; where the hell is he?

I made it to the wall, but he isn't there. Oh wait shoot, this isn't where he's at. I don't see any ticket machines, only more arcade machines that _look _like ticket machines. Dang it all… Okay, need to deduce where he's at. He's not to my right, since there's a corner over there, so he's gotta me to the left! If I just walk down, I'll find Awase! Just need to look for his trademarked headband and that'll be it!

I—?

"Hey hey!" someone behind me—a guy—greets me. I don't recognize that voice. I turn around and boy, I don't recognize him! Please tell me that he isn't in my class, because I _almost _memorized everyone's faces! I am 95% sure that he's not! I don't think he's in U.A. in general!

"Uhm, hi?" I reply, taking a step back. Okay, getting to Awase would be a lot harder than I thought. This black-haired guy looks like he's about my age, or a little older than that. And he's tall too, but then again, practically all men are tall to me. Something about his eyes though…

"Hey again, you looked like you were lost! Need any help?" he asks, and then he gets _really _close to me! My head is almost against his chest! I try to step back, but there's people behind me!

"W-Well, I'm not really lost—!"

"Sorry, I couldn't hear ya."

"Eek?!" He's putting an arm around me! This is more than a violation of personal space! Is this really happening to me right now?! God, where's Awase? I need him!

He leans his face close to my ear. His stupid breath is too hot! "What did you say again?"

"Uh! Uhm! I-I'm not… Not! Not—not—not… Not—!" I take a deep breath in. "—Not… L-L—"

"Hey…" he whispers again! He needs to stop whispering! He's gonna give me a heart attack at this rate! "You're KaguyaYuki right?"

"Ehh?!" I've been discovered?! Why did it have to be like this?!

"The rumors were right, you're really cute. I bet a lotta guys tell you that, huh?"

"N-No…" I feel like I'm about to cry.

"Heh, glad that I finally get to see ya face-to-face. Once I saw 'KgY' back at the _Hiku! _game, I knew it was you. I never thought that the real KaguyaYuki would be _this _cute. And not to mention..." His hand makes his way down my back.

I try to push him away, but no luck; I'm too weak. I'm not strong enough to push him away. Damnit all! "S-Stop!"

"Why? With legs like yours, who would—?" Someone grabs him by the shoulder and yank him off of me. He exclaims, "The hell?!"

"Who the fuck are you?" It's...Awase! Finally! Any more and I would have broken down crying!

"Who the hell are _you _? Her boyfriend?" the guy shouts back, getting up in Awase's face. Awase isn't intimidated. He's scarily serious; he's never serious like this!

"No—"

"Then step off, don't ya?"

"A-Awase…" I say, running behind him. I grab onto his arm; I feel a few tears running down my cheeks. He sees the awful state I'm in, then he gives the asshole a glare that would make _anyone _scared.

He asks him, "You made Shojo cry?"

"She's fine—!"

_PUNCH! _

"—Awase?!"

_THUD! _

"...Think I punched this asshole a little too hard."

Immediately, the crowd disperses, forming a circle around the three of us: me, Awase, and the dazed pervert. The security guards take notice and walk through the crowd, making their way to us.

Oh crap...

Awase puts his hands up. "Hey guys, I can explain everything—!"

* * *

"..."

"..."

"So…"

"So."

"Guess our day was kinda ruined, huh?" I rhetorically ask Awase. It's all because of a pervert. The guards didn't care who started the incident, so they kicked the three of us out. We're banned there for a month. Ugh, I'm so stupid… I should've stayed with Awase. That way, we would have never encountered that douchebag.

"Yup… I wanna turn back time," Awase says.

"Tuturu..." I say depressingly. Man, I can't even say "tuturu" right.

Awase laughs anyway. "That's how I feel. I'm sorry Shojo." We keep walking. I don't know where we're walking towards. We're just walking.

"Why are you apologizing?" I ask, pressing the tips of my fingers together. "You did nothing wrong."

"Well, that I agree with. Bastards like that, they deserve to get punched. But we ended up getting banned for a month." Awase sighs, shaking his head. "Guess I'm not a fun guy to hang out with, and I asked you to come in the first place."

I exclaim, "That's not true! I wanted to hang out with you, Awase! You're a really cool guy!"

"Ya think so? I mean, I know I'm cool, but am I _cool _cool?"

"Even that! Every time I see you, you're the archetype of the dependable sidekick that everyone can count on and admire! You're so underrated that it's a crime!"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment!"

"Yes! Talk to Manga to understand my references! Moving on, you're one of the few people that I would go outside with _willingly _."

"I didn't save you from that fucker, Catharsis."

"Yeah, but you texted me a lot though, before _and _after." Jeez, it was months ago that I gave Awase my number with Sanji. It was for what again? Oh right, a party for Kamakiri: _Operation Jack Mantis _. Me and Awase have been texting each other ever since then. No one really knows how much we've been texting.

"True, so whaddya saying, Shojo?"

"Well, what do you think? You're a great guy. I'd be satisfied doing anything with you. And…" I feel my chest quickly warming up, or that could be from how hot today is. I'm even looking away slightly, trying to avoid his gaze. "I-I feel really safe around you… Y-You're my hero, Awase."

"..."

_THUD! _

Eh?! Awase fell on his hands and knees! He's clutching his heart! "Awase, are you choking?!"

He yells, "My heart's choking!"

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I don't know how to do CPR!"

"This is how I die…"

"You can't die on me! You're supposed to be my hero!"

"Forgive me, Shojo!"

"Awase—!"

"The fuck?""No swearing, Togaru! We talked about this!"

"Wha—?" Awase and I say in unison, looking up. Oh my God, it's them. It's Kamakiri and Pony. Awase stands on his knees while we stare at them. They look so cute! They have bubble tea in their hands! They drank together!

Pony asks, "Heya! Are ya two are on a date?"

I point at them and reply, "Full Counter."

She puffs her cheeks, huffing. "That's no fair! Why you gotta Full Counter me?!"

"Ugh, what the hell…" Kamakiri says, "Glasses, Headband; I got somethin' really important to tell ya. Really damn important, more important than even All Might's secret love child or some crap like that." All Might has a secret love child?

"What is it, Kamakiri?" Awase asks, finally standing up.

"Well…" Kamakiri takes Pony's hand.

"Huh—?"

_SPRINT! _

They're running?!

So they _are _on a date and Kamakiri doesn't wanna admit it! That's it, I'm getting a confession outta them where they like it or not! I hop on Awase's back, who yelps in surprise. "C'mon Bubbles, we gotta chase after them! This would be great blackmail for Setsuna to have! Giddy up!"

"Alright! I'm finally getting back at Kamakiri for what he did back at the Sports Festival! Ready Shojo?"

"Of course I am! Let's go!"

Awase sprints after them with me in tow.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

Pony: "inoooooochi"

Me: "What's up?"

Pony: "so yknow how togaru and i went out today?"

Me: "Something bad happened"

Pony: "how dya know that something bad happened?!"

Me: "Instinct?"  
Pony: "hmph"

Okay, Kamakiri and Pony went out on a date—too bad that neither of them considered it an actual date—and so did Awase and Shojo. Ironically enough, we call both girls by their first names and the guys by their family names. That's not a relevant detail whatsoever, but I just realized that. Gosh, I'm scatterbrained. I'll ignore that weird detail and think about our two couples. They had an unexpected encounter.

Me: "You guys met Awase and Shojo?"  
Pony: "yup, togaru ran from them!

Me: "Ran?"  
Pony: "yea! we ran like crap away from those two! i dunno why, but it was fun!"

Me: "That's the bad thing? It's just Awase and Shojo. They're harmless"

Pony: "i know! they chased after us but uhm"

Pony: "please don't be mad"

Pony: "i dropped my bubble tea while i was running like heck"

Pony: "and they kinda"

Pony: "slipped"

Pony: "and fell"

Pony: "a lot"

Pony: "a lotta lot"

Pony: "shojo is crying and i feel really bad!"

Pony: "even togaru isn't acting like a grumpy grump!"

...I can't go one day without someone dying on me. The other day, it was Komori because Kagesuke had her notebook in his mouth; we had a test that day. Komori was in literal tears because she hadn't studied at all. Kuroiro couldn't tame his fiendist mutt, so we had to ask Koda from Class 1-A to help. It worked like a charm. But Monoma was there. He said to Koda, and I quote, _"Ohohoho, Koji Koda of Class 1-A! I thought you wouldn't be daring enough to aid a lesser people! You're walking into a class of filth, so doesn't that mean you're filth yourself? Tell me—" _

Then Itsuka chopped him.

Me: "You four okay though? Relatively I mean"

Pony: "yea, i guess so"

Pony: "we're in a cafe about to watch your interview with present mic!"

"Inochi," Present Mic gets my attention. He has his headphones hooked up to the monitor in front of him—or computer, I don't know. The monitors are built into the table, and there's USB plugs in the table compartments; it's hard to explain it. Anyway, Mic says, "We're almost ready! Better finish up your text 'fore we start with PYHU!"

"Roger," I say.

Me: "Speaking of which, we're about to start. Wish me luck, Pony!"

Pony: "mhm! we're counting on you!"

I put my phone on the table, just to my left. I grab my headphones that're around my neck, pulling them apart just enough that the muffs go over my ears. They snap into place, I lean in close to the microphone, and I think that's it! I look at Mic and he's giving me a thumbs-up. The man in the other room gives us a thumbs-up as well, nodding at Mic. God, my heart's beating. We're about to start! Over thirty million people will be listening to us! Gotta stay calm… Jeez, I was so much calmer back at school! Okay, Present Mic gave me loose guidelines of what to follow. I just gotta keep the conversation going… Just keep it going…

The man counts us down with his fingers. Three… Two… One…

_Music! _

"Hey hey! Ho ho! Yo yo! All you Listeners out there, Put Your Hands Up for the Voice of Heroism why don'tcha?! We're comin' at ya from Musutafu, Japan once again—the famed City of Heroes! It's me, Preeeesent Miiiiiiiic! On this Friday evening, you know the drill, we got a special person here this month! Gotta have the talk before the music! This time, the talk isn't with a Hero, but a U.A. student! Most of ya might know him already from his skills back at the Sports Festival, but here he is sitting with me today! He is the star Class 1-B, Sanji Inochi! But right now, he's The Weaponry Hero: Armory! How are you feeling?"

"Well, kinda nervous, Present Mic," I answer truthfully, smirking a little. Though, it doesn't stop my heart from being so fast. Gotta be witty, kinda like when I'm talking to Itsuka. "I mean, I'm sitting here with _you _after all. It's hard to contain my anxiety!" That's good, Sanji! Just keep doing that!

"Aw, don't flatter me too much! You're just nervous 'cuz of the crazy amount of Listeners here today, isn't that right? C'mon Booth—" (Mic refers to the man in the other room as "Booth".) "—tell us how many avid Listeners we got tonight!"

Booth taps his mic, his deep, yet silky voice about to ring out in our ears. "Well Present Mic, I don't know about you, but our numbers are astronomically high on this cool Friday evening. As it stands, we have over twenty million Listeners tuning in to hear the Voice, and the numbers are rising fast."

Present Mic exclaims, "There you have it, folks! Just as what Booth says, we got over twenty million and counting! Goodness gracious, we need a Listener counter in here somewhere! We haven't gotten this many Listeners ever since All Might's guest appearance! Even then, we don't have _nearly _as many Listeners as that interview, heh."

I chime in, "All Might is a very popular man. He isn't the No.1 Hero for nothing. Though, I think that people are here to see what's going on with me rather than my accomplishments." And obviously, they're here to see the legally Quirkless man speak.

"That's why we have you here, c'mon Armory! In English class, you're always spacing out! Where's your head at, man?!" Mic asks me, still exclaiming as always. In class, he's always loud, but he tones it down. Here, he's as loud as he wants. I'm not sure if that's his persona or his real self.

I laugh a little into the microphone, putting my elbows on the table. "The stars, honestly. I'm sorry Present Mic, I don't mean to daydream in your class."

"Offense taken! Am I that boring of a teacher?" he asks. Present Mic winks at me behind his tinted glasses. Oh, I think he wants me to play along. This is supposed to be a little bit of a joke, isn't it? Heh, I can do that.

I clear my throat, looking at Booth. "Uhm Booth, what's the right answer?"

Present Mic sputters and slams his fists on the table. "Don't answer that, Booth! C'mon, I'm a good teacher right?!"

Booth doesn't answer.

"Armory, I'm a good teacher, right? Wait, even better, I gotta be your_ favorite _teacher. Every student has a favorite teacher!" he says, putting it as fact. Well…

"Yeah, students typically have a favorite teacher."

"And…?" Present Mic leads on, moving his hands to pressure me into saying the right answer. Well, about that.

"Good question; great question," I announce, awkwardly staring at my monitor. It has today's date and time on it. Soon, when we get calls, we'll see it on there. "I care about you a lot, Present Mic, so for the sake of your pride, let's move on."

Present Mic dramatically clutches his heart, leaning into his microphone. "The cold shoulder! Who knew Armory could be so cruel, folks?! This kid is known for being the sweetheart of Class 1-B! Yet, he has to lie to save my aching heart! His kindness, like a rose, has thorns!"

"Sakuna Kazeha _did _say that I'm like a poisonous flower, so watch out," I playfully warn him. At the mention of Sakuna Kazeha, Present Mic lowers his head.

"Armory, mentioning that woman, that's a low blow. I swear, she's gonna the next Midnight! Look, I went to U.A. with her, Midnight I mean, when I was your age! Her and Eraserhead and Obo—!" Present Mic stops himself. He pauses in the middle of his sentence; he was about to say another name wasn't he? Whoever this "Obo" is—or _was _—it hits too close to home. I'd rather not pry—one: because Present Mic is my teacher; and two: that isn't right.

I chuckle, scratching the back of my head. "We'll see, Present Mic. We're only first-years after all. The future's still young."

Present Mic shakes whatever thoughts he has out of his head, nodding. "And that, you are right! Dang though, you reminded me that you're only just a first-year, Armory! Look at you, you're one of the most well-known students in U.A., besides from the Trio of Class 1-A!"

"Aw, I'm not as popular compared to them. I mean, I was knocked out in the first stage of the Sports Festival—thanks Suzuki—while they went onto the tournament. Midoriya fought Todoroki and...we know what happened there. Bakugo ended up winning the whole thing because of his incredible technique and agility."

"What about you? You have incredible technique and skill thanks to your training with Master Kendo! Listeners, remember that! Along with Master Kendo's granddaughter, Battle Fist, Armory is his disciple!" Present Mic reminds his dearly devoted Listeners. But for his question, that's true. I have a high level of technique and skill, yet my strength and agility are limited. My fight with Suzuki proved it. There's no point in fighting in terms of natural brawn and speed, because he would demolish me any day of the week.

And Midoriya too.

Yet I beat him in spars because his technique is unrefined. Thinking back on it, I acted with emotion during my fight with Suzuki. I didn't have the same mindset compared to when I spar with Midoriya. I didn't even have to react to Midoriya's attacks that often, because I knew his exact attacks from just a single glance alone.

That was why I lost to Suzuki. I acted on emotion, not instinct. But it gave me a good way to improve myself.

I answer Present Mic, "Thank you, really… I still have a long way to go. Right now, thanks to a fight I had earlier in the year, I began to work on a new skill with Master Kendo."

"Really?! What is it? Spill the beans, Armory! Don't leave all of us dangling like some cat!"

"Prediction," I say, "it's prediction. You have to admit, Present Mic, that I am at a severe disadvantage. I'm not the fastest or the strongest student here due to Quirks. But I don't _need _to be the fastest _or _the strongest. By predicting what my opponent does next, just by noticing their subtle body movements, I can counter their attack before it has even begun. And unfortunately, my Adoptive Muscle Memory won't let me learn this skill. This is a skill that I have to grind out like everybody else, but I'm not complaining."

Mhm. My AMM copies technique, not instinct. Technique is concrete, to say the least. If you perform a technique right, then it's always correct. Sure, some techniques can be wrong compared to others, but given in that specific context, then it's _correct _. The same can't be said with instinct. Let's say instinct tells you that eggs do not come from chickens. In your mind, your instinct is right, but everyone knows that eggs _do _come from chickens, so your instinct is incorrect. If I apply this to prediction, then whenever someone twists their hips, then they're trying to go for a kick. My prediction is _right _, but then their kick is a feint, and I got punched in the face, so my prediction is _incorrect _. What I need to do is make my prediction _correct _, and make it constantly _correct _. Adoptive Muscle Memory cannot turn the _incorrect _into _correct _, that's all me.

"Ah, you might wanna talk to Mirio Togata! He has to predict a ton when using his Quirk!" Present Mic tells me, smiling. "Though Armory, that's mighty smart! You can't use your Quirk, but that means you have less avenues of training! You can focus on improving your physical body and your mindset more than others! That's why you're one of the best fighters in all of the freshmen, honestly!"

I shake my head. "That's not true. There's a ton of people better than me—Itsuka, Ojiro, Todoroki, Midoriya, Bakugo—"

"Think you can take him?" Present Mic asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh?"

"C'mon, think you have what it takes to win against Lord Explosion Murder?!"

"Uhm, please tell me that isn't his Hero Name." Is Present Mic asking what I think he's asking? Crap, I think Bakugo is watching this interview too. I mean, Midoriya and Ashido told me they are. It won't be a stretch for Bakugo to tune in… I need to be careful of what I say here, else I'll have a "friendly" encounter with him on Monday.

Mic laughs, throwing his arms up in the air. "Nah! Midnight didn't let him have it! Poor guy! But but but, you haven't answered my question, Armory~! The world is waiting for your answer! They are absolutely dying to hear you!"

I sigh, lowering my head closer to the mic. I gotta answer. There's no way I can avoid this. "It'll be a toss-up. First of all, it's a fight between a Quirk user and a Quirkless; he has a major advantage already. If we assume that we have our equipment, then I have the advantage of ranged attacks, which he could easily avoid with his agility alone—no Quirk needed. If Bakugo decides to attack me from afar, I could dodge them, so let's say ranged combat isn't a viable option. That leads us into close combat, which I have the upper hand in—"

"Because again, you're a master in martial arts, just like Master Kendo! That's a skill one shouldn't take lightly!"

"Heh, yeah… Anyway, where was I? Right, close combat! At first, I will be severely put in a bad spot because Bakugo is again, has superb technique with Explosions. It'll take me time to adapt to his attacks, so I better hope that I won't be defeated until then. If, or when, I adapt, I'll be able to counter him properly even while Quirkless. So given the right circumstances, there's a _chance _that I could beat him.

"Oh wait, I haven't even considered kenjutsu or my grappling hook… Jeez…" I press my hand against my head. Right, in a fight against Bakugo, I ought to utilize everything I have. With kenjutsu and my mobility—with my grappling hook—it'll even the odds. I'll say it here—it _is _possible for me to beat Bakugo in a spar. The odds aren't in my favor though.

Present Mic laughs into his microphone, leaning back into his seat, nearly snapping it off the base. I try to say something, my mouth opens and everything, but I just close my mouth and silently stare at him. He says, just about howling like some crazy rabid dog, "Well, you heard it here folks! Straight from Armory himself, there _is _a chance for a Quirkless man to beat the man who is arguably the top dog! Can you imagine the reversal of roles here? I think we're living in an influential time, Listeners!"

He leans in closely to the mic, staring at me with a smile. "Heh, imagine Armory's Quirk, wouldn't ya?"

"I knew you would lead into that!" I exclaim, pushing my chair slightly back, gripping onto the edge of the table. "Everyone is in a hubbub about my Quirk, my goodness! My friends, Mister Kan, practically every teacher in U.A.!"

"You can't blame us, Inochi! Your Quirk is a total mystery! No one has a hint of a clue of what the heck it is! We know that it's an Accumulation-type and a Mental-type! But besides that? Absolutely nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch! C'mon, you surely gotta find something out, right? Throw our Listeners a bone!" Present Mic gestures towards my microphone, waiting for me to tell the Listeners something—anything really.

"Well," I say into the mic, "whatever my Quirk is, I won't disappoint. I know there's word that my AP Level will be in the ten thousands, and that's true. Once I finally unlock my Quirk, you won't see The Weaponry Hero: Armory. Instead, I'll have a new name to fit my new life."

Present Mic pushes up his glasses and smiles brightly. "I expected nothing less from a dreamy Hero Student like you! Making promises, assuring Japan that you won't let them down, how heroic! This is why All Might's time as a Hero was the greatest in history! He inspired generations upon generations of rising Heroes to fill the streets of Japan! We see rising Heroes like Lemillion about to step into the bright world of heroism! However, this isn't about him, isn't it? This is about our good friend, Armory! So we better get to know him! This _is _somewhat of an interview after all! Let's switch gears to his life before U.A., why don't we?"

"Eh?" Is Present Mic gonna talk about my life as a foster kid? Well uhm, alright. I'll go along with it.

"If you don't know already, Inochi is a foster child who's currently living with his guardian, Master Kendo. However, he wasn't always living with him and the Kendos. Inochi, why don't you tell us life as a foster child?" he asks.

I find that my eyes are drifting down at the table. I let out a dry cough and lean forward a little more. "Well, it's not glamorous like you think—if you even think it's glamorous anyway. Really, you're moving from town to town, city to city, never really putting down any roots. I mean uhm… Sometimes, it's hard; sometimes, it's difficult trying to find what you really wanna be in this world."

"I feel that! That's something we could relate honestly. Those who say otherwise, well pssh, they're liars. Japan's a big place, y'know! Big people, even bigger cities! It's hard to know what you wanna do, and your parents are supposed to guide ya. Do you remember what they were like?"

"Well…" I think back to the blurry image of my father. Short white hair and with a posture like a wrinkled tree, but unbreakable. He had a limp on his left leg, if I remember correctly. "My father, he was a kind man. He had white hair like how I kinda do. That's about it."

"Anyone else?"

My head starts to pound against my skull. I don't flinch from the sudden pain; the pain is tolerable.

_"I'll take you there, I promise." _

I shake my head, not to answer Present Mic's question, but to shake the words away. That was my brother's voice. I only heard his voice, but I can't envision _where _he said it. Nothing in my brain can come up with the right memory to match what he said. Present Mic notices a shift in my mood and leans his head back, as if he's telling me that he'll ease off the subject. He asks, "Well, he has a good son! Heh, anyway… What made you decide to chase after heroism as a whole? Especially with your circumstances."

"What you said earlier: All Might. He inspired me to become a Hero. Really, I only chased after it in seventh grade. It… It was the best decision I made in my life," I admit, smiling. "Because of that one decision, Gin Ikumoto, my previous guardian, pushed me towards Master Kendo and Musutafu. I have friends that I honestly never had before, those who don't care that I'm Quirkless. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity. The things that led up to this, the exact order of events, they will never happen again in the history of the world. I can't squander what God, or whoever's up there, gave me."

"How amazing! Inspirational even! With a story like yours, it's something outta a movie or a TV show! I think I'm even getting inspired right now!" Heh, that must be a joke.

"Heh, my story isn't that interesting compared to everyone else's. In my class, we have the grandson of Qinglong, who was the No.1 Hero in China; we have my queen: Setsuna Tokage; we have the son of a Villain who more than redeemed himself; and we also have the granddaughter of Master Kendo."

Present Mic giggles like a girl, putting his hand over his mouth. "Itsuka Kendo!"

"Yeah, that should be her name."

"Anything that's equally important?"

"Her Quirk is Big Fists."

"Anything else?"

"She's the Class Representative of 1-B."

"Anything anything else?"

"She's practically the 'Big Sister of 1-B'."

"Anything anything anything else?"

"Everyone adores her."

"Goodness Inochi, you're gonna make me so frustrated that I wanna strangle myself with my own headphone cord!"

"Please don't do that." I know Present Mic's game. Why else would I respond like that? I cross my arms, having them on my lap. "Present Mic, I don't mean to offend you, but you're way too invested in the relationships of your students."

"I blame Midnight," he says, eyeing elsewhere; the exact place doesn't have Midnight there. It's literally just a wall with a couple of pictures on it. "But fair point, Armory. Why don't we move onto something else? Like, for example, any possible transfers from the General Courses? Remember the Hero Course Tutoring program?"

"How could I forget? It wasn't that long ago," I say. Yeah, that was kinda chaotic. Having Suzuki and Nichirin in my class, they were the ones who really riled everyone up. Suzuki, because he's Suzuki, and Nichirin, because he's Nichirin. I even have Nichirin's number actually. Since the program ended, he texted me every day to keep me updated on his training. Today, he sent me: _"Honorable Sanji Inochi, I am pleased to inform you that I do not fall unconscious after three minutes of extended use of Sun King! Once I pass this limit, I shall pass you in return! Harden your skills and aptitude for combat, Armory!" _

Oh, I have Suzuki's number too. When we exchanged them, it was very awkward. Suzuki ended up breaking the ice by taking my phone and putting his number in my contact list, then he insulted my "complete inability to use technology like a normal person". The last thing he sent me, which was a few days ago, was:

_"inochi, this might be a little random, but please punish your comic head dumbass for me" _

_"during our tutoring session today, one of his 'child friendly' mangas ended up in Koko's hands" _

_"you see, i would hurt him myself, but i'm a decent man" _

_"i don't commit murder in front of children because i am very civilized" _

_"so yeah, just do that for me" _

_"thanks" _

I left him on "Read", but I did talk to Manga about it. He prostrated before me.

"Hey hey, Inochi! You're spacing out again!" Present Mic's voice suddenly rings in my ears. I jolt up in my seat, nervously chuckling. He sees that I'm back and laughs with me. "See folks? Armory can space out like an astronaut! Hehe… Anyway, I'mma repeat myself! 'Who do you think will be transferred to the Hero Course?'"

"Hitoshi Shinso is a likely option," I tell him. Back at the Proxy Battles, he had Mister Aizawa's restraining weapon. He's being trained by him. "Given Mister Ai—I mean, Eraserhead's influence in U.A., Shinso will definitely be transferred if he keeps up the good work."

"What about anyone from Class 1-D? There's some impressive folks in there!" Mic exclaims, obviously alluding to a certain few.

"Well, Gera Rudolphus has a very impressive Quirk. If she improves on her studies, then she'll transfer too. As for Karisuma Suzuki…" I pause, letting myself collect my thoughts. "Putting aside our past differences, he has what it takes. He's strong and intelligent, capable of being a proper Hero in his own right. That's enough for a transfer."

"Interesting! Since I'm a staff member of U.A., I am totally not asking for your opinion because I'm terrible at my job! Something like that is absolutely impossible, y'know!" he says into his mic, laughing at his own joke. I laugh too. I lean back in my chair, and stare up at the ceiling, the light hitting my eyes.

"Well Present Mic, this year… This year really is the year where the borders of the realm of impossibility are challenged."

"Eh? Where did that come from?"

* * *

_Sip! _

This is really good juice. My throat really needed it after all that talking. Present Mic sighs and kicks his feet up on the table, his hands at the back of his head. He rolls his head around, the sound of his neck cracking barely audible with my headphones on. He says, "I knew I made the right decision picking ya! You did really well for the first half of the interview!"

"Thank you, Present Mic, but I'm still a bit confused though. Why did you pick me over any other Hero? Or even a student like Bakugo or Midoriya?" I ask, putting my juice box down.

"Easy answer!" He snaps his fingers. "You're a special guy! An underdog in a world of lions and bears! No other Hero has the same origin as you're going through right now! And I _could _have chosen Bakugo or Midoriya, but they haven't made an impact on the world like you have! That, and they are totally not cut out for public relations, let alone radio shows! Just 'cause they're the strongest in U.A. doesn't mean that they're able to handle things like this! You understand now?"

"A little…" I answer. "Still, I'm not a Hero yet. I haven't impacted Japan like how the average Hero has, let alone leaving an impact like All Might or Endeavor. Class 1-A, they're fated to leave a strong impact on the world."

"Jeez, you're gonna make me a broken record, Inochi!" he exclaims, snapping his wrists forward and pointing his fingers at me. "Who's saying that you _aren't _fated to be amazing? C'mon! You're Armory! You're absolutely spectacular! Say it with me, 'I'm meant to be GREAT!'"

"I'm meant to be GREAT!" only Present Mic says.

"..."

He frowns. "You're supposed to say it with me. Let's try again!"

"I'm meant to be GREAT!"

"Uhm, I'm meant to be great."

"As the Voice, yours weren't in it! You gotta be louder this time, Inochi! Say it again!"

"I'm meant to be GREAT!"

"I'm… I'm meant to be great!"

"Again! Louder on 'great'! Use your lungs, your diaphragm! Use every part of your chest! I'm giving you 'Plus', so give me 'Ultra'!"

"I'm meant to be GREAT!"

"I'm meant to be GREAT!"

"Almost there! If you're gonna become a Hero, then you need to be loud and boisterous! You gotta be singing the song of heroism, so that when disaster comes, those in need are looking for a Hero to listen to! So let it be yours! That's what it means to be a Pro!"

I take a deep breath in, my chest puffing up. "I'm meant to be GREAT!"  
And I'm the only one who said it.

Present Mic smiles and snaps his fingers again; I can feel pride beaming from him. "That's right! This year, each and every one of you are great! You shouldn't worry about people who _could be _or _might be _better than you! You gotta bring yourself up!"

"Heh…" What we just did was incredibly goofy, but it was heartwarming to say the least. "I said that not from the lack of self-esteem, but I genuinely believe that some things I have or get the right of having, others deserve it more."

"There's nothing wrong with that! But sometimes, you gotta think 'bout yourself! I bet Kendo tells you that often, doesn't she?"

"More than you can imagine."

"Man, you have a great partner by your side! Better treasure her, if you know what I mean." He winks.

"...Hey Present Mic, tell me about the next part of the interview!" I exclaim, completely changing the topic as if I didn't hear what he said. He drops his smile and his head, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Alright then… We'll have our faithful and awaiting Listeners call in with questions of their own! Or any comments, who knows! Either way, we'll be hearing a bunch of callers!" he explains, having a finger raised. Hopefully, these callers will have good questions for me.

"The commercial break is over in thirty seconds," Booth tells us. Present Mic immediately starts stretching his arms, cracking his fingers, his elbows, and then his shoulders. I roll my chair closer to the desk, my eyes focused on the monitors in front of me. On here, I'll have information about the callers that Booth will hook up to my computer. Present Mic shoots me a thumbs up before looking towards Booth, who's holding up ten fingers. Then five fingers… Four, three, two, one…

"Hey hey Listeners and Put Your Hands Up why don'tcha?! Thanks for waiting out the commercials while we get things handled on our end! Now, we'll be getting to what I believe is the best part of any interviews on this radio show—the callers! You, my awesome Listeners, could talk to Armory! Ask anything! Say anything! Don't hold your passion back! Booth, why don't you start us off?!"

Booth replies, pushing some buttons, "My pleasure, Present Mic. Our first Listener is… Uhm… How do I say this?"

Present Mic and I glance at each other, before looking back at Booth. He says, "Our first Listener is Katsuki Bakugo."

"..."

"..."

I mouth to Present Mic, _Can we pass him and find another Listener? _He shakes his head, mouthing a _No _in response. Present Mic laughs and gives Booth a thumbs-up. "Let's hear Katsuki Bakugo, Booth! Let's see what he—" He clears his throat. "—has to say…"

Reluctantly, Booth hooks up Bakugo's call. I cover my mouth, closing my eyes for a brief second. Please let this turn out okay… Oh God, why did Bakugo have to be the first Listener? Is it because he doesn't lose? Is that why he's first? He can't settle for being the second Listener or the third? But only the first? I'm—?!

"Shitty Deku!" Bakugo screams in my ears. Well…

Present Mic taps his mic, saying, "Bakugo, don't use foul language! We have children listening—"

"I don't give a damn! Shut the hell up, Mic!" Bakugo snaps at Present Mic, then I can feel his attention turning back to me. "C'mon Shitty Deku, y'think you can beat me in a fight, huh?! Is that it?!"

"..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought! Talking all that shit 'bout me earlier, you didn't think I caught that?! You might be hot shit in martial arts, but like hell you'll win! Y'know why?! You don't give a single damn 'bout winning!"

"I don't—" I reply.

"Shut up! Don't tell me what I already know! You just proved my point though, Shitty Deku! In a fight, of course I'll win! In fact, I'll _kill _you just 'cuz you don't wanna win! If you feel like that, then why the fuck are you still in U.A., bastard?!" ("Language, Bakugo!")

"To be a Hero—" I answer.

"Bullshit! Winning, that's what Heroes do—!"

"Honestly Bakugo, I disagree," I interject, finally getting my chance to speak. "I don't care about victory or bragging rights. Those things, they never interested me. But saving people? Saving _lives? _That's astronomically more important than winning."

"Then I'll save more lives than you, you jackass!"

"Uhm, okay?"

"Yeah, that's right! If I can't beat you one way, then I'll beat you some other way! Shitty Deku—"

"I'm not Midoriya."

"That's pretty damn obvious, isn't it?! Wonder why I call you that, huh?!"

"A little bit."

"Well, you're just like that rat-faced bastard! Hell, I heard 'bout your spars with him! You keep winning, don't you?! Admit it! You're beating Deku at his own game!"

He's not wrong. Like what I said earlier, I'm usually the victor in 95% of our fights. We both are close-combat fighters, and of the two, I'm better. _If _he's using Full Cowling and not going all out to punch me into paste. However, Midoriya is getting better by the day. It's only a matter of time before he reaches my level of skill, and that's when our spars will even out. He's improving himself faster than I improve _myself _.

Even then, it's a relaxed spar. It's not like I'm the guy who murdered all of his All Might figurines. If we were _serious _about our spars, then the outcome would be a lot different.

I sigh, lowering my head a bit. "Yeah… I concede to that fact. But Bakugo, Midoriya—"

"Shut up, damnit!" he yells. "That little punk has been making a fool outta me! If you've been beating his ass into kingdom come and I'm not, then I'm basically worse than you! So I gotta win! I gotta win and surpass you and Deku no matter what!"

"What if I awaken to my Quirk?"

"Even better! Beating you properly, unlike that Half-and-Half Bastard, will prove that I'm the strongest in this damned school! Sparring or saving people, I'll beat you either way! You better look forward to your inevitable defeat, 'cuz I'm not backing down for a single second! You're in U.A., so I don't give a damn that you're Quirkless! Got it?!"

I glance at Present Mic, who's just burying his face into his hands. "Uhm, yup. Loud and clear, Bakugo. Thank you for this talk."

"Shitty—!"

"Booth!" I call out to him. "Next caller please!" Booth nods and before Bakugo could say anything else, Booth ends the call.

I hear Present Mic muttering under his breath, "If we didn't censor his swears, then I would hafta deal with so much paperwork…" Oh, the swears must be censored on the audience's side of things. I heard it unfiltered, and I kinda wish I hadn't.

Booth clears his throat, clearly seeing that Present Mic is not able to do his job. He announces, "After that wonderful call with Mister Bakugo—such a swell man—we have our next caller! Meet Keiji Matsuoka from Hiroshima."

We get hooked up to Matsuoka, who will hopefully be a lot more well-mannered than Bakugo. Present Mic yelps and quickly composes himself. He says, "Hey hey Matsuoka! How are you today?"

"Good!" a man says, who sounds no older than a college student. "I actually have a question for you, Present Mic!"

"Really? Well lay it on me! Lemme hear what you got!"

"Why didn't you have a Pro this month? I would rather listen to that rather than some Quirkless yapping about himself."

Present Mic's face immediately twists into regret. He eyes me, and my face is still. I'm not going to show anything on my face, otherwise he'll get what he wants from me: a rise. Present Mic scratches his neck, saying, "Well, I wanted to switch it up by having an upcoming Pro! It'll be a nice change of pace from what I usually do!"

"But a Pro Hero needs a Quirk. You agree, right?"

"Well, that depends on Armory! We might see him all Quirk'd up some day!" Present Mic makes a cutting gesture to Booth, who nods. "Now, we have other Listeners who're chiming to call in! Thanks for talking to us, Matsuoka! Remember to always Put Your Hands Up!"

Booth cuts the call. "Thank you Keiji Matsuoka. Our next Listener is none other than Kiyoko Uemura."

Uemura's voice, a middle-aged woman, rings in my ears, "Sanji Inochi, isn't it? For your information, I'm a mother whose son was determined as heck to get into U.A.! Everyday, he complains that you stole his spot! Don't you think it's unfair for someone who works so hard, so much to only get squat, while you are here reaping the benefits?"

Present Mic intervenes, "Us staff at U.A. chose to let Inochi stay within the Hero Program, y'know! It was our choice to let him keep training as a Hero! He has potential!"

"More potential than my Ken?" she asks.

He answers, "Your son has potential, Miss Uemura! I believe that no matter what, he'll become an amazing Hero! U.A. isn't the end-all be-all! There's other schools and universities out there! Gotta broaden your horizon! Now, Booth is telling me that there's a hotbed of callers waiting to get a piece of Inochi! Thank you for giving us your time!"

The call ends as fast as it began. Present Mic… He's defending me. Against these people who haven't put their faith in a Quirkless man—who can blame them—he didn't concede to their arguments. Instead, he deflected the question and said something else that would still make them happy. He has amazing people skills. I wouldn't think of driving the conversation elsewhere while simultaneously pleasing others. He's not reprimanding the callers too, otherwise his radio show will take a hit in reputation. Somehow, he's making the best out of the worst situation.

He didn't have to protect me though. He might be my teacher, but he didn't have to go the extra mile to defend me. I could've done that myself, I would've taken all responsibility for the damage I would've caused to _his _radio show, the one _he _invited me to. Most of Japan aren't fond of me anyway, so it wouldn't have changed much. I would be perfectly fine with that fate, because I'm not the one taking risks. Present Mic took a massive one when he invited me, and for that, that's a debt that I should repay. I only did this for extra credit too… God Sanji, you're an idiot.

Eiji Iwai. "Y'know, I think the worst Hero is a lot more interesting than this guy."

Cut.

Momoko Inaba. "I truly believe that U.A. is wasting their time with him."

Cut.

Kayo Soda. "I don't think we'll ever see Armory making it big. Just my opinion."

Cut.

Ren Obara. "Sure, Inochi is a badass, but he won't get anywhere without a Quirk."

Cut.

Akio Kawano. "Present Mic, do you believe he'll be anything great?"

Cut.

Yuka Kanno. "The chances of him becoming the No.1 Pro is pretty much zero."

Cut.

All these names, I stop remembering after Yuka Kanno. It's just cut, and cut, and cut, and cut. Booth keeps cutting the calls after Present Mic replies to them. I never once said anything, only him. I don't bother counting how many people insulted me, or believed that I won't get anywhere at life. I heard it all before. All my life, before U.A., it's just been this. It's just been ridicule after ridicule, so much ridicule. I stopped crying a long time ago. Not because I don't have a tear left to shed, but because I just don't care anymore. Pretty much it.

Itsuka and everyone else must be watching this, or at least listening. I wonder how they're reacting to this. Or maybe Suzuki and his friends. Or maybe… If Gin is still out there, how does he feel about this? He was the one who gave me this life, and I couldn't be more thankful.

"Sanji Inochi!" an elderly woman's voice brings me out of my thoughts. Her voice is sweet and kind, as if she's right in front of me. I look at Present Mic, who probably knows that I haven't been paying attention whatsoever. He gestures for me to speak.

"Uhm, hello?" I greet her.

"Hello! My name is Kakoe Aoki. It's finally a pleasure to hear your voice!" Aoki exclaims, like she's been waiting for this moment for a long time. For some reason, when I hear her voice, I can't help but listen to it. It's not her Quirk, it's something else, but I can't put my finger on it. There's something about her.

"Th-Thank you… Uhm, how are you Miss Aoki?" I ask.

"I'm great! And please, call me by my first name! No need for formalities!" she insists. I nod, but she can't see me nodding—that's stupid of me.

I clear my throat. "A-Alright… Kakoe, tell me something about yourself." Jeez, this conversation is so awkward, but this is the first person who's not being mean to me. That's why Present Mic hasn't cut her call yet.

"Well, I live in Mugazuki! It's a quaint little town off the coast! Such a beautiful place, my boy! At night, you could see the entire galaxy! You should see it some time! It'll give you a whole new perspective at life!"

"Heh, it _does _sound amazing. Y'know, I kinda like the stars myself. I'm not a day person by any means, I'm a night owl—hoot hoot." That was a terrible owl impression. "Hehe, ignore that please. When I bounced around Japan, I always enjoyed the small towns the most, because at night, I could look out the window and see the stars. In the big cities like Musutafu, we really don't see much, if not anything at all due to light pollution."

"A shame really! I could never live in a big city. Too many people and noise! I would go nuts within the first hour, for goodness sake! Sanji, I'm a lot more dangerous when I go nuts, not even All Might could stop me!"

I laugh. "I don't think anyone could stop you. From the sounds of it, if there's a mountain in your way, you would tear it down."

"You bet I would! But back to my previous point, I simply adore the peace in Mugazuki. It's genuinely underrated."

"And the stars too?"

"Especially them! There's an infinite amount of stars out there, and each one of them contains a dream of each soul in Japan. Not enough people realize that dreams hold immense power that nothing can match—so really, its power is infinite as well. Hold the stars, and you hold dreams; you hold dreams, and you hold infinite power. Simple as that!"

I smile. That statement rings true to me more than anything else. My Quirk, Dreams, accumulates the dreams of everyone I touch. The current number is 28,319. I might not have infinite power, but I'm getting there. I say to Kakoe, "Yeah, pretty simple alright. You seem like an elderly woman—I don't mean any offense—but I'm sure you still have a dream, right?"

"None taken! And of course I do! Every person has a dream."

"Yeah… What's yours? Maybe one day, I can make it come true."

"You already have, just by being there," she says. I swear that I heard her voice break a little. "Sanji, why don't you promise me something? It won't be hard, I swear."

"Of course," I find myself saying. Something in me, something in my heart _needed _to promise Kakoe this. I don't know why.

She tells me, "Find your dream and never let go. Thank you for talking to me."

"Wait—"

She ends the call herself.

…

Kakoe Aoki, I'm...grateful to have spoken to you as well. Mugazuki, huh? Hearing the name of the place now, I wish I could live there, honestly. Something about it… It calls to me even though I've never seen it before in my life.

I turn to Present Mic, who's smiling. He says into his mic, "Thank you Miss Aoki for saying such inspirational words to Armory! I hope you're seeing the stars in Mugazuki! And now, for our next caller, Booth!"

Booth smiles and says, "Our next caller is Ichiko Tazawa! She's been really eager to speak with you, Inochi!"

Ichiko Tazawa? I know that name! Back at the Proxy Battles, I signed an autograph for the president of Hawks's fan club! The autograph was for her little cousin, Ichiko Tazawa! I hear her voice coming out of my headphones; she's just as young as I imagined her. "Armory Armory! Are you there?!"

"Yeah, I'm here, Tazawa. How are you?" I ask, my voice brimming with pride. She sounds so happy.

"I'm great! Oh-so-super-duperly-great! I got your autograph a long time ago, but I still have it! You're amazing, Armory!"

"Aw, I'm not that great. I mean, look at you! You're trying to be a veterinarian. That's a lot harder than being a Hero, honestly! Saving pets is a lotta work!"

"But I'll do it! Count on that! Just 'cuz I'm Quirkless like you, doesn't mean I can't do nothing! I can do _anything! _Just like what that kind lady said! My dreams are big, but I'm bigger! Gotta work hard just like you, right?!"

"Just like me, right! If you wanna make your dream come true, then you _need _to put in a thousand times the effort! Once you do that, then you'll surely become a vet! As Armory,that's my promise!"

"Mhm! Thank you for being you, Armory! I don't care what everyone else says! You are so amazing and determined! You're, like, the best Hero ever! I can't wait until I see you kick butt on TV!"

"And I hope you'll be watching me!"

"Yea—? Oh shoot, my mom says I gotta go! Thank you for talking to me, Armory! Keep fighting to be a Hero, okay?! If you don't, then I'll beat you up!" she threatens me, and before I have the chance to reply, Tazawa ends the call. I sit there, staring at my monitor with a big smile on my face. That was a short conversation, but I needed that. I really needed that. Hearing how excited she was, how she was immediately willing to work her butt off to achieve her dream… It means that...that I made a difference in the world. It's only one person, only one soul, yet that's enough. This is proof that there's people who look up to me, so I can't let them down. As their Hero, I need to do my best.

Present Mic exclaims, "My goodness Ichiko Tazawa! You are giving Armory a lot of praise! I'm looking at him right now, he's absolutely glowing! You are the sunshine that we needed today! Thank you so much! Booth, how about another caller?"

Booth says, "Roger that, Present Mic. Actually, our next caller is also Quirkless as well. His name is Goro Yamazaki."

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Present Mic replies, throwing his arms up in the air. "Let's hear him!"

Goro Yamazaki's voice comes onto my headphones, and I smile, letting him greet me.

* * *

"Inochi, you did great." Present Mic and I stop just outside the doors of his radio building. A few people walk in and out through the doors, greeting Mic with a smile and wave. He returns the gesture, but ultimately turns to me with glowing admiration.

"Thank you, Present Mic. And when, y'know, I was getting flamed for being Quirkless, I'm glad you defended me. You didn't have to, though," I say, crossing my arms.

"Of course I did! What kind of Hero—no, what kind of _person _would I be if I didn't defend ya? I was telling the truth earlier too! You have potential of becoming a Pro Hero! Even Shouta agrees with me, and you know how hard he is to please!" Present Mic responds. I never know how his voice wouldn't be destroyed after two hours of practically screaming.

"Eraserhead really thought that? I am actually surprised. He runs 1-A into the ground, and I know. I saw how sore Ojiro is after some of his training with him," I say.

"Well, here's a little hint: He appreciates hard work! With your level of skill, you can disable almost anyone who _has _a Quirk, which is impressive in itself! I know I'm singing your praises too much, but I gotta! You don't get enough praise often, and we saw why. I'm sorry, Inochi."

"It's fine, Present Mic. I dealt with this often."

"Doesn't make it right."

_Bzzt! Bzzt! _

My phone. Itsuka's calling. I gesture to my phone and Present Mic lets me answer.

"Sanji!" Itsuka exclaims. "You're done with your interview, right? Is this a good time?" Oh, am I glad to hear her voice.

I laugh a little, responding, "Yeah yeah, it's done! I'm just about to head home now, actually."

"Good! So uhm, about what happened with the calls—"

"Don't worry about it! It got better in the end! I kinda wished you called me though, everyone else too."

"Well, I almost destroyed my laptop from how many assholes were insulting you."

"Jeez Itsuka—"

"Don't 'jeez Itsuka' me! My reaction is appropriate. This reminded me that there's still jerks out there, Sanji. They don't believe in you like how I do."

"Heh, I know. You might be my biggest fan, Itsuka."

"No, that title belongs to Setsuna."

"She _would _buy all of my merchandise…"

"Yeah, but this isn't about her. It's about how great you are."

"Is this phone call gonna be about praising me? If so, I'm hanging up."

"Don't you dare, jerk. You're a great—!"

I hang up.

Present Mic's eyes go wide, saying, _Did you just hang up on Kendo? _I nod.

_Bzzt! Bzzt! _

Itsuka's calling me again. I answer, "G'evening."

"Asshole. Lemme finish what I was gonna say. You're an amazing—"

I hang up.

Present Mic is giving me an even worse look. _What are you doing, Inochi? _I nod.

_Bzzt! Bzzt! _

I answer, "Yoohoo."

"Hey jackass."

"Sweetheart."

"You are one of the most—"

I hang up.

Present Mic mouths, _You didn't even know what she was trying to say! _I nod.

_Bzzt! Bzzt! _

I answer, "Hey hey, ho ho, yo yo."

"You are a terrible person and I hate you."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Why do I put up with you again?"

"Heh…"

"Just get home already. Mom made your favorite."

I look back at Present Mic, and he smiles. I nod one last time, smiling back before I start making my way back home with Itsuka talking to me.

* * *

**Remembrance of High School Days**

Hizashi Yamada, known as the Pro Hero—

No actually, right now he is simply known as Hizashi Yamada. The public knows him as Present Mic, but at this very moment, he wants to be Hizashi Yamada, just an ordinary man who talks loudly. He watches Sanji Inochi leave, the sound of his footsteps and the sound of his voice becoming distant as the seconds go on.

When he disappears out of sight, Hizashi looks up at the sky, adjusting the speakers that are around his neck. They are made out of metal, so it's naturally a bit uncomfortable to walk around in, let alone wearing it in the heat, just like this evening. But the sky above, there isn't really anything there. Well, there's only the faded moon and two entire stars out. Only two. The galaxy is hidden because of the light pollution that Musutafu gives off—one of the cons of living in the city, in Sanji's eyes.

Sanji Inochi, he's a nice man—a kind man. He seems to be the type of man who would go the extra mile for someone no matter what, whether that mile would go over mountains or oceans, he would take on the journey no matter what. That attitude, and with the pure-hearted smile he holds—the one inspired by All Might—it reminds Hizashi of a certain man.

_"As long as the three of us stick together, there's not a single problem that we can't solve!" _

Hizashi says, not to particularly anyone, but maybe to the sky or the two stars that glimmer above him, "Good grief, Inochi! You've been thinking about people who deserve that interview, more than you do! If that isn't selflessness, then I dunno what is! You oughta be the embodiment of selflessness! As a Hero and a teacher, I ought to be proud and all! I mean—"

_"Being the future generations of Heroes, I hereby state that we have to be absolutely amazing! People are counting on us to save 'em and wow 'em at the same time!" _

"I mean, whenever you walk in a room, the entire dang thing lits up! Once everyone sees you, they're like, 'The man of the hour is here! Today's gonna be a great day, I know it!' With danger, you just don't give a crap 'bout it. Running in without caring about the consequences!"

_"Hey hey, don't bust my balls, Shota! You know me! I can't see someone in pain and _**_not_**_do anything about it! So what I broke my arm? It was worth it!" _

Hizashi shakes his head. "Sorry Inochi, I don't think I'm talking about you anymore! As much as I like you, I don't think I was ever talking about you."

_"Y'know, there's nothing we can't do! We have Quirks, but most importantly, we have each other! So c'mon guys, we have a world to save! We're the Three Stooges of Class A! And in the future, we'll be the Three Stooges of Japan!" _

He wipes away a tear that's trickling down his cheek. "Oboro… Seems like Shota and I… We're the only stooges here."

Hizashi Yamada, just a simple man, looks up at the two stars above and remembers his high school days. For the rest of the evening, he wishes for another star that would join the two.

* * *

**Hey hey, Put Your Hands Up for this chapter! It was fun to write, and now, with the next chapter—The Little Light at The Horizon—it will be the start of the Final Exams arc! Stay tuned because Kuroiro and Monoma's backstory will be revealed here, along with setting up my game pieces for the next few arcs!**

**Post-chapter discussion:**

**U.S.J.: I started in USJ because I felt like it. It's a nice place where everyone would be at one location and I can pull them away or introduce them into the conversation. Really, after the last arc which focused around Suzuki then Master Kendo's mini-arc, we needed more screentime for a majority of 1-B. Even though the Final Exams will mainly comprise of 1-B students, I still wanted to have them be teenagers like how Honenuki decided to push Inochi off the ship because *why not*. It illustrates just how close these guys are, especially when they have a betting ring.**

**Because of course they do.**

**Arcade: And why did I write a scene for Shojo and Awase? Because they are shipped together, so I might as well give them more screentime! Especially when Shojo will appear constantly in the story. That was my plan ever since the Catharsis Arc ended. She will constantly show up in big scenes and have her own scenes as well, trying to deal with life thinking that she can handle it anime-style. By the way, there was a lot of anime references in her scene, all thanks to Shojo Fukidashi, the absolute nerd. Adorable nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.**

**PHYU: Hey hey, yo yo, ho ho! Sanji Inochi is no longer unknown! If he was unknown in the first place. This guaranteed that he'll be recognized in Japan, infamous for what he is. You might wonder why Present Mic wanted Sanji to come onto PHYU, and he explained it in the chapter, but I'll elaborate more here. Sanji, out of the Big 3 of 1-A, currently has more of an impact on society than any of them combined. Why? His fanclub. Sanji has a fanclub because he's a Quirkless man trying to become a Hero. His fanclub is comprised of other Quirkless just like him, along with a few ladies who signed on because he's handsome. Midoriya doesn't have as much as an impact as him, neither does Bakugo (obviously), and Todoroki only has a fanclub solely because he's pretty. It makes sense for Sanji to come onto PHYU because he's *already* inspiring people to follow their dreams, exactly the quality that U.A. wants. And he can handle being on radio too. Midoriya would be too nervous, Bakugo would cancel PHYU altogether, and Todoroki is Todoroki. Sanji is capable enough to hold his own. (Or who knows? Maybe Hizashi thought about a certain someone when he saw Sanji?)**

**Though, no one would be capable enough against a sea of insults. It might be a broken record, but I will continuously repeat it as much as I want to: society ain't 100% nice. There are people who still doesn't believe in Sanji despite the obvious facts. There will always be people like that, and they would even ignore the facts to fit their beliefs. It's a bit upsetting, but again, I will do this as long as Sanji is still Quirkless, because society doesn't change as fast as the characters.**

**But thanks to Ichika Tazawa (I hope I remember that right) and Kakoe Aoki, they cheer Sanji up, especially Kakoe Aoki. Anyway, I should address Sanji's capabilities of fighting.**

**Armory: Is Armory one of the best fighters in U.A.? Yes. He's a master at martial arts. Like before, he lost to Suzuki due to the gap in speed and strength, but that was because Sanji tried to fight Suzuki on the same playing field. This was due to him being emotional, as said in the chapter. As a result, he's working on his ability to predict attacks before it happens. That will be an incredibly useful skill since he only has his Quirkless body to fight. As it stands, he would have surprisingly good odds to beat Bakugo, the star of 1-A. Though, Bakugo is much better than Sanji and would still win most of the times. I am paying attention to the power levels heavily in DoS. Deku and Bakugo are supposed to be the two strongest students in U.A., and when Sanji unlocks Dreams, that dynamic will be altered slightly, but will mainly stay the same.**

**Anyway...**

**Remembrance of High School Days: This is the first scene that has a 3rd person narrator. This is a scene I wanted to put in, but there was no possible way to have a 1st person narrator unless I wanted to go into Hizashi's POV, which I didn't want to do because it would probably be his *only* POV scene. It'll be much more smoother, in my opinion, to put it in 3rd person. If you like the idea of 3rd person narrator, or if you don't, go ahead and comment that. But don't think there'll be 3rd person scenes every chapter. It'll be every now and then, denoted by ~*~*~.**

**Now that's done and over with! Leave a favorite, review, whatever and look forward to the next chapter!**


	39. The Little Light at the Horizon

**Shihai Kuroiro**

"This is why it should be illegal to spontaneously dance in public," Honenuki says at the front of the room. On the chalkboard, he has written up diagrams and logical statements to support his argument. However, there is one thing troubling me: Absolutely no one asked him to make this argument. Literally no one at all. One moment, Rin was recalling a childhood story where he saw a flash mob performing a traditional Chinese dance, then Honenuki went on a rant about how he loathed "freaking flash mobs". Awase and Tsuburaba eventually became involved, then Tokage decided to input her own opinion into the matter, prompting Honenuki—which again, no one directly prompted him—to march up in front of the classroom and began his tirade about why "crazy dancing people should get life in prison". Frankly, I never listened to his rant. It's riddled with fallacies, inconsistencies, and what else? Ah, yes… _Utter foolishness. _Somehow, he is more foolish than my fiendish mutt, Kagesuke, who is sleeping on my desk. It's unwise to wake him.

"Mister Honenuki, will this be on the exam?" asks Tokage, the scheming lizard who knows naught of humility.

Honenuki, retracting his imaginary pointer, replies, "Yup, but I don't think even you could get full marks. I will proudly boast that my class average is a D."

Kendo, the masculine woman who seems more of a tough mother to 1-B than this so-called "tomboy" that Manga and Tokage speak of, says, "I think that's says more about your teaching than on us."

"No one is supposed to get a good grade in my class!" Honenuki exclaims, his teeth clattering together like how a skeleton would laugh.

"I think you proved Itsuka's point there…" Inochi adds, who currently has his notes out, studying for our upcoming Final Exams. An absent-minded man, one who daydreams of stars and the galaxy realm above us, larger than we can begin to fathom. The hidden power he wields, I wish that I would see it unveiled.

Honenuki tilts his head in annoyance, glaring at Inochi. Fury, raw fury is in his eyes as if he embodied the spirit of a rampaging bull. "Inochi, I will drop you by a letter grade for backtalk."

"Sounds like I'm already failing your class, Mister Honenuki!" exclaims Inochi, "Dropping my grade down a letter won't do much other than guaranteeing that I fail."

"Well, you're kinda of a Grade A failure," retorts Honenuki, using clever wordplay—only in Honenuki's own eyes—to aid with his reply. I am not amused. Juzo Honenuki tries to be a comedian and only makes himself look like a fool—and a mean-spirited bully.

Inochi straightens his lips, making it apparent that he didn't expect the insult. An insult that wasn't meant to be taken seriously, yes, but it was an insult that was made out-of-taste. He has a look that says, _Where in the world did that come from? _Kendo clicks her tongue and Honenuki bows his head, giving Inochi a thumbs-up. Inochi returns the gesture and Honenuki takes his seat.

Vlad King, our splendid and glorious teacher, takes this opportunity to steal the last remaining minutes to speak. "Good, I see that Honenuki stopped ranting about flash mobs. I have no idea where that conversation came up, but I have no intention to ask."

Rin, the man who almost attained dragonhood, speaks, "Please forgive me, Mister Kan. I didn't expect Honenuki to have a...very strong opinion of flash mobs."

"I was kicked in the face when I was five! You'd be traumatized too!" Honenuki defends his position, bursting out of his chair once more. Pony Tsunotori, the foreigner and the innocent girl who everyone adores, pulls on his shirt as if she is saying, _Sit the heck down!_ Listening to the small woman, he nods and does exactly that.

Mister Kan clears his throat. "As I was saying before Honenuki interrupted me, I'll remind you again about the Final Exams next week." In unison, most of the class groan, especially the upcoming idol named Kinoko Komori. Behind her bangs, a small frown is strewn across her lips. Frankly, I thought I saw her napping earlier. It seems like I was wrong.

Kosei Tsuburaba complains, "Can we just fail? I feel like failing."

"Do you think you can fail your Final Exam? If you fail, then you wouldn't be allowed to attend summer camp," Mister Kan replies with a blunt tone, utterly destroying Tsuburaba's weak and clumsy dreams of sloth. Tsuburaba laughs, but Mister Kan shakes his head. "I'm not joking, Tsuburaba. If you fail, then you'll be put at a disadvantage for the rest of the school year. As your teacher, I will not and absolutely refuse failure from you—both in the written and in the practical. All of you are so damn brilliant, so much better than Aizawa's pets. It should be impossible for you to fail the Final Exam. You get what I mean?"

We nod.

"Good, I'll make this simple. For three days next week, you will be taking written exams for most, if not all, of your classes. On the fourth day, you will undergo your practical portion of the exam, which will not be described until the day of. Then on the fifth, that will be your easy day. We will talk about the I-Expo and any events that'll take place during your summer break. That's all I have, but despite my short reminder, this is a _very_ big part of your grade. Do not squander your time. Study your heart out and prepare yourself for the practical. Do you understand?"

"Yessir!" we reply in unison. Mister Kan nods and smiles, similar to how a father would smile at his children. For a bachelor, he seems like the man who would have a daughter, but I believe he's childless.

"Good!" Mister Kan smiles and looks around his class of his adoring students. He is our mentor and our guide to the world of heroism, as if he is guiding us through the Styx River and into the deep. "You kids are great people! You have each other's back, so I know you won't let anyone fail under your watch. Being a teacher, I'm definitely spoiled. It's almost enough to make a grown man cry."

"But Mister Kan, you're not crying," says Awase, a halfwit.

"I said _a_ grown man, not me. It'll take a lot more than that to make me cry," he replies.

Reiko Yanagi—she is known as the woman who speaks in large words and has a guilty pleasure of the occult—asks, "What about onions? They are enough to make anyone cry, regardless of gender."

Mister Kan concedes, "Okay, _maybe_ onions could make me cry, but that's more forced tears rather than genuine tears."

Yanagi continues with her argument, "What about reading horror stories on the internet? Some of those stories are more than enough to bring a man to tears, making them have extremely vivid nightmares for days or even weeks."

"Still Yanagi, I, Vlad King, don't get scared," he declares like it's fact.

Yui Kodai—a silent woman—hums, "Mmm." I do not have an inkling of what she said.

Mister Kan, surprised that Kodai actually spoke, looks at her bewildered. "What did you say? Can someone translate for me?"

Monoma obliges, "She said, my dear teacher, that you are a bonafide scaredy-cat." Kodai only said one word, and that was not a word that existed in Japanese vocabulary. It was quite literally a hum, so it would be impossible for her to say an entire sentence.

"Kodai!" Mister Kan exclaims in disapproval. "Don't think of me as that! What do you think I am? A wuss?"

"She didn't say that, Mister Kan…" Kendo assures him, "all she said was, and I quote, 'Alright.'" Inochi's head perks up, seeming to differ from Kendo's translation of her best friend's words. I swear, Kodai is another language in itself.

"I dunno about you guys, but I heard 'sure'," says Inochi.

"You two got really different translations from me," Tokage joins their conversation with a smile from her jagged set of teeth, "Yui said, 'Vlad King, o' honorable Hero, you ought not to boast about your lack of fear, for every man fears, even one who claims that he bears a stone heart, as he is the one who has the most fear out of us all.'"

"How poetic, Kodai! I never took you as the one who mastered archaic diction," Monoma says with a beaming smile, yet an evil smile. Monoma is incapable of having a pure smile like Pony or Komori.

However, Kendo does not have a beaming smile herself. Instead, she looks angry. "That's horribly wrong! Sanji and I only got one word! You had a dramatic monologue that doesn't fit how Yui speaks!"

"I-I thought Yui only spoke in hums…" Bondo speaks up, but neither of the women heard him. In fact, they are most likely caught up in their growing argument.

"Yui is our beautiful queen! She will speak however she wanna speak! If she wants to become Shakespeare, then she _will become_ freaking Shakespeare!" Setsuna defends herself, moving past me.

Togaru Kamakiri—a foul-mouthed man and the son of a Villain—is staring at the ladies with a disgusted expression, more so than usual. "How the hell can any of y'all even understand what Deadpan is sayin'?!"

Manga Fukidashi, everyone knows how he is like, tells him, "Yui Kodai has that power. I know for a fact that she is a kuudere. With her beauty, she's able to have the world at her mercy. You'd think that Kodai can't communicate, but in reality, she doesn't need to because she's more powerful than any of us could imagine. Look at her."

Kodai is staring at Kendo and Tokage, who're now arguing over what she said. There is no emotion in her eyes—absolutely nothing. Yes, Kodai is a beautiful woman, yet I have my suspicions. She may be beautiful, but her heart is fired in pure, unadulterated chaos of the ultimate form. Yui Kodai is the embodiment of all chaos in the world, the one who feels no remorse for her actions, seemingly becoming a being higher than us mortals could ever comprehend nor understand. That is her power indeed, and we ought to be afraid. If left unchecked, then we would surely perish under her meager use of words.

"I am so confused," Tsuburaba comments.

"It's easy to confuse you, Airhead," Awase insults his best friend, like always. "It's like math. Once we introduce multiplication, your brain gives off smoke."

"Oh shut up asshole. At least my blood flow to my brain isn't being restricted by some stupid headband!" retorts Tsuburaba.

And then Awase, "At least I don't run out of breath when I use my Quirk!"

They continue arguing. Mister Kan throws his arms up in defeat and marches over to his desk, returning to grading our papers from before. My class is too much for me, the scavenger of the shadows, to handle. Here, I used to believe that I would be the one who would emit disorder, yet I was wrong. I underestimated the strength of my classmates—all of them. Each and every man and woman contribute to the growing disorder of 1-B, no matter who they are, siding with either order or chaos, disorder is created in the end regardless. It seems I am out-matched, but I am wise enough to not challenge them. If I challenge them, it would surely lead to my humiliation. Why? Well, I put effort into my schemes. They do not. They can freely disrupt the balance of stability effortlessly as if it is second nature, like throwing a ball or riding a bike. Because they did it without trying, their actions would bear the most fruit. But with effort and action, it would not be as fruitful. If I desire to cause just as much destruction as them, then I need to act in an instant, not letting my thoughts control my body, but only my instinct. That is what I must do if I want to reclaim my rightful throne as The Scheming Hero: Vantablack.

" Let's dance in the rain / Feel the music inside your brain / Sing it loud / Sing it proud / Come 'round 'round 'round! " Komori's singing. She has such a soft voice, yet explosive. Her range is impeccable, able to sing high notes flawlessly then suddenly sing so deep that it's enough to shock you to your bones. Wait—!

Curses!

Her approach! Her gaze behind her comically large bangs that reminds me of mushrooms! I mustn't let her see me so irritated at my own incompetence as Vantablack! What would Yosetsu Awase do? What would he say?

_"Thighs are the gateway to a man's happiness."_

No, not that.

_"What's up? I'm just chilling, what about you?"_

Yes, that.

I look down at Kagesuke, who is surprisingly still sleeping despite the noise. He is the definition of "chill". To imitate his current state of being, I lean against my chair, staring up at the pristine white ceiling above. Yes, I am embodying Awase's spirit of this "chill". Out of the corner of my eye, Komori approaches my desk, gently petting Kagesuke's fur. He shifts around slightly, still not waking from his slumber. For a mutt, he is an adorable puppy, yet when he grows up, he'll become a hound of twilight.

Komori whispers to Kagesuke, "You're such a heavy sleeper for a hyper little guy! So shrooming adorable! You too, Kuroiro!"

"Eh?!"

_THUD!_

"Ya killed Abyss, Shrooms," Kamakiri narrates my tumble. Why am I seated behind him again? More pressing matters, did Komori refer to me as "cute"?! That and a heavy sleeper?! Which comment did she refer to me as?! Either way, I need an explanation for such a brazen, unsolicited compliment!

"Komori," say I, the man who lifts his head off of the cold floor. At least the floor is pristine and not soiled. Though, one would not be able to tell that my face is dirty, since my skin color is quite literally black.

"What's up? You chillin'?" she asks, bending her body over and greeting me with a smile that makes a man's heart flutter. As a suitable reaction, I turn my head towards the wall, no longer facing her. "Aw, you're not chillin'!"

"This floor is quite cold, perfect to counteract this blazing summer's heat. If you ask me, I am quite literally performing this act you call 'chilling'," I say, embracing the coldth of the floor with my warm skin.

I hear Komori's sweet giggles. "Well shrooms! That's why you're cute like that, Kuroiro." There! The compliment again! Keep saying those words and my skin shall never be chilled again! Is she flirting with me? Or is she complimenting me? Komori often compliments the other girls in our class, and the boys sometimes as well! Yes! More likely than not, this is a platonic compliment with no romantic undertones whatsoever. That is the conclusion I have come to!

Think, prodigeic mind! What is an appropriate response? Who in this class possess an overwhelming amount of wit? There are a few choices!

Tokage. _"Aw Komori, I know! But I'm not as cute as you! You're such a candy cap that I just wanna eat you up!"_

Inochi. _"Thanks Komori, you're a beautiful girl yourself_—_a true beauty of Class 1-B! The prettiest shroom of the bunch!"_

Kamakiri. _"Y'know, ya grow a crapton of shrooms, Shrooms, but bullshit ain't one of 'em."_

Tokage is the obvious choice. Inochi relies on deflection, never actually accepting the compliment; compared to me, I desire to treasure this compliment like a precious gem. As for Kamakiri, he is incredibly crude. His responses can both destroy your ego and put himself down. His witty remarks are so unexpected that it makes the desirable effect much more potent, and his effects are not what I am looking for. But Tokage, she accepts the compliment and refutes that the other person is much better.

"Komori," I begin my calculated response, standing on my two feet that the astral twilight gods have given me, giving me the responsibility to control the darkness, "I accept your compliment! Yet, I must—I absolutely must declare that you are the cuter party! That is a proven fact that cannot be refuted!"

The entire class goes silent. They're looking at me now. Their eyes, I can see their words through their cursed eyes!

Kendo. _What are you doing, Kuroiro?_

Monoma. _Ohoho, I always knew that you took an interest in Komori._

Honenuki. _I can refute that fact. I'm obviously the cuter woman here._

Shoda. _I'm trying to study…_

Pony. _So cute!_

Kamakiri. _Ya need to work on your flirtin'._

Kodai. _Mmm._

Kaibara. _I don't have a clue what's going on. I was napping and your voice woke me up._

Inochi. _Oh? Seems like I need to don my Ally of Love t-shirt soon. _(Kendo responds to him, _Don't you dare! I know you've been looking for an excuse to wear it, but this isn't the time!_)

And the rest of my class. All of them staring. Their eyes are prying. My judgement is coming. My body's weakening. Shame is silencing. Komori smiles, giggling. Not for praising, but for jeering.

Ah, at this moment, I feel like dying. So, I shall leave. I take my black backpack and put it in front, using my Quirk to jump inside, merging with the object. There, it's much warmer here. No more prying eyes that tear my pride into tattered pieces, nor any silent words that crush, utterly crush my spirit. I am just a mere fool who will live within his backpack for the rest of his life. Ah, I hear my classmates returning back to their idle conversations. It seems the time for arguments has passed.

The front of my backpack is gently rapped by Komori, who's looking down at me with a small smile once again. Ah, she still wants my attention. "Kuroiro, come out Kuroiro! Your compliment was really sweet! I don't hate it!" says she with a voice so calm.

My head emerges from the black. Eh?! Why is she so close?! I cannot handle the lack of personal space! I immediately sink my head back in, saying, "I, uhm, I am quite fine, thank you Komori! I am simply a bit cold, that is all, so I retreated to my holy sanctum for warmth."

She asks, "You're embarrassed, aren't you?"

"I am not," I reply, still dwelling within this abysmal object.

"You are so! Shroom oh shroom, you need to get your head in the game! We have our Finals coming up! That's why I came here! Setsuna is having a study group at her place after school! I wanted to invite you!" she informs me… Well, this is an interesting development. I would think that Tokage would invite me herself, yet Komori is. Either Tokage put her up to this, or Komori is asking me out of her own goodwill. Whichever it is, it doesn't change the fact that Komori thinks positively about me despite my lack of charm. Oh, I even see Tokage staring at me from afar. Her eyes say, _When's the wedding?_

Hmph. Fiendish reptile.

"Very well. I shall bring Kagesuke as well, but I may be a tad late. I will be going to handle an errand first, then I will travel to Tokage's abode," I give her my answer as Kagesuke yawns. Komori blushes from his act, picking up Kagesuke and cradling him. She took it upon herself to pose as his mother. Wait, if she is the equivalent of a mother… Then I would be—?

No, I shall not think about that.

"Good! We need to ace this exam, else we might get left behind in terms of training! And then, we'll get kicked outta the program! I need to study hard, because you know how my grades are," she says, and I know. Her grades… They're not the best they could be, I shall leave it at that.

"Indeed. You will need to study your hardest most of all, Komori. It'll be a shame if you had to depart from Class 1-B."

She responds, "Because you'll miss me?"

"Eh?" What with that sudden response?! Does she _enjoy_ tormenting me like I'm some helpless nitwit who knows naught of charisma? Is that how Komori sees me? Or does she simply want to see me grow red? Well, the latter is occurring at this very moment! I _am_ blushing! I say, regrettably stammering, "N-No, I mean yes! I _would_ miss you for as you are my dear classmate and friend! If you would leave, it would surely make me upset… Yes…"

Komori giggles once more. "Y'know, you're so easy to tease and rile up like a toxic shroom. Are you like this with all girls?"

My body betrays me, speaking before I have the ability to think, "O-Only beautiful ones…" What?! Did I really say that?!

"Holy shrooms, that's an amazing response!" Komori exclaims, beaming. "You're getting better at socializing with me! Kamakiri, what do you think?"

Kamakiri, who does not have my consent to speak, says, "Explain to me why I care."

"It's Kuroiro, your best friend!" Komori exclaims, and she could not be further from the truth. "Kuroiro is everyone's friend!"

Manga interjects, "He's the chuuni of Class 1-B." What is with him and referring to me as a "chuuni"? I am no such thing. If anyone ought to be this "chuuni", then it should be Fumikage Tokoyami, the raven of Class 1-A.

"He's the annoying dramatic of 1-B," Kamakiri says, looking over to Monoma, "Broadway too. Abyss is more like that weird aunt who happens to be some sort of freakin' psychic while Broadway would rope ya into watchin' a ten-hour long play for fun." That is a very specific comparison.

"I can see it!" Komori says as Kagesuke begins to awake in her arms. She oogles, cuddling him close to her face. "Aw, this little baby is waking up. He's so cute! Kagesuke is the class mascot for sure!"

Ugh, this seems to be ample time to come out of my backpack. I jump out in front of Komori and beside Kamakiri, who's studying his notes. His handwriting is chicken-scratch; who in the world can understand it? Nevertheless, I address him, "Mantis."

"Psychic aunt," he replies.

"Kinoko Komori," and Komori joins, propping up Kagesuke. "And Kagesuke Kuroiro."

"Sen Kaibara," and then Kaibara! Goodness, what is wrong with my classmates? "Glad you finally came outta there, Kuroiro. I was tempted to pick you up and throw you out the window to see what would happen."

"Don't perform such experiments, Kaibara," I tell him with a glare. "Else we ought to see if you could fly with Gyrate."

"Can I toss Spinny out the window then?" Kamakiri asks.

"No," Komori and I say in unison. We look at each other, then back at Kamakiri. Kagesuke leaps out of Komori's arms, starting to roam around the classroom.

Komori adds, "If we're performing all kinds of shroom-tastic experiments, then we oughta see if I can make my mushrooms grow super big! Kinda like a house—yeah, a shroom house, the perfect house!"

"I'd rather not smell like a stinkcap," says Kaibara.

"That sounds like an absolute nightmare," comments Kamakiri.

"You guys are an absolute nightmare!" Komori says in offense, crossing her arms and huffing. "You just can't enjoy shrooms like I do! I, Shemage, have a more sophisticated mind than you two! Right, Kuroiro?"

The three of them turn to me.

Curses, this is a terrible situation. If I pick the men's side, I would anger Komori and I do not want an angry Kinoko Komori! However, if I pick Komori's side, then I would put myself in bad graces with the men! Of course, as a man with friends—a tad shocking pill to swallow—I do not want to squander their friendship and camaraderie, but with Komori, I do not want to upset her! I need to find the answer that is best between both worlds! I need to recall how others would say once again!

Inochi. _"Jeez guys, you three are sophisticated in your own way! Whether that be shrooms, bugs, or pictures. As for me, that'll be martial arts and weaponry."_

Kendo. _"Kinoko, you shouldn't bully the boys this much. Sure, you could say you have a more sophisticated mind, but that'll be acting like Setsuna. Personally, arrogance belongs to her and her alone."_

Monoma. _"Ohoho, my friends! You all have strengths that you should be boasting about! Especially you, Kaibara! Nevertheless, with these strengths, we ought to focus our attention on 1-A rather than one another!"_

Damn, I cannot come up with a viable answer! They are waiting for me to answer, yet I cannot come up with any! Curse this tongue of mine! You can say such mystical things yet you cannot answer a mere question! I'm—!

"O' Dark One," Inochi gets our attention. He holds up his notebook, where Kagesuke is currently chewing on the edge. "Did you feed Kagesuke yet? He's hungry."

"Arf!" barks Kagesuke, who stops eating his meal to look up at Inochi.

"Woof woof to you too," replies Inochi.

"Woof," says Kodai.

"Woof!" then Kendo says.

From the corner of the room, Mister Kan pulls out a bag of dog treats and shakes them. Immediately, Kagesuke hears the sound and darts over to him, hopping around in front of our dear teacher. Mister Kan throws a treat to him, which he gladly eats up. "There," Mister Kan says, "that'll keep him happy for a little while."

I bow. "Thank you. Come, Kagesuke! Sit at my desk!"

Kagesuke jumps on Mister Kan's desk. "Not on his desk! _Mine!_"

"Arf!" he refuses.

"Fiendish mutt! I demand you!" I shout.

"Arf arf!" he refuses again.

"You—Ugh, never mind," I say, shaking my head. Komori knocks her shoulder into mine—I jump back—she giggles.

"So, you haven't given me your answer, Kuroiro!" she reminds me. Kaibara and Kamakiri lost interest in our conversation, going back to what they were doing before. I sigh, lowering my head. They will still hear me, however…

Let's ruin my reputation. "I—"

_RING!_

Saved by the bell! "Ah, would you look at that, Komori? It seems that I must depart with my fiendish mutt in tow! My errand is very important!" I exclaim before I run up to Mister Kan, picking up Kagesuke and dashing out the door, being the first one to leave.

Tokage yells, "Run like the wind, Vantablack!

Then Honenuki yells, "I have no idea why you're running, but you're a coward!"

That's right, I am a coward! But I will become a coward that will survive!

To complete this errand, I must…

_"Vantablack! That's a cool name, Big Bro! I can't wait until you become a Hero! I'll get to brag 'bout you so much at school!"_

Yes…

I wasn't lying when I said that my errand is very important.

It's…

It's important to me.

* * *

"Little Light, how are you? Oh, here…" I place the flowers at her feet.

"..."

"Ah, I assume as much!"

"..."

"As you may know, my Finals are next week. I need to pass if I wish to receive further training. I would wish for luck, but that's foolish. I need to wish for strength and a hardened mind. With those in hand, I will vanquish my exam and be one step closer to becoming a Pro Hero."

"..."

"Don't worry, I won't fail. I refuse to fail. That is my iron resolve."

"..."

"That is why I am your older brother, Hikari. No matter what, I shall not let you down when I hold my power as Vantablack, the one who is able to morph into the night itself."

"..."

"But yes, it _is_ day is it not? The sun is shining with its warm rays upon our bodies that our mother and father gave us. You can hear the cicadas cry, even the soft chirping of quaint little birds mingling with one another, enjoying the peace that the Heroes brought upon the Land of the Rising Sun."

"..."

"The music of the summer's day is truly something beautiful to listen to, Hikari. Believe it so. Hear the song of nature when the sun is shining bright. Why not sit on a bench and observe the grass? Attune your ears? Or perhaps take a wander over on the beach. I heard the beach has been cleaned by a lone man, so you could see the crystal blue ocean stretching into the infinity of beauty. No mortal soul could possess such beauty that can even parallel what nature has."

"..."

"Yes, I know. With our naked eyes, we can witness these natural wonders that we are blessed with by the gods above—and then, comes Quirks. However, they blessed us with curses as well, such as knowledge. The wisest men are often the greatest fools, for they know the limits of where we, as humans, can reach. They are aware of what we are incapable of, and that brings despair, for the incapable is at our fingertips, just centimeters away, but the gap feels like the distance between our world to the next."

"..."

"Worlds away, yes. That is where you and I stand, Hikari. I stand on the grass before your feet, where the wind is gently blowing against my body. I stand on this world where Heroes clash against Villains, and I, the next generation, will join the endless war in hopes to end evil—an immortal concept existing once we, humans, gained sentience."

"..."

"And you… You're off in a better world, one where you can see sakura petals bloom for eternity. There will always be peace with you. Even though… Even though you're not here in this world, you still linger like a phantom tugging at the strings of my heart. I, as Vantablack—no, as your older brother, will never disappoint you. For you are my Little Light, and to cherish your time spent on this world, I will become a Hero."

The wind blows.

"That… That is my promise."

"Vantablack, what are you doing here?" That voice! It's—! "It's exam season, right? You oughta be studying!"

Beowulf! My mentor during my one-week Workplace Studies! Why is he here?! I turn around, stammering, "B-Beowulf, I didn't expect you here! Why are you, uhm, why are you here?" He's holding a bouquet of flowers.

He answers, "Well, it's a cemetery. I'm, well, I'm here for my mom. She passed away a couple years back, and I decided that I wanna see her again. You're here for the same reason, yeah? But for…"

I nod. Kagesuke is laying on the bench near me. He jumps off and rubs against my leg; I pick him up.

"Yeah," he says, "my condonocles. Heh, I was never good handling grief, y'know! I would still act all cheery and laugh all the time. That's just how I was made!" Beowulf approaches me with his bouquet, looking down at grave marked as: Hikari Kuroiro - The Little Light That Will Be Missed.

"That's not your fault, Beowulf. Everyone processes grief differently," I tell him, looking down at Hikari's grave as well. Her voice rings in my head, _"I'll be outta here in no time!"_

He shakes his head. "Yeah—no, I know, I know! Man, you know this is serious when Kagesuke isn't being hyper." Kagesuke whimpers, digging himself a home in my arms.

"Indeed… Why did you want to see your mother again?" I ask him. It might be a bit inappropriate to pry, but we're both here for the same reason, I suppose.

Beowulf chuckles to himself, his eyes appearing to be remembering something from his past. "I just miss her, that's all. I never had a dad growing up, so all I had was her. She worked as a veterinarian, so I picked up my love of animals from her. But that wasn't her only job actually. She worked hard day and night, all to support me. Eventually, after I became a Hero, all that working took a toll on her body. Next thing I knew, she had a heart disease, and it was pretty serious."

"My condolences. She sounded like a wonderful woman," I reply.

"And a better mother." Beowulf sighs, lowering his head. "Once I heard the news, I spent every second with her. She hated it, because I could spend that time saving others. 'Inuro, you can't worry about me. You gotta get out there and save some lives!' she always said. But how could I? How could I save others when I can't even figure out how to save the one woman who raised me? I wasn't a doctor, but I sure as hell wouldn't give up. Too bad that her body gave up before I did. Sorry, Kurorio… During your internship with me, I was lying to you."

"How so?" I ask, turning my head towards him. Kagesuke shifts around in my arms, looking at Beowulf as well.

"Remember I said that I wanted to be a Hero just so I could get girls? Well, that wasn't the _only_ reason. My mom—she was the other reason. Being a Hero, it's good money. With that money, I could give her a life she deserves. I know it's selfish—Stain would kill me in a heartbeat—but you'd do anything for the people you love! Even if you love them for only just a minute, they would change how you live the rest of your life. And Mom, because of her, I'll be a Hero until the day I die."

_"You're gonna be just as great as All Might, right? Wait no, even better! I know you will!"_

"Indeed…" I sniffle. "Even—even if their spark lasts as long as a brief fire, they can set your heart ablaze for years to come. My sister, Hikari Kuroiro, I told you about her, did I not?"

He nods. "She's the reason why you wanted to be a Hero, right?"

"Ye-yes… She… She is the sole reason why I sought to chase after heroism as a whole!" I exclaim, my words firm, but my voice breaks.

"Kuroiro—"

"The world makes fools of us all, Beowulf! They, gosh, they give children life only to take it away when their lives haven't even, ugh, even begun yet! And those left behind, they could, they could only mourn!"

Beowulf listens.

"I… We're… We're left to grieve. Beowulf, that's why we're here, are we not? To grieve for those we lost, at this cemetery?"

"Guess so. I guess so, Kuroiro."

"I'm—"

"You don't have to say anything else. Really, I might've gone on about my life, but you don't hafta do the same. You're only a kid; ya can't go talking 'bout the old days like some old man!" he exclaims, smiling.

"But—"

"But nothing! This isn't a confession booth! Whatever Hikari meant to you, I know she's still up there rooting for ya! I know it! She's counting on you to become a Hero just for her! I am too! You're an amazing guy, Vantablack! You wanna know why? It's because of _her!_ The reasons why we wanna become Heroes tell us what kind of Pro we'll be! That's how I know you'll be great! I'm waiting for the day until I see you kick ass and take names!" He puts a hand on my shoulder.

Kagesuke starts barking, clearly fired up from his words. I say, "I know… I promised her that before she passed."

"And you better hold onto that promise! I won't be the one to take you up on it! She is!" Beowulf points to her gravestone. "She's the Little Light you cherish, right? Then you gotta make sure that you never let go of that light no matter what! Even though your entire body is Black, you still have a heart of Light! And with that Light, Hikari is there, cheering you on from within! You'll be the greatest Pro Hero, you got it?"

_"You promise, right Big Bro…?"_

"I promise," I say.

I take my final look at Hikari's grave, bowing my head. A few tears trickle down my face, yet I won't break.

I announce not to Beowulf nor to Hikari, but to the world, "I shall become a Hero no matter what. And I shall make true of my promise."

Beowulf smiles.

"Cruel world, by my hands, I shall rid the evils that you bear. That is my ultimate goal, for…"

I close my eyes.

"...I am Vantablack."

* * *

**Neito Monoma**

"'There are many aspects that create a proper Pro Hero that is universal for all Hero-bearing countries. Though there are differences, such that China focuses more on Hero Families compared to South Korea's emphasis on entertainment and Idolism, both countries have the core principles of heroism in place, and both are striving to instil these values in the next generation of Heroes through Hero Schools.'

"My friends, do you recognize where the passage is from? It should be obvious. We read excerpts from it during Heroism with All Might."

Awase raises his hand. I say, "Anyone?" Awase scowls and raises his other hand. Now it looks like he's cheering at a rollercoaster. Rin finally raises his hand! Good! "Hiryu Rin, I'm glad you raised your hand! Please answer!"

"_The True Hero_, the author's, uhm… It's a French man… Ah, it's Julien Legarde! He's one of the most notable heroism philosophers. In his book, he defined four key values that every Hero should have. He called these the 'Four Heroic Cornerstones'," Rin answers spectacularly! We weren't assigned to read the entirety of Legarde's book, but All Might heavily hinted that we should! I'm pleased that Rin has! _The True Hero_ is an amazing read! For our Heroism essay, this will be instrumental for a passing grade—no, for an _excellent_ grade!

Let's see…

_Click!_

"Greetings, fiends!" Kuroiro walks through the door with a smile. Ah, so he's here! I swore I heard Kagesuke barking in the other room where the ladies were at! Here, in the library—and also a study—we, the men, are studying for our essay in Heroism! Well, most of the men. Two are off with the women. "What are we—?"

I point at him with a meter stick. "My dear friend, Shihai Kuroiro! Legarde's Four Heroic Cornerstones, recount one of them quick!"

"Magnanimity," he begins with a smirk, "'All Pro Heroes ought to possess Magnanimity, for that word contains Generosity and Benevolence along with others like Nobility, Kindness, and Selflessness, as it is the Word that contains All Other Words, surely being the most important of the Four Heroic Cornerstones; it is the beginning towards Heroic Action, and without a beginning, Heroic Action will never exist.'"

That is the short paragraph that only begins to describe Magnanimity. Kuroiro has read the book as well! I exclaim proudly, "You read the book too! It seems All Might's hints prove fruitful, and the seeds of those fruits will bear sweet sugar that we call 'heroism'! Now for you, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! Name another cornerstone!"

Tetsutetsu pumps his fist into the air with conviction in his movements! "Self-sacrifice! That's the only one I remembered! We gotta sacrifice our lives so we can do our jobs! It's not enough that we gotta think 'bout it, we gotta commit to it!"

"Great!" I exclaim, resting my eyes on Manga Fukidashi. "Manga, you're next!"

"Me?" he asks, raising his head and pointing to himself.

"Who else would I be talking to? Name another of Legarde's values for heroism!" I tell him. Manga panics and quickly sits up straight, muttering something to himself, something that I cannot hear.

"A heroic Quirk! A Pro Hero needs to have a heroic Quirk that assures the masses that they're good-willed individuals with a good-willed power, and that power has to be enough to protect them from harm. You can't be an effective Hero with a villainous Quirk," Manga explains, and he's right! He _did _study! I smile and nod; he reacts with a sigh of relief.

I put a hand on my chest, leaning just a little forward towards my dear friends! "And for the last cornerstone, that will be 'Rejection of Villainy'! Legarde described, 'A proper Pro Hero, with every part of their being, ought to utterly and supremely believe in the Rejection of Villainy, as Villainy is the cause of the world's Evils while Heroism is the reason for Virtues, as if it was spoken from God Almighty to become a Hero of Justice—and thus, a Champion against Injustice—because a Pro Hero requires the Hate of everything that is Evil while also possessing the Love of everything that is Good."

That is the Four Heroic Cornerstones. Legarde said that these are heroism universals, values that every country accepts no matter the differences. Much like culture who has universals, heroism has these. Heroism is not just a class that teaches how to become a great Pro Hero, but also a class that provides the context and the background.

Shishida perks his head, pushing his glasses up. "This may be off-topic, but how do you speak so theatrically, Monoma?"

"Like how you speak formally, Shishida! We have our natural ways of speaking, like how Kuroiro relies on the mystical while I embrace the joys of theater and plays!" I answer as Kuroiro sits down next to Manga, who's currently reading a manga.

Shoda raises his hand; I nod. "Uhm Monoma, if I can ask, why, uh, why are you tutoring us again? You don't have to do this…"

"Of course I have to! You are my friends and allies! All Might, along with the other teachers of U.A., will be reading our essays! We have to score top marks, otherwise we won't be able to attend summer camp and be put at a serious disadvantage!" I say, looking around the room.

"'Cuz we gotta beat 1-A, right?! _I_ gotta beat Kirishima!" Tetsutetsu asks, exclaiming. His notes are absolutely illegible.

I announce, answering his question, "Yes, but most importantly: We have to be good Heroes for Japan. As much as it may shock you, I'm not completely obsessed over 1-A—"

"Shocker," Kaibara interrupts, smirking. Oh Kaibara, the sarcastic man he is.

"Yes yes, I know. I'm more obsessed with becoming proper Heroes for Japan in our own ways! We ought to pave our own roads as we walk upon them! Japan may beg us to fit their molds, but I refuse! We dealt with their insults and jeers during the Sports Festival, and we survived! We are still here! We haven't been swept away! By that fact, it means that it _is_ possible to become Heroes by our word, and not some malevolent force out there!" I say to the room, who are more or less paying attention to me. Juzo Honenuki in particular is focused.

He says, "That's a little optimistic, Monoma."

"How so?" I inquire.

"We can boast that we will become our own Heroes or whatever, but when push comes to shove, that'll be hard. You forget that heroism is heavily regulated—laws that restrict our actions, laws that restrict our words, laws that restrict our everything, the whole shebang. They tell us what we can or can't do," Honenuki explains, kicking his feet on the table in front of him. Such an interesting perspective. I never thought of it that way.

I say, "Honenuki, I—"

"Hold on," he interrupts me, "I'm not finished."

"Very well," I give him the floor. Everyone in the room gives him their undivided attention.

He begins, "I get that the media sucks; they are absolute douchebags. They are just as responsible for what happened with Hifumi Osuhashi as the rest of us, but they are virtually blameless. Alongside that, we have the Hero Public Safety Commission who wouldn't hesitate to sweep scandalous things under the rug. Then we have the National Diet with their legislation that they might or might not pass—"

Bondo interjects, stammering, "W-Why are we t-talking about politics…?" That is an interesting question indeed. I believe that I'm starting to understand where Honenuki is leading towards. Our actions are restricted, and thus, so will be our character.

Awase nods, saying, "Yeah dude! We don't hafta worry 'bout that political crap at our age—"

"We have to," Honenuki tells Awase, his eyes shooting him an uncharacteristic glare, "that 'political crap' will affect our lives. Can you even name the current Prime Minister, Awase?" Honenuki's tone has gotten a lot more hostile.

Awase notices it too, gulping. "Uhm—"

"Thought so. It's Masaki Hanahito, also the current president of the Democratic Heroism Party. Currently, they're trying to pass a law that will make it easier for the Hero Public Safety Commission to suspend active Pro Heroes. But the Free Heroes Party is trying to prevent that," Honenuki says, clearly being well-informed on current events. I myself am somewhat acquainted. The DHP has the highest number of seats, but only barely, being rivaled by their rival: Free Heroes Party. They both stand for different beliefs. DHP believes in government-regulated heroism to promote order and stability. On the other hand, FHP argues against regulations because it will be the exact cause for chaos and anarchy, thus believing in a loosely-regulated system. Their beliefs are highlighted in the Hero Public Safety Commission, a separate entity that was established by the federal government. Both parties have laws and restrictions on heroism depending on the contents which is a rabbit hole in itself. But, the Commission is quickly becoming an entity who has a lot of pull on Japan, which is what the DHP wants, but the FHP is very much concerned. You can say that the Commission reflects which party has the most power. It's the constant battleground of the struggle between the two rivaling parties in Japanese government, but that makes smaller parties, such as the Liberation Party (a party that was created after the Meta Liberation Army made their marks around the world. Some individuals believed in their cause, but not through violence), that much more integral when it comes to voting.

I finally get my chance to say, "I understand what you're trying to emphasize, Honenuki. You're saying that being ourselves would be impossible—"

"Not 'would be', Monoma. It _is_ impossible. One way or another, the laws and restrictions will inhibit the kinds of Heroes we'll be, kinda like Midnight and her costume. We all know what happened during her first appearance," he informs us, and yes, we know. Tsuburaba is snickering to himself, cheeks red. Oh Midnight, such a lustful woman… Why are you a teacher again?

"But we will still become individuals!"

"But the purpose of the laws heavily guide us to become factory-made Heroes, if you aren't outstanding like All Might or Hawks. And let me tell you, those kinds of Heroes are extremely rare. Only one of us in 1-B will probably be a Hero like them."

We know who that someone is.

"Yet—!"

"Why we stressing 'bout crap like that!" Tetsutetsu exclaims, standing up and slamming his fist against the table. "All this talk 'bout politics and confusing stuff like that, it doesn't matter! We'll be Heroes either way! We'll save people and punch the snot outta any Villains who get in the way of that! If ya don't like it, then we'll just change the law or whatchamacallit! We aren't just some useless sacks of flesh who get bossed 'round! Once we get famous and shit, the government just hafta listen to us! At that point, we've done so much for Japan that it'll hurt 'em more to ignore us!"

"Not a bad idea," Kaibara says. Why is his voice always so masculine and firm? "That's what all of our teachers say anyway: we're the next generation. We see the wrongdoings of the current world and we should be the ones to fix it."

Rin adds, "_If_ it should be fixed. Those who are overzealous and arrogant to try to change the world will find reasons justifying the change, only to end up changing the world through destruction. History has shown us this." Ah, Rin and another one of his wise sayings! He means: We shouldn't change the world for the sake of changing the world, nor should we be arrogant during our crusade; if not, then our efforts will only contribute to the world's eventual destruction.

"...You guys are way too smart for me," Tsuburaba comments. "You're talking about changing the world while I'm focusing on simple stuff."

"That's youth for ya!" Awase exclaims, smiling.

"We're all pretty much the same age," Tsuburaba replies.

"Well, you're older than me, Tsuburaba."

"Yeah, I'm your senior."

"Okay, elderly man."

"I'm not elderly!"

"You have gray hairs, dude."

"_You_ have gray hairs too!"

"Nope, mine's black and white like Inochi's."

"Now that's just wrong! Your hair is 99.99% black! Inochi's a lot more split, and honestly, his hair is a little weird."

Kuroiro asks, "What do you mean? His hair is like Todoroki's hair, which also has two colors. It's normal considering what other mutations are in this school."

Tsuburaba clears his throat, explaining, "That's kinda my point actually—mutations. Do we see anyone else that has two hair colors?"

Kaibara says, "Kazeha."

"Yeah, her. Her Quirk is plant-based, specifically sakura-colored, so it's naturally pink and green, just like her hair," Tsuburaba says, bringing up an interesting point.

I ask him, "What are you trying to say, Tsuburaba?"

"Look guys, Todoroki's hair is a mutation from his Quirk, right? And Kazeha's hair is also a mutation. Then what about Inochi? What if his hair is a mutation of his Quirk? If I'm actually right, then how so?" he proposes.

Manga immediately answers, "His Quirk is split into two parts!"

Kuroiro suggests, "He's reverting into the moonlight, his true form."

Rin asks, "Uhm, maybe he has Marie Antoinette syndrome?"

Awase says, "I got it! His Quirk turns his hair black!"

Shishida counters, "That does not make sense. White hair means a lack of pigment. How is his body producing black pigment? It is much more probable to _lose_ pigment."

Kaibara simply tells everyone, "All of that sounds too complicated. Inochi was just naturally born with two hair colors, that's it."

Oh dear, Tetsutetsu… "What if he's wearing a wig?"

Honenuki argues, "That's stupid! Everyone knows Inochi is an alien like Ashido!"

I announce, "As much as I adore you all, some of these possible theories made me severely question my sanity."

Honenuki whispers to Kuroiro, "He's talking about you." Kuroiro scoffs.

I sigh, putting a hand on my hip. "Let's move on."

* * *

_Munch munch!_

"..."

_Munch munch!_

"Hey—" _Munch!_ "—guys, why are you looking at me so much? It's kinda creepy..."

Kaibara holds Manga by the head. "How do you eat?" I silently nod. It's...terrifying watching Manga eat up close. The food goes into his speech bubble and disappears, as if his head is a portal to another world. Then his skinny throat enlarges as the food goes down, then it shrinks back to its original size. There is no possible way that I will ever understand how some Mutation-type Quirks work when it comes to everyday tasks such as eating.

"...Like a normal person," Manga answers, squeezing himself out of Kaibara's tight grasp. He shivers a little before looking back at his manga that's resting on the table. "You guys should read manga. You'd like it, Monoma."

"Because I'm dramatic?" I slyly ask, smirking.

Manga answers, "No, you're a theater nerd. There's a ton of live-action shows based off of anime and manga."

Kaibara whistles. "He's right, y'know."

"Really? Both of you are admitting that I'm a nerd?" I inquire from both of them with a slight frown across my face.

Kaibara says, "You were singing a song from an American musical earlier. If that doesn't scream out 'nerd', then I dunno what will."

"It's not that different when Shojo sings an anime song," Manga adds.

I puff one of my cheeks. "How rude. Anyhow, let's not talk about whether or not that I'm a nerd—"

Kaibara whispers to Manga, "He's trying to change the conversation." Manga nods. These men… When will they know that no one else ought to hear you whispering? That is the whole point of the verb! No one else is _supposed_ to hear!

Anyhow, I continue, "How about we talk about something else? The small little debate with Honenuki is still lingering in my mind." He presents an interesting argument, really. That's the difference between idealists and realists. An idealist sees the horizon in the distance, knowing that he'll reach it one day, even when the odds are literally zero; a realist sees the horizon and knows that the horizon can't be reached on this world, and so, he thinks it's impossible and resigns himself to that fact. But where the two meet, the perfect balance of two worlds would travel towards the horizon even if it would mean a thousand-year journey.

_"We'll become our own Heroes," _says the idealist.

_"Yet the world will force us to become their Heroes through laws,"_ says the realist.

_"Who cares about that? We'll change the laws so we can become our own Heroes,"_ says the balance.

Juzo Honenuki, he's the man you would least expect to be a genius. He is a jokester, a comedian who makes everyone laugh, or tries to at least. Really, he's one of the smartest men here. There _is_ a reason why he was accepted through recommendations, and this is the reason. Honenuki can perceive the world in a much more mature lense than we realize, but then again, so can we. I'm not saying that he's wrong. He is wrong as much as I am wrong, and I am right as much as he is right. The battle of realism and idealism is a battle is a subset of the war between good and evil. There's realistic good and idealistic good, realistic evil and idealistic evil. And here, call it a civil war if you will, we are fighting for the same cause always: the annihilation of villainy.

Kaibara shrugs. "What is there to say? In the end, we'll be Heroes. I'm content with that. As long as the Commission—or anyone else out there—doesn't stop me from doing my job properly, then I'll be fine."

"Same, I guess… I was never one to worry about laws and stuff… That's out of my realm of comprehension," Manga says, trying to focus on reading and eating his snack, but his attention is on us. How do I know? He's been reading the same page for two minutes.

"Well, that realm may be approaching us sooner than we expect," I say as if it is a matter of fact, and it is. The days as teenagers are waning as the luminescent moon, and what replaces it will be an eternal night where the clouds block out the sun. "Laws, then contempt, then disorder, then chaos, then anarchy. All these 'thens'... I don't mean to be pessimistic, but Pax Heros we knew is disappearing before our eyes."

"How can you tell?" Kaibara asks me, crossing his arms. "Is it because All Might is dying? Or that the League of Villains is the hottest thing since the Meta Liberation Army?"

"Both, and then some more, Kaibara." I lean my head back, staring at the ceiling. "Our generation will be an historic one, that's how I know. Already, we made history, only a mere precursor of what's about to come. Izuku Midoriya, a boy that All Might is incredibly fond of, is—what I feel—will be in the middle of it. He, along with the rest of 1-A, carry the spotlight when a hundred years from now, people would look back on us. They will read about them, not so much as us."

"What about Inochi?" Manga inquires, finally looking at the both of us. "I'm sure he'll get noticed. He's legally Quirkless and all."

"I'm sure he will, in his own way. Kaibara, remember I told you that he is the axis in which Class 1-B rotates around?"

"Uhm, I'm pretty sure you told me something about that, just not those exact words…" he answers.

I nod, chuckling just a little. "Hehe, perhaps. My point still stands. Someone like him, what he represents will surely impact the world."

Manga says, "What about you, Monoma? You're just as influential as him. In fact, you're kinda like him."

"What do you mean?" I ask. There's no possible way that I'm like Inochi. I'm his foil, after all! The selfless hero and the selfish thief! The perfect foils to one another! Wait, I know how! I answer my own question, "Ah, is it because of our Quirks? If so, that makes sense. His Adoptive Muscle Memory is only effective when near others, and Copy needs other Quirks to function. In that sense, I'm legally Quirkless as well."

I chuckle again, shaking my head. There's many memories behind that term: legally Quirkless. Especially if you're a child who has all the signs for a Quirk, yet your Quirk isn't apparent such as the boy who has a long neck or a girl who has eyes on the palm of her hands. Really, you'd be confused. I wonder how Inochi deals with that feeling? Knowing that you have a Quirk, yet it's nearly impossible to discover _just_ what exactly is it! There has to be a reason why he can't use his Quirk. At this point, it can't be merely an issue with activation…

Manga sighs and nods. "Yeah yeah… I guess that's one reason." What is with that response? Is there something else he wanted to say?

Kaibara leans his shoulder against mine, frowning. "Monoma, he's telling you that you should give yourself more credit. You help bring us together just as well as Kendo and Inochi."

"Ha!" I laugh. "Of course I give myself credit, silly Kaibara! I'm the one who help unite the strong hearts of 1-B! I _had_ to do it when 1-A was hogging all the glory for themselves! Otherwise, how else could we be noticed?!"

"Oh boy, you triggered his anti-Class 1-A personality," Manga says to Kaibara, and he's right! I did not expect him to touch me like that!

"Thanks for telling me the obvious, Captain Obvious," Kaibara retorts as he stands up, pulling on my blonde locks. "I will drag you to Kendo if you don't shut up."

"And then what?" I ask, teasing.

He answers without a change of expression, "I'll take a picture of her choking you to death while Inochi is trying to pull her off."

"Please do. I'm a very photogenic man, especially when my skin is blue as a blueberry," I tell him, an arrogant smirk forming on my lips. His grip on my hair tightens.

"Y'know, I'll make you blue—"

Manga interrupts, "Uhm guys, I'm right here." Kaibara and I turn to him in unison. _You guys are freaks,_ he says with his eyes. What he actually says is, "Please stop, I feel like screaming."

Slowly, Kaibara releases his grip on my hair, sitting back down. He whispers, "I'm not done with you yet, trouble student." I chuckle.

"Neither am I. I enjoy this little game of ours," I whisper in return, my smirk growing wider. "As much as I like terrorizing our rivals, I enjoy this a bit more."

"Can I ask why?"

"I'll answer that question in due time, my dear friend."

"If Kendo doesn't kill you."

"She absolutely adores me."

"Enough to kill you."

"My fans are very devoted."

"Uh huh."

"You're devoted too."

"Heh…"

Manga says, "If I could hear you guys, then you aren't whispering."

"Oh."

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"Dang Setsuna! I will never get over how huge your place is!" Kinoko exclaims with a cute little smile, bouncing around the halls with a dandy little lift in her step. She's absolutely adorable. _Everyone_ is adorable, especially the masculine tomboy named Itsuka Kendo. She isn't with us right now. She's off with Sanji, and hopefully, we'll catch them doing something scandalous. Oh right, there's one other girl too, but I lost her—and Kagesuke.

Beside me, Pony is happily munching on an apple. "Yup yup! I loved the bathrooms! You have such a big bathtub! It's a small swimming pool!"

Wait, hold on. "Did you actually sit in the bathtub?" I stop in the hall, and so does everyone else, just so we could stare at Pony. She innocently has an apple in her hand, cheeks stuffed with sweetness—a sweetness that Togaru loves in two ways—staring at us with her big blue eyes of hers.

"Yeah!" she answers with a smile. "Your bathtub was really rocking!"

"'Rocking'?" Reiko asks with a head tilt. "Why did you use 'rocking'?"

"'Cuz it is! Reiko, y'know when something's just so cool that you gotta use 'rocking'?! It's the perfect word for it! Ya wanna know why? 'Cuz fling!" Pony explains, hopping up and down on her horse legs. Pretty sure she tried to say "slang" not "fling", but hey, sometimes our fling gets pretty confusing.

"You mean 'slang', do you not?" Ibara says, and Pony replies with an excited nod, completely enthusiastic about her mistake.

She takes a big bite of her apple, gulping it down. "Yup! Slang slang good ol' slang! I've been talking to Honenuki 'bout it! It's really cool beans and all that cheese!" I have no idea if Honenuki was trying to prank her or was just hungry. Either way, I question his choice of foods… Who the heck eats cool beans and cheese? He sounds like one of those people who are obsessed over canned beans.

"Mmm." _Honenuki is a weird guy._

"He is indeed, Yui. But it wouldn't be 1-B without him," I respond to her, pointing just to add some extra emphasis. The first time I met Honenuki was at the Recommendations Exam back in junior high. We exchanged one sentence, and that was all him. He said to me, _"I am so freaking dead."_ Then again, we saw Todoroki there too, showing off his Quirk on one of the tests. I couldn't blame him. All of us thought that we would die.

"I still don't understand how you can translate Yui Speak, for shroom's sake," Kinoko comments, clicking her tongue. "Seriously, I dunno if her hums are, 'Hey Kinoko, you are adorable!' or 'Hey Kinoko, you're so stupid that even a stinky shroom is smarter than you.'"

"Mmm." _You're very cute, Kinoko._

Kinoko puts her hands on her head, groaning to the ceiling above as if God is there. Sorry, the only light is the ceiling lights, not God's. "You're killing me, Yui! Other than hums, say something else!"

"Something else," Yui says. Technically, she did what Kinoko asked, and I'm proud of my beautiful emotionless girl. Kinoko reacts by groaning loudly, dramatically slamming her head against a wall, shaking the paintings that're hanging there.

I whisper to Ibara and Reiko, "She learned that from me. Yui's my little girl."

_BANG!_

"Yuiiiiii, you're gonna be the death of meeee!" Kinoko whines.

"Okay," and Yui replies.

_BANG!_

Ibara puts a hand over her mouth, shocked. "Kinoko, you ought not to damage yourself so much! Such an act is terrible for your own body; nonetheless, it could be a gateway to sin."

"Additionally, you need your brain cells for the Final Exams. What you're doing now...is not helping that cause." Reiko watches Kinoko as she bangs her head one more time before stopping.

Kinoko sighs in relief, cracking her neck. "I needed that, guys. Anyway~! Can we see your room, Setsuna? It must be absolutely shroomtastically gigantic! You must have a balcony where you can see the entire city from below, cars like tiny ants, people even tinier!"

I shake my head. "Sorry, don't have that. It's not like a movie where in Paris, somehow, every single apartment has a window that looks out into the Eiffel Tower."

"Specific example, but it's fitting," Reiko says, "though, I am also interested in your room. What about you, Pony and Ibara?"

Pony finishes her apple, humming. "Of freaking course! This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity y'all!"

"Indeed, especially if it's Setsuna's room," Ibara agrees, and so does my cheeks. They're agreeing by being red.

But here's the thing—

—I can't let them inside my room.

Not because it's my humble sanctum where I conduct sorcery that could cast armageddon upon the world—I really want to, but that's impossible—but because of something else. It's about Okichi's offer to dismantle the Meta Liberation Army. I kinda used my room as an operation room. In my off-time, I made my personal walk-in closet the exact place. If you move the clothes outta the way, you would see boards of information, threads of red yarn, pictures, maps, stuff that a normal teenage girl would have. All of it… All of it is for Okichi's plan. I haven't given him my answer yet. Something like this, I need to go through simulation after simulation for any possible success. I have to account for unknown variables, whether or not that my friends would help, if David Shield would be a possible ally, 1-A's assistance if they're going to the I-Expo too, heck! I even considered a scenario where Sanji would awaken to his Quirk, but even then, I don't nearly know enough about his Quirk. There's so many variables that I can't account for, too much for comfort.

But this plan embodies "high risk high reward" mindset.

Much like what's happening now. We're girls and all, so naturally, they would wanna check out my closet and find that I'm planning an operation that could possibly take down the leaders of one of the most powerful forces in Japan. Yup, this is the average year for Setsuna Tokage. Might as well make a movie based off of my life.

I stop in front of my room—the door is closed thank God—and scratch my neck. "Guys, you don't wanna go into my room."

Pony gasps. "You're hiding something, ain'tcha?! Spill the cool beans and cheese, Setsuna!" I have no idea how to react to that.

"I'm hiding my collection of stuffed human heads that I display on my wall," I deadpan.

"Consider my curiosity raised," Yanagi says.

"Consider my shroom-sity raised," then Kinoko.

"What is the real reason?" Ibara asks like a normal girl.

"Mmm." _I'm not surprised, Setsuna. _Thanks Yui.

I explain on the spot, also lying, "Well, you guys might not like my room. You're getting your expectations too high, and when you look inside, it'll crash like a meteorite. I mean, it's like buying the world's fanciest cheese and finding out it's American cheese."

Pony immediately looks offended. "Hey! American cheese _can_ be fancy if you use it right! I know ten ways to fancy-spancy it up!"

We stare at her. "..."

"Moving on," I say, glancing at my closed door, "I hope you guys understand. Sometimes, imaging a life of luxury isn't all that exciting or—"

_Click!_

That's my door.

"Why are you people so loud?! I'm trying to read _My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?! _in peace!"

"Eh?!"

"Shojo?!"

"Shojo!"

"Shojo…"

"Shojo."

"Howdy!"

What the hell?! That's why I couldn't find Shojo earlier! She was hiding in my room the entire time! "Why are you in my room?!"

"Arf!" Kagesuke barks from within. He's laying on my bed.

"Why is Kagesuke also in my room?!"

"I wanted peace and quiet, okay?!" Shojo tries to—but horribly—defends herself, "Kagesuke had the same idea! We decided, 'Hey, why don't we hang out in Setsuna's room? It's probably cozy in there!' and it is! It's very cozy and warm!"

"Arf!" Kagesuke agrees… I guess… I don't speak Dog. Wait a second—

Reiko says, "I thought Kagesuke wasn't fond of you, Shojo."

Shojo gasps in offense, putting a hand on her chest—she doesn't have a big bust—and replies, "Kagesuke _loves_ me. We are best friends of the highest caliber. I would _die_ for him, and he would do the same for me."

None of us are believing her crap. Not even Pony. If Pony doesn't believe you, then you know you're a terrible liar. Ibara clicks her tongue in disappointment. "My dear Shojo, it's frowned upon to lie in any given circumstances, but should I even refer to it as a lie when you yourself believe it?"

"It's not a lie!" she exclaims, looking back at Kagesuke. "Kagesuke, you love me, don't you?"

Kagesuke doesn't say anything. He just stares at us with his cute puppy eyes.

"C'mon Kagesuke! Don't—!" Kagesuke hops off the bed, where Shojo's backpack is laying on the ground. It's open, and Kagesuke goes right inside. "Don't you dare go in there, fiendish mutt—!"

He pulls out an open bag of dog treats and starts chowing down. Oh, now I see it. Shojo bribed Kagesuke with puppy treats so she could hang out with him. Poor Shojo, she lied to herself that Kagesuke loves her. And now, she's on her knees on the verge of tears. Man, she cries a lot. Yesterday, she cried about a character death in one of her mangas. Actually, that's a good reason to cry.

Pony, being the supportive gal she is, goes up and hugs Shojo as tears begin to flow down her cheeks. Kinoko tugs on my sleeves as we watch this show. "So Setsuna… Can we go inside your room? Shojo already invaded your space."

"...Yup."

"To the first question or my thing about Shojo?"

"Good question. Let's head inside." From hearing me, Pony brings Shojo into my room while the rest of us follow behind her. Kagesuke takes his bag of treats and decides to eat under my desk. Ibara, Kinoko, Reiko, and Yui start to look around my room. It's nothing much, honestly. My walls are the rich-kind of brown, the color is enough to invoke a feeling of warmth. So does the floor, but there's some dashes of gold and other colors in the mix too. Along the walls are a few paintings, both before the time of Heroes and during. And there's some miniature models of dinosaur skeletons in glass displays too, because I love dinosaurs—who can blame me? A girl's gotta indulge in her hobbies. As for my bed and stuff, my bed's probably three times as large as I am. As I said before, I have a walk-in closet and a couple of dressers. At my desk, I have a personal laptop—cutting edge technology I know—and a few other neat toys. That's about it, really. It's kinda what the average person's imagination of a rich girl's room.

"Are these real dinosaur bones?" Kinoko asks. ("...Totally.")

"Mmm." _You have a pretty room._ ("Thanks, especially since it's coming from the Shakespeare of 1-B!")

"I was not sure what I was expecting, but I am not disappointed," Reiko says. ("You're a sweetheart.")

"This room fits you," Ibara calmly comments. ("Aw, you're making me blush.")

Pony brings Shojo onto my bed, letting her flop face-first into one of my pillows. Pony decides to do the same thing to my other pillow. Great, now I got two cuties on my bed! I sit on the edge, kicking my legs around a little. Dramatically, as the Queen of 1-B, I throw my arms out—not literally this time—and say, "Are you not impressed?!"

Ibara confusedly says, "I _am_ impressed, Setsuna. Should I be? It's a lovely room, yet judging from the tone of your voice—"

I dismissively wave my hand. "It's just a movie reference, Ibara! A joke! Sorry, I thought you would get it."

"Ah, forgive me… I'm not very well-versed with pop culture…" Her eyes waver towards Shojo, who's mumbling words that don't sound Japanese. "Nor _that _culture as well."

"I don't understand half of Shojo's shrooming references anyway," Kinoko grumbles, sitting next to me. "Earlier, she said that Awase would be the kind of guy who would pick up girls in a dungeon."

"I mean, _he_ would do that," I defend Shojo's statement while she's literally not even a full meter away from us. I don't think she's paying attention to our conversation anyway.

"True true! But what about the time when she asked Inochi about his 'Breath Style'. What in the shrooms is a 'Breath Style'?! How can you breathe differently than normal?!" she exclaims, and I actually think Kinoko doesn't realize that Shojo is still not a full meter away from us.

Pony picks her head up. "Kinokoooo, Shojo is right here." Kinoko sees Shojo, then she laughs nervously.

Shojo picks her head up too. "Kinoko, I'm going to unleash my Breath of the Mangaka on you."

Ibara asks, "Excuse me?"

Reiko reiterates, "Her 'Breath of the Mangaka'."

Kinoko tilts her head to the side. I, being a good friend, hop off my bed and wander off to my desk where Yui's at. She's holding Kagesuke in her arms, with him nibbling on her finger. She deadpans, "Fight."

Kinoko, somewhat frantically looking around, nervously asks Shojo, "Uhm, what in the shroom is a…'Breath of the Mangaka'?"

"You shouldn't have asked that, Kinoko!" Pony exclaims as she hops off the bed too. Kinoko starts to hyperventilate as Shojo slowly sits up, bringing her face out of my pillow. She pushes her glasses up as if to say, _I am going to absolutely obliterate you_. Before we know it—

_MANGAKA BREATHING - FIRST FORM: TEARS OF DESPAIR!_

Shojo delivers two unexpected hits with one of my pillows, forcing Kinoko to fall down staggered and weak. But unexpectedly, Kinoko's face lands on a piece of paper, the one that Shojo uses to draw. Kinoko lifts her face up and stares down at the paper before bursting into tears, sobbing hysterically. "Aw sh-shrooms!"

Silently, Yui grabs a towel out of my dresser, throwing it onto Kinoko's face. She uses the towel to dry her tears as she continuously sobs into it. Yup, that's Shojo's Quirk alright. It's actually pretty powerful if used correctly. Mangaka can force certain emotions out through drawings. If she really wanted to, Shojo could make the entire school cry. Or she could inspire them so much that they would fight for friendship until they die.

Ibara disapprovingly shakes her head, kinda like a mother scolding their child. "Shojo, was using your Quirk necessary?"

Shojo puffs her cheeks, nodding. "Yes. But… I guess it's a bit of a mean thing to do." Taking the drawing from earlier, she puts it away face-down, then brings out another drawing. "Here Kinoko, this one will make you happy."

Kinoko takes the drawing and her tears immediately stop. A massive smile forms on her face, and she starts giggling like a serial killer. That's a bit unsettling… "Thank you so much, Shojo! You're so shroomtastically great!"

Shojo makes a blank face. "Thanks." She shoots everyone else a look of, _My Quirk is too powerful for its own good._

We nod in agreement. I sigh, curling my hair around my finger. "When I imagined taking a break from studying, it wasn't this."

"Well, this is an enjoyable break," Ibara says, smiling, "though your antics are questionable—" She looks at Shojo. "—it's enjoyable nonetheless. There isn't any major harm being inflicted on one another."

"Other than the one Kagesuke's inflicting on Yui," I say, glancing at these two again. Kagesuke is really chewing on her finger, and Yui doesn't care whatsoever.

"Mhm." _Kagesuke's adorable._

Pony sighs happily and starts hopping around my room, having her arms out like an airplane. "We should talk 'bout something! Something funny and interesting and cool and cheese!" She's still on this cheese thing, huh? Damnit, Honenuki.

"How about love?!"

"How about love!"

"How about love?"

"..." Me, Shojo, and Kinoko immediately look at one another. We all said the same thing at the exact same time.

Reiko droops her arms down to her sides, frowning. "Why is it always love with you three ladies?"

"I'm a romantic!" I say.

"I'm obsessed with romance mangas," Shojo answers, holding a volume of _My Neighbor's a Pro Hero?!_.

"I'm also a romantic!" Kinoko exclaims; I think the effects of Mangaka are still active. I need to ask Shojo how long it lasts.

Ibara briefly gives us a look of disappointment before finding a nice chair to sit on. "So romance it is. Setsuna, I believe you want to start the conversation then?"

I nod. "Naturally, my goddess. Instead of gossiping about our lovely two stars of 1-B, we ought to talk within our own circle. By that I mean, who are you guys interested in?" My main focus of attention is on Pony and Shojo.

"Why are you looking at me?" Shojo asks, cleaning her glasses off with one of those soft fabrics, "I'm not interested in anyone."

I frown, Yui frowns, Reiko frowns, Kinoko frowns, Kagesuke frowns, the entire world frowns. The only ones who are oblivious are Ibara, Pony, and Shojo herself. Kinoko says, getting a chance to speak before I do, "Really? Last Friday, you went on a date with Awase—"

"It wasn't a date!" Shojo exclaims, her face immediately turning red. "It was a platonic hang as platonic pals!"

"'Platonic pals'?" Reiko asks. "How interesting, Shojo. That sounds like a phrase used out of embarrassment and denial."

"What are you trying to imply, Reiko?"

"Unless you fluster at the thought of romance so easily, then you know exactly what I'm alluding to."

"I have no idea what you just said!" Pony jumps in, exclaiming. "Who are we 'luding too? What does that word even mean anyway?"

"Implying, dear," Ibara answers in a calm voice.

"Oh!" Pony blinks for a second then nods. "What is Reiko implying again? Something 'bout Shojo, that's for sure!"

Shojo waves her hands around in a crossing motion, her cheeks still flushed with a betraying red. "Nope, don't you dare say it! If you keep talking about my obviously not-real crush on Awase, I'm gonna have a heart attack!"

Yui does her Yui thing, "Hehe." _Cute._

"Translation?!" Shojo asks, yelling at any of us, mainly me. I'm the only one who's an expert in Yui Speak.

I say, "Yui mentioned that we never said anything about a crush." With that said, I smirk. Yui never said that, but I'm using her as my weapon, and she doesn't care in the slightest. Shojo reacts by glaring at Yui, trying to intimidate her. But Shojo is so cute that it's impossible for her to be intimidating. It's like a tiny kitten acting tough. I see why Awase has a crush on Shojo. She's short, absolutely cute, and has amazing thighs.

"Die," Shojo asks Yui, and Yui shakes her head.

Ibara turns her eyes to me, focused and steady. "Let's move on, Setsuna. There was someone else you were looking at too, correct? Other than Shojo?"

"You're right, beautiful goddess," I answer before setting my sights on Pony Tsunotori, who's innocently looking at us with her Prussian blue eyes. "Pony, it's your turn—"

"Are you guys seriously gonna ask Pony?" Kinoko asks with no faith in us whatsoever. "As much as I wanna know, you kinda have to say it bluntly in order for her to understand."

"Understand what?" Pony searches the room for an answer, and none of us are quite ready to tell her directly. Well, as the Queen of 1-B, I have to be the one who does it. Ibara simply cares too much for her heavenly heart, Kinoko would be too anxious, Yui is Yui, Reiko would say so much that Pony would be lost five seconds into the conversation, Shojo is Shojo, and Kagesuke can't talk.

I answer her, as blunt and direct as I can be, "Well, are you in love with someone?"

"My mom and dad!" she exclaims. Kinoko and Shojo facepalmed together. Well, Pony technically answered my question, and I'm pretty happy that she loves her parents.

I ask again, "Other than your parents, Pony! What I mean is, is there any handsome, rugged, possibly angsty guy that makes your heart flutter? Do you have any feelings that might be considered..._romantic_?"

"Kagesuke?" Pony answers in the form of a question. Well, she _did_ answer my question…

"Everyone loves Kagesuke, don't worry!" I say, giving him a good old head rub. "Look, I'll just say it even more bluntly, okay? Prepare yourself, Pony Tsunotori! Think you can handle my directness?"

"Uhm—"

"No 'uhms'! As a Hero, are you ready?!"

"I am! I'm super am! Hit me with your best shot, Setsuna! Ask me so hard that it'll be like hitting me over the head with a bat!"

"That's incredibly violent, but okay! Are you in love with Toga—"

_Knock knock!_

We turn to the door. "What the hell are ya doin' in there?" Speaking of the devil. Ibara stands up to open the door, but I sprint over there first. She immediately takes a step back, her eyes slightly wide.

Ibara whispers, "Is something wrong?"

"No, but let me handle this," I whisper back before opening the door. Togaru Kamakiri, the second-tallest guy in class, is standing in front of me with a scowl. This is the man who probably likes Pony. Aw, he's probably a big softie underneath if he has feelings for her. "Heya Jack Mantis, whatcha doing here?"

"Wonderin' where the hell the girls are at. Looks like I found 'em," Togaru peeks inside, seeing almost every girl there. Itsuka's the only one who's missing. "Quirkless an' Fists are together as usual."

"Did I win a bet?" To my left, Ibara scoffs. She doesn't like that we're betting on Sanji and Itsuka, but she doesn't hate us. That's all I want—for her to not hate her dear friends.

"Nope, they're just bein' stupid as always." Togaru huffs for some reason. I glance behind me and I see why: Pony's waving at him.

Pony urges him, "Come inside, Togaru! We're talking about love! Setsuna was about to ask me 'bout it just before you got here!"

"Lizard Head asked freakin' _what?!"_ Togaru yells before glaring down at me. "Lizard Head—!"

"Yo."

"Why the hell ya askin' Horns 'bout crap like that?! She doesn't know any better!" he begins to scold me while I'm putting up a blank face. I hear Pony shouting at Kinoko to unplug her ears, which is good. Pony won't hear anything that Togaru is saying—and what _I'm_ going to say.

I bat my hair, spinning around fabulously like the beautiful heiress I am! I spread out my arms before tucking them close to my chest, creating a heart with my hands over where my actual heart lies! "I am an Ally of Love, Togaru Kamakiri! For when I catch a whiff of the sweet nectar of romance, I become drunk, craving more and more until I see the flower of love bloom so flagrantly like honey! And for you, dear Jack Mantis, redeemed son of Executioner Wasp—!"

"Why ya gotta bring that up now?" Togaru asks, not liking that I brought his dad up. Heh right, even though it has been what? Months since Catharsis? His dad is still somewhat of a sore topic, but he's moving on. It's not tying him down anymore, and so he can devote his full attention to U.A. and himself. I'm happy for him. His time of drama is over, and so he can be a normal teenage guy who looks like an insect. And being a normal teenage guy, he has a cute little crush!

I gesture to Kinoko to plug Pony's ears even more. She can't hear what I'm about to say! I announce in a spectacular and noble voice, "For you, Jack Mantis, your bladed heart is dulled by Pony Tsunotori!"

"Drop the dramatics," he says.

I deadpan, "You like Pony."

"..." Togaru's face gradually gets red, like Shojo's face earlier. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You're blushing."

"I have a fever."

"You should be dead then."

"I wish I was."

"You need to stay alive for Pony—and _me_!"

"Lizard Head, I will kill myself then you if you don't shut up."

"Aw, you would break the laws of nature for me?"

"And your bones."

Ibara joins our little banter, "Kamakiri, even I must admit that your affection for Pony is quite obvious. And frankly, it's adorable. I never would have imagined that a girl like her could steal your heart."

With her words, Togaru's blush gets worse. He sputters out a swear, turning away from embarrassment. "Ugh… At least I'm not oblivious to the fact that ya stole someone's heart from the very beginnin', Vines…"

That asshole! He's trying to shift the conversation to my crush on Ibara! I laugh, _playfully_—not playfully—punching his chest. "Oh shut up, Togaru! Ibara stole all of our hearts!"

"Friendship-wise, indeed… But romantically…" Ibara looks down, thinking for a brief moment. "I stole someone's heart? Whose? You know the w—" She clears her throat. "—the man's name, don't you?"

Togaru laughs, crossing his arms. "'Course I do! Though ya might be mighty surprised, Vines!"

"No she won't! It's just a student from the General Courses," I say, waving my hands around. "A lot of guys have a crush on Ibara because she's so beautiful! Like an angel descending from heaven itself! Ithink even Kaminari from 1-A has a crush on her too!"

A tinge of red appears on Ibara's cheeks. Jeez, I made her think that she's well-loved in U.A.! Well, _that_ is true, but to the point of blushing? I both feel terrible _and_ blessed that I could see her blush! "How interesting… But—" she says.

Togaru interrupts her, "Nah, ignore Lizard Head. This person is in our class! In fact—"

"_In fact_, I think Togaru should leave!" I push my hands against his chest, trying to kick him out of my room. It's not working. He's a lot stronger than I am unfortunately. Dangit all, I need to sweep his legs out from under him and then he'd be at my mercy! Ibara, as we argue, is looking back and forth like a confused girl! Damnit, she must be so out of her realm!

"I'm perfectly fine where I'm at, thanks!" he shouts, gently pushing me away with a single hand. "Look Vines, this mysterious person is—"

I can't let him finish that sentence! I'm sorry, Kinoko!

"Well, we haven't addressed Kuroiro's crush on Kinoko!" I yell loud enough that everyone shuts up. Togaru frowns, realizing that I've thrown her under the bus to preserve myself. Yes I have, but she'll recover…

She'll recover…

"I'm sorry, what?" Kinoko asks. "I was busy dealing with Pony that I only heard my name. What did you say?"

Reiko doesn't hesitate to answer, "Shihai Kuroiro. Setsuna believes he has a crush on you."

"Oh." Kinoko doesn't seem to react. "..."

"Are you okay, dear?" Ibara checks up on her.

Then Kinoko shrugs. "I don't think he likes me that way. He's just shy around girls, that's it." ...When did Kinoko become so observant? Wow, I totally pegged her as a girl who would assume a guy has a crush on her when he shows any affection, even if it's a little bit. "Why do you think Kuroiro likes me?"

"Many reasons," I answer. Togaru tries to say something, but I shut him up by putting my hand over his mouth. "I—"

_BURST!_

Pony suddenly jumps out of Kinoko's arms, making her fall on her butt. "I can hear again!" Pony exclaims as she starts—?!

Holy crap, she's running straight at me and Togaru! "Setsunaaaaaaaa!"

"Pony, no—!"

_BAM!_

* * *

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"This was a great break," I comment as everyone, including Togaru, sits around in my room. I'm sitting at my desk; Yui, Kagesuke, Kinoko, and Shojo are on my bed; Ibara and Reiko are on a couple of chairs; and Togaru and Pony are sharing the floor.

"Shut up, Lizard Head," Togaru snaps at me. He has a bandage over his cheek. Yup… I caused that somehow.

"Yeah, I'm sorry guys," I apologize to everyone; it's a genuine apology this time. I even sigh too. "Guess we got a little carried away with romance, didn't we?"

Yui nods. Thanks Yui, you always know what to say. Reiko actually says, "Yes we have… Is Inochi an Ally of Love too, correct? How hasn't he imploded a room yet?"

"That's because Inochi's a responsible guy!" Pony exclaims, practically beaming with positive energy. "Like a princess, he's pure of heart!"

_Cough cough!_

Togaru and I immediately cough out anything we might've had in our mouths. Shojo nervously laughs. Yeah, we reacted the same way. What Pony just said wasn't true. Sanji, as much as I wouldn't like to admit it, isn't necessarily pure-hearted by conventional terms. And I'm not saying that because he's goofy, I'm being serious. He…

_"I promise that I'll rip every tendon from your bones."_

He said that. I remember him saying that during our fight with Catharsis. I look at Togaru, and he's looking at me. We nod. _We_ remember him saying that. After what happened, I guess we kinda forgot about it and moved on. Sanji still acted like his goofy self, but I guess I should've been more… How do I say this? Reactive? I should've reacted more to that side of him, that _realistic_ side of him. He knows that sometimes, you have to kill a Villain, but I never thought he would do it so willingly. And he _tried _to kill Catharsis too by throwing a knife at him. God, why am I remembering this now?

I'll just push this thought down. I still love Sanji despite him being secretly too mature. Overall, he's still my sweet, goofy boy.

Ibara asks the three of us, "Are you three okay? You reacted quite strangely to Pony's comment."

"Nothin's wrong, Vines," Togaru answers for us. "I was rememberin' when Quirkless made a not-so-savory joke. Got me laughin' for awhile, Airhead too. Not Headband though, he was the butt of the joke."

"What about the time when he looked through one of Manga's _obviously_ safe-for-work mangas?" Shojo asks, giggling a little. "After he read it, he put it down and sighed, and that was it."

"Yeah—"

_Bzzt!_

My phone. Okichi texted me.

Okichi: "Setsuna, time is only getting faster from here on out. Do you have an answer for me yet?"

It's about I-Expo. I sigh, looking around the room. "It's Okichi, guys. Don't worry, it's nothing super important." That's half a lie.

Togaru tells me, "Tell him to shove a stick up his—" Pony grabs his cheek and tugs on it, stopping him from finishing his sentence. Ibara sighs and closes her eyes, not having the energy to scold Togaru again.

"I want to, but I gotta be nice to him," I say, pulling out of the conversation. Everyone starts to talk about the Final Exam. I know what it'll be. The written portion is obvious, and the practical is just more Faux Villains.

Me: "Not yet"

Okichi: "After our finals, it will be about two weeks until the I-Expo starts. Do you remember the strength of the M.L.A.?"

M.L.A.: Meta Liberation Army. I hate those initials now.

Me: "I know, no need to remind me"

During the first advent of the Meta Liberation Army, they were able to lay siege against _multiple_ governments around the world. They had an army that had a chance at conquering the world like Alexander the Great. The second time around, under Rikiya Yotsubashi, it's contained mainly in Japan. From what Dad said, they have over a hundred thousand soldiers waiting on his command, including Pro Heroes. If I reveal this to the wrong person, then it would spark a civil war.

What Okichi is asking me is simple: obtain a list of all of the soldiers in the M.L.A.! That's simple… Yup…

Okichi: "Good, you are still having doubts, are you not?"  
Me: "Of course I am"

Okichi: "I knew it!"

Okichi: "Don't doubt my genius, my dear Setsuna!"

Me: "It's hard not to"

Okichi: "Perhaps, what I am asking of you is insane and suicidal"

Okichi: "But nonetheless, this could prevent the loss of thousands of innocent lives"

Me: "Or begin a war that will kill thousands more"

Okichi: "Maybe not. What did your father say about the Commission? Did he tell you to not tell them?"

Why is he asking about that?

Me: "Yes, he told me that they will immediately go into war against the M.L.A."

Okichi: "That's wrong, dear"

Okichi: "Your father doesn't trust the Commission with this information"

Okichi: "He believes that they will mishandle it"

Okichi: "Trust me, they are much more competent than we know"

That's...not impossible. During the Musutafu Suicide Spree, they purposefully hid Catharsis's identity to the public. As a result, he fell out with the League of Villains and acted on his own, leading to his arrest. Because of them, it became possible that we were able to defeat him.

But Dad, it's true that he doesn't trust the Commission. The only person he trusts is himself and his company. The only reason he's investing in U.A. is for a profit and inside information on the heroism industry, especially on the Commission. It's not a bad thing though. Information is power here, but... Dad never explained to me why he doesn't trust the Commission. I just know he doesn't through his actions and words.

Me: "What are you trying to say?"

Okichi: "We will deliver any information we gather to the Commission"

Okichi: "Simple as that"

...I should've seen this coming.

Me: "Incredibly risky"

Okichi: "Riskier than a war with little-to-none information?"

Okichi: "Let's say the Commission wages war immediately after our successful operation, and the M.L.A. retaliates"

Okichi: "They have information that can be instrumental to the war, and as a result, our allies would be able to act much more efficiently than without the information"

That's...not a bad point.

Okichi: "Setsuna, let us be frank, we'd either be speeding up or delaying the inevitable here. The M.L.A. _will_ go to war with Japan eventually, whether it be tomorrow or when cherry blossoms bloom"

Okichi: "It's a certainty, not a possibility"

Okichi: "The only possibility is _when_ they go to war"

Okichi: "Frankly, I'd rather have information than go without"

There's still something I need to know.

Me: "Why are you doing this, Okichi?"

Okichi: "Why?"

Okichi: "I want to save lives."

Me: "Is that it?"

Okichi: "Yes, that's all. As much as you may think otherwise, I absolutely detest villainy as a whole"

Okichi: "Who would overthrow society with brute force? Only savages who believe that they are right"

Okichi: "No, who believe that they are _entitled_ to be right, and through that entitlement, they believe society should be torn down for their disgusting beliefs"

Me: "You're telling the truth, aren't you?"

Okichi: "Of course I am"

Okichi: "You don't need to be a Hero in order to be a good person"

Okichi: "For sinful and selfish I may be, this world is worth believing in"

Okichi: "And I shall fight until my last breath in any way I am able"

Jeez… I always thought Okichi is one of those snobby rich jerks—well, he _is_, but he has a good heart. It reminds me of Sanji actually…

Me: "Cool"

Okichi: "Indeed! Remember, if you refuse, then I will not tackle this monumental task by my lonesome"

Okichi: "My fate is entirely up to you"

Okichi: "Yet believe that the world is not your father's words"

Okichi: "The world is whatever your eyes can see!"

Okichi: "Let that influence you"

Okichi: "Now I must go! Good luck on your exams, Setsuna!"

Me: "See you"

…

I turn off my phone. When was everyone laughing? All of them are laughing… Heh, the joke was probably funny, wish I could've heard it, but once again, the heiress I am is stuck with a decision that can change the world.

What Okichi said…

_"The world is whatever your eyes can see!"_

But Dad, he knows more about the world than I do. I'm only just a stupid kid. Whatever he says, I have to take it as fact. It's opinion, of course, but he lived through life longer than I have. The only life I know is the one he gives me.

So how can I see the world when I only witnessed a drop in an ocean thus far?

Again…

Do I just do what Dad says—

—Or go along with Okichi's idea?

I need to ask someone, yet the only person I can ask is God. This is a decision that only I can make, unfortunately.

Heh…

What would everyone else think?

Maybe then…

I would find my answer.

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Sanji—"

_SLAM!_

"You alright? Besides from brain damage, I mean."

"Besides from brain damage… Yeah, I'm okay." Sanji lifts his head up, tufts of his hair swaying back and forth kinda like a pendulum. I gotta ask—how is he keeping his hair so fluffy? It's like each strand of hair has a mind of its own, so light like a feather even. Not to mention how soft it must be—but nothing can beat Ibara's hair. Oh, what about his even softer grey eyes? I used to think the color was a little boring and dull—grey isn't a pretty color compared to bright purple or blue. I changed my mind though, because grey looks great on Sanji, along with his usual color scheme of black and white. However, how his eyes look isn't the focal point I'm paying attention to. It's how he uses them. Whenever he's talking to me, his eyes narrow slightly, seemingly focusing on every word I say like it's fact. It's so subtle, yet I notice this small detail every time we have a conversation. And it isn't narrow like, "I'm incredibly suspicious of you" but as, "I'm interested in you". There's this little light in his eyes—not literally obviously—that makes anyone he talks to feel special—he always makes others feel special honestly—but when I'm around, he's treating me more than that. That's because even when he's not smiling, his eyes take over; in fact, it's always smiling. Heh, I still remember the time when I caught him with his eyes white during the beginning of the year. That was strange, but alluring, like some kind of hidden power was underneath.

"Itsuka," Sanji says my name. I hear a laugh trying to escape his throat, and he's doing his best to stop it.

"Huh?"

"Should I call you the daydreamer now? 'Cause you were staring at me for a second longer than socially acceptable." Oh damnit, I was staring? I'd admit that to Sanji, but he would tease the crap outta him. It's my fault, because I can't help but think that he's cute.

I deflect what he says, "Wow, 'socially acceptable', this is coming from the man who promised to wear a cheerleaders outfit for Setsuna's birthday."

"It's very socially acceptable, Itsuka!" Sanji exclaims, sitting up straight in his seat with his arms crossed in protest. His right cheek is puffed up—aw, he's pouting. "I have the body to pull it off. You're just jealous."

"What about the incident with the cable box?" I recall.

"Which one?" Sanji asks with a smile as if he's happy that he is pretty much useless with anything involving that damned cable box.

"There's the time where it took five hours for you to program it—"

"Record time."

"You accidentally turned on the 'Audible Assistance Mode'. You thought there was a Villain in the house—"

"In my defense, it sounded like one."

"_You barged into my room wielding a katana like you were about to assassinate me._"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe!"

"That would literally be the last thought in my mind."

"Really? You would immediately think that I was trying to assassinate you? Like a rivaling noble in the Sengoku Period?"

"Exactly! It's not my fault that your Hero Costume resembles a modern-day samurai."

"That's not even relevant to this conversation!" Sanji says, raising his voice a little. He tries to say something else, but decides not to. Shrinking himself in his chair, he sighs and puts his three middle fingers against his forehead, his elbow on the table. He looks irritated, cutely irritated. "You know that I won't try to kill you. Ever, right?"

"Yeah I know," I reply, smiling back. I put my arms on the table, slightly folding inwards towards me, and then I rest my head on them. "I'm just teasing you. It's hard to rile you up since you take everything with pride, but I know _just_ enough to push your buttons."

Sanji laughs, looking at me with the very same eyes I described earlier. His fingers fall off of his forehead, resting on his lap. "Speaking of button-pushing, shouldn't we be, y'know, watching everyone else?" He looks around Setsuna's home and… Yeah, we should. The boys and girls separated themselves into their own groups. The boys are in the library/study while the girls are… I have no idea where. Might be in Setsuna's room? But Sanji still makes a good point, namely because of one individual: Neito Monoma—well one more individual: Setsuna Tokage. These two can ignite chaos with one small spark, and that chaos will eventually lead to some blood, then some tears, then a lot more tears.

I _should_ be watching them, but I know they can behave themselves here. This is Setsuna's _home_ after all. Her parents are out—don't get me started on Fuyushiro Tokage—and everyone knows better than to cause damage. That, and our Finals are next week. We need to study for them more than having fun and messing around. Those are the two reasons why I can sit with Sanji and don't have to worry about anyone blowing something up. As much as I love my friends, I also love hanging out with him. We spend most of our time with each other anyway, but it's always fun. "We should, but they're capable enough to behave themselves in public, don't worry. _You_ on the other hand, I need to keep an eye on ya."

"Not literally right?" he worryingly asks.

I giggle, lifting my head up a little. "I'm not gonna pull my eye out like Setsuna. Besides, I'd be giving myself nightmares. You'd be immune to it of course."

Sanji's eyes frown for just a brief moment. "Yeah…" Then they smile like normal. Yup, Sanji doesn't dream like the rest of us. He's incapable of dreaming. Ironically enough, he does a lot of _daydreaming_ though.

And speak of the devil, he's spacing out right now. I pick up my head and take my phone out, setting a timer. Let's see how long he lasts.

…

…

…

Three minutes and a half. This is a lot longer than I expected. In the first minute, I spent my time just staring—not creepily—at him, but I had enough time to check my emails and stuff. I should pop him out of his head.

I get up and walk over to his left. Even when I'm moving around, he still hasn't noticed me whatsoever. Hehe, he looks so peaceful daydreaming. Too bad I'll snap him out of it. He usually has a funny reaction when someone pokes him, so I bring out a finger—?!

_GRASP!_

"Eeek?!"

"Itsuka, what're you doing?" Sanji just grabbed my wrist! Shit, that scared the hell outta me! God, now he's smirking, his eyes slyly staring into mine. Those are the kind of eyes that say, _I knew what you were doing all along; I'm one step ahead of you. _This jerk!

"N-Nothing!" I say, which I would've liked if I hadn't stutter, but my body isn't always on the same wavelength as my mind. "Just trying to wake you up, that's all…"

Sanji chuckles, his eyes smiling but his smirk unchanging. "Heh, isn't this novel?"

"Eh?" that sound comes out. This? Novel? How is this anything resembling a novel? And what genre would it be anyway?

With his voice deep and calm, he explains, "Ah, being an Ally of Love, I'd think this is a perfect scene. The woman sees the man distracted, seemingly lost in thought in a sea of emotions. Like Sleeping Beauty but reversed, the woman decides to wake him up from his day-slumber. Sneaking over to his side, her heart brimming with a surplus of affection, and to rid of this surplus, she plants a gentle kiss on the man's cheek."

"...?!" What the hell?! What goes on inside his head?! I wasn't going to kiss his cheek! Far from it! "Don't get any wrong ideas, Sanji! I was trying to poke you, that was it!"

Like the stupid romantic he is, Sanji goes on, "And the woman dismisses her action, seemingly equating it to nothing. But of course, everyone knows that this 'nothing' shows 'everything' with one small little kiss."

Seriously?! What's up with him today?! "It's just a poke! Where are you getting a kiss from?! I'm—?!"

Sanji grips my wrist tighter, standing up. He's a lot taller than I am, enough to cast a shadow on me. He says in a low voice, almost sultry, "As a novel though, the roles ought to be reversed, shouldn't it?"

What is he doing?! I… It's making my body heat up! "S-Sanji—!"

We do a dance. Whenever he steps forward, I step back. Somehow, my back hits a white pillar. I yelp, seeing as I am now cornered by him, who's still holding my wrist. With his other hand, he presses it against the pillar to the right of my head, forcing me to tilt it the other way. His gaze is the most uncomfortable part; it's _too_ focused. Almost like he's trying to _seduce_ me or something…

It's…

It's not a terrible attempt…

This is the guy who thinks I like someone else? There has to be something more to it…

"Itsuka…" Sanji says, his voice trailing off. He moves his head closer, and closer, and closer… He's not… He's not going to kiss me right? But he's leaning in! No, this isn't like him at all! I _know_ how he is! He's goofy, he likes to play jokes! There's no way he's _this_ kind of man! "Heh…"

Now he's laughing again! Sanji doesn't move in to kiss me, but instead moves his face close to my ears. Okay, that's a little more uncomfortable than a kiss! I hear him quietly sniffing my hair too! The hell?! "What are you—?!"

He whispers into my ear, almost sensual, "Y'know… I don't doubt that you know how to push my buttons, but I know _exactly_ how to push yours—in ways a lot more than one." I freaking knew it! This was all a joke! He was getting back at me for teasing him earlier so he decided to pull this stupid stunt!

"I hate you!" I exclaim, finally pushing his face away from me. He lets go of my wrist, giving me _some_ space, but not a lot. His laughs don't stop too; it fills the silence in the room. The heat in my chest doesn't go away. I'm still overwhelmed from what happened. To think that Sanji would go this far to tease me, that's saying something, isn't it? Before, we would only banter and argue like a married couple. Yet to actually make me think that he was trying to seduce me? I think he's…

"Hahaha!"

Heh, it makes someone like me dream. His laugh is still adorable. I shake my head, doing nothing to stop the smile on my face. "Ha ha, you got your revenge, jerk. What made you try this?"

"Nothing," Sanji answers, smiling. "Nothing at all. Just felt like doing it, seemed like it was the right thing to do."

"Uh huh, for me, kicking your ass seems like the right thing to do," I snark, copying his laugh from earlier.

"Later, we're houseguests, remember?" he reminds me, unconsciously inching his face forward. I'm still backed against the pillar; he isn't letting me go. Jeez… "By the way, did you change shampoo? Your hair smells different."

He could tell that?! Wait, better question: He _smelled _my hair before?! I—Never mind, I shouldn't be surprised, especially when he has me pinned against a pillar. I sigh, nodding. "Yeah, remember my commercial with Uwabami?"

That was a terrible time.

"...How could I forget? I have it saved. But that was hairspray, right?"

"Yeah, but I got the shampoo. It was free because I did the commercial for them. Do you...like it?"

"Of course! It looks beautiful as ever. Considering that it's _you_ that we're talking about, that's always a given." He presses his hand against the pillar again like before, but he acts like himself this time. Sanji has that stupid smile...

There he goes again. He makes it too easy for me to blush. "You—!"

_CLICK!_

The front door opens.

"Oh! Uhm, are we interrupting something?" It's Haruto! Right, he's Setsuna's chauffeur! He's here?! Wait, did he say "we"?!

"When Setsuna told me that her class is coming over for a study group, I imagined a class of well-mannered Hero Students having the drive to prove themselves as Heroes," Fuyushiro Tokage says, stepping out from behind Haruto with a black briefcase in hand; he's frowning. "Never did I imagine that I would catch two of the most responsible students in an implicating position like this. I'd thought you would be studying."

Sanji immediately backs off, putting his hands up. I stand beside him, facing Haruto and Mister Tokage with my heart pounding like a drum. Damnit all, of course we were caught by him! He tries to explain, but I twist his arm. I explain instead, bowing, "I'm sorry, Mister Tokage. We _were_ studying until this guy decided to go off-topic. One thing led to the other and you caught us like—" I pause. "—that. We weren't planning to do anything...unbecoming of U.A. students."

"I see," Mister Tokage says before turning to Haruto, who takes off his blue cap and rests it against his chest. "Haruto—"

Before Mister Tokage finishes, Haruto nods and says, "I'll go watch the men. I know how much you treasure your books, sir."

"Wait, you know that they're in the library?" Sanji asks before I do.

Haruto gives us a bright white smile and nods, tipping his cap to us. "Just intuition, I suppose! Seeing as you two are out here _alone_—" He clears his throat. "—yup, alone. It's only natural to assume that your class separated themselves into gender. With that, the ladies would go in Miss Setsuna's room and the boys would want to be in a large room, so the library. That, and I hear your friend, Neito Monoma, from where I'm standing."

"I can't hear him," I say.

"Neither can I," Sanji agrees.

"So it seems," Mister Tokage follows up, sighing.

"Am I correct though?" Haruto asks.

I nod, putting a hand on my hip. "Honestly, I'm not certain if the girls are in Setsuna's room, but there's a good chance. So I think you're completely right, Haruto."

"Awesome!" he exclaims, hopping up in the air. Mister Tokage glares at him and Haruto immediately composes himself, clearing his throat again. "Excuse my sudden outburst… I'll go watch the men now."

Awkwardly, Haruto tries to—and fails—march towards the library like he's in a band. His movement is wonky and way too over-exaggerated. Sanji laughs a little, and I elbow him in the side. He groans in pain and frowns, giving me his sad eyes. Mister Tokage gets our attention by walking over to the main area where the couches and chairs are, all on a rug. There's a massive TV attached to a wall that isn't turned on right now. We watch him sit down on the couch, taking out his laptop from his briefcase, opening it. "Miss Kendo and Mister Inochi, sit down. We're having a private conversation."

He didn't sound like he was asking us. Sanji looks at me worryingly, his eyes saying, _Will we survive this?_ Aw, he's being a goof again. I nod, patting his back, signaling him to do what Mister Tokage says. We take the smaller couch to his left, sitting next to each other. I make sure we have a gap between us. Mister Tokage doesn't say anything yet, only typing something down.

I remember when he punched Sanji. That was a fun time. And then, we had to impress him and the other investors enough that Sanji wouldn't get kicked out of the Hero Course. That was also a fun time, and when I first got feelings for him. One way or another, Mister Tokage is a massive influence on our lives. With one word, he could recommend that we would be removed from the Hero Course. Whether we like it or not, we have to do what he says. Do I like it? Not really. When I look at Sanji, he doesn't seem too fond either.

Yet he's the first one to speak, "Mister Tokage… Why did you want—"

"Let me finish my email first," Mister Tokage snaps. "Don't interrupt your elders. Have some manners."

This—!

Sanji grabs my hand, preventing me from cussing Mister Tokage out. He doesn't whisper anything to me except for his eyes; they say, _Calm down. I know you give your fists out indiscriminately, but not now. _

I fume, pulling my hand away from him. There's a lot of things I could say about Fuyushiro Tokage, the head of Tokage Industries. I can't pinpoint what exactly, but there's something awfully strange about him—Setsuna too. Maybe he's the reason why Setsuna's been hanging out with us less after school. Whenever I see Setsuna interact with him, she acts differently than when she's with us. Hmph, there's too many things that I don't know yet. What I _do_ know is that he's a scumbag one way or another.

Sanji and I, we wait until Mister Tokage finishes his email. His fingers speedily run across his keyboard with his eyes sweeping the screen left to right. When he finishes, he finishes with an annoyed sigh, shutting his laptop and putting it to the side. He says, "Kids—"

I correct him, "We're not 'kids', _sir_." Mister Tokage tilts his head with irritation stricken across his face. Beside me, Sanji frowns, probably thinking about how rude I am. To Mister Tokage, I'll give him as much respect as he gives us.

"If you keep insisting that you're not, it makes you seem even more of one." He glares at us—well, only at _me_. "But I digress. I wanted to have a private conversation to speak about current events. Such as Mister Inochi's interview with Present Mic."

Sanji picks his head up, his mouth slightly agape. "M-Me? Uhm, what about the interview? It was nothing much."

Mister Tokage crosses his legs, explaining, "That 'nothing much' resulted in the highest number of Listeners this year thus far on _Put Your Hands Up Radio_. Mister Inochi, whether you like it or not, you're famous. You're in the public's eye; no one will _not_ know your name."

"I...know," Sanji replies, his eyes frowning. This is incredibly, and unfortunately, ironic. Sanji is the only person I know who detests fame, yet he's the most famous student in the entire school.

"What's your point, Mister Tokage?" I ask him, crossing my arms.

"My point is: Japan is looking for results from Mister Inochi. He is expected to rise into the top ten Pro Heroes once he graduates. And I, frankly, aim to aid him in this endeavor," he answers with a small, mischievous smile. Ah, now I know where Setsuna got her smile from.

"Wait—"

Sanji interrupts me, asking, "Aid me? Wait, are you talking about—?"

Mister Tokage nods, humming. "Yes, your Quirk. Your Quirk defines who you are, Mister Inochi. Without a Quirk, you are nothing—"

"That's not true whatsoever," I comment.

Mister Tokage laughs, his dark green hair bouncing on his head. "How you feel doesn't matter in this society. Your Quirk determines _everything_, and for your friend, it's the one and only aspect that everyone focuses on. I'm sure that U.A. is trying to force a Quirk Awakening out of him, correct?"

I stay silent. "..."

"So I thought," he says, turning back to Sanji, "I have a better method rather than rigorous training, more so than you already partake in. Well, if I tell the truth, Setsuna initially proposed the idea."

"What did she say?" Sanji presses immediately afterwards.

He responds, "The I-Expo. David Shield—I'm sure you know of him—is one of the world's greatest metaologists and support scientist. He's stationed at I-Island for research. Seeing as your Quirk is locked away, he can find a method to unlock it—a key essentially. Of course, I need your consent."

I step in, "I think—"

"I'll do it." Sanji?! "Even if it doesn't awaken my Quirk, it's a step forward nonetheless. I have no reason to deny this opportunity."

"Are you sure about this?" I ask him, "we haven't talked to Mom or Grandpa about any of this! I'm sure that they would have a say or at least an opinion about this!"

Sanji replies, "They'd agree with me. Itsuka, there's no possible way that I could effectively save people without a Quirk. Quirks are exactly what differentiates from life and death. As much as people see me as the Symbol of Quirklessness or whatever, I'm not meant to become that. I feel like a false hope for them."

"There's so much more to you, Quirk or not. If you look at our friends, there's a reason why everyone admires you so much," I tell him, putting my hand on his shoulder. His body relaxes; he was tensing his body. Sanji sighs and lowers his head, not saying anything else after that. I look over to Mister Tokage who's silently watching us. "Why do you want to help him so much? You punched him before."

"Because he interfered with Setsuna's livelihood, but that doesn't matter now." He stands up, his hands behind his back. Slowly, he walks towards the large window that looks down upon the streets of Musutafu, where everything looks like ants. "For Tokage Industries, it's in our best interest to invest in Mister Inochi. He's a promising individual. Personally, I myself believe in his future as a Hero. You can have bright ideals, but without strength to power them, then your light will fade.

"And…Setsuna believes in you. Originally, before the school year started, I originally planned for her success as a Pro Hero and the next head of Tokage Industries all by herself. I never accounted for her friends; I never accounted for _Class 1-B. _For the first few hours on the first day of school, everything went according to plan. Then everything afterwards, nothing went right—namely a few major factors such as a transcript error and an untimely suicide. As a result, I had to change my plans. The only way she could be successful if _both of you_ are successful."

"So you're not doing this for us. You're doing this for her," Sanji says. And why Mister Tokage punched Sanji, but that isn't relevant.

"Correct. You wonder why she spends less time with you after school? This is why. My plans have changed dramatically. I can barely predict tomorrow as it is, let alone Villains like Catharsis. One day, I will come home and hear that my daughter has been kidnapped or _worse_. I mean no offense, but you attract trouble, Class 1-A even more so. There's no possible way I could let her wander out and about when troubling variables are springing up every second. It's begging for her to get hurt, and I can't have that."

I stand up as well. Sanji sees me and stays sitting, but his eyes are on me. I see Mister Tokage's back. He's standing tall like nothing can faze him. "Is that how you're raising Setsuna?"

"I am," Mister Tokage answers, turning around to face me, yet we're only ten or so meters away. "I'm raising her to live successfully in this world."

"That's—"

"By a schedule," Sanji says. "A schedule. You've been controlling Setsuna's life down to minute details." A what? A schedule? What does he mean by that? Why would Mister Tokage need to give Setsuna a schedule? Why…?

_Oh._

"Sanji, please explain," I ask him, my voice nearing the edge of anger.

He shakes his head out of frustration, rubbing his mouth. "I didn't understand it at first, but I think I do now. Mister Tokage, ever since Setsuna was born, you've been controlling what she does every day. Study time, Mom time, things like that."

"Setsuna told you, didn't she?" Mister Tokage says. He clearly didn't want her to tell anyone, but he doesn't seem angry. In fact, I think he _knew_ this would be revealed some time soon. What kind of a fucking father is he?

Sanji nods. That's all he does: nod. Trying my best to not yell, I say, "That's...disgusting. You're raising our best friend like that? It's borderline obsessive, abusive even. How can you call yourself a father?" Dad, _my dad_, would never do something like that. He would push me to become independent, do my own thing. No way in hell would he control my life. Ever since I was born, he wanted me to walk on my own without some stupid forsaken schedule dictating my life. It feels like I'm in a Japanese drama for crying out loud!

"It's natural that you don't agree with my methods—"

I interrupt, "Yeah, I feel more than just 'disagreeable', sir."

Mister Tokage grabs his tie and straightens it. "As I was saying, it's needed—don't interrupt me again—to be who she is meant to be: a Hero and the head of our company. That is her place in the world, and so she must learn to live as that. Unless one of you is the heir to a very important family, then you won't understand."

I look at Sanji.

He sucks in a deep breath from what Mister Tokage says, shaking his words out of his head. I briefly glance at him before focusing my eyes back on the man before us, the man who's undoubtedly crooked. Filtering my thoughts, I say, "You're a terrible man. You said that you want her to be successful, but what about being happy? You don't want her to be happy?"

"What do you believe?" Mister Tokage asks me. "Do you believe that a man in such a high status such as me can be happy? Who's powerful enough to ruin a country's economy, but not powerful enough to heal what ails mankind? But those are just rhetorical questions. No matter what answer I give you, you will never forgive me. The only way you can understand me by wearing this suit."

"You—!"

"Nothing. I won't put in stock into this silly argument any longer. Remember, I'm only doing this for my daughter, not you. If you—and Mister Inochi—weren't so integral to Setsuna's success, then I would've gotten rid of unneeded variables." With his arms at his side, Mister Tokage approaches me. No, he passes me. He grabs his laptop and his briefcase, tucking his laptop under one arm and holding his briefcase by the handle. "As I said before, both of you are the most responsible students in your class—the two axises in which it revolves around. If I were you, I would train for the practical of your Finals. It _won't_ consist of Faux Villains."

WIth that said, Mister Tokage walks off into the hallway on our left, probably going into his office. We hear the clicking of his footsteps as they fade away. I groan, sitting back down next to Sanji, who immediately moves closer, our shoulders touching. He says, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Setsuna's thing earlier… She told me during our ball months ago."

"It's fine… I honestly didn't expect you to understand. You weren't raised in conventional means," I reply, smiling softly. At least Sanji isn't hiding big secrets anymore… Actually no, he _is_ hiding something: his family. During his interview with Present Mic, he talks about his father. I explicitly remember that Sanji told me, Mom, and Grandpa that he doesn't remember his family. But that, I'll let him keep it a secret. I won't pry about his family until he's ready to talk about it.

Sanji laughs, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, but now I understand. That isn't normal. Do you think Setsuna's okay?"

"I...hope so. I always knew there was something off with her, but I didn't expect it to be _this_. She's like a bird in a gilded cage, I swear. I mean, we can't do anything about it either. Mister Tokage is too powerful, but it doesn't mean we can't support Setsuna," I tell him.

"Then let's give it all we got—Plus Ultra style!" Sanji brings out his fist, grinning. Uhm, he hasn't done that before. "...Itsuka, please fist bump me."

"Alright, fine."

_Knock!_

"Great! Now, Mister Tokage completely changed the practicals for us! And honestly, I'm kinda scared. What do you think U.A. has in store?"

"Something incredibly stupid, that's for sure."

"We can handle it though, right?"

"Right, _partner_."

"Heh, you know it."

Jeez… Next week, it'll be our Final Exams. Let's hope we're ready.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Mister Kan, why are we here?" Setsuna asks him. Well, that _is _a very good question. I thought we would fight at Ground Beta or something. Right now, we're outside of school with a ton of buses around us. We finished our written portion of our Finals yesterday. Thanks to studying all of last week, I feel like I actually did good on it! But here, the practical is another battle. My wavering mind cannot affect my physical body, else that'll lead to an easy defeat. Beside me, Itsuka's looking around, trying to figure out what our practical's gonna be since it's not Faux Villains this time.

We have: Mister Kan, Cementoss, Ectoplasm, Midnight, Snipe, Thirteen, Power Loader, and Present Mic.

"Aren't we fighting those stupid robots again?" Tsuburaba asks, sighing and waving the sweat off his face.

Mister Kan answers, "Actually—"

"Change of plans!" Principal Nezu suddenly leaps forward from behind Mister Kan, jumping on his shoulder and standing proudly. "Instead of those rusty old machines, we'd thought that another test would be better! One that challenges your heroic senses and your decision-making ability among a myriad of other skills! You may ask, 'Why the sudden change, Principal Nezu?' Well, I'll answer you!

"You all need more battle experience because of recent events that transpired! That is why, from now on, you will be having battle simulations that reflect combat in your daily life! And for your Final Exam, I am happy to announce that you will be fighting your very own teachers!"

"Shrooming _what?!_"

"Ya gotta be freakin' kiddin' me!"

"We're dead."

"I did not expect this sudden revelation."

"This is a plot twist of epic proportions!"

Everyone got pretty much a bomb dropped on them. Itsuka and I aren't that surprised. Setsuna doesn't seem too shocked either. It seems like only the three of us know that our practical isn't around fighting Faux Villains, but to think that we're fighting our own _teachers_ is a scary thought. They are _Pro Heroes_ who have battle experience like none other. We are certainly outmatched, especially me, but they wouldn't have given us this test if they didn't believe that we wouldn't pass. _How_ would we fight them though? There's a reason we're outside the school and not on campus.

Principal Nezu laughs and sits down on Mister Kan's shoulder, nodding along to the outcries of my friends—his students. "And we also have a special guest! Kendo and Inochi, I think you'd be somewhat surprised!"

"Huh?" I ask, turning to Itsuka. "Did you know about this?" She shrugs, shaking her head.

Nezu continues absolutely brimming with enthusiasm, "Why don't you reveal yourself, guest star? Come out from behind those buses!"

"I honestly don't know why we had to do this, Principal Nezu…" That voice!

"Mom?!"  
"I'm not fighting her!"

Around us, everyone murmurs, whispering to each other about our very special guest star: Hayami Kendo! She emerges from behind a set of buses with both of our motorcycles beside her. She's wearing casual clothes with a beige bag around her shoulder. Rolling the motorcycles up with the rest of the teacher, she greets everyone with a kind smile—especially Itsuka and I. That's why she was giggly this morning! I knew she was planning something devious, and here it is! Hayami says, "You would lose if you tried to fight me, Sanji. But I won't be fighting you, that's someone else's job."

"That's right!" Nezu exclaims, jumping off of Mister Kan's shoulder to jump on my motorcycle. "If all of you are unaware, both Kendo and Inochi have Hero Vehicles registered with the Hero Public Safety Commission! Miss Kendo here has finished tinkering with their motorcycles, and now she personally asked me if her kids can test them out, and I said yes! That's why she's here! For Kendo and Inochi's Final Exam, they are allowed to use their Hero Vehicles!"

"Holy crap!"

"That's awesome!"

"Now I really wanna see them fight!"

"Let's hope they don't crash them."

Awase steps up from the crowd and asks, "Miss Kendo, can I be your son?"

Hayami giggles and shakes her head. "Sorry, I already have one."

?!

_THUD!_

"Oh dear, I think you just killed Inochi," Midnight...says…

"Inochi, can you still participate in the exam? Is anything hurt?" Mister Kan asks…

"My heart…" I answer.

Itsuka groans and lifts me up by my arm. "Stop being so dramatic, Sanji." Behind those kinda harsh words, there's a smile. Heh, guess I really am apart of the Kendo Family now. If you'd tell me this five or six years ago, I wouldn't have believed it. I'm happy that Hayami thinks of me as her son. How she casually said it was like a shot to the heart.

"I'm alive!" I announce, grinning.

Hayami rolls her eyes at me, her stupid little man, and digs into her bag. She tosses a green and gold bracer to Itsuka; to me, she tosses a black and white bracer with a four-pointed star on the forearm side. Oh, this one is for my left arm, the one that uses a grappling hook. This, however, is a lot thicker, larger, and heavier, but not by much. Everyone around us starts to gather around, taking a peek at our new bracers. These will be our electronic link to our bikes. Earlier last month or so, Hayami made a prototype for Itsuka's bike. It worked for the most part, just had some small...kinks…

Yeah, let's go with "small".

Hayami explains, "These bracers will allow you to link up to your gorgeous bikes made by me. For you Sanji, this replaces your left bracer. Don't worry about your grappling hook. This one is a lot more compacted and efficient. However, there's a few changes: it's now attached to the bottom of your bracer and has a lot more recoil than your old one. That's about it though! Put it on, you two! Don't keep me waiting!"

I do what she says, taking off my old bracer and replacing it with the new one. Out of the corner of my eye, Itsuka can barely contain her excitement. Her arms are literally shaking from the thought of using our Hero Vehicles in combat. Which is the only reason why I'm the first one who puts my bracer on. Immediately, the center of the four-pointed star begins to glow blue. Ah, that's supposed to be a feature. Hayami told me that our bracers need a way to recognize us, so fingerprint it is! I press the tip of my index finger against the center, and the star begins to spin clockwise like a loading screen in a video game. When it finishes loading, a white screen replaces the black that was once there. I see an infographic of a mini-version of Hayami greeting me with the exclamation of "Hiya Sanji!". That's adorable. Mini-Hayami pulls in an empty text box and asks, "Give your motorcycle a name, Armory!"

Tetsutetsu puts his elbow on my shoulder, amazed by what he's seeing. "Holy crap bro, you need to give your bike an awesome name! How about 'Steel Hand'?! That's a good name, right?!"

"For you, Tetsutetsu, but you aren't riding it," Kaibara tells him. "Inochi, name it 'Arsenal' or something."

"No no no, he oughta name it 'Yosetsu Awase is the Best!'" Do I even need to know who said that? It should be obvious, and so should my answer.

"That's one of the worst names I ever heard," Manga comments. "Please name it something cool! This name will stick with you for the rest of your life!" I'm pretty sure I can change it, but that's a fair point.

Honenuki snaps his fingers. "Like Comicman!"

Manga retorts, "Oh that's not fair, _Mudman_! I changed my Hero Name too!"

Kuroiro suggests, "Heh, give your Hero Vehicle a name fitting for the Hero you desire to be. Ponder your thoughts, search deep within your soul for a name that calls to you, then embrace it!"

"I agree!" Monoma exclaims, "your Hero Vehicle is an extension of yourself! You are Armory, so what should your motorcycle represent? Weapons? Or should it be something else altogether?"

Something else altogether…

_"Especially them! There's an infinite amount of stars out there, and each one of them contains a dream of each soul in Japan. Not enough people realize that dreams hold immense power that nothing can match—so really, its power is infinite as well. Hold the stars, and you hold dreams; you hold dreams, and you hold infinite power. Simple as that!"_

_"I'm the Weaponry Hero: Armory. Itsuka called me this during Golden Week, and I liked the sound of it. And, wouldn't you know, I can use virtually any weapon in the books. Maybe, when I can use my Quirk, this name would change. Let's hope I can come up with a good one."_

I enter: Yume-no-Kami Ude.

Monoma claps his hands in delight, pleased with my name. "'Arm of the Dream God'! That has a nice ring to it! Additionally, it sounds like a name that Kuroiro would choose!" Kuroiro chuckles to himself, probably nodding even though I can't see him. Tetsutetsu laughs and pats my back, supporting my choice.

"I _did_ have to channel my inner dramatic side," I say, looking over to Itsuka. "Itsuka, what's the name for yours?"

"'Golden Hand'. I'm naming it after Dad's Hero Name," Itsuka tells me with a smile. "After all, this was his Hero Vehicle before I inherited it. I might as well pay homage to him." That's so much like her. The People's Fist is always thinking about others, that's for sure.

Anyway, Mini-Hayami registers the name of my motorcycle, Yume-no-Kami Ude, and presents me with an interface of...a lot of stuff that I cannot decipher at the moment. This is like a phone honestly, but a lot more confusing. There's about ten features though. I look up at the real Hayami, who's wiping a tear away from her eyes. She clears her throat, recomposing herself. "Anyway, I'll explain the features for each of your bikes later. Principal Nezu needs to explain the rest of your Final Exam."

He pats the handles of my motorcycles, nodding. "That I do! As I said before, you will be fighting your teachers! We have already decided the pairs, and in one case a trio, and their opponents! We picked your teachers based off of your strengths and weaknesses! So listen up, Class 1-B! I won't repeat it again!"

"Manga Fukidashi and Kinoko Komori! You will be fighting Present Mic!" ("Wahooo! Don't hold back, kiddos!")

"Togaru Kamakiri and Pony Tsunotori! You'll have a showdown with Snipe!" ("Hah, that's right boahs. I ain't holdin' nothin' back, y'hear?")

"Setsuna Tokage and Kosei Tsuburaba! Guess what? You'll be fighting me! How crazy is that?!"

"Shihai Kuroiro and Reiko Yanagi! Beware of the many Ectoplasms, for he's your Villain!" ("Please put forth effort, my students.")

"Ibara Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! You will face Cementoss!" ("I don't expect you to go easy on a blockhead like me.")

"Juzo Honenuki and Nirengeki Shoda! It's time to fight Power Loader!" ("Don't think you'll be getting past my traps.")

"Yosetsu Awase and Kojiro Bondo! The beautiful Midnight will be your enemy!" ("Oh my, don't you dare hold back your youthful strength!")

"Hiryu Rin and Yui Kodai! Although she values rescuing more than fighting, Thirteen will still put up arms to face you!" ("Rin and Kodai, I expect great things from you two!")

"Neito Monoma, Sen Kaibara, and Jurota Shishida! You will go up against none other than Vlad King!" ("I picked you three myself. Show me what you're made of.")

And then there's me and Itsuka. We step forward from the crowd, closer to Principal Nezu and the rest of the teachers. There's only nine here and they've been assigned a pair. However, Itsuka and I will be fighting the tenth unknown teacher. Ever since I got here, I've been wondering where _he_ was. _He_, out of all of the teachers here, would be most interested in Heroics, especially when it comes to combat. That's right… I think once Principal Nezu announced that we'll be fighting our teachers, I knew who I was fighting against.

So a large shadow covers the sun, enveloping all of us in a temporary darkness. The wind whistles, practically cheering as the man jumps down in front of Itsuka and I, landing with his fist slammed down against the concrete, shattering it into pieces. He looks up, his blonde hair swaying slightly in the wind, his body being twice the size of ours combined. Everyone gasps as our Villain shows himself.

"I AM HERE!" he announces heroically as ever, "Come, Blade and Fist! Show me your heroic heart!"

_All Might._

* * *

**The Final Exam arc is here! It will be a total of four chapters (including this one). I won't be skipping any fight scenes, meaning that I won't have a paragraph that says "This and This defeated That Teacher". Each match-up *will* have a scene, so you can see all 10 matches in action. For next chapter, it will have 3 matches, after that is 4, and the last one has 3 again.**

**The next chapter is called: Come, Blade and Fist**

**You know who has the main focus next chapter.**

**Final Exam Arc: The Final Exam Arc is kinda iffy for me to write actually. I didn't know what I should focus on because it seems out-of-place being stuck in-between the Hero Course Tutoring Arc and the I-Expo Arc, but then as I started to write this chapter (and Come, Blade and Fist), I began to make this arc the "recap arc". Meaning, you will see how the past has affected the characters up to this point and how they use it to fight. With characters that haven't been developed, then they will receive more development because 8 of the 10 matches have a character who has a POV in this story. Because 2 matches have both characters that do not have a POV scene yet, then it means that two of them will join the many POVs of Dreaming of Stars. One of which will definitely be Hiryu Rin because I've been building up to his arc ever since Chapter 29.**

**With this said, I hope you enjoy the next three chapters because it will almost contain fight scenes.**

**Vantablack: Fun fact - I had to change his arc last minute when writing this chapter. It just didn't fit in with the story in a way that I liked. I wanted to reveal his backstory before the Final Exams, but instead, his backstory will be revealed during the Final Exams. So with his two scenes here, you will find a glimpse of it (and find a glimpse of how adorably anxious he is). Seriously though, when I wanted to plan his backstory, I cried. It'll definitely be one of the sadder backstories in Dreaming of Stars, but fitting for the theme.**

**Monoma and Honenuki: Idealist vs realist. That's all I have to say about them. In the beginning, Honenuki was one of my most least favorite characters to write because I just didn't know what to do with him, but now, he's a pretty great character to write. He is the perfect example of a "hidden genius". With his antics, you wouldn't suspect that he's absolutely mature and capable of thinking for himself, but has a more realistic view on society than his classmates. Especially with the Democratic and the Free Heroism Party. (Hint hint: These two will be incredibly important later on in the story. Who doesn't like a dabble of political drama?)**

**For Monoma, you know how he's like, but I alluded to his backstory in his second scene. Like Kuroiro, his backstory will be revealed during the Final Exam, so look forward to it.**

**Meta Liberation Army: Again, I'm building up to the I-Expo arc where Class 1-B will somehow fight the MLA with Setsuna as the reason why they're fighting against one of the most dangerous organizations in Japan. 'Tis a normal year of high school for Setsuna Tokage. Going to school during the day and taking down massive Villain organizations by night. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the I-Expo arc, especially with a new character that will make his appearance in the story. With Itsuka's scene, it only builds up to Setsuna and her troubles.**

**Blade and Fist: But with the star duo of 1-B fighting All Might? Well, that'll be a fight to see! Like how Bakugo and Midoriya had to fight All Might, it's reflected here! However, U.A. wanted to test Sanji and Itsuka's teamwork against All Might precisely because they want to work together when they become Heroes. They might as well reinforce their relationship now instead of splitting them apart. With Yume-no-Kami Ude and Golden Hand, how exactly will they fight All Might with their Hero Vehicles in hand?**

**The Quality of This Chapter: Ugh, 23k words long. The ending is not the best in my opinion. I did not have enough space to include Master Kendo's thoughts on the Final Exam and that sucks. I could've had the final scene be the beginning to the next chapter, but we won't be able to *cut directly* to the fights from the get-go. So I made a sacrifice to have a subpar ending for this chapter in order to have a good beginning for the next chapter. And editing this chapter was hell mostly because I'm fighting a cold.**

**But I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless!**


	40. Come, Blade and Fist

**Sanji Inochi**

_VROOOM!_

_"The conditions for you to win are as follows: you must place these handcuffs on me or one of you, and I shall repeat again, _**_one_** _of you must escape the designated battlefield. One of these conditions must be fulfilled within thirty minutes. By fulfilling these conditions, you will pass your Final Exam. Don't fret, my young Heroes! I will be wearing super compacted weight bracelets to limit my strength!_

_"Now, just because I am your teacher doesn't mean I won't hold back, for I am the Symbol of Peace! I must judge you on your heroics and your ability to fight against overwhelming odds! Especially you, Young Inochi! I shall not relent my strength because you are Quirkless! I expect strength on the same level as a true Pro Hero! And for you, Young Kendo, I expect the strength of your father and your grandfather from your very fists!_

_"You were only made a pair because of your excellent capability, yet your power lacks when compared to mine! Can you find a way to defeat me, All Might, and prove yourselves as Heroes?! That is the question I hope you will answer! So please, show me your Plus Ultra! Show me your heart!"_

"Speed limiters: disabled!

"Shift: completed!

"Jets: activated!

"Take flight—!"

_YUME-NO-KAMI UDE: MOVEMENT SHIFT - FLIGHT!_

"—my Yume-no-Kami Ude!" Yume-no-Kami Ude—let's shorten that to Ude—soars above the uninhabited training city, above buildings, reaching high into the air. A plexiglass shell forms around me, shielding me from the harsh winds that could hinder my ability to fight. At the back, a jet-like engine is blasting me through the air with wings extended out from the middle and the end of the chassis. Here, I activated one of its features—Movement Shift: Flight—which allows Ude to fly like a jet. I need to be careful and not give myself too many Gs, or else I'll quickly go unconscious and crash. That's...never good.

Movement Shift: Flight is one of the many features I have. Compared to Golden Hand, Ude is the only one capable of flight. But in exchange for mobility and speed, it lacks _punch _compared to Golden Hand. I'm not complaining though! Flying like this is fun!

_Beep beep!_

Ah, Battle Fist is calling me on my bracer—Hayami says we need to call it the "HK-Bracer" with HK being her initials. I accept the call, which quickly transfers to the console on Ude. I exclaim, "Battle Fist! Are you ready to commence _Operation Childhood Hero _?!"

"I never agreed to that name!" Itsuka replies as I hear a loud gush of wind blowing into the microphone. She's on the ground navigating the streets. This is the first part of _Operation Childhood Hero! _We quickly created this operation while on the ride to this training city right after Hayami explained the features to our motorcycles! "But yeah, I'm ready! Armory, you sure you know how to fly, right?! This is the first time _ever _that you're using that feature!"

"I'll be fine! Don't be so concerned! Just do your part and I'll do mine! You're the brawn of this operation, so I'm counting on you to take down All Might!" I say as I swipe the icon of Itsuka to the left, bringing up the area map of the city. There's two dots: one green and one red. The green dot is labeled "Battle Fist" and the red is labeled "Villain"—that's All Might. He's approximately 1.524 kilometers away from me, about northeast of my position. Itsuka is way over to the west, going the long way around to All Might's side. Thank you, Hayami, for giving me this gift!

_"Hey you two, be sure to give All Might a helluva fight! Remember, he might be the greatest Hero, but he's still a man!"_

Don't worry, I'll show him what I'm capable of! _We _will show him!

Right now, I'm approaching All Might's position fast! I predict that I'll reach him in less than a minute. Currently, the onscreen timer states that I have 28 minutes and 26 seconds until I fail the Exam! With how obvious my position is, there is no way for All Might to _not _notice me! I need him to give me all of his attention, his focus! I'm—!

_TEXAS SMASH!_

_WHOOOSH!_

"Geh—?!" Damnit, he noticed me already! He used Texas Smash to create large amounts of wind pressure that's pushing me away! I'm spinning in the air uncontrollably! I can't discern up from down! Focus! Even though you're spinning a hundred revolutions a second, there's still a way to get out of this sticky situation! If I power off the jets, I'll be able to give myself more control over the steering as I start to slow down! That's what I have to do!

_WRRRrrrrr… _

"Armory, are you okay?!" Itsuka yells through the console. "I heard a large blast of wind!"

"I'm hanging in there!" I say as my jets power off completely, turning against my velocity, causing it to slow. I begin to use the wings to glide through the air as gravity gradually begins to bring me close to the earth. The wind dies down, finally letting me to hear anything other than deafening wind. I manage to position myself downwards, my position about 1.2 kilometers away from All Might! I have eyes on him! He's standing menacingly on the open street with his fists clenched at his hips, his golden smile now becoming a smile to be intimidated of. He's my Hero, but for the next thirty minutes, he's my Villain.

His mouth moves, then time seems to slow. All Might begins to raise his right arm, leaning his body forward! He's about to launch another attack, charging right at me!

_wrrrrRRRRR!_

"Jets: activated!" I say as I tilt Ude upwards, the jets immediately blasting into the skies once again! I—!

"TEXAS SMASH—!"

_SMASH!_

_WHOOOSH!_

All Might releases another blast of wind pressure at the spot where I once was, a large gust of destructive wind tearing through the open street, concrete and light poles flying away in broken pieces like a tornado tearing through the city. I barely avoided the wind, but I wasn't able to avoid the shockwave that came with it! It wobbles me as I soar up in the air, but I manage to correct myself so I wouldn't have to deal with what happened last time. Luckily though, my plan is working! I still have contact with Itsuka, luckily! "Battle Fist, I definitely got his attention! Please do your best!"

I'm not able to hear her response.

Below me, All Might turns his head and we lock eyes—well I can barely see his. God, that glare is turning my blood cold. Is this how it feels like for a Villain? Having this overwhelmingly powerful man fighting you? It's almost impossible to defeat him. We have to restrain him with handcuffs or escape, and we're not escaping. Hayami is watching, and I know Master Kendo expects great things from us! There's no way we can let them down! "Hey All Might—!"

_LEAP!_

He leapt! Even his jumps can shatter the ground! Just about every action he takes is earth-shattering! He's approaching quick, faster than even Ude in flight! Before I know it, he reaches me and grabs the plexiglass shell, immediately tearing it off! He puts his hand on my left, a sinister smile overtaking him. We slow down in the air due to the extra weight. All Might yells with the intensity of his voice matching the wind itself, "Young Inochi, how arrogant of you to think that you can outmatch me in speed! Is this your grand plan, _Hero _?!"

The wind dies down slightly as I return a glare. I can feel his hand starting to crush my left fist, and pain is starting to well up like a dam. "All Might—!"

"Farewell, Young Inochi!" He reels his right fist back like before! I won't be defeated this easily!

I exclaim before he strikes, "—Please take care of yourself!"

"Huh—?!"

_SPIN!_

I spin Ude horizontally in the air like a metal rod, forcing All Might to lose his grip on my left fist and detaching him from me completely. The motion is enough to make my stomach sick, and it's nearly impossible to see straight without the plexiglass shell protecting me from the wind! That's my biggest hindrance now: the wind! I brace my body against Ude, ensuring that I won't fall off! Despite the struggle to see, I open my eyes and look around for All Might as I'm turned horizontally! There was no way he would give up that easily!

Aha! There he is! Just below! He's correcting himself in the air with small punches that produce tiny gusts of wind! He has a great technique with his Quirk! Again, I see the same similarities with Midoriya's Quirk as well, but this isn't the time to focus on that. All Might manages to spin himself where he's facing me. Then again, he pulls his right arm back.

"NEBRASKA SMASH!"

_SMASH!_

"—Uguh?!"

_WHROOOOO!_

A tornado! I rarely seen Nebraska Smash in action before! When throwing a punch, All Might rotates his arm to create a tornado that sucks anything nearby in! Wait, there were two punches! The building below him has its roof completely obliterated with wind! There _has _to be two punches! One of them was Nebraska Smash with his right arm! But the other, his left, also punched the air as well! He's trying to stabilize himself in the air! Nebraska Smash surely would've created recoil that would send All Might faster towards the ground, so he punched with his left to negate the recoil created by Nebraska Smash!

Crap though, I'm right in the tornado's range! All Might's sucking me in! My jets are sputtering as they try to push me out of the tornado's grasp, but it's no use! It's getting damaged from the pull alone, so I turn it off! I can't afford to have it damaged! It'll mean that I'll only get sucked in faster, yes, but that's what I'm counting on! If All Might wants to pull me then, then he'll have me!

I let go of Ude's right handle, my right hand free! I aim my bike's front wheel towards the center of the tornado—All Might's right arm. My velocity increases as the tornado pulls me in, the wind clashing against my body, threatening me to pull me off. Quickly, without hesitating, I raise my right arm as my crossbow emerges from my right bracer. I loaded explosive bolts in beforehand, knowing that they will be the most useful in this situation, and here we are, All Might!

Sorry about this!

_THWHIP!_

"Eh—?!"

_BOOM!_

Contact, there we go! The explosive bolt hit All Might and the tornado stops, ending his Nebraska Smash! A cloud of red and black separates us from each other's vision, the surrounding air heating up from the explosion for a brief moment. But I know that, on the other side, All Might is there. He expects me to flee after countering his attack, but I have him right where I want him! There's no reason for me to run!

_wrrrrRRRRR!_

I turn on the jets once again! I'm pointed towards the center of the cloud like a javelin being thrown by the strongest man in the world. "Rrrraah—!"

_BLAST!_

I blasted myself through the cloud, emerging on the other side where All Might is. He sees me just a millisecond before I strike. A flash of surprise runs through his body, knowing that for his speed, he isn't fast enough to react. And so—!

_BAM!_

With the front wheel of Yume-no-Kami Ude, I strike him in the center of his chest! The amount of momentum and velocity I had is enough to break every single rib in a normal man's chest, threatening serious injury. But All Might isn't any normal man! He doesn't seem to react in pain, but only in shock! Damnit, he's a lot more durable than I can begin to imagine, but this isn't the end!

He shouts in anger, "Young Inochi—!" All Might reaches out for me with his left hand. I ease off the pedal. Afterwards, I spin around like before, using the wings of Ude, which are made out of sharp metal, and slice at his hand, not letting him grab me again! My jet engine is right up against his chest!

"Take me away, Yume-no-Kami Ude!" I floor it, stepping on the pedal and activating my jets once again, directly into his chest—!

_WRRRRR!_

I send myself further into the skies, and at the same time, my jets blast All Might down into the buildings below us! He crashes into the damaged building before, destroying a majority of it! It collapses in on itself and buries All Might in tons of debris! Only the outside foundation is still standing alongside the remnants of what used to be floors and a roof. I circle around it about a hundred meters in the air. Something like that won't defeat him. Nothing would. To win a battle against him, it's again, the handcuffs. The handcuffs are the key here.

_Rumble!_

Ah, there he is! The debris is moving! I see All Might's hand emerging from the wreckage as he stands up, pushing the chunks of concrete off of him. He sees me flying around him, his body posture telling me he's more hostile than ever, angrier too. Stomping his foot, he shouts, "You should be fleeing, Young Inochi! You and your partner! Young Midoriya and Bakugo fled their fight against me and passed! What are you trying to prove here against a man like me?!"

Jeez…

No matter what I answer, it won't be fitting enough. My life, leading up to this moment, it's too much. I need a novel to say my thoughts, so how could a single sentence properly convey them? So, no amount of words can properly answer his question. But my eyes, they say a thousand words with a single glance. Maybe he could see my eyes, and thus, see my answer.

_"Yes, _**_anyone_**_can be a Hero! You can be a Hero, you, you, and you! Anyone!"_

Those are the very words that inspired me to become a Hero, All Might. Those are the very words _you _said. "Anyone" can be a Hero. Though, on that Day, you didn't really mean "anyone" did you? That the "anyone" didn't apply to people like me, those who are Quirkless, legally or not. The only way for Quirkless to have such an impact on the world is through miracles. Miracles of chance, miracles of fate. Miracles that defy statistical odds and challenge the boundaries of impossibility. I can already count the amount of impossible things that occured since my time in Mutusafu.

Being under the care of Master Kendo.

Being placed in Class 1-B through a transcript error.

Being here, facing you.

And most of all…

Having friends to call my own.

I am an anomaly, All Might. There is no possible way to explain my existence other than random chance. My life isn't like Setsuna's, who was determined by birth; my life isn't like Itsuka's, who was determined by birth as well; I am an anomaly.

My family, they're only blurry images.

My Quirk, I can only access my Mindscape, not the full scope of its power. In the vast sea of white surrounded by mirrors, I don't have one to gaze into.

But my heart, that is the only piece of me that can be explained. This heroic heart, you implanted the flames, and so I vow that I'll save everyone who needs saving without reward. Being a Hero is the best way to achieve that goal. I'll do it, even if I have to sacrifice everything. So far, I…

I train every night until my muscles go sore.

I devote myself to martial arts, mastering any weapon I get my hands on.

I push my battle instinct to new heights, bridging the gap between me and you.

And all of that comes at a sacrifice: my body. After all…

There's nothing more noble than self-sacrifice, is there?

All Might challenges me, his voice powerful enough to part the clouds, "Young Inochi, do you aim to match me?!"

It's like he wants to intimidate me.

_No. _That's wrong. His body may show hostility, his actions, his facial expressions, even his words, but never the underlying tone. He said it as if to instil faith in me, to instil hope and trust, the simple things that the previous generation gives to the next. All Might, he's watching me reach heights that he could never reach before.

I shut my eyes. "All Might…"

_"All men are fated to be what they are meant to be! You were meant to be a great Hero! Your words, your actions, your heart defines the heroism boiling in your blood!"_

"It was never 'do you aim to match me'..."

I open my eyes!

"It's _you _who has to match _me _—!"

_WRRRRR!_

Faster, faster, and beyond that! I'm pushing my jets to the highest speed it can go! The wind is blowing in my ears so much that it can tear them off, being able to make me utterly deaf!

All Might grabs a piece of concrete as large as me and tosses it with incredible strength! I aim my crossbow at him, firing—!

_BOOM!_

Destroyed! All Might does it again!

_BOOM!_

Again!

_BOOM!_

And again!

_BOOM!_

All Might, I'll give my all in this battle!

He throws another chunk of debris towards me! I'm all out of bolts! I don't have enough time to reload! That means I need to evade and get closer to All Might! Here I come! "Closer, Yume-no-Kami Ude!"

I duck away from the first projectile, letting it fly past me! All Might sees me coming and grabs more debris, tossing them like baseballs with breakneck speeds! He doesn't stop! He's throwing anything and everything to take me out! But through it all, I keep avoiding each and every piece, no matter how impossible it may seem! Flying under, over, spinning around, everything I can to get closer! From the large amount of hasty maneuvers, I almost get thrown off countless times by my own hand, but I still hang on!

I get so much closer to All Might after fifteen seconds, my velocity only accelerating! He picks up the largest piece he can find, so large that he needs two hands to pick it up. That's not good! I won't be able to avoid it from the amount of time I have! None of the features is fast enough to activate in time! But—!

"—Take this, Young Inochi!"

_TOSS!_

Shit—!

"—Guh?!"

_CRASH!_

"Forgive me, boy. You should've—Huh?!"

I focus into view above All Might with my katana raised over my head! "All Might—!" I made it past the debris by jumping off of Ude and over it, letting Ude take the hit! There's no way I could ride again in this fight! I need to make this opportunity count! "Rrraaaaaah—!"

_CLASH!_

All Might raised his left arm just as when I bring down my blade onto his metal weights, clashing steel against steel! He grunts as we impact, grounding his feet against the unstable ground below us. I ease my katana off and spin myself around, sending my right foot into his head. I spin a few more in the air, my feet finally finding solid ground, sliding across the various pieces of debris. All Might doesn't seem fazed by my kick. Figured. If he could take a small explosion from my crossbow, then my kicks wouldn't do anything to him. He's the embodiment of strength!

But…

I stand up straight, sheathing my katana. I won't use my sword unless it's absolutely necessary.

"Young Inochi," All Might says my name, wiping dirt off of where I kicked him, "sheathing your blade? I'm insulted. You aren't willing to fight at your full potential. You're holding yourself back, and that'll be ample reason for your defeat."

Glancing around the new battlefield of the ruined building, I reply, "Maybe, but if I lose, then effort wouldn't be the reason why." The building still has some foundations up. There's still somewhat of a roof over our heads, but with a gentle tap, it will all come crashing down.

All Might argues, "But recklessness will. Fighting me by yourself, _while Quirkless _, is such a bold strategy, young man. Where is your partner?"

"Do you expect me to reveal that?" I rhetorically ask, smirking. " _Operation Childhood Hero _requires me to keep a secret."

"Is that how you perceive me?" All Might tilts his head.

Raising my left arm and diagonally crossing it over my chest, I respond, "Who doesn't, All Might? But I'm talking to you as your opponent, not your fan. Prepare yourself—!"

I thrust my left arm forward, activating the grappling hook! I fire it towards the foundations behind All Might, missing him by a mile. It hooks onto a nearly-destroyed pillar, exactly what I was aiming at. All Might turns around and sees where I hooked onto, then he sighs. "Oh dear—"

_COLLAPSE!_

I collapse All Might's side of the building on top of him! I—Actually never mind, I'm wrong. All Might puts his hands up and catches the foundations from falling on him, bending his knees to crumple the weight and the force. The dust quickly settles as All Might groans, raising his head to hit me with a glare like none other! "Young Inochi, you need to fight much better than that!"

"Damnit!" I swear as All Might starts to lift the debris off of him. This gives me enough time. I raise the screen of my HK-Bracer. I still have 25 minutes and 35 seconds remaining. Good thing to note, but what's even better is that Yume-no-Kami Ude is still functional! It wasn't completely destroyed from All Might's attack!

Movement Shift: Road!

Auto-Pilot: on!

Setting target: All Might!

_RRRR!_

"Grrah—!" All Might throws the debris off to the side, stepping his right foot back. Here he comes!

Within a split second, All Might lunges forward with his right fist coming towards me like a truck, his feet raised off the ground! But before he turns me into paste, Yume-no-Kami Ude emerges from the wreckage and hits All Might with its front wheel, knocking him out of the building and into the open street. Thank God that worked! If All Might's feet was still planted to the ground, then Ude would've done nothing to send him back!

I really need to thank Hayami after this! Auto-Pilot is a feature that both Itsuka and I have on our bikes. We can set a destination, or a target, for our motorcycles to go to, taking the most direct path there.

All Might is sent into the open street with Ude in front of him, its engines revving. I join All Might in the open street. To my left, the Escape Gate is about thirty or forty meters away. That's not my focus right now. My focus is All Might! He's on one knee, gasping for air. Did I hurt him? What? No, he must be shocked again. Ude's charge was a lot less powerful than the one in the air. There's no way that he could be hurt.

With All Might on one knee, I activate another feature of Yume-no-Kami Ude.

Wire Gun: release!

As All Might begins to stand himself up, Ude fires a wire with two counterweights on each end. It wraps around All Might's legs three times, restricting his mobility. You'd think that All Might is strong enough to tear them apart with his legs, but if he tries to move, then it'll only get tighter. Compared to Golden Hand, it has a different version of Wire Gun.

All Might sees the predicament he's in, sighing. "Well then, your motorcycle's a lot more troublesome than I imagine, heh… It's a pity that I can easily get myself out, Young Inochi!"

He raises his right fist towards the wire—?! No, towards me! Damnit, I'm not in range of his attack, but I'm definitely in range of the wind pressure that will be generated! But, he's too late. This is exactly what we planned!

_GRAPPLE!_

"Sorry, mind if I join in?"

There she is! She used her version of Wire Gun that's built into Golden Hand! In her version, it's a wire launcher that wraps around someone much like my Wire Gun, but it's attached to the motorcycle itself! Because Golden Hand is a much more powerful bike than Yume-no-Kami Ude, it can hold Villains in place by being heavier and by reversing itself against their pull. Ude can't replicate the amount of horsepower Golden Hand has, which is why Hayami opted for the projectile version of the Wire Gun.

With Itsuka's Wire Gun, she fired it around All Might's right fist, using Golden Hand reverse itself, ultimately pulling All Might's arm back towards her. Though, Golden Hand is using every bit of its strength to fight against All Might's. It's like a little child trying to pull away a bodybuilder.

Ultimately though, this is Step One of _Operation Childhood Hero. _I acted as a decoy for All Might, leading him into this exact location in the battlefield. Itsuka would hide in an alleyway as I lead him here. If all went according to plan, then Itsuka would use her Wire Gun to restrain All Might. It went better than planned, because I also restrained him with mine!

I see Itsuka on the other side, standing right next to Golden Fist looking amazing as ever. We share a brief moment of eye contact and a smile, enough to warm my heart. Our job isn't over yet though. We need to handcuff him!

"There you are, Young Kendo!" All Might exclaims with a sinister smile. "Such a massive effort to restrain me, yet a waste!"

He raises his left arm, aiming at Itsuka. I immediately counter by whipping the wire of my _own _grappling hook around his arm, using all of my strength to pull him back! It's barely enough to prevent him from letting out a punch that would destroy the entire block! I step backwards inch by inch, using both of my hands to grab onto my wire and pull All Might's left arm back! We're restraining every limb of his! It's just enough! It's just enough to defeat him and pass the Final Exam!

"Itsuka!" I yell at the top of my lungs, "this is it! You need to handcuff him!" That's how we'll win! We won't win by running away, but by handcuffing All Might himself!

Itsuka takes out the handcuffs given to us and runs up to All Might's right arm, the one that's being pulled back by All Might! "We pass, All Might—!"

She flashes the handcuffs and—?!

"—Sorry young ones, it won't be this easy! Oklahoma—!"

—He whirls his body?!

_OKLAHOMA SMASH!_

_WHOOOSH!_

All Might breaks free of every restraint on him, except for my grappling hook. He whirls his body around and around, generating enough force to create a vortex that sends everything flying, damaging the buildings around us. I can barely see Ude and Golden Hand being sent away from the winds, flying off far away, probably out of the battlefield itself. When they land, they will be rendered useless for the rest of the fight. I hear Itsuka screaming before the winds grow louder than her. As for me, All Might's Super Move—I don't know the name—spins me around him. I cannot detach myself from the whirlwind due to my grappling hook, so I'm trapped inside. He keeps spinning, spinning so fast that it's enough to turn my stomach inside out. My body makes contact with the ground countless times, battering, crashing against it, constantly hitting my back and limbs almost to the point where they shatter.

My brain can't process what I'm seeing or feeling. It's impossible for it to process what's going on. The only thing I feel is massive winds, sickness, and pain. But after ten seconds of this nightmare, All Might stops, standing tall with me laying on the ground beside him, my grappling hook still wrapped around his left arm—no, I'm wrong… It's been unwrapped all along, but he's been holding me by the hook. He _wanted _me to stay within the whirlwind. Ugh, my insides feel like they've been turned inside out…

Where's… Where's Itsuka? I can't see her…

"Haah… Haah…" Itsuka… I see her… She's...stepping out of an open hole of a building, blood staining her hair and face…

"Itsuka…" I reach out to her, but damn… When was she so far away…?

Guess _Operation Childhood Hero _is a bust…

All Might laughs and lifts the hook up, raising me off the ground. "That was a solid plan, Young Inochi. You tried your best, and now, it seems you have to fail."

Itsuka yells, "Sanji—!"

Without remorse, All Might swings me into a nearby building, throwing me through multiple concrete walls and foundations. Pain flares throughout my entire body, my left shoulder is dislocated, and blood is covering my right eye. But still… He's holding onto me. While I'm inside a building laying on the floor, All Might slowly drags me towards the hole that I made, and then he yanks me out with a high amount of force and velocity.

Time seems to slow down, slower than before. I soar through the air with the center of rotation being All Might. For a brief second, I look down and see Itsuka running towards All Might with her Quirk activated. Then I see the impeding ground beneath me, coming closer as if the earth is rising up to greet me with a kind hug.

And all I see next is darkness.

* * *

**Manga Fukidashi**

_WAPOW!_

_YEEEEEEEEEAH!_

"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"

Yup yup, that's it! Present Mic's Quirk is a lot stronger than mine! No good! We're freaking screwed! Haha, why did I ever decide to go to U.A. in the first place?! I bet Inochi and Kendo are having a better time at fighting All Might than I am, because this absolutely sucks! Why did I have to fight Present Mic?! His Quirk makes my ears bleed! Arg, I'm in so much freaking pain right now dangit! I blame Shojo for getting me into this situation!

"Ahhhhhh—!" Komori screams right next to me! As if I don't have enough things to make me deaf forever! She looks at me, covering her ears with her hands. "—!" What the heck did she say?!

"WHAT?! I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID!" I scream right back at her while Present Mic's Quirk destroys our eardrums. I thought teachers aren't supposed to permanently mutilate their students?!

"—FUN!"

"FUN—?!"

"—NO! RUN!"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT EARLIER—?!"

"—I HATE YOU, MANGA!"

Why was _that _the clearest thing she said so far?! But ugh! That's right! We gotta run! Run like the freaking wind! That's our grand strategy! Present Mic can blow our ears off with his Quirk, and we can't fight if we're deaf! I can't even get a chance to use Comic from how loud Voice is! Wait, this is why I'm forced to fight him, right?! My Quirk is inferior to his, so U.A. thought it'll be a good idea to make an inferior guy go against his superior! Like _that _helps anything! What about Komori?! Why is she here?! All she's crazy about is mushrooms!

"C'MON, I'M TAKING US OUTTA HERE!" she shouts at the top of her lungs as Present Mic's Quirk still rings throughout the forest, bouncing off of every object and into our ears! Komori, without my consent, decides to take my wrist and drag me away from Present Mic, deeper into the forest! Now I'm more worried about her than him! She's pulling me so hard that my arm might dislocate! I think she's cutting off the blood flow to my hand too! Ah crap, she _is _! My hand feels a lot more tingly! My entire _body _feels tingly actually! Aw why did I come to school today?! If I had known that I'd lose my sense of hearing, I would've never come in the first place! If Shojo was here, she would laugh in my face!

_WHACK!_

Ow! Komori dragged my head into a tree branch! She's gonna do more damage to me than Present Mic!

_BUMP!_

How the hell did a rock hit me across the face?! "Komori, you—!"

_TRIP!_

"—Ahhhhh!"

_THUD!_

"Manga, you're such a useless guy! Why do I hafta carry you through this shrooming forest?!" Komori drags me along the awful and disgusting dirt and grass. It tastes terrible, it feels terrible, it smells terrible, everything's terrible! Especially since Komori, of all people, is insulting me! I'm trying my best here! She hasn't done anything except run with me towards the Escape Gate! I'm the one who's been using my Quirk, which that plan didn't work out, and risked my behind for this crap!

She drags me for a good thirty seconds before letting go of my arm, flopping down against a rock, breathing heavily… How long did we run? Jeez, at least Present Mic stopped using his Quirk. I think I _won't _lose my sense of hearing. Well, if I had lost it, then it would be kinda beneficial 'cause I wouldn't get to hear Shojo's annoying voice anymore. Though, I would hafta read subtitles in animes for the rest of my life…

I pick my head up. Oh, I can't even see out of my stupid mask. It's all covered in dirt! I toss the damn thing away. Maybe I'll see a bear wearing my mask; that'll be a funny thing to see. To my right, Komori's laying against a rock like it's a comfortable chair. She's raising her hand to the glimpse of sunlight that beams down on her. It's one of the only rays of sunlights that manages to make its way through tree branches and leaves. I think she's trying to act like a princess in need of a prince. Considering that I'm the guy here, I'm the prince.

I can't be a prince. I'll leave that job up to the bear.

"Hah," I pant, slowly getting back on my feet. I'm—!

_THUD!_

I'm not getting back on my feet! At least I'm not laying face-down into dirt, and the grass isn't the hardest thing in the world. Komori giggles at my fall, lowering her hand. "Manga, we're positively shroomtastically screwed!" She sounds a lot more happier than I anticipated! Before this, she was panicking!

_"OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGodohmyGod I'm gonna fail I'm gonna fail I'm gonna fail what am I gonna do Manga what I am I gonna do?!"_

That was exactly what she said!

"You were freaking hysterical before we started this crappy deathmatch of an exam! Why do you sound so happy now?!" I exclaim as Komori starts to wave her head back and forth like she's a child in daycare! Oh God, she lost her sanity! Was she even sane in the first place? Shrooms musta gotten into her head! It's like that American zombie game where fungi took over people's brains and turned them into terrifying creatures!

"I'm always happy! I, Shemage, am the happiest girl in the world!" Komori jumps up and starts skipping around the place. She sees a small dandelion and snaps its stem, smelling its aroma and probably inhaling a nasty plume of pollen. I'm pretty sure she's trying to replicate a beautiful forest scene from a story book, but I can't help but feel that this has a grim undertone to it. Like crows are gonna come out of the blue and peck her eyes out, _if _she has eyes in the first place. They're hiding behind her bangs like Mantora's, though she doesn't look like a hentai protagonist.

I tell her, "You're disturbing me more than usual."

"That's a rude thing to say to a lady!" Komori stops in her tracks and points right at me, who's laying on the ground still. "All those mangas seriously screwed up your ability to socialize with girls!"

This jerk! "Hey! I can talk to girls! I'm talking to you right now, aren't I?!"

"Not very well! Look at us, Manga! We're hiding from Present Mic who's guarding the Escape Gate! That's our only way outta here! I don't even know how much time we have left! Is it fifty—?!"

"—We were only given thirty minutes!"

"You can't correct me because I wasn't listening! I am so out of it that I might as well ascend to heaven where I belong! There, I could sing my heart out to the angels! Amen!" At the last part, she puts her palms together and prays like Shiozaki. I...I hear birds chirping and the sun is shining brighter… How is that possible?! Is that Komori's second Quirk or something?!

I look at her. "..."

"Say it."

"Say what?"

"'Amen'."

"...No."

"Shrooming coward."

My face goes blank, and I mean literally blank. There's no facial expression on my stupid comic-head whatsoever. I manage to sit myself up. My head's pounding from getting whacked by a branch earlier… I bet Inochi doesn't get hurt as much as me. He's really durable. Fighting Present Mic, I'm sure he would find a way to escape, maybe even defeat him. He could tough it out; he could tough almost anything out. Back in Golden Week, he was punched by Mirio Togata, one of the most powerful seniors in U.A.! And he was able to recover faster than most people! With an extraordinary ability like that, he's the shonen protagonist of 1-B. Even when life—pun not intended—hits him hard, he's still going strong. He won't let his ideals become tarnished by the antagonists; instead, he'll push through them and become more powerful with each arc. And now, we're in the Final Exams arc.

I'm not him.

What can I do?

What would he do?

What would...

I mutter, "What would Inochi do?"

"What would Itsuka do?" mutters...Komori?

We look at each other.

"Did you say what I think you said?" we end up asking each other! We got the words and tone exactly alike too! A few seconds of silence happens, then Komori grins. Oh gosh, her eyes are twinkling menacingly! It's that "I see an opportunity" look!

Komori grabs my hand and forces me to stand up again! She lets go and spins around on the balls of her feet like a ballerina. "We were thinking about the two greatest people in U.A.! Oh shroom yes! You were thinking about Inochi 'cuz he's your best friend, while I was thinking about Itsuka 'cuz she's my best friend! They inspired us! C'mon Manga, what would they do?! How would they overcome this challenge?! I'm certain that if they can do it, then so can we!"

How would they…? How would they fight Present Mic?

We could—

No.

Maybe we could—

No.

They would—

No, they wouldn't.

I don't know what they would do.

It's impossible to figure out what they would do.

Komori tilts her head in confusion, no idea why I went silent. "Manga, why are you shaking your head so much? You gotta have some shroom-ling of an idea in that comical head of yours! Our grade depends on it! I don't wanna take supplementary classes! Vlad King's gonna hit us so hard with 'em! What would they—?!"

"I don't have a freaking idea!" I snap. I can't stand this anymore! "Why do we hafta obsess over what they would do?! That's stupid of me to even think that in the first place!"

"Manga—!"

"Komori, we aren't them! We can never be Kendo and Inochi! Unless we can transport our minds into their bodies, it's impossible! You can't be Kendo because you aren't as strong as her! I can't be Inochi because I'm afraid of everything, and he _isn't _afraid of anything! There is no possible way that we could know what they'd do! Even if we did, we don't have what it takes to carry the plan out!"

"You think I don't know that?!" Komori shouts back, her spit splattering across my face. "Itsuka's such an amazing woman! She's a badass and a half! She knows what she wants and how she'll get it! There's nothing she could do! But what about me?! I'm trying my shrooming best to be a dang Hero, but I'm not smart enough for it! The only thing I'm smart in is music, and that's it! Kuroiro has to help me study almost everyday for this exam! I don't wanna be dependent on him to pass; I wanna pass with me and my shrooms alone! And after that, I'll create music that wows the entire world! Music is the soul of the people's hearts; without it, we're nothing!"

"I'm glad you know what your theme is! You sound like you'll be a great Hero! What about me?! I'm not—!"

"That's utter shroom-crap!" she interrupts me, yelling. "You defeated Catharsis right?! You punched him across the face! Everyone makes fun of you for being a nerd, but you're one of the strongest guys here! Your Quirk is so freaking powerful! Even Inochi thinks so! Heck, you keep calling him by his last name even though he told you he wanted to be on a first-name basis with you!"

_"Please, you should call me by my first name now. We've been friends long enough." _

Right…

"...Do I have to?"

"What in the shroom d'ya mean?"

"I mean, uhm, I mean: Do I have to compare myself to him in every exercise? I can't help myself. You do it too, but with Kendo," I say, looking down. It's hard to not compare yourself to someone like them. They're better than the average Hero, and they'll _be _better than the average Hero. And we, the rest of us, have to ask: What does that say about us?

Komori raises a finger. "Well, let's compare you and him then!"

"Wait—"

"Both of you inspire children: check.

"Both of you have an uber-powerful Quirk: check.

"Both of you are great men: check."

"Komori—"

"And~! Both of you have a reason for fighting, don't you? It's not something self-centered like some of the other guys in the Hero Course. But, it's super noble and _super _heroic, right?"

"I…"

_"Then I'll change the world! We're the next generation, Catharsis! Not only will we become the pillars that hold up Japan, we'll change society for the better! I won't stop until my voice pierces the skies and go beyond that! Y'know why?! Because we're Heroes!"_

Looks like I have to face what I said... That's the lip service I put out. I'll be a hypocrite if I don't make that lip service into a reality. I can do it though. I think I can. Ever since Catharsis, I think I was changing little by little. I'm still the scared man everyone knows me as, but I've been facing my fears.

I was scared of tutoring little kids, but it turned out to be amazing. I was scared of being partners with Suzuki, but we're friends believe it or not. And now, I'm here. Komori and I ran away because we were afraid of losing. That's a demerit already. But we can't run away anymore. I'm not Inochi—I'm not _Sanji _but…

_"Like I said, you're an inspirational man. That's the difference between us. You said it yourself: I'm fearless. Manga, you can inspire others using your fear as a tool. I can't do that. Imagine if we have to fight a Villain, and you're the first man running in. What does that say to everyone else? It says, 'If Manga, the man who's afraid of everything, is the first person who runs in, then what does that say about us? Let's follow him.' That's your power. It's the power unique to only Manga Fukidashi and no one else, especially Sanji Inochi and All Might."_

Heh…

What does that say about us?

I turn towards the direction of Present Mic, towards the Escape Gate. "Hey Komori, you said that you wanted to pass with you and your shrooms alone, right?"

"Yeah," she answers with a smile on her voice, "that's right…."

"Then stop thinking about what Kendo would do. It's time to think about what _Shemage _would do. We're not Battle Fist and Armory, but we are ourselves. I wanna change the world so it won't be filled with insults and hate, the very world that Shojo and I had to live through. I wanna see children's smiles, just like the ones I see every time I go tutoring."

At first, I wanted to be a Hero so I could protect my idiot of a sister. Grandmaster helped me realize that dream. Now, after Catharsis, that dream isn't large enough to solve the problem altogether. It isn't enough to heal what Japan is most infamous for. I have to change the world so bullying—and suicide too—could become non-existant. It's impossible, but there's something heroic in trying.

Because, if I could save lives… If I could have smiling children, then everything would be worth it. My arms aren't strong enough to lift the world, but it doesn't mean I won't try.

I glance back at Komori, standing as tall as I can. "Shemage—"

"Comicman," she says, but she's wrong.

"Remember, I'm not Comicman anymore."

I look forward into the crowd of trees ahead.

"My name is Kodomo, The Children Hero."

Shojo gave me that new name, and I loved it. Everyone else doesn't know my new name except for Suzuki. I told him the last tutoring session before our Finals. He said, _"That isn't a terrible name for you, Fukidashi! Maybe you can grow a spine after all!"_

Idiot, I always had a spine. I just needed a way to use it.

"Kodomo," Komori calls for me as her partner, standing beside me looking out into the same scene I'm seeing, "I think I actually have an idea! It required all of my brain cells to come up with this plan!"

"So two brain cells?"

"Yup!"

"Let's hear it—?!"

"TEAM YOSETSU AWASE AND KOJIRO BONDO HAVE CUFFED MIDNIGHT! THEY PASSED THEIR EXAM!" an announcement goes off, ringing in the forest.

Wait, it's only been about seven minutes! They passed their exam _already _?!

* * *

**Yosetsu Awase**

"..."

"..."

"Bondo dude."

"Y-Yeah…?"

"We're fucked."

"That's, uh, that's a bad word…."

"I feel like a bad word."

"Please don't! You're a, uhm, you're a great guy!"

"Thanks."

We're fucked.

We are 100% fucked. Ya wanna know why? 'Cause we can't get close to Midnight. We tried for the past five minutes and she used her freaking Quirk to chase us away! It's useless! Our Quirks are made for close-ranged and Midnight is the perfect counter to us! We can't even run to the Escape Gate because she's guarding that too! We can't sneak around her because Bondo's too tall for his own good!

Damnit, what the hell do I do?! I've been put in check so I gotta come up with a way so I don't get checkmated! Think! Midnight's Quirk is called Somnambulist! It can produce a gas that can put people to sleep through ingestion! It can only take effect when someone breathes in the gas and nothing else! It's a helluva lot more effective on guys than girls, so we'll be knocked out faster!

There has to be a way to not breathe in her Quirk! I…

_Sting!_

"Ack! Damnit! Sweat got in my eye!" God damnit, of course this happened while I was thinking! My stupid headband should've—!

Wait a second!

That's it! We're fighting in a rocky terrain for our Final Exam! My headband could prevent me from breathing in Midnight's gas! But that won't be really effective! What I do need is… Aha! This!

"Awase, why are you, uhm, grabbing those black pebbles?" Bondo asks, and hell, I'm really glad he did! In his eyes, he musta be thinking that I'm collecting rocks or some shit! Well, these are technically rocks, but the _good _kind of rocks!

I fucking answer him, "It's charcoal! Filters use charcoal in them because toxic particles and toxins in general bind to them! Do you know what else is toxic? It's not Tsuburaba's singing, it's Midnight's Quirk! I—Ugh, this stupid piece of crap!"

Damnit all, this headband won't do me any good when it's still a band!

_RIP!_

Now, it's just a piece of cloth! Bondo yelps and grabs some of the charcoal off the ground. "W-Wait, we can make gas masks out of these?"

"Hell yeah! It won't be _good _gas masks, but it'll be enough to counter Midnight and get the hell outta here!" But that doesn't solve the problem for our eyes. We don't have any protection for 'em! Midnight's gas stings our eyes too, but it isn't debilitating. It's just really annoying and gonna pose a disadvantage to us.

Anyway, using Weld, I bind the charcoal to the inside of what-used-to-be-my headband. Okay, that's one step done! I need a piece of cotton or something that I can put my mouth on! Luckily for me, I have a knife that I can cut my costume with! From my belt, I whip out my utility knife and my arm. I—!

"Are you gonna cut yourself?!" Bondo suddenly exclaims. Then he realizes that we are kinda hiding from Midnight, whimpering. He whispers, "Please don't cut yourself! You have so much to live for!"

"I'm not gonna cut myself! I just need something to put on my mouth when I breathe!" I cut a piece of cloth off, binding that to the other side of the charcoal and making sure that none of these bastards will fall out. There we go! Just wrap it around my mouth, Weld it, and all good! Hell yeah! I'm a fucking genius! Midnight can't stand a chance against this now!

"Is that it?" Bondo asks. I nod, cutting off more pieces of my costume.

"It's your turn, dude. Give me a few seconds." I do the same for Bondo. For him, I had to cut a bigger piece out because his mouth is a lot bigger than mine. But I did it. Both of our mouths are covered by my makeshift masks. We can't do shit about our eyes, but it'll have to do. I wish everyone is watching us so they can see just how badly we outplayed Midnight! I'm not the smartest guy in class, but I'm far from the dumbest guy in the world!

Now everything is ready! Welder is here and ready to kick ass with Plamo! "Hey Plamo, ready to get the hell outta here?!"

"Y-Yeah! I'm ready!" he says all hyped up! This will be great! We'll be the first team to pass our exam! Just you wait!

"Let's—!"

"Oh boys~!" Well shit! "My youthful darlings, we have twenty-five minutes left! Did you really think I'd be content guarding the Escape Gate? I'd die of boredom! So playing this game of hide and seek really riled me up."

Behind us, Midnight approaches with her whip in hand. She's twenty meters away and she's getting closer. Fuck, we let our guard down. She prolly found us because we talked way too loudly. Bondo whimpers, but I stand in front. "You're not gonna win, you stupid sexy woman!"

Midnight giggles, putting a hand on her lips. "Oh dear, if that was any other woman, you'd be sexually harassing them. But I'm not _just _any other woman. I can't wait to see that strong side of you _break _. The thought makes my sadism go _wild _."

This chick is crazy!

And I'm pretty sure she's sexually harassing us now!

Wait, if she's here, then the Escape Gate is open! "Bondo, we gotta get out of dodge quick! This is our chance!"

_Hisssss!_

Here comes the gas! It's spreading quickly! It'll prolly take a few seconds to reach us! Midnight taunts, "How bold of you to assume that my Quirk is the only thing you'll have to worry about~"

"Bondo, run—!"

_WHIP!_

Fuck! Her whip! She got my left arm! It's like a bear is gripping me! Bondo yells, "Awase—!"

"Just fucking run! Get to the Escape Gate! I'll catch up with you there!"

"But—!

"Don't argue with me! Just run!"

Bondo cries tears of glue before scampering away towards the Escape Gate. Thank God… If someone has to fail, then it better be me! Midnight's gas reaches my position and I take a deep breath in. I don't pass out. My eyes sting, but I don't pass out. Good, my mask works! But I got another problem that's biting me in the ass: Midnight. I can tell where she's at because of her whip. She's right in front of me, and judging from her footsteps, she's getting closer!

"Aw, you're fighting alone? I expected such youth from a man like yourself, Awase. For such a foul-mouthed man, you have a chivalrous and _pure _heart. And I will _corrupt _it! C'mere!" Midnight yanks me towards her, putting me off-balanced. Wait, I'm going _towards _her! Close combat is my forte! Hell yeah!

With my right hand, I take out a steel log from my pack. Midnight finally appears in front of me! She's licking her lips! _Why _the heck is she licking her lips like that?! Look, I'm a virgin, but I don't want my first time to be with her! I feel like she'll do things that I won't like! She yells, "There you are~!"

"Here I am—!"

I thrust my right hand forward with the steel log! Midnight sees it and her eyes go wide! Aha! She knows that she'll lose when I'm right in front of her! The grip on my left arm loosens before her whip lets go of me completely! Midnight jumps back and growls, shaking her head. Okay, that's great! That's really freaking great! I have the advantage! Midnight can't rip off my mask because that'll rip off my skin too! My mask is welded to my face! All I need to do is bridge the distance!

"It seems you're at a stalemate, boy! I won't retreat again!" Midnight says. So that's why she jumped back! When I approached her, she didn't realize that I could restrain her using Weld. 'Cuz of that, she retreated and began to reassess her options. Now she has, and we're in a "stalemate". "If you run away, I'll simply catch you. If you run towards me, I'll simply subdue you with my close combat skills. You're stuck where you are, Yosetsu Awase!"

Heh…

_"Hey Inochi dude! I got a favor to ask ya. Seeing you fight and all, a light bulb lit up in my head. I was wondering if you could teach me something..."_

_WELD! WELD! WELD!_

"What are you—?!"

_CONSTRUCTION-DONE-KIWK: STEEL BEAM!_

"Hyaah—!"

_WHIFF!_

Damnit, I missed!

But fucking A! This is how I'll bridge the distance! If she says that I can't run up, then I'll just make a freaking Steel Beam to reach her! Inochi, that amazing guy, inspired me! I'm focused on restraining, but that doesn't cut it in every situation! I need to learn how to fight when worse comes to worst! With Steel Beam and the bojutsu skills that Inochi taught me, I'll be able to fight!

And with Weld, I can weld my Steel Beam to Midnight even when I'm not even close to her!

"What is that?!" Midnight yells, clearly surprised by my new technique! I step forward, spinning the Steel Beam around my arms and I—!

_BAM!_

Crack it right against her hip! She yelps in pain, stumbling back! Haha! Midnight may have training in close combat, but she's useless when it comes to this! That's right, you can't beat me! I'm one of the biggest badasses in 1-B!

It's all thanks to Inochi! 'Cuz of him, I'm pretty good with a bo staff now! He's the kind of guy who doesn't hesitate to help his friends, and I'm the same kind of guy too! No way in hell that I'll let my friends down! I'm not gonna let _anyone _down! Everyone's counting on me to pass this exam, 'specially Inochi! Everyone sees him as the man-to-be! Well, someone gotta be the one who has his back, and that guy is me!

I don't have a complicated backstory like Kamakiri or whoever; I'm just a normal guy! But no one said that a normal guy _can't _do extraordinary things! I am doing everything it takes to win against Midnight!

Here I come!

"You annoying boy—!"

"—Midnight!"

Midnight swings her whip around, telegraphing that she's trying to swipe me big and wide! I bend backwards letting the whip go right above me while simultaneously spinning my Steel Beam around my arms. As I straighten myself out, the Beam twirls around my neck before my arms catch it, bringing it down on top of her skull!

_BAM!_

"—Ghrk!"

Another hit! Hell yeah!

Midnight grabs my Beam, trying to pull it off her, but she can't! I already welded it to her hair, and now, her hand too! "Huh?!"

I jump towards her while still holding my Beam, then I land a good kick at her hip where I just smacked her earlier! I keep my foot there while unwelding my Beam from her hair and hand, taking it back and leaning it against my shoulder! After that, I spin around, and using my trusty weapon, I whack her again in the side! Midnight staggers, gasping in pain and stuff like that! "Midnight, you lost! Don't underestimate me!"

"Hehe… I shouldn't have, you're right… But—!"

"Haah—?!"

I can't breathe! What the hell?! My vision's fading! I'm...getting sleepier… What… What's going on… My mask's… My mask's supposed to work…

_Clink!_

Shit… dropped my.. .whatever the hell… that's called…

Fuck… I need to… keep standing… I can't… lose…

"Mid...night…" I gasp out, then I fall to my knees… I can't sleep… I don't wanna sleep…

"I increased the potency of my sleep-inducing aroma. Your ragtag gas mask can only do so much to keep the toxins out. But jeez, I don't like doing this. It makes me tired myself y'know! So I'll just keep it at this level until you go unconscious. Sweetheart, you did a good job, but you fail."

She...walks up to me and...taps me…

I fall flat…

And…

And…

Fuck…

Everything's...dark…

Sorry… guys…

Guess I'm not… going on that… cool summer trip…

I shut my eyes…

"Ah…! Finally…! Where's that boy...Bondo?" I can barely...hear her voice…

Guess I lose…

_"I-I feel really safe around you… Y-You're my hero, Awase."_

Sorry… Shojo…

…

…

…

"Ehhhhhh—?!"

_GLUE SPLURGE!_

"Awase….!"

Huh…?

Someone's...shaking me…

"Awase…!"

So freaking loud… I just wanna sleep…

"Awase—!"

_SMACK!_

"Ow! What the hell, man?! Why did you…? Eh?!" Midnight's covered in glue! What the hell?! I thought I lost! Did… Did Bondo come back for me? I thought I told him to run away! Did he really come back for me?! Holy shit, I'm so glad that he didn't listen to me! That's my man! I always knew Bondo was a cool dude! This made him even cooler! "Bondo—!"

"I'm so sorry for slapping you! I'm so sorry for coming back! I didn't mean to! I felt like it was really really really wrong for me to leave you alone! So I came back, but I saw you unconscious! So I, uhm, I just, I just kinda spewed glue all over Midnight when she wasn't looking! I'm sososososo sorry that I didn't listen to you! Please forgive me!"

"Dude, why would I be mad?! You saved our exam! We both pass because of you! Hell yeah!" I stand up and take Bondo's arm, raising it in the air!

"Give it up for Plamo, you bastards! He's the real Hero here!"

("Oh my, I _adore _the youth~!")

* * *

**Manga Fukidashi**

...I'll just find out later.

Back on me and Komori, we're almost there! I can see the open path towards the Escape Gate! Present Mic is leaning against the doorway whistling. Good, I don't think he sees us! Komori and I duck behind a bush, poking our heads out. Okay, it's just a straight road to Present Mic, but we gotta be careful! If we lose the element of surprise, we might lose!

We have mushrooms in our ears! And I mean that literally! We literally have mushrooms in our ear canals! This is for extra muffling protection just in case our plan doesn't work out. It doesn't hurt to be safe, 'cause I don't wanna be sorry. Komori mouths, _We gotta take our chance now, Manga! It's now or never!_

_Now? _I respond, pointing towards Present Mic who's just whistling. _Think it's the right time? He might be whistling, but he's completely aware of his surroundings!_

_Yes, now! Use your Quirk to distract him! Remember the Onomatopoeia you used to destroy an entire street? Use that!_

_I'm going to kill Present Mic if I do that!_

_Do it softly!_

Ugh! This is a terrible idea, but this may be our only shot! I look towards Present Mic. He has his head leaning up at the sky, sighing in simple pleasure. I don't know how this is simple, but he's Present Mic… He says something, but I can't hear him. It's probably about how us kids are cowards and all, and how much we're gonna lose.

I look back at Komori; she's nodding for me to go. Alright… I can't turn back now! Just gotta blow the heck outta Present Mic. Best case scenario: he gets defeated and we get to go home without our plan actually being enacted! But knowing U.A., and especially my teachers, that isn't going to be the case…

Ugh, I need to do this!

I stand up and take a deep breath in. The bush I was hiding behind rustles in the wind, and Present Mic's eyes shoot open. Sorry about this—!

_BLAM!_

My Onomatopoeia, _BLAM, _launches forward like a missile, immediately tearing apart the earth. The trees in front of me are uprooted, being casted aside like skinny little branches as it moves forward towards Present Mic, towering over him thricefold. He shouts something in surprise—I still can't hear him—and readies his counterattack! Okay, distraction made! Time for our next step in our plan!

Despite the mushrooms in my ears, I hear Present Mic yelling, "YEEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHH—!"

His Voice breaks through _BLAM _and shatters it into pieces. But behind _BLAM _is another Onomatopoeia that Komori reminded me of! Shojo and I usually have headphones so we can watch anime in peace! It blocks out any outside noise, but the action of "muffling out noise" has a sound itself! Because of that, I can recreate it! Everyone forgot about my special power! Well, it's not really a "power" but a skill, but I consider it a "power"! I can recreate any sounds I hear, even if it's just once! I'm like Sanji in that way!

Heh…

Because of that, he'd say I'm just as strong as him.

And Komori too! She's the one who came up with this plan! She's the one who shed light to our secret weapon, the weapon that will take us to victory! It's better than Present Mic's skill, even though he's much stronger in terms of offense! But that's it! He has no defensive capability, he has nothing for defense! That's how we win! Defense is the best offense!

"Present Mic—!" I shout as _BLAM _is shattered. His sound waves are solidified in yellow, coming at Komori and I, exponentially expanding too fast for the naked eye to process. But my next move is already made! He fell for my trap, _all according to plan _!

_Flimpflimp!_

_Flimpflimp _, acting like a wall, becomes a shield for me and Komori. Present Mic's Voice collides with the Onomatopoeia, but the yellow sound waves doesn't go through it! Present Mic sends his sound waves directly towards us, and my Onomatopoeia absorbs it all, rendering his attack useless! Behind me, Komori hops around yelling—she's probably yelling about how much of a genius she is. It goes on for a few seconds before Present Mic stops his Quirk. I can't see beyond the Onomatopoeia, but I think he knows that he's been countered perfectly! That means—!

" _YEEEEEEEAAAHH! _"

What the—?!

_BURST!_

My Onomatopoeia! I—!

"Guh—!" Too loud! Present Mic broke _Flimpflimp _! How?! How did he break it so easily?! Damnit, even with the mushrooms in our ears, it's not enough to shield it from his Voice! I fall down to my knees, clutching my head! It's like a nuclear bomb going off right next to my ear! I feel something wet and warm coming out—my blood! Damnit! Damnit! How can we win now?! I feel off-balanced, so I can't get up and run a marathon! I would only fall flat on my stupid face!

Komori runs up to me, but she falls too, her cap falling off of her head. She screams in pain dragging her hands through the dirt, letting it pile up in her fingernails. She's in as much pain as I am. Damnit, I promised that we would win! But here we are, utterly screwed! Komori can't fight! I'm barely hanging in there as it is! Ugh, we weren't good enough! I think I know how Present Mic beat us! He wasn't using his Quirk seriously! Sure, we muffled his first attack, but he simply increased the volume of his voice and broke through _Flimpflimp _!

I hate my life!

"Grrraah—!" I tear the mushrooms out of my ears, slamming it on the ground. It barely changes how loud Present Mic's Voice is. Since my hands aren't clogging my ears, blood is trickling down my head and neck…

We'll lose! There's no doubt about it! But—

_"Oh, who says I'm not afraid? I am freaking _**_terrified_**_, but we gotta do it despite our fear."_

That's right! I have to do it! I have to do what I need to do despite everything! Even if all hope is lost, I still have to fight! I need to stand! It's no good to lay down and accept defeat! I'd rather fall down standing more than anything else in the world!

Despite the blaring noise that makes my head ring, I put my hands flat on the dirt and push myself up slowly. I'm off-balanced, but I can still move my legs. My feet are firmly placed on the ground, moving with my hands to stand myself up! I'm moving like a baby who's learning how to walk, but this is the only way I can stand up!

Komori looks at me with tears in her eyes. She tries to stand up too, but she doesn't have the strength to pull her hands off of her ears. With my face, I assure her, _Don't worry, if we'll lose, then we'll lose because we're weaker, not because we're lazy._

Like a snail, with every weak muscle in my body, I pull myself up to my feet. Mic's Voice gets worse actually. It's more than enough to give me permanent hearing loss, but I don't care. As Heroes, we sacrifice our bodies everyday to preserve the world! No matter what, I need to keep fighting! With all of my friends, I need to create a world where no one has to be bullied because they're different!

Class 1-B, we are made up of outsiders! We were bullied, made fun of because of our differences!

We have:

Sanji Inochi, the legally Quirkless student who's training day and night, never caring about himself!

Setsuna Tokage, the rich heiress who everyone sees as a selfish egomaniac!

Togaru Kamakiri, the son of Executioner Wasp, a Villain!

Pony Tsunotori, she was bullied for her mutations!

Juzo Honenuki was the same!

Neito Monoma, he was constantly harassed for his Quirk!

Everyone else too, especially me and Shojo!

We were put together for a reason, so we could find similarities in our differences! This is the reason why we're a more united class than 1-A! Even though the world might hate us, we still have each other! As friends who truly understand each other's pain, we could part the skies and destroy any obstacle in our way! There is no Katsuki Bakugo or Izuku Midoriya here, the two powerhouses who can do everything themselves! Monoma would say that the story is about them, but this story is about us!

No matter how powerful we might become, we will always need each other to save the day! This world cannot be preserved by one person! It has to be a coalition of Heroes! It has to be us! We need each other!

That's why I'll stand! I'm standing right now against all odds! Komori might be crying, she might be laying down, I don't blame her, because she's trying to stand! She feels the same thing I'm feeling right now!

For her, I'll hold out as long as I can, because I am Kodomo, The Children Hero!

_WAPOW!_

With the last bit of strength, I use my Quirk to launch another Onomatopoeia towards Present Mic! It's small, but fast-moving! It soars through the air, and he sees it coming! He immediately stops using his Quirk and avoids _Wapow _before it hits, letting it crash into the Escape Gate behind him! He clears his throat and claps, grinning.

"My goodness gracious, Kodomo! You managed to stand! I was being louder than usual, and you managed to stand! That kind of strength is impressive!" he compliments me, but I could barely hear him. There's a bell in my head that won't shut up! "But you're on your last legs! Y'think you can still beat me or escape? That's not gonna happen! There's no way that you could win in that state! Impossible! Zero chance! Absolutely zilch! Just give up now so I can take you two to Recovery Girl! I'm—!"

"Shut up!" I snap, yelling at the top of my lungs, "I'm not gonna give up! If you care about us so badly, then make us deaf! Do it! We're your enemies, right?! Then show us no mercy! I might be terrified of the pain that's about to come, but let it come! I promised to myself that I won't be the one holding my own chains, and I'm looking to see it through! So do it, Present Mic! You gotta _do it! _"

For a second or two, Present Mic doesn't say anything. He looks so surprised that those words came out as they did. Honestly, I didn't mean to snap at him like that, but he pissed me off, kinda like how my favorite manga character betrayed the entire party— _that _was terrible and I dropped the manga. But my point still stands. This is the promise I made to myself. I want to see a better world, and this is the only way I know how. I'm known to be spineless, so constant pain—whether it be physical or mental—is the best way for me to grow one.

Finally, after an excruciatingly long time—though it was only seconds—he says, "Alright… I'll do it, Kodomo."

Present Mic chuckles, muttering, "I knew this generation of Heroes were special. I told you so, Shota." He brings out his arms, about to perform the wonderful attack that will do me in. "Now, as your Villain, I won't hold anything back! C'mon my Listeners, let's hear these piggies sque—EEEK?!"

Present Mic immediately falls face-first.

Uhm, what?

What just happened?

Komori stands up and frantically runs towards Mic. "I'm sorry, Present Mic! I had to do it! We had to win, and this was literally my last option! I didn't think we would come to this, but we did! Can you forgive me?!"

"Gak—! Fhrk—! Whyyyy—?!" Present Mic says through choked breaths… He coughs out...bloody mushrooms?! He's coughing out mushrooms?! What the hell?! Did Komori literally grow mushrooms in his throat and lungs?!

"Drink lots of water, okay?!" Komori says before turning to me. "C'mon Manga, we need to get the heck outta here!"

She smiles and gestures towards the Escape Gate.

Heh, right…

We still have to win.

Actually, I'm kinda wrong.

We already _won _.

I gave Komori enough time to grow mushrooms in Present Mic's lungs.

Heh, I knew standing up for myself would do something good.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"TEAM MANGA FUKIDASHI AND KINOKO KOMORI ESCAPED PRESENT MIC'S REACH! THEY PASSED THEIR EXAM!"

Huh…?

"Hyah—!"

_DOUBLE JUMBO FIST!_

"Detroit Smash—!"

_SMASH!_

Itsuka! How long has she been fighting?! How long have _I _been unconscious for?! Damnit, I need to help her! My God, she's fighting All Might! She's bleeding! She's exhausted! How is she constantly dodging his attacks and the wind pressure generated from it?! She's not fit to dodge and move around like I do! Itsuka isn't that kind of fighter! It's taking a toll already; I can see her punches are getting weaker and weaker with each attack! Her body can't hold up for much longer! I need to get up—?!

"Gah—guh!" Damnit, each time I move a muscle, pain shoots up from every inch in my body! Before I went unconscious, All Might used my grappling hook to slam me against the concrete. Considering that I'm laying down in a crater, he did it pretty hard! Ugh, half of my vision is stained red, almost like I'm looking through a crimson-colored mirror. I need to calm down… I can't let my emotions get the better of me. I need to push through the pain and stand up… Up, and up!

C'mon Sanji…

"—Geh, guh…" I groan as I start standing up. Every muscle in my body decides that it's a good time to supply me with enough pain to make the toughest man cry. I can't even stand up correctly too. All Might slammed me onto my back—my _spine _. I can't stand up straight; I'm standing up bent over like an old man. At least I'm standing, that's what matters. Itsuka and All Might are fighting in front of me. All Might tries to land a punch down towards Itsuka, but she weaves to his left and lands a punch to his side with her normal-sized fists. She's fighting without her Quirk. She either must be extremely exhausted to the point where she can't carry her Big Fists anymore, or she wants to fight Quirkless—the former is much more likely. To think that she's fighting for me, fighting against All Might himself… I don't know how I ended up with a partner like her.

I walk forward—!

"Teh—!" Never mind! I almost fell! Damnit, I still gotta move! As All Might and Itsuka fight, I hobble towards them; they haven't noticed me yet.

"Gotta be kidding me…" Itsuka mutters, seeing as her torn corset is getting in the way. She takes the torn edge and tears the corset off of her costume, throwing it aside. Her qipao is looser, swaying in the wind in front of All Might. He chuckles as if he's about to squash the ant in front of him, and he pulls his right hand back.

It's another punch, Itsuka! A jab!

Itsuka sees the telegraphed attack and immediately goes underneath All Might's legs, sliding behind him as his right jab punches where Itsuka once was. He turns around and takes another punch, but Itsuka isn't there again. She knew that he would turn around and instead pivot to his right. During her pivot, she swings her left fist into the back of All Might, but it isn't a strong punch!

All Might throws his left hand back like a hammer slamming down on a nail; Itsuka barely manages to hop back before she gets hammered in. All Might's fist cracks into the concrete, creating a small gust of wind. He turns around and telegraphs another right-hand punch. Itsuka—!

"—Shit!" she swears! Crap, she tried to leap backwards again, but she trips! She won't be able to avoid All Might's punch! I'm almost there though, but what can I do?! My grappling hook is busted thanks to All Might, and I'm pretty sure I'm out of ammo for my crossbow! My wakizashi and katana are sheathed, but I don't have enough time to unsheathe them _and _attack!

That means I just need to get there!

"Sorry, Young Kendo!" All Might apologizes before sending his arm forward. Itsuka shuts her eyes as he yells, "Smaaash—!"

I reach them! "Itsuka—!"

_SMASH!_

"Ghrk—!"

"—Sanji?!"

"Young Inochi—?!"

_…BAM!_

Before All Might struck, I managed to reach them… Just barely, I pushed Itsuka out of the way, putting myself in her spot. All Might realized I was conscious at the last second, but it was too late for him to relent his attack. His fist collides against my steel chestplate, sending me backwards, tumbling through the air and tumbling through the street before I crash against a bus with my back slamming against it first. My head snaps back, banging against the iron and steel of the bus with enough force to dent it, probably giving me a concussion. Then I fall back on the ground, back at square one. All sorts of pain start to scream like venom in my nerves. It's a miracle that I'm conscious, not going into shock yet.

My chest nearly caves in from All Might's punch though. If it wasn't for my steel chestplate, then my ribs would be broken and would pierce into my lungs, but they're only cracked. Either way, it's hard for me to breathe now. I look ahead, gasping in pain. Itsuka lays on the ground with exhaustion finally catching up to her. A small smile forms on her lips, but then a frown. She knows that exhaustion has caught up to her; she can't move her body. All Might looks at her, then at me.

"Are you two done?" he asks.

Itsuka looks at me. _Sanji—_

I shake my head. _Don't worry, you did great. Just rest, I can fight All Might now._

She nods and rests her head against the pavement.

To answer All Might, I pull myself back up to my feet, this time much easier than before. I clutch my chestplate, the one thing that protected me from defeat. clutching my chestplate. It's bent inwards, cutting into my chest. No good, it's useless now. I go around my back and untie it, throwing the armor aside. It clatters upon impact, letting All Might see my black and white kimono stained with blood and dirt. He lowers his head, sighing in disappointment. "So be it."

Here it is: Sanji Inochi versus All Might, round two.

A Quirkless man against the greatest Pro Hero in the world.

I'm injured. My ribs are fractured, cracked skull, countless bruises, countless cuts, damaged back… I think I covered all of it. And All Might? Barely any scratches on his body.

I am fighting against a Hero who achieved mastery over his Quirk, who fought thousands of Villains and defeated thousands, who can destroy an entire city with just one punch. That is the kind of Hero he is: a legend. I don't mean that ironically, I mean it _unironically _. He is a legendary figure that will be remembered in history. He's the kind of hero that we would read in epics, like _The Odyssey _or the _Epic of Gilgamesh _.

It begs a question…

How do I defeat a legend?

I look down at my HK-Bracer. The screen is cracked, but it's still functional. I have 21 minutes and 13 seconds left. I doubt that Yume-no-Kami Ude is able to be remote-controlled though, so using that is out of the question.

Hayami got me this far. Without her, none of this would've happened. She said something before, what was it…?

_"Hey you two, be sure to give All Might a helluva fight! Remember, he might be the greatest Hero, but he's still a man!"_

"Ah, that's it…" I say, smiling.

All Might tilts his head with curiosity striking his face. "What was that, young man?"

I step forward just a few centimeters. "Remind me, All Might… What's your name?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your real name. May I have it?"

He hesitates; he hesitates for a couple of moments. But, he concedes, "Toshinori Yagi. Why do you want my name?"

I tilt my head to the side, blood dripping down one half of my face. "That's the name of a man."

If I can't defeat the legend named All Might, then I'll defeat the man named Toshinori Yagi. The veil is removed. There's no more wool covering my eyes, just for this moment at least. Toshinori Yagi is a man; he's able to be defeated, because every man has a weakness, especially him.

Toshinori Yagi, the man standing before me, decides that we talked enough. His body tenses. I know what he's going to do. He'll leap forward towards me with incredible speed that it's impossible to react to, but I know his destination. That's pretty obvious, but what he'll do at this destination? What he always been doing: punching. Did he ever kick? Did he ever use anything other than his two fists?

No. I haven't seen how Toshinori Yagi fights firsthand, but I experienced how Midoriya fights. Midoriya only uses his fists as well. His technique is unrefined, too narrow in scope. With that information, I can use it to win, because I know exactly what Toshinori Yagi will do…

_"Heh, I'm glad you figured out your own shortcomings. Your human body is limited, but not your mind. By predicting your opponent's next attack, you're basically playing chess but with punches and kicks."_

Thank you, Master Kendo… You taught me how to properly predict attacks before they happen. For my opponent who loves his fists, he will punch me with his right hand after lunging forward as if he's wind itself.

All within less than a second—!

"—Young Inochi!"

_WHOOSH!_

_BAM!_

Toshinori Yagi dashed forward with his right arm pulled back, then it snapped forward towards my head. I jerked my head to the side, letting his fist fly right past me and into the bus behind. The impact is powerful enough that the bus gets blown backwards into the walls of the Escape Gate, destroying the wall completely and the bus too. But for me? I'm standing without a scratch.

I glance up at my opponent, smirking. "Sorry, Toshinori Yagi. You're too slow." He's too fast actually. I only said that so he could believe that my reaction time matches his; when in reality, I'm far below his level.

"Young—guh?!" I open my left hand and crash my palm against the side of his knee, forcing him to bend down slightly. Even though he's a durable man, knees usually bend if you hit it hard enough and at the right place. Before he could throw another punch at me, since he's close to my height, I clench my right fist and drive it up towards his chin, giving him an uppercut that Itsuka would be proud of. His head snaps up, his face is in no visible pain.

He's scowling.

I only made him angrier.

Toshinori Yagi grits his teeth, and he'll slam his head against mine. It'll be a collision similar to an eighteen-wheeler crashing against an itty bitty car; guess which vehicle will remain mostly intact? That won't happen! Because with the few moments where he has his eyes off of me, I go in-between his legs and come out behind him just like how Itsuka did earlier! Toshinori Yagi swings his head down and realizes I'm not there. He knows that I'm not to his left or his right due to peripheral vision, so the only possibility will be that I'm behind him!

"Detroit—!" he yells! Now he's just giving me his next attack! Midoriya uses Detroit Smash a lot during our spars! It's just a simple forward punch using an overwhelming amount of strength to defeat a Villain! But at his angle, the only effective way to punch me is by punching downwards! "—Smash!"

_LEAP!_

_DETROIT SMASH!_

Just as Toshinori Yagi turns around, I jump into the air with the timing absolutely perfect, allowing me to narrowly avoid his Detroit Smash! His fist impacts the ground where I was, shattering the road! I flip around, using the momentum to slam my right heel against the top of his head! It hits him square in his skull, and I bounce off of him like he's a trampoline, flipping backwards and landing back onto my feet! That's my first charge complete. The distance between us gets longer, about three meters apart total.

He doesn't give me time to rest, already stepping forward. It's another right hook. I duck underneath and slam the side of my left elbow into his stomach, following the attack up with a right jab at his kidney. I jump backwards, giving myself distance so he doesn't grab me. I gave myself more than three meters this time, around seven or eight! Toshinori Yagi clenches his left fist and lets it fly towards the earth!

_WEST VIRGINIA SMASH!_

His fist collides with the ground, creating a crater with his fist at the epicenter. As a result of his punch, the earth in front of him is broken up into sharp spikes that rush towards me like a swarm of ants. I hop up in the air, avoiding the spikes from impaling my body. Toshinori Yagi grits his teeth and raises his right foot—he's using his feet, that's pretty rare—then stomping it down!

As his foot is slammed against the ground, right where he punched earlier, all of the spikes coming forth immediately shattered at the base, no longer rooted to the earth! It flies up a meter or two before he pulls his right fist back again—!

_OREGON SMASH!_

He thrusts his fist forward like a blade stabbing flesh, a burst of wind pressure coming to life from his Super Move! The spikes turn into fast-moving projectiles capable of taking my head clean off. I unsheathe my two blades, letting them soak in the sunlight—right hand: katana; left hand: wakizashi! "Grrraaaah—!"

_SHATTER!_

_BREAK!_

I spin in the air, building up enough momentum to destroy these spikes with one slash! There's so many in my sight, but I can't focus on that! There's no way I can be worried about the amount of projectiles! I need to concentrate and conserve my energy to constantly smash these spikes into dust! If I miss even one, then I'll lose this battle!

"Toshinori Yagi—!"

_SLASH!_

_CRUMBLE!_

_CRACK!_

That's it! That's all of the spikes! I destroyed all of them while in the air! Toshinori Yagi stands a few meters away from me, shocked! Through the pile of pebbles and rocks in the air, I spin around one last time and throw my wakizashi towards his chest! "You—?!"

_CLINK!_

I hear the sound of metal clashing against metal; he deflected it with his metal weights. I knew he would do that! Throwing my wakizashi was simply a cover for my advance! Once it hits him, I'm right in front of the man once again! Toshinori Yagi finally sees me and steps back as I raise my blade with only my right hand! Pulling his left hand back, he—!

_BAM!_

He used the back of his hand and slams it against the flat end of my katana, splintering the blade in half. I knew he would do that too! When you fight a man with a sword, you would focus on the thing that reflects sunlight, rather than what he has in his other hand! At the same time as he breaks my katana, I had a magazine of explosive bolts in my left, the ones I use to load my crossbow with!

"Catch!" I tell him, tossing the magazine at him; I flip backwards right after I tossed it, because I'd rather not get caught in the blast zone!

"What the—?!" he exclaims after I make a full revolution in the air, starting on my second. Facing him, I throw my broken stump of a katana towards the pack of explosive bolts. In an instant—!

_BOOM!_

I land back on the ground again. My left foot steps on a broken shard of a spike I broke earlier, digging through my boot and into the sole. I wince in pain, already feeling blood coming out. That's yet another injury I have to deal with. After the cloud, which the explosion generated, dissipates, Toshinori Yagi comes out unscathed, although he's a lot dirtier. His costume is covered in dirt and soot.

I look down at my HK-Bracer. 20 minutes and 10 seconds. I've been fighting Toshinori Yagi for a minute.

I aim to fight longer.

"If you really desire to become a Pro Hero, then prepare yourself, Young Inochi—!"

He rushes forward.

_SMASH!_

_DODGE!_

I land another few hits in! Keep predicting!

_PUNCH!_

_PIVOT!_

More! Toshinori Yagi's technique is so simple!

_STRIKE!_

_WEAVE!_

More hits! He doesn't need to be complicated with so much power at his hands!

_BLAM!_

_WHIFF!_

Because of it, his technique is laughably predictable! It consists of punching and rarely anything else!

_WHAM!_

_SPIN!_

By fighting with him up close, the odds are in my favor, not his! He won't be able to unleash his wind pressure at this small of a distance!

No matter what—!

_DETROIT SMASH!_

_LEAP!_

—Never give up!

_LAND!_

"It's been four minutes…" I say, my feet sliding on the broken concrete after I dodged another Detroit Smash. "It's been four minutes and thirty-six seconds ever since we started…"

I pant, heavily breathing. But, despite being tired, I smile. "Never in my life would I imagine that we would be standing here, brawling…" I look back at Itsuka; she's still resting, but she looks amazed. That's right, I'm doing this for her. She would've told me to flee towards the Escape Gate, but I stayed and fought.

"You should've ran away, Young Inochi," Toshinori Yagi tells me with anger in his voice. "You should've—!"

"And leave Itsuka behind?!" I shout with a piece of my waist armor in my way. I grab it. "There's no way in hell that I'll leave her here! If she's going down, then I'm going down with her, no two ways about it!"

My resolve is clear.

My mind is clear.

No doubts are plaguing my body; the pain of my injuries purified me of those doubts.

This fight will only end with only one of two outcomes.

One is just as likely as the sun rising everyday, while the other is just as likely as when pigs fly.

Even then, I have the power of Dreams in my body! I'm legally Quirkless—I've always been—but the power is still within me this entire time! Because dreams, they are the items that go beyond impossibility, beyond statistical likelihood and achieve what no one believed was possible! That is what I'm fighting for!

No matter what, I _will _find Toshinori Yagi's weakness and exploit it!

"So c'mon, Toshinori Yagi! We aren't done fighting!" I throw away another piece of my piece of armor! It'll only hinder me!

"If you must—!" he concedes, giving into my hardened resolve. Toshinori Yagi, like before so many times, takes control and leaps towards me once again. He has his right fist fist back, doing the same old punching. Did he learn _how _I'm able to fight him for this long yet? It doesn't matter, I need to react properly!

_WHIFF!_

I weave my head just at the last moment, letting his fist fly past my head again! I pull back my own right fist and punch him at the left side of his chest—!

_BLAM!_

"Ghrk—?!"

"—!"

Toshinori Yagi coughs out blood.

His face twitches in pain.

So this man _can _feel pain, he _can _bleed.

I knew it.

The left side of his chest _must _be his weakness!

Toshinori Yagi takes a few steps back, looking down at where I punched him. His pain turns into surprise and bewilderment. I don't know if he's surprised that it caused him a lot of pain, or because I punched it. Whatever he's surprised about, he'll be even more surprised when I defeat him!

I dash forward!

He sees me coming and quickly, in panic, thrusts his left arm forward. I tilt myself sideways, balancing myself on one leg going inside of the punch. It flies past me, and at the same second, I swing my left fist forward and punch the same spot as before! Toshinori Yagi sputters out more blood, getting all over my costume. Before he has a chance to punch me in return, I retreat a few meters, letting him make sense of the situation.

With a cough, he shakes his head, his face being firmer.

Oh God, he's getting _serious _.

Toshinori Yagi decides to slowly move his right hand back. He doesn't look like he'll charge forward, then crap! This must mean he's going to attack me with purely wind pressure and nothing else!

"Texas…"

I need to dodge!

"...SMASH—!"

_LEAP!_

_TEXAS SMASH!_

Not good enough. My legs were clipped by the gust of wind, clashing against them. From the velocity of the wind, I twirl around in the air uncontrollably, the world spinning around like I'm at a carnival. I fly back until I reach a surprisingly still-upright streetlamp. Somehow, through sheer luck, I manage to grab hold of it and spin around it, slowing down my velocity, but Toshinori Yagi doesn't give me time to breathe. He charges at me with another right punch reeled backwards. Before he punches me, I let go of the streetlamp and narrowly avoid his attack, letting him strike into the building behind me.

He glances over his shoulder to look at me; it only takes him less than a tenth of a second to see where I am. Then—!

_SMASH!_

_BOOM!_

Barely dodged it! I managed to roll to the side, preventing myself from being turned into a red mush. I knew he would come at me again, but he's getting faster _and _stronger! He's getting desperate to end the fight!

"Missouri Smash—!"

_SMASH!_

_DODGE!_

Even faster than before! My brain is barely able to keep up with him! The wind pressure is increasing too! Not only I need to dodge the punch itself, I need to dodge the wind pressure to avoid being thrown back!

"Do you think you can win, Young Inochi—?!"

_SMASH!_

_JUMP!_

"I showed restraint when fighting you—!"

_SMASH!_

_LEAP!_

"I showed mercy, but from now on, you will not get any of it—!"

_SMASH!_

_EVADE!_

"Do you hear me, Young Inochi—?!"

_SMASH!_

_DODGE!_

I don't respond to his taunts. I only focus on avoiding each and every attack for two minutes and five seconds. I can't count the amount of times where I nearly tripped or where Toshinori Yagi _just _misses my body. I can feel my heart pounding against my chest; I'm panting my lungs out. Ever since I attacked the left side of his chest, I wasn't able to get another punch in. Before my body gives out, I need to land at least _one _more hit!

Toshinori Yagi stands twenty meters from me. In a single bound—

"Face me—!"

He reaches me within the second, foreshadowing another straight right jab. I weave underneath his right arm, letting the wind pressure fly out of his fist. Thankfully, I'm not in the danger zone. With embers of my strength still dwelling in my muscles, I sling around my right arm and hurl my fist into the left side of his chest, causing him to cough out more blood.

There!

Don't relent!

I don't even see what kind of punch Toshinori Yagi throws next. I spin around to his back; he whiffs; I backflip over him; he whiffs. He turns around and throws a blind punch, and I duck under it, slamming my hand against the same spot. His chest flares up, and due to the pain, Toshinori Yagi stumbles back a couple of steps, almost getting on one knee.

This is it! He's hesitating to attack!

"—Farewell, Toshinori Yagi!" I charge in with my right arm thrown back!

My fist is thrusted forward; Toshinori Yagi stops in his tracks.

My resolve was strong. I did the impossible: fight the greatest Hero in the world and thrive. This fight can't be replicated again. Everything that happened here, if it had happened differently—even just one tiny event—then the outcome would be different.

And maybe that's why…

That's why my heart stopped.

Despite my last, final attack, I'm not able to carry it through. My arm is thrusted forward towards his chest, where his weakness lies, yet there's only a ten centimeter gap between my fist and his body. This gap cannot be closed, like the distance between Earth and space. My eyes bulge and my heart feels like it'll explode. My lungs spatter and gag in pain. And I couldn't help—

"Ghrk—! Hak—! Hak—!" I cough.

I drop to my knees coughing, holding my hands to my mouth. I feel blood coming out. Tears well in my eyes, threatening to spill out, threatening to mix with the sweat that covers my entire face. My vital organs are pulsating, seemingly growing twice as large before shrinking down to half its original size.

"Hak—! Hak—! Hak—!"

These symptoms say that I reached my limit. Everyone has a "limit" where they create for themselves. I tire my muscles out every night when I train, reaching a certain "limit" every night, but that isn't a limit at all. It's rather a mental limit that I impose on myself, preventing me from seriously harming myself to the point that I risk death. What I'm experiencing right now is the _true _limit for my body. It's screaming at me, _I can't go on any longer! If you go past this point, you'll die! _

I can't fight anymore. My body won't allow it. I can feel my muscles turning limp one by one, strand by strand. Toshinori Yagi sees me in this state and stands up, wiping the blood off his lips. "Young Inochi…"

"Hak—! Hak—! Hak—!"

"I suppose that's the limit of the human body. Well, the limit of a _Quirkless _body. Quirks themselves, they passively increase the limits where you can take your body. From the very beginning, you were at a disadvantage, yet…"

"Hak—! Hak—! Hak—!"

"Yet, you still persisted on. Truly, time was our greatest enemy." Toshinori Yagi slowly brings his right fist up, aiming for my head. "You will need to rest for a long time with Recovery Girl. Congratulations, Young Inochi— _no. _Congratulations, Armory. You have my respect."

I look up towards the greatest Pro Hero who casts a shadow over me. Briefly, as if it's a still image, I see his large fist.

Then in the next—

_THUMP!_

"..."

"...So it seems the fight isn't over."

"Like hell it is, All Might. You fought a battle of who has the higher endurance and durability, but this will be the battle of strength! You'll be facing Battle Fist!" After Itsuka caught Toshinori Yagi's punch with her enlarged right hand, she throws him back with her overpowering strength, forcing him to concede a few footsteps, a precious distance away.

She looks back at me and smiles, almost like she's saying, _I'll end this fight, Sanji. You don't have to push yourself anymore._

...That's my only choice. I don't like it; I want to fight with her, but this is my only option.

_Please… I'm counting on you, Itsuka._

_Don't you worry, because I'll be your fist!_

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Yo, what's up everybody?! The People's Fist is here and ready to rock your world!"

"...Kaito, why are you so freaking loud?" Mom yelled at Dad, who just came out of his room after a two-hour long nap. He came back after an exhausting patrol, so he still wore his Hero Costume, which was mainly gold and green—two of his favorite colors. Mom made it herself and she "heavily edited it" so he wouldn't look stupid. Even with her input, Dad still looked ridiculous. Beside me, Grandpa sighed and went back to drinking tea and watching cable TV. Unlike Mom, he kept his annoyance and frustration t o himself.

Dad looked at me. He frowned at Mom and said, "Language! Itsuka's sitting right here!" I had a goofy smile on my face, solely because I was pretty young back then. I only knew the _really _bad words like "pooper" and "taxes". (In my defense, Dad convinced me to never say "taxes" around him.)

With a sharp tongue as ever, Mom replied, "'Freaking' is not a bad word. How about I punch you instead?"

"Nah! How 'bout we save that for later in you-know-where?" Dad said with a wink. I was an innocent girl, completely unable to comprehend the innuendo he made. Grandpa scoffed, knowing full well that Dad shouldn't have said that while I was in the room.

"You're a masochist." Mom dramatically groaned, turning her attention back to dinner.

"Sorry, you can't insult me if I don't know what that word means!" Dad exclaimed, causing Mom to sputter. She stopped herself from laughing by pinching her arm. No way in hell would she show any kind of affection for Dad. She was the kind of woman who showed love through insults and punches. But she let _some _love seep through, because she smiled. It made my heart warm up. I loved seeing Mom and Dad argue, because it was when I knew that they were happy.

"...Why am I married to you again?" Mom teased him, acting like she didn't have a bit of love for Dad, but she couldn't hide the smile in her voice. Dad came up with a witty comeback and Mom shot back with one of her own. Grandpa though, he looked like he wanted to shoot them with a gun.

He snapped his fingers at me, getting my attention. "Itsuka, those are your parents."

"Uh huh!" I said, bouncing up and down on the couch. "I love them so much! Don't you, Grandpa?"

"Sweetheart, 'love' is a really strong word," Grandpa said. For him, it was hard to tell that he actually cared about my parents, especially Dad. But like Mom, I knew he loved them more than anything—even when he threatened Dad on a daily basis.

"Quiet! You love them almost as much as I do!" I exposed him. What can I say? I was a smart little girl. "And you love me too! You can't deny it, Grandpa! I can see right through you!"

"Really? Can you?" he challenged me, putting down his tea.

"Uh huh! Like a window!" I replied.

"Then prove it!" Grandpa said, smirking. "What am I thinking right now? I'll give you three choices:

"A: 'My granddaughter is the most adorable girl in the world.'  
"B: 'Itsuka Kendo is too smart for her own good.'

"C: 'I know my granddaughter better than herself.'"

I, being a pint-sized know-it-all, jumped up and exclaimed, "B! It's gotta be B, 'cuz I _be _smart!" Grandpa smiled a devious smile and shook his head. All at once, my illusions shattered like glass. My life was ruined, utterly devastated. Grandpa killed my dream effortlessly, taking in joy from my despair.

"It was C. I know you better than you know yourself. Wanna know why?" I nod. "'Cause you're my daughter's daughter, and you're _that _lughead's daughter too. Tell me, sweetheart, what do you wanna be when you grow up?" Grandpa knew the answer to that question. Of course, I knew it too. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be here right now.

It was obvious what I wanted to be. Grandma Tatemi, Magnum Opus, was a Pro Hero; Grandpa Sasaki, Master Kendo, was a Pro Hero; and Dad, Golden Hand, was a Pro Hero. Mom was only a support scientist, but she still worked in the heroism industry. Since I was born, my future was decided for me. I was surrounded by great influences in my life, one of which was the greatest of them all: my dad. He was the definition of an extroverted Hero, working for the betterment of the people with a pure-hearted message as his rallying banner.

Like how All Might was the Symbol of Peace, Dad was The People's Fist.

_"I'll be your fist!" _That was his catchphrase, like _"I am here!" _is All Might's catchphrase. I repeat that to myself everyday to remind myself _why _I'm doing this. It's for Dad. He was too good for this world, and so the world took him away from me.

So, little Itsuka Kendo looked at her grandfather, one of the most famous Heroes in Japan, and told him, "I wanna be a Hero just like you and Dad"

Her words brought her mom and dad out of their bickering, turning their attention to their pride and joy. Kaito Kendo, her role model, grinned, picking his daughter up and placed her in his arms. He planted a loving kiss on her forehead, happy that she said the words he always wanted to hear. "Y'hear that, Hayami? Looks like there'll be a second Golden Hand in the family, another Hero to make the Kendos great!"

Her mom smiled, but there was a small frown hiding behind it. "That's amazing, Itsuka… I knew you would try to be like your idiot father. It almost makes me cry…" She actually cried a little, wiping a tear away.

He saw her cry and walked over to her, bringing an arm around her shoulder. "Look what you did, Itsuka! You made your own mother cry! I think this calls for one thing and one thing only!"

"Group hug!" Itsuka and her dad exclaimed, immediately wrapping their arms around the poor mother, giving her too much love that she would die. Luckily, she didn't. It was a surprise actually, because her family didn't let go. They didn't want to let go. The dreams were high and so was the future. At that time, the impossible was possible.

And it started with me.

On the couch, Grandpa stared at us and smiled. He didn't join the hug, but he gave us love from afar. He sat there during the entirety of the hug, content with drinking tea and watching cable TV.

* * *

_"Grandpa."_

_"Something wrong, sweetheart?"_

_"This…Inochi guy, why are you taking him in?"_

_"Instinct."_

_"Is that it? No logic? You're usually a logical man. It's hard to believe that your decision is made purely on instinct and instinct alone."_

_"'Cause my instinct is always right. This will be good for everyone, especially him."_

_"How is it good for me? I failed the Recommendations Exam, so my focus has to be centered on the Entrance Exam! And my training too! Yui thinks this is outrageous—"_

_"What about that Tokage?"_

_"Oh, like always, she supports the idea of having a new guy to flirt with. That isn't the point though. What if Inochi is an awful no-good delinquent?" _

_"Then you'll be his fist."_

_"Wha—? Grandpa—"_

_"If he is a good person just like how Gin says he is, then you'll be his fist then. You'll be surprised when Sanji Inochi is a promising individual."_

_"But he's legally Quirkless."_

_"Itsuka, put some faith in him. God knows he needs it. The world beats him down on the daily, and I won't allow you to be the one holding the stick. I get that he's sort of an outsider, but some day…"_

"And leave Itsuka behind?!"

_"He'll be an important Hero."_

"There's no way in hell that I'll leave her here! If she's going down, then I'm going down with her, no two ways about it!"

_"Hell, he could be important to _**_you_**_."_

"Sanji…"

He's lasting a lot longer than I did. I only fought him for a minute, maybe a minute and a half. Sanji, he's fighting All Might for over four minutes now, and he's still trying to go on longer. Somehow, in some way, he's performing the impossible—fighting All Might as an equal. He changed how he looked at him for sure. Before, Sanji absolutely admired him, even naming this operation _"Childhood Hero" _. He wanted to be the bait for All Might so I could sneak up on him and restrain him with Golden Hand, but that plan obviously didn't work out. And now, we're improvising.

We could've escaped too, but we didn't. Sanji insisted on fighting All Might head-on and didn't tell me why, but I went with his plan. He rarely asked for anything, so I _had _to do it. Heh, I heard that Bakugo and Midoriya fought All Might too. I wondered how they dealt with him. But I'm not worried about them at the moment.

I'm worried about Sanji.

I need to—!

"Gah—!" Damnit, I'm still hurting. It's a miracle that nothing's broken. It's more of a miracle that I was able to even _last _against All Might for as long as I did; naturally, Sanji is showing me up because he's Sanji. Whenever he does something, he goes beyond the call and amazes everyone! That's how he is!

He's…

_"Fine… You guys talk about how great Inochi is, don't get me wrong, he's one of the best guys I know, but he's reckless. I think you know that he barely gets any sleep, one or two hours a night. After that, he trains and exercises like his life depends on it. Every morning, I see him coming through the door sweaty and wincing under any little touch…"_

...an idiot.

You're an idiot, Sanji. You train too much.

_"We have only our fists, but we can handle any Villain our way—no matter who they are."_

You are so hopeful.

_"You can count on me, Battle Fist."_

Even when fighting Villains like Catharsis.

_"You don't have to do it alone! You… You… We… We're fighting for the same thing; all of us are—you, me, Master Kendo, Hayami, everyone."_

Even when supporting your friends…

_"She does so much for me, so it isn't fair if I don't do the same for her. But, I'd be lying if that was my only reason. I admire her so much, even though I don't say it or show it as much as I want to. I guess… I guess I'm trying to say that she's really important to me. That's the truth."_

When you support _me _… Even when you don't remember your family…

_"They brought me into this world for a reason, no matter how cruel it is. I like to think that's why our family name is 'Inochi'. We bring life to the world we live in."_

You're still so optimistic... You are so noble…

_"I… I wanted to have some space away from Sanji. N-Not because I hate him, but because I needed to sort my feelings about him. Guess you were right, Mom…"_

We vowed that we'll be partners, that we'll fight against the League of Villains, that we'll support each other no matter what. I'm the one who constantly holds you back from hurting yourself, and you're the one who constantly holds me back from hurting others, namely Monoma. I wished that, when you came into my life, I wasn't such a mean person. Grandpa really predicted it, didn't he? Everyone did. Setsuna kept nagging us, Mom gave me teasing stares, Yui hummed whenever we acted "like that", practically the entire country thinks we're together.

It only took a hospital trip to get me to realize it. When you almost died, I was terrified. Then, that's when I knew that my life would be a lot worse if you hadn't been in it. Not because you make me happy, but because you're an inspiration despite being so much of an idiot. You inspire everyone because of who you are. The world doesn't give you enough praise, so we will. When the storm soaks you to the bone, we'll still support you throughout it all. There's no doubt that, just by your mere presence, you made us better people. You really are the best of us.

I guess…

I guess that's why I love you.

I watch you, Sanji… I watch you fight All Might for two more minutes. You found his weakness: the left side of his chest. It must be from a previous injury he sustained. But did you really have to move around so damn much?! Some of All Might's attacks are blowing wind in my direction! I'm barely able to keep myself rooted!

You really are—!

"—Farewell, Toshinori Yagi!"

He's—!

"Hak—! Hak—! Hak—!"

Damnit, he's such a freaking dumbass! He brought himself to his limit! His body literally refuses to go any further! For six minutes, he fought All Might, continuously pushing himself until he almost _dies _from exhaustion! Thank God that his body said otherwise, because if it didn't, he would die right here and right now! Is fighting All Might that important to him?! That it's worth risking death over?! There's no way I can let him fight now! All Might could tap him with his pinky finger and would still kill Sanji!

I rested enough! I can fight now!

I stand up, letting jolts of pain surge through my body. My muscles are sore and due to some of All Might's attacks, I have some physical trauma here and there. Adrenaline will ignore the pain; I need to force my brain to induce it, and the only way to do that is by fighting the Hero of the Hour. I'm not so rested that I can have my Big Fists activated constantly; I can't carry the extra weight. Like before, I need to use it in short bursts to maximize my output damage and minimize self-harm!

I run towards Sanji and All Might! They haven't noticed me yet! Sanji falls to his knees and All Might lectures him about limits or whatever! I don't give a damn about that! He knows that Sanji is the best fighter in 1-B! He _has _to be impressed by him! Ugh, I can't get myself worked up for this! I need to reach them! I won't allow Sanji to get hurt any further!

"Congratulations, Armory. You have my respect," All Might says, reelings his right fist back! I won't let him! I'll protect Sanji!

_THUMP!_

"..."

"...So it seems the fight isn't over."

"Like hell it is, All Might. You fought a battle of who has the higher endurance and durability, but this will be the battle of strength!" I yell. I managed to catch All Might's fist by enlarging my right hand, letting it take the impact of his punch. Pain surges throughout my right arm, almost fracturing the bone, but it's not broken. I throw him back a couple of steps, his eyes going wide from my strength.

Behind me, Sanji looks up. Heh, that's my idiot. He always needs me to save his ass. I glance back, giving him the biggest smile I could muster. _I'll end this fight, Sanji. You don't have to push yourself anymore._

With his eyes, Sanji frowns, but he knows this is his only option. _Please… I'm counting on you, Itsuka._

_Don't you worry, because I'll be your fist! _That is my declaration!

I turn back to All Might who stands in front of me, only a meter away. I can't fight him here. Sanji is way too close to us; he'll get caught in the crossfire. So I start walking towards the middle of the street, or what used to be the street. All Might sees what I'm doing and follows my lead, none of us making the first move yet.

Because here, the first move will be the most important.

Unlike Sanji's fight, which dragged out for a long time, mine will be quick.

All Might and Sanji are like David and Goliath. In their fight, it's prolonged due to Sanji's agility and evasion. He kept dodging and dodging. As a matter of fact, that is the only reason how I managed to fight All Might for a minute before Sanji woke up—I focused heavily on evasion, which isn't my speciality and without Sanji intervening, I wouldn't be standing.

But with the fight that's about to happen, I'm putting everything into strength. As a result, the outcome will be decided within mere seconds.

All Might and I are both Goliath. We're both weakened, exhausted. In our state, we're glass cannons. With a single hit—a few if we're lucky—we'll be defeated in a heartbeat. We have to be fast enough to ensure that we land a blow first, strong enough to ensure that the blow would down the other. We know this. We both know this.

"Young Kendo, this fight will not be like your partner's, will it?" All Might asks, seeing the conclusion I reached in my eyes.

I nod. "Yeah, who knew that my No-Life Sanji would have that high of an endurance? All that stupid training paid off." To have Sanji fight for six minutes while both Quirkless and injured all to protect me… I don't know how I ended up with a partner like him.

"Seems so. What about yours? Mastering both your father's Quirk and your grandfather's technique must be a challenge. Will you be able to defeat me here?" All Might asks another question, stopping five meters in front of me.

I answer, "Of course. I'm my family's fist."

"And Young Inochi's fist."

" _Especially _him, and he's my blade. He fought you until his body couldn't, and I'll do the same."

"He influenced you."

"Guess so, but then again…" I glance at him, watching us with worried eyes. My eyes rest on All Might again, a smile forming on my face. Shaking my head, I mutter so quietly that Sanji wouldn't hear me, "You'll do anything for the people you love."

All Might exhales from my words, can't help but to smile. "Indeed, Young Kendo. But that won't win this battle, for strength will—!"

He readies himself, initiating the first move. His right arm is raised: a straight jab. He could cross the five meters with a single step, stretching himself forward. Even with those movements combined, it will still take less time than for me to punch him. He's simply that fast. Thus, the best I could do is either dodge or somehow parry his attack. They will put me in a position where I won't be harmed and I'll have the advantageous position. But, both of those options are impossible. I am not Sanji. I can't dodge like he can, and I'm not deft enough to parry All Might's punch. In order to keep myself standing, I need to stop his fist with my own.

That comes at a cost: I will not be able to use the arm that stops All Might's punch afterwards. Considering his strength—considering that he won't hold back compared to before, when he tried to punch Sanji—it will render that arm completely useless.

So it has to be my right.

It was the same arm that I used to catch his last punch. The punch almost fractured my arm, but it's the right choice. If I pick my left arm, then I'll have a weakened right to punch with, and that's not ideal. Thus, I will destroy my weakened arm, leaving me with my left which has full strength.

But here comes another choice: Big Fists. This is an obvious one. I will activate Big Fists for my right. Look, blocking All Might's punch with my normal right hand will not only break my arm, but the punch will absolutely sever it from my body.

That's not happening.

"Smash—!" All Might shouts at the top of his lungs, sending his right fist forward. I immediately return the favor, using my own right fist to collide with his. As soon as I raise it, I activate Big Fists and push my body back, then in conjunction, I send my arm forward!

Fist to fist!  
Knuckle to knuckle!

— _SMASH!_

_JUMBO FIST _— _!_

_BOOM!_

The collision sounded like an explosion went off. Immediately, All Might's punch creates a gust of wind that threatens to send me back, but I root my feet to the ground like a tree, keeping still as I get battered and beaten. The street behind me is guaranteed to be destroyed, fracturing the walls of some of the buildings caught in the crossfire. My right arm is utterly and completely ruined. It's colored black and blue, purple and red. I feel my bones shattering into pieces, but I go! I can't describe how much pain I'm feeling, but the job isn't done yet!

I only blocked his first attack by sacrificing an arm! That only leaves my left to rely on!

As All Might fights back against my right fist trying to overwhelm me in this clinch, I step forward and throw my left fist up, enlarging it at the last second—!

_BAM!_

It strikes him across his chin! It's not good enough! There wasn't enough power in that punch! All it did was make All Might stumble back and pull his right fist away! Shit, my right arm is spent. My right hand shrinks back to its original size. Can't focus on that! I need to punch again! Harder, with more conviction this time! I pull my left arm back! "All Might—!"

"Sm—!"

—Shit!

"—ash!"

_SMASH!_

He throws his left fist forward this time, aiming for the left side of my body. I turn on the balls of my feet, leaning on my right to avoid the punch. It flies through the air, narrowly avoiding coming into contact with me. My body just moved on its own, thank goodness for that. Because I just barely avoided it, I'm out of range to be hit by his wind pressure! But this leaves me with a whole new dilema! Because he tried to punch the left side of my body right as I pulled that arm back, he's forcing his arm to practically slide against mine! I don't have a good position to punch with it! That only leaves me with my broken right!

I'm put into check! Once All Might throws his third punch, then I'll be in checkmate! Damnit, what the hell can I do in this situation?! What the hell can I do?! I'm—!

_"You almost always beat me in spars, Itsuka. Heh, I think you're the better martial artist here, and it'll stay like that."_

Sanji… He's counting on me.

_"Itsuka sweetie, you really are your father's daughter. He might've been an idiot, but you have his heart. Every time I look at you, I see him."_

Mom…

_"There's no doubt that you'll be a great Hero along with Sanji. I might be a senile old man, but I have enough sense to know that. You two are gifted, practically prodigies. Someday, you two will overshadow me, and I'll be happy."_

Grandpa…

_"Do you know what it means to be The People's Fist, honey?"_

Dad—

_"It means that you have to protect the weak! That's the role of the strong! The strong needs to protect the weak, so the weak could be the strong! No matter what, you have to fight for something greater than yourself, whether it be your friends, Japan, or even the entire world! The world might be cruel, but with our Big Fists, we are meant to carry the world like Atlas!"_

Carry the world…

_"Y'know Battle Fist, we were a little rocky coming into this school year, but I'm glad we're friends. I, the glorious Setsuna Tokage, will hereby be your best friend until I die, or when I get tired of you, hehe."_

_"Mmm, you're pretty great, Itsuka."_

_"Ohoho Kendo! No matter how many times you may assault me, I know you're fond of this little thief!"_

_"Gotta say Kendo, you really give everyone a _**_hand_**_! You...get the pun, right? Stop staring at me like that."_

_"Ya ain't that bad, Fists. Hate to admit it, but you an' the rest of our idiots knocked some sense into me. Thanks for that. If ya tell anyone this, 'specially Horns, then I'mma gut ya."_

_"Thanks Kendo. Ever since Shojo started to go to school again, you helped her by being her friend. You really don't know what good this has been for us. I really don't know how to repay you and Inochi."_

Everyone…

I have to fight for everyone.

That's why I'm doing this.

The secret that All Might has, the man right in front of me… It's the secret that will put my friends in so much danger that Catharsis doesn't even compare. It killed Nana Shimura and my grandmother, I know it. Whatever's hiding, I will make sure that everyone comes out alive, especially Sanji!

He wants to make the world a better place, and I'm protecting the people who live in it! He wants to be a Hero because of All Might; I want to be a Hero because of my father!

But throughout it all—!

I don't care what happens! I _will _protect everyone I love, I _will _carry their burdens, be the shoulder that they cry on, all of it!

I do it all because I'm Battle Fist!

I'll be your fist, All Might!

I'll—?!

"—Hah?!"

The nerves in my arms feel like they're on fire, but the feeling subsides quickly after. Something is coursing through them, its power comparable to a large wave. It sweeps down from my shoulders, sending tingly shocks throughout each muscle, each tendon, each strand of flesh. My heart races a hundred kilometers a second.

My vision starts to blur slightly, then everything is clear. It's so clear; I can see the world so much better than before. Despite the pain I'm experiencing, I'm also experiencing a newfound clarity—a newfound energy. The wave that stormed across my arms, it reached to my fists—no, my _right _fist, the one that's broken and bruised. It's energy. I can feel it pulsating in my hand, almost like it's going to explode.

It's so much energy too, almost like I carry a nuclear bomb in my hand… Where did I get this energy? It didn't come from me. There's no way I could ever produce this much force with my punches.

But here, does that matter?

It doesn't.

I have this energy at my disposal. To let it go to waste… The obvious would happen…

I can't pass up this opportunity!

I have to destroy my right arm even more, but that's the sacrifice I'm willing to make!

"Hyaaah—!"

"—You?!"

Again, once again! I swing my right arm upwards, fighting against the pain that's telling me to stop! All Might is helpless watching my fist come right at him! I step forward and activate Big Fists, making my right hand be so much larger than before, all my fingers clenched and ready!

"Now this is farewell, All Might!"

_JUMBO FIST REVERSAL—!_

—My fist collided with his head.

Then, then…

_WHOOSH!_

From my punch, I generate so much wind pressure that All Might literally flies away with the force of a tornado throwing him back. He gets launched into a nearby building, going through the concrete foundations and into the building behind that, and the building behind that. The wind pressure follows after him, destroying entire buildings—entire _blocks _—and then… I can't see All Might anymore. All that's left of the sight in front of me is rubble.

The damage I caused…

It's on the same level as one of his punches…

Almost like… Almost like I took the energy from his punch and…

"Ah—…"

Sorry Grandpa…

"Sorry, All Might…"

In the battle that lasted for only ten seconds…

"We are the victors."

That's right… That's right…

"Itsu...ka…"

Sanji!

I turn around and Sanji's crawling over to me! I need to—!

_THUD!_

I fall on my knees. My right arm is tingly… I look down and…

Oh, that's not good…

It's not supposed to be _that _color…

I'm so glad that I don't feel this pain now…

"San...ji…" I say, my voice faint. I look at him and he's… He's unconscious.

The world turns ten shades darker before everything goes dark completely.

* * *

**The Blade and Fist have defeated All Might, and so in the next chapter, you will meet A Shadow's Light!**

**Post-Chapter Business:**

**Sanji & Itsuka v. All Might: How in the actual hell did these two *beat* All Might? Well, like I said in the chapter, the events that happened in their fight led to this outcome. If it had happened differently, then it would end completely different. For Sanji, his fight was completely endurance. He didn't have the strength to beat All Might unlike Itsuka. He used his prediction skills to predict All Might's attacks, properly evade them, then counter with his own attacks. You may ask, "Well, it's All Might! It's impossible!" Actually no, it's really predictable. I mean, at this point of the story, Midoriya is almost a mirror image of All Might, and he *only* punches until he learns Shoot Style. His technique is predictable, and so All Might's technique is predictable. All Might is just a lot stronger and faster, which is the only reason why he wins fights. Who needs technique when you can level an entire city block with one punch? With Sanji, he realizes this and takes advantage. You see, he doesn't need to dodge All Might's attacks himself. With prediction, he knows exactly where All Might will hit and can dodge that way. With calling him "Toshinori Yagi", he is changing how he thinks. By constantly thinking that All Might is an undefeatable legend, Sanji would lose. By equating All Might as a man, then he would believe that even AM could be defeated.**

**Really, once Sanji started to attack All Might's injury, the one AfO gave him with, the battle officially became a question of "Who can tire out first?". Obviously, Sanji did. With his previous injuries in his first fight with AM, his body gave out literally at the last punch. But we should appreciate the fact that Sanji went 6 and a half minutes with AM alone, just relying on his prediction and his agility. He constantly charged AM, preventing him from using his wind pressure attacks, and just kept at it until Itsuka came along.**

**And with Itsuka, she overpowered All Might with a battle of strength, which only lasted for 10 seconds. To compare her fight with Sanji's is like comparing apples to oranges. You should admire Sanji's endurance and Itsuka's strength. And yes, Itsuka experienced a Quirk Awakening that pulled her through. With a Quirk Awakening, it only happens when in a state of exhaustion and near-death, and this fight definitely filled those requirements. As a result, Itsuka awakens to a new aspect of her Quirk: Reversal. She is now able to use Reversal, Master Kendo's Quirk, in conjunction with Big Fists, which means *extra* power, leading to All Might's defeat. All Might was defeated with her punch alongside the fact that Sanji weakened him by attacking his injury.**

**It was a team effort.**

**Manga Fukidashi & Kinoko Komori: I wanted Komori to freaking choke Present Mic out. That was my intention all along. Poor Mic. He got bugged by Koda and now Komori ruined his life. He's totally gonna complain about this to Aizawa later. Anyway, Manga has to remind himself of what he's fighting for. He reminded himself that he is not Sanji or Itsuka, but rather himself, and that's great. He grew a massive spine and told Mic off for being lenient towards him. It takes major balls to do that, so props to Manga! Also, with his new Hero Name, Kodomo, I came up with it since the name for *children mangas* (like Pokemon) are "kodomo". It's a nice parallel, and with how Manga adores children, it's really fitting.**

**Yosetsu Awase & Kojiro Bondo: Awase finally gets his time to shine! Compared to canon material, he's a lot more quiet. Here, in DoS, I kinda threw that out the window. Why? Well, everyone needs a bro, and Awase is it. Whenever you need a shoulder, he's there. With his fight against Midnight, you get to see that he's pretty damn clever, and he's not idle about his training. By training with Sanji, he now can use his Steel Beam to restrain people from afar without having the need to getting in close. Here, this *shows* that 1-B is inspired by Sanji instead of just telling you every damn chapter. Not only Sanji will be powerful, but I'm also buffing 1-B, as you can see with Itsuka's Quirk Awakening.**

**A Shadow's Light: That's the next chapter of DoS, Chapter 41! With my school being closed due to the virus, I should have more time to write, but again, Chapter 41 will come out in two weeks. With the title, you can guess that it will be centered around Kuroiro and his backstory. Three other fights will be highlighted as well, namely Togaru Kamakiri & Pony Tsunotori v. Snipe! Look forward to it!**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter y'all! Leave a review, favorite, or whatever!**


	41. A Shadow's Light

**Shihai Kuroiro**

"Hah…"

"Big Bro," Hikari said, grabbing my attention immediately, "are you okay? You kinda look a little sad! I mean, who could be sad? It's a beautiful day out! You have no right to be sad when today is so pretty!" It was hard to not be downtrodden, but of course, I smiled just for her. Earlier, I opened the curtains so she could finally feel the sunlight striking her skin. She loved the feeling. Out of everything in the world, she enjoyed the sun the most. It was one of the many things she loved.

"I'm sorry Hikari," I replied, smiling a little more. "I didn't mean to frown. I was just, gosh uhm, I was just thinking about a test I took in math."

"You're good at math, Shihai! Wait, did you study? I get that you can't really study math, so I guess, uhm… Did you practice? Yeah, that's the right word! 'Practice', didja practice?" she asked, her voice beaming. Hikari raised her arms as she talked; she often used an abundance of hand movements as she spoke. She loved to be dramatic.

Now, I didn't practice much for this test. Telling Hikari that, she would be so disappointed. My natural instinct was to lie, but she was my sister. Morally, it was wrong to lie to her. That, and she knew when I was lying every single time so there was literally no point in lying. "Well I practiced—No, I didn't practice like I should've."

Hikari pouted, her cheeks puffing up. "You were supposed to practice! You gotta be good in school, Shihai! Just 'cuz I'm not in school doesn't mean you aren't! Why didn't you practice like I told you?"

It was never a pleasant time whenever she scolded me. Her idiotic brother didn't study much. But he couldn't help it. His thoughts weren't on his studies but on his beloved sister. How could he study when worry and concern filled every part of his being? It took over his life, and any sense of normalcy was taken away by the smallest of reminders. Yet Hikari, his sister, acted like everything was normal. To her, perhaps it was. To him, it was as if the sun didn't rise in the morning.

"Nothing," I answered with a shake of my head. "I didn't understand this unit much to begin with, so uhm, I was bound to not do good on the test." My voice was uneasy, uncertain. Hikari picked up on the oddities of my voice, looking past my filler words and my anxiety. She knew how her brother spoke and what made him tick; like for example, knowing when he lied.

Hikari exposed me as if I was an open book, "You're lying again, Big Bro. You talk more nervously than usual whenever you lie! What's up, doc?! Why are you lying to your own sister? C'mon, spill the beans!"

I remained silent. There was no way that I could tell the truth. Why in the world would I? I didn't want to worry her nor to make my very own sister feel guilty! She never asked to be in this situation! It was never her fault, so I didn't want to say the words to make it seem that it was the case. That would be an awful thing to do.

But my sister, she was truly blessed with a gift. "Is it because I'm still in the hospital?"

I remained silent.

"Shihai—"

I finally spoke, "You would be home by now."

"I will! I'm gonna come back home and sleep in my big ol' bed and go back to school and be with my friends! And I'll spend more time with the best Big Bro in the world! That'll happen!" she exclaimed as if it was fact.

"They also said that you would be home last week. 'That'll happen.' But look at us now, Hikari. It _didn't _happen. What else wouldn't happen?" I asked her implying the obvious. Hikari looked down at her hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, staying in a hospital room, looking outside a hospital window staring into the world outside this hospital, but she couldn't go outside because she was trapped within this damned hospital.

I was a terrible person for asking that. I shouldn't have asked that while she was locked in here, but I can't take back the words I said a year ago. I can't travel back in time and undo my regrets. This was only a small regret, but even then, I would've changed it.

What we said, we both believed it was fact. Honestly at the time, I didn't know who was delusional and who wasn't.

Hikari, hurt by what I said, slowly angled her eyes up. "Shihai, don't say things like that. You know it upsets me!"

"I know!" I yelled. "I… know…" I was a coward back then, and still am a coward now. I couldn't say the words I wanted to say. How could I say them? Every word was centered around _my _feelings and _my _emotions, not hers. It was selfish of me to turn this conversation about myself. I couldn't do that, but I wanted to say it.

I wanted to say that I was upset too. As the one who could become left behind like a lost wanderer, I was upset too. Hikari never asked if she had to leave anyone behind, and I never asked to get left behind. But the world had, and always will have, its own thoughts.

Thus, no words came out of my mouth. No words were mustered from my throat, exhaled through my lungs. All that came out was empty air damp with the tears of those who remained, but I wasn't crying.

Hikari said to me, "Shihai, it'll be okay."

Hikari said to me, "There's no reason to be sad!"

Hikari said to me, "The sun's here! We can't be sad when there's light out!"

Hikari said to me, "Because it's here, I know—I _just _know that I'll be outta here in no time!"

Hikari said to me, "That's a promise!"

...Yet in the end, one of us is truly able to make good on our promise.

She reminded me, "You promised something to, right? C'mon, talk like _that _again! Do it for me!" Talking like _that _was a tad embarrassing, enough to ruin my pride I established and the popularity I gained in junior high. However, it made her smile. It was worth the ruined reputation, and no one would know anyway.

I nodded, clearing my throat. I couldn't waste my time on tears just yet, so I said to my sister, "Very well, my Little Light! This is the persona you sought after, little girl? Fufu, you ought to know better than to bring out the schemer named Vantablack, for I am the one who is able to hatch a scheme against God Himself! I am the ultimate swindler! I am inimitable; I am indomitable!"

I blushed.

I never did this for anyone besides for her. I would be considered a "chuuni" for acting in this manner, but call me a "chuuni" anyhow. I would allow myself to get called many names, but "Vantablack" needed to be one of them. This still applies today.

Hikari brought her hands together and laughed. She had a radiant smile which seemed to make the sun brighter. "Y'know, you're really funny when you talk like that, Big Bro!"

"You say that every time," I said, returning to a dialect that most would consider "normal".

"And I'll keep saying it! You need compliments in your life, Shihai! Watch, when you get older, you'll be so confident that you'll get all the girls!" she foretold. Out of all of the futures out there, that future had had a small likelihood of occuring. Quantum physics forbids Shihai Kuroiro from becoming a charismatic figure known to swoon women like catnip.

I shook my head. I knew this fact ever since I was born. "Yeah uhm, I don't think so… I'll always be the nervous man you see before you."

"That's a lie! C'mon Vantablack, if you wanna be a Hero just like All Might or Hawks, then you need to be confident!" she said, grasping my hand. Her skin was soft, and her hand was so warm. We were a complete contrast to one another. She wasn't born with my Mutation, which turned my skin completely black. Her skin was light, but due to her being locked inside so much, she was pale. However, we both had white hair. It was the one thing that distinguishes us as siblings.

I replied, "Easier said than done…"

"Jeez Shihai!" she exclaimed, pouting again. "You're gonna be the death of me! How many times do I hafta cheer you on? Look—"

"Are you going to scold me again?" I asked in a little bit of a joking manner.

She shook her head. "No, if you promise me something. Actually, you gotta promise to do a lotta things."

For a second, I hesitated. I didn't exactly know why I hesitated, but maybe it was the word "promise". That word was like the word "deal", but more...personal and interconnected, if that garners any semblance of sense. You could break a deal and no one's hearts would shatter; however, breaking a promise and the hearts of both parties would be broken. And I… I had no desire to falter on the promises I made.

Promises, they are an abstract object. They are not tangible, yet I will always hold them dearly.

This was a truth I had to learn, and a truth I had to accept. Even though I hesitated, I didn't remain silent. "Of course. What, uh, what are they?"

Hikari raised a finger. "First, we need a name, Big Bro!"

"A name?" I asked.

"Yup! C'mon, talk like Vantablack again! What would _he _call these promises?"

The answer came to me immediately. As the dastardly schemer named Vantablack, I announced, "The Hikari Commandments." The purpose of The Hikari Commandments was in the name. These were absolute orders that I had to abide by set forth by Hikari Kuroiro, the Little Light.

Hikari grinned. For a brief moment, I saw sparkling stars forming around her head. "That's it! This will be The Hikari Commandments!" She placed her arm over her chest, clearing her throat like how I did whenever I spoke as Vantablack.

"Commandment One: I hereby state that Shihai Kuroiro gotta be a Pro Hero!"

"Of course."

"Quiet! I'm not done talking! Commandment Two: He has to be known as Vantablack!"

"Mhm."

"Hmph. Commandment Three: As Vantablack, he has to be the most confident guy in the room, no excuses!"

"Again, it's easier said than done."

"Stop commentating! Commandment Four: As both Shihai Kuroiro and Vantablack, he'd better take care of his friends!"

"If—"

"Nope, shut your mouth! Commandment Five: He has to get married! I want to be a sister-in-law _and _an auntie!"

"..."

"Uh… Uhm… Aha! Commandment Six: Vantablack must be in the Top 100 Heroes of Japan!"

"Hikari—"

"And Commandment Seven," Hikari said, looking into my eyes. It was the look as if out of all the commandments, Commandment Seven was the most important. Thus, if I had to choose one to never forget, it would be this one. And to never forget this commandment, Hikari told me, "He has to swear that he will never forget about his Little Light, Hikari Kuroiro."

A brief moment of silence echoed in Hikari's hospital room. Sunlight shined through the hospital window, striking Hikari as she wore a plain hospital gown, laying in a plain hospital bed with the sounds of the hospital all around us. Gone were the days where we sat in the living room mindlessly watching Heroes on live TV defeating heinous and dastardly Villains for the sake of heroism, and so those days were replaced by afternoons visits, conversating about topics that didn't suit our age, making promises that we never thought had to be made.

Hikari Kuroiro, the Little Light, _my _Little Light, simply tilted her head and smiled. "But I'mma be with you until I grow old. Me and you and Mom and Dad! So I'm gonna make sure that you'll never forget me!"

"Of course…" I responded, my voice downtrodden and demoralized.

"Mhm!" she hummed, nodding her head. "Since you're gonna be a Hero, we can beat cancer like it's nothing!"

Hikari clenched her fist and raised in the air.

Exhaling, I said, "Yeah… That'll happen."

* * *

**Juzo Honenuki**

"TEAM YOSETSU AWASE AND KOJIRO BONDO HAVE CUFFED MIDNIGHT! THEY PASSED THEIR EXAM!"

"Oh, of course _they _passed but what about us? We have to deal with a freaking canyon!" Who put this canyon in our way?! Did God do it?! Did He decide to plop a massive hole in the ground?! Because of this hole, we can't get to the Escape Gate! Me and Shoda can't fly! Like heck we can! Power Loader did this on purpose! He knew that our Quirks wouldn't allow us to cross large gaps! So, if I was Power Loader, what would I do? That's simple, actually.

First, we need to take a look at the situation. We, the students, have two win conditions where one of which needs to be fulfilled. Win Condition A requires us to put on a handcuff on Power Loader. Win Condition B requires _only one _of us to pass through the Escape Gate. However, we have a couple of loss conditions ourselves. Loss Condition A states that we fail the Final Exam if we are defeated/restrained by our respective Hero; Loss Condition B occurs when our thirty minutes are up. As of right now, we have about...22 minutes and 30 seconds left. I'm just guesstimating. It's kinda hard to tell time without a clock or a timer, but it's no biggie.

Power Loader himself stated, _"I'm not gonna ease up on you kids! You gotta beat me head-on!" _I kinda expected that declaration, not because of his personality but his role as our teacher and our opponent. But, what do you know, he's lying! He's not _actually _fighting us with his full strength. Evidence A is his metal weights made by Hatsume Mei. Its entire purpose was for him to _not _fight at full strength. What about mentally? Also true. He's willingly not fighting his best. Of course, I don't have evidence specifically for him, but I _do _have evidence for the other fights. As of right now, Awase and Bondo are the only ones who passed their exam. No one else passed, but that also means no one else failed.

So who didn't pass? Who didn't fail?

Inochi and Kendo.

They haven't failed yet. They are fighting against All Might, the strongest Pro Hero in the whole freaking world. Let's make an assumption—dangerous, I know—and say that each Hero said something like "I'm not gonna hold back against you brats!" to put the fear of God and Shiozaki into us. If that was the case, then All Might would have instantly defeated Inochi and Kendo. Who cares if they have cool bikes? All Might could run up, give 'em some wind, end 'em, and call it a day—simple as that. But instead, they've been fighting him for over seven minutes, which means they are far from done.

Now, I could stand here all day and theorize who would win, but I need to focus on my own fight.

With my case about All Might made, it means that Power Loader isn't fighting his best against us both physically and mentally.

Now let's take our battlefield: it's a dirt field being the same color as Shishida's thick hair. It's relatively flat with a few mounds here and there. It'll be super easy to spot someone and gun 'em down, taking 'em back to World War One with trench warfare. But, here's the kicker: I can't see Power Loader at all. I'm gonna assume that he isn't secretly a bird, and thus, he can't fly; as a result, he's right under us digging with his Iron Claws. How deep is he digging though? Easy answer: really freaking deep. If I can't feel or hear him digging, then he's really far underground, so far underground that it would make Heroes like Eraserhead jealous.

As he's digging, he's probably setting up more traps than we could count. If we can't hear him, then he can't hear us. That means he's giving us the time to do whatever the hell we want! He's stalling to enact his masterplan to kill his own students, so y'know, normal high school things! The best way to prevent us from getting over to the Escape Gate is this giant canyon in front of us.

For the past seven minutes, me and Shoda have been avoiding traps as we go along, which mainly consist of sharp bits and pitfalls. I noticed the traps due to the dirt being slightly discolored and sinking a little too deep into the ground. It's hard to find those signs at first, but it became easier after the first three or so times.

So with all of this in mine, I need to think about how I'm gonna cross this gap with Shoda. There's no way I'm leaving Shoda here to die. It's Shoda! Everyone likes Shoda! He's pretty much the only normal guy in Class 1-B! I'm being serious here!

We got:

A Quirkless guy who came straight out of an anime.

An actual stereotype of an otaku.

An heiress who knows she's cute.

A kuudere who's able to get the world to bend at her command.

A son of a Villain.

A horse.

A guy who's literally black.

An incarnation of a weasel with blonde hair.

And the rest of those weirdos.

Then there's Shoda, who's so normal that it's amazing that he's able to exist in this world. And everyone likes him. It's hard not to. He's generally unoffending and tries to help everyone in his own way. That, and his Quirk is pretty good. There's really no reason to hate Shoda unless you're a jerk like Bakugo. I swear to God and Shiozaki, if he didn't have such a good Quirk, then he wouldn't be in U.A. whatsoever with that attitude. Of course, men like Mayor Yamamoto wouldn't give a damn about that. As long as Bakugo benefits him one way or another, he's off the hook.

Anyway, tangent over. I have an idea to cross the gap. It's way too far to jump over it; I'm not a parkour master or have a Quirk made for agility. However, I _can _create a bridge. If I create a pool of softened dirt and throw it onto the other side, then re-solidify it… A bridge would form. It wouldn't be the best bridge structurally-speaking, but it oughta be enough for us to cross.

"I got it!" I exclaim, snapping my fingers. "With Softening, I'll just create a dirt bridge by throwing a buncha softened dirt on the other side, then solidifying it."

"...Honenuki," Shoda says, sounding like he has a better idea.

"Shoda," I reply, sounding like I'm convinced that Shoda has a better idea.

He replies to my reply, replying, "A couple of seconds ago, you were yelling about the canyon, and now you're strangely calm…" Oh, my thoughts were only a couple of seconds long? Score! I was always a fast thinker. Sometimes I can think up an essay within a few seconds and other times, I can only think a single thought in a minute. Life be like that…

I shrug, tapping my head. Actually, I tap the spot where my head would be if it isn't for my helmet. "Well, I calmed myself down in those two seconds. But besides the fact that I'm bipolar, you sound like you have a better idea. Shoot me, and it'd better be with a sniper rifle."

"I don't know how to respond to that," admits Shoda. "But uhm, we _can _cross this gap without using a bridge. I can use Twin Impact to jump longer distances, and I can get you over there too."

I point at him. "Since when can you do that?"

"Ever since I received my Quirk…?" Shoda answers in the form of a question, shaking his head a little; he's probably intimidated by me. "Can we get going? Power Loader is making his move, so we need to make ours."

"Smartest idea I ever heard! So…" The gap's pretty long… About fifteen meters long? Maybe sixteen? Olympians, who aren't using their Quirks, can jump about this length with Quirk Passivity in effect—nine meters if they are completely Quirkless. Seeing as I'm not an Olympian, I could probably make almost half of the distance without the use of Shoda's Quirk. Well, let's hope for the freaking best. I ask Shoda, "How are we doing this? Are you strong enough to throw me across?"

"Uhm, no," he answers before smacking my back. Wow, he's _a lot _stronger than he looks, especially for a chubby guy. He pulls his hand back, his face scrunching up. Must be deciding if he should do it again.

"Shoda—"

He does it again.

"Sorry Honenuki… I want to make sure that you get across. Whenever you're ready, jump and I'll activate Twin Impact," he tells me. I nod, approaching the edge of the canyon.

Here I go… Just don't fall into the deep abyss! No pressure. "Shoda," I say, my voice calm yet serious, "if I meet Death, who will take me home where I belong, then please—I beg of you—spread my ashes over the Roman Empire."

"That hasn't existed for—?!"

"—ThreetwooneGeronimo!"

_LEAP!_

I only learned the word "Geronimo" from Pony! It's a pretty fun word to say!

C'mon Shoda, show me your guns!

_LAUNCH LAUNCH!_

Oh crap! That's too much! He underestimated the force of Twin Impact! My velocity just increased thricefold! I'm gonna cross the canyon, yeah, but way too fast! The ground's approaching me! It'll—!

_THUD!_

…

_LAUNCH!_

"Uhm...Honenuki? Are you okay?" I bring my head off of the ground. I faceplanted hard. There's dirt in the crevices of my costume, especially in my helmet. Does he know how hard it is to clean this thing? God, my life just keeps getting better.

Oh yeah, Shoda made it across without the pain and humiliation I'm experiencing. Lucky bastard. It's like I, Juzo Honenuki, am made to be humiliated as if I have a fetish for it. I do not, by the way. I say to this guy, "What's up? Did you have a nice trip?"

"Uh, yes? We need to start heading towards the Escape Gate before Power Loader—!"

_RUMBLE!_

Aw crap. I hear him. He's right below us. Gauging from how loud he is, and how he's getting louder by the second, I predict that we have about… Let's say… Two seconds before he eats us alive. Two and a quarter if I'm being generous.

Thus, if we fail to act, then we can kiss our sorry asses behind and be stuck in remedial classes to make up for how inadequate we are. Way to fix my self-esteem, guys. You really know how to treat your students.

Anyway, my self-esteem isn't the only problem that needs fixing. I got a mole below me that needs countering. Since we have two seconds, every bit of movement is vital. I need to analyze my way out of here or else I am dead.

Situation A: Let's say I manage to stand up. If I do it masterfully, I'd do it in a second. That's half the amount of time that Power Loader will take to bury us. That leaves me with a second to dodge his trap with both myself and Shoda. It's not in our odds. I can't rely on this plan to wind. Sorry Situation A, no can do.

Situation B: What if I push Shoda away? He's right beside me. I can easily push Shoda away out of range of Power Loader's pitfall, but that will take two seconds to do as well. I won't have any time to save myself, and so I'll be defeated. Shoda won't be able to evade Power Loader's other traps without me, so he'll be defeated quickly after as well. Situation B is a Situation Bust.

Situation C: I activate Softening. By activating Softening, I would turn the ground into mud and it would prevent us from free-falling into a pit. There's a problem with that though. Let's say I _did _stop his advance. Afterwards, the top layer of the dirt is literally mud. We are the only ones able to traverse through it. He can dig under the mud and I can swim through it. I'll only have the element of surprise that will give me an advantage for a few seconds, but once those seconds are spent, we're back at where we were. Power Loader would be able to attack me and Shoda, with the environment advantage against us. Why? Well that's because Shoda can't swim like I can. He'll be trapped within Softening. This situation isn't good, but…

Situation D: What if I use Softening in a different way? Instead of turning the top-side layer of dirt into mud—which is where Shoda and I are at—I turn everything _but _the top-side layer into mush? That means Power Loader will have to dig through liquefied dirt, and he isn't quite so effective in digging through that compared to actual dirt. And oxygen is a limiting factor as well. He _needs _to come up for air, and so we'll force him to come out. As a result, he has two things limiting him: mud and oxygen. Mud causes him to slow down and oxygen limits his time spent underground. With those combined, it's impossible to catch us in a pitfall because we would have already evaded it, even if Power Loader makes one before he needs to come up for oxygen. Though, if we can predict exactly where he'll burst through the ground, we can react properly. Still, I'm not gonna count Situation D out. It's our best shot at winning.

Time to see it through.

"Honenuki—!"

"Yeah yeah, I got it!" I slam my hand against the ground.

_SOFTEN!_

To Shoda, I did absolutely nothing. But to Power Loader, that's a different story. I can hear the mud slowing him down; it also dampens the noise he's making, so that's kinda a bummer. Can't worry about that though! I jump up, taking about a second and then some to do so. I grab Shoda's arm and jump forward, moving away from our exposed position. Let's explain to Shoda what's gonna happen. "I used Softening to slow Power Loader while he's underground. He's a mole not a fish, so he needs to come up for oxygen sooner or later. When he does—"

"—We can react appropriately! We only need to find out exactly where he'll burst through the ground!" Shoda finishes what I was gonna say. At least he can follow along with my crazy plans. With Shoda here, his question can be easily answered.

I nod, saying, "Mhm, I always knew you weren't an idiot."

"...I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment. I'm—!"

_BURST!_

Power Loader bursts through the spot where Shoda and I were about four seconds ago. He's covered in dirt and muck, absolutely disgusting. Not only does he look disgusting, he looks angry. "Damnit you kids, I told you I'm not gonna hold back!" the mole says. Weird, I dunno why a shirtless mole is talking. Wait, do moles even wear clothes in the first place? Food for thought.

"How's life, sir?" I ask him while he's still in the air.

"Shut it!" he replies, flying towards us with his Iron Claws pointed at our very attractive skulls just begging for a-crackin'.

I step back and say, "Mines."

"Got it!" Shoda rushes forward and meets up with Power Loader. Of the two, one of them has their attack telegraphed. Guess who it is?

_GRAB!_

Yup, it's Power Loader. With his claws aiming to dig a cave into our heads, it makes it pretty easy for Shoda to counter. He dodged Power Loader's attack by stepping off to the right, then he literally grabs onto his helmet and slams onto the ground.

Here's where things will get tricky. I gesture towards the Escape Gate with a head nod. "Shoda, let's get the heck outta here before Mister Mole wakes up!"

"Alright!" he responds before we run together, running at the Escape Gate with Power Loader behind us. We don't need to worry about traps anymore, since I muddied the dirt beneath our feet. Whatever pitfalls and spike traps there are, they're disabled.

All we need to do is outrun Power Loader. In total, Shoda and I have one hundred meters to cross—that's a little over the length of an American football field. With our speed, if we manage to keep a steady pace, we'll reach it in about thirty seconds. If we up the ante and start to sprint, we'll reach it within twenty. Compared to Power Loader's speed—underground obviously—in normal circumstances, he could dig one hundred meters in less than ten seconds. However, if I use the measurements that I took before when he bursted through the ground, I predicted that he would reach my position in two seconds; it took him four. So my results: the mud halved his overall speed. It's not a far assumption to think that he would take twenty seconds to cross one hundred meters, the same amount of time it would take Shoda and I to sprint there.

Considering that he will reach the Escape Gate before us—underground obviously—it means that we are slower than him—if we aren't sprinting anyway, and we aren't. Damnit though, even when mud is slowing him down, he's still faster than us.

This whole thing is a race with extra steps, but our opponent is also simultaneously trying to kill us. Go us! Go team! But of course, there's a reason why I had Shoda attack Power Loader! His support gear, obviously. It's called "Impact Location Recording Devices". The purpose is in the name. By recording the impact he just made, we're able to also track Power Loader's position underground.

_DIG!_

And from the sounds of it, it's about to come in handy real soon! "Shoda, keep us updated on Power Loader's location! I can't tell where he's at!"

"Okay! He's approaching us really fast!" he tells me with one of his eyes focused on his visor. "Uhm, oh crap! Dodge now!"

_LEAP! DODGE!_

_BURST!_

"You damn stupid kids!" Power Loader calmly says after bursting through the ground. Shoda and I didn't take the time to look back. Why would we? We know where he's at. We just need to keep running as if the world is breaking apart behind us! I hear Power Loader digging back underground. Looks like this will be one great chase scene!

We have eighty meters to go!

"—He's coming to our left!"

_DODGE! BURST!_

Seventy!

"Right below us—!"

_DODGE! BURST!_

Fifty-five!

"—Our right—!"

_DODGE! BURST!_

Forty!

"Coming from below again—!"

_DODGE! BURST!_

Twenty!

"Damnit all!"

_DIG DIG DIG!_

Shit, Power Loader sounds like he's digging even faster than before! Shoda sharply gasps, probably seeing just how fast he's moving. "Honenuki, he's coming—!"

_BURST!_

"—Take this, Mudman!" To my left, Power Loader popped out of the ground with his right claw flying towards my face. My costume is mostly made out of metal, but metal hitting metal is still isn't favorable. Instead of experiencing cuts or gashes, I'll experience blunt force trauma. That's _if _Power Loader's Quirk isn't sharp. There's a chance that his Iron Claws are so sharp that it can rip through my armor. Damnit, I don't know enough about Iron Claws to even consider taking this hit!

But I don't need to! I don't need to do anything! My partner can save me here!

Isn't that right, Shoda?!

_LAUNCH!_

"Geh—?!" Take that! Shoda's impact is still dwelling on his helmet, so he activated Twin Impact to send him back in the opposite direction! The inside of his metal helmet—shaped like some kind of dinosaur for some weird reason—bangs against his skull. Since Twin Impact multiples the original force dealt, it's enough for a concussion. Power Loader falls to the ground, moaning in pain while me and Shoda take this time to make our speedy escape!

Twenty meters left!

Then fifteen!

Ten!

"Kids…—"

Aw come on.

"—Y'think I'm done yet?!" he yells, no longer trying to dig underground. He's running right at us, using his claws to boost himself forward.

"Time to run! Sprint like you mean it, Shoda!" I shout, sprinting ahead. Shoda whimpers and sprints after me while the mad dog of the Support Course is charging like a bull. The Escape Gate is so freaking close! I see Nezu's smug head right in front of me! Don't worry little rat-cat-dog thing, I'll make you proud!

_STOMP STOMP STOMP!_

I _hope _I can make you proud!

Almost there! Less than five meters to go!

"You aren't—!"

So close!

"—gonna—!"

No, we'll—!

"—win!"

_BLARE!_

"TEAM JUZO HONENUKI AND NIRENGEKI SHODA HAVE ESCAPED POWER LOADER'S MINEFIELD OF TRAPS! CELEBRATE EVERYONE!"

"Heck yeah! We passed!" I stop a meter or two away from the Escape Gate due to momentum and stuff. I huff and puff, but my heart isn't beating out of my chest. Shoda, on the other hand, is a lot more tired.

"I'm not—hah—fit for cardio…" he admits, having his hands on his knees and looking straight down at the ground.

Power Loader sighs and walks up to us, clearly disappointed in himself. I would be too. He says, "You kids beat me… Can't say I'm surprised. This year's batch is not so crap compared to other years."

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" Shoda asks.

"I mean!" Power Loader smiles, scratching his helmet with one of his claws. "Eraserhead didn't expel any kids this year! Hell, he didn't recommend Vlad King to expel any of his students either!"

"Yeah, we aren't dirt trash. We're just trash," I say.

Shoda again asks, "What am I supposed to take as a compliment…?"

Me and Power Loader glance at Shoda, then each other, and laugh right at his face. We both know we're joking… Well, _I'm _joking. This guy probably isn't, but who cares? We're better than the previous years. That's good… With how the year's shaping up to be, having all this unwanted attention and crap, we better make use of it. It's no time to sit 'round and cry.

"You two are good men," Power Loader genuinely compliments us, putting a hand on Shoda's shoulder. "There's no way that you won't be a good Hero. Anyway, let's head back to the bus. I need to catch All Might's fight."

"We all do," I reply, looking back at the bus that took us here. "They're making the rest of us look like chumps."

Heh, isn't that right, Inochi? Can't sit 'round and cry about what life's given us. If you did that, then you wouldn't be here right now. Can't sit down and complain about everyone hating us, because you've been hated for your entire life. Still—and not to be a dick or something—I'm glad that I'm not you. I have my own issues to deal with. The entire class has our own problems and our own aspirations. And I'm pretty sure that they're pointed towards the future.

The heroism caste system is rigid. Personally, I'd rather see it reworked brick by brick, starting from the foundations up. I'm not one of those zealous idiots who would take a sledgehammer and knock everything down. The only thing that would do is destroy everything we had worked for. That was what Stain tried to do. This fact separates the Villains from admired reformers.

And I guess I'm trying to be a reformer…

Great.

I'm only sixteen and I'm trying to change the world already.

God, I'm just like the ordinary dreamer.

Well, unlike everyone else, I have the tools to actually make it happen.

I'm more of a realist than everyone else, but I think it's possible. There's no way a single person could do it alone. I mean, in history books, the names of generals are recorded, but each general needs an army to win the war. So even All Might needed people to win his war.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is: We, Class 1-B, could maybe, possibly, mayhaps, and probably will change the world.

* * *

**Ibara Shiozaki**

_CEMENT!_

"Rrrrrraaaaaah—!"

_SHATTER!_

"—Ratatatatatatatata—!"

_PUNCH! CRACK! BLAM!_

"He's not letting up, Shiozaki—!

"So I see." Tetsutetsu did find work thus far, being able to destroy the walls that Cementoss creates on his side of the conflict. I for one have been dutifully dispatching Cementoss's creations lest we would wish a swift and humiliating defeat. However, I hear soft panting from Tetsutetsu, signaling that exhaustion is starting to sweep through his body and tire his muscles. 'Tis unfortunate. Tetsutetsu is expending more energy than I, and soon he'll tire and let his body fall limp and his fighting spirit shall fade like a flickering candlelight.

That shall not happen.

Cementoss is simply in front of us, specifically in Tetsutetsu's direction, with a few blocks separating us from him, and the walls have become our partitions. At this rate, we will not be able to reach him. We need a way to twist the threads of Fate and gain the upper hand. And perhaps, I know of a way.

I step back, my blessed Vines demolishing and destroying these meddlesome walls threatening to pummel our bodies. My back rests upon Tetsutetsu's, whose chest is bare like a nude child—such shamelessness. I ask of him, "Tetsutetsu, ease your fists and relent. Allow me to turn the tides in our favor."

"Alright!" exclaims Tetsutetsu, his body hard and gray due to the effects of his Quirk, "I trust ya, Shiozaki! Whatcha gonna do?" After he finishes his question, he punches the wall in front of him, letting it shatter from his fist, littering the street we stand upon. We fight in a mock city, exactly where Cementoss would be at his strongest. Cement, his Quirk, allows him to control any and all cement he touches. Such power…

"You shall see," I answer, walking past him and towards where my foe stands. Yet my vision of our dear teacher is obstructed due to the army of lost, derelict barriers facing us as if they are sheep being led by a shepherd. If that is so, then it is necessary to be the false shepherd and lead them astray, shattering them like mirrors.

_CEMENT! CEMENT! CEMENT!_

They come in numbers, roaring with mass hysteria. They come numerous, running with wrath dwelling within their hearts. _Who are they? _I may ask, speaking to not these souls, but to the one possessing them. And to which, they respond, _We are Legion, for we are many._

Foul demons: that is what you are. So come, face the divine might of Maria. So come—"And part. Be vanquished, my dear enemies."

_EXORCISM! _

Exorcism: it is a Super Move of my devising. My Vines bury themselves into the street, running below the concrete and asphalt, running and stretching ahead underneath the Legion who pose a threat to my way of life. I run them in all directions, none are discriminated against. The Legion still continue their endless charge, a charge that will mark their demise. Before they approach us, burying us with their cold walls, my Vines part from the earth and raise towards the skies above.

_CRUMBLE!_

_CRACK!_

_SHATTER!_

Rising, they embrace the newfound sun and lay witness to the land that they have created. The land that now surrounds us is briefly enveloped in a thick cloud of dust and debris generated from Exorcism. Before, the wails of the Legion was as loud as an evening bell, and now the bell is silenced, being replaced by the soft whistling of the wind. Tetsutetsu stands amazed as my Vines slowly slink back into my head. I mustn't be overzealous with my attacks because I would run the risk of rendering myself completely unable to use my Quirk. But as we may see…

"Holy shit…" Tetsutetsu swears much to my disapproval, yet the reaction is deserved. As the dust finally departs from this land, all of the concrete walls are gone. They have been destroyed, utterly destroyed. They litter the roadsides, sleep broken along the sidewalks. The streets are ruined. They are hardly recognizable; it would take a keen eye to even notice that these were once streets in which cars drove on. There, in the distance, is our true foe. Cementoss, our mentor and instructor, stands five blocks ahead with a gentle smile strewn on his lips. Tetsutetsu stands beside me, slamming his knuckles together and creating a loud _clang _that echoes off the desolate buildings.

Cementoss yells, "What a wonderful move, Miss Shiozaki! You truly have a splendid Quirk! But I wonder how long it will take to reach your limit? And that, I will test."

Our endurances? What a pity... He is testing the endurance of not our bodies, but our Quirks. That must be the reason why Tetsutetsu and I are partnered. Our Quirks are powerful, yet limited. Cementoss is our perfect counter, as his onslaught of Cement is endless. To a man such as he, he sees no limits. If we were to continue fighting like this, then our defeat would be certain. We cannot fight this battle on his terms, but rather create our own terms and force him to fight us there.

The only reasonable option is to retreat.

I tell my partner, "We must flee, Tetsutetsu. We are right back where we were before."

"We can take him down, Shiozaki! I know it! Just gimme a chance and I'll knock the brains outta him!" he exclaims with simple crudeness… I am surprised that this trait of his did not become more of a detriment earlier… What folly, but worrying about this troublesome quality of his will amount to nothing.

"You will only accomplish achieving a foolish defeat, so please, if you insist on doing so, I will not be the one stopping you—" I gaze at Cementoss ahead, "— _he _will."

"..." Tetsutetsu lowers his head. I can feel his spirit waning, decreasing in strength. "...Yeah alright."

"...Are you finished talking?" Cementoss asks, tilting his head curiously. "I was pondering if I was interrupting an important conversation. I don't mean to be rude, but we _do _have an Exam to carry out." Hehe, there's sincereness in his voice. Most teachers would say that as a taunt, but not he. Truly, he's a respectable man.

I nod. "Yes, we have. Now if you excuse us…" I take hold of Tetsutetsu's cold and clammy hand before departing from our current battle. Cementoss exclaims in surprise realizing that we are fleeing, _especially _Tetsutetsu. We make our way into the narrow alleyways of the mock city as if we are ants surrounded by feets of many giants. The creeping sounds of concrete and cement creak and moan, closing the distance between us by each passing second. Tetsutetsu grits his teeth, and I see why: there is a wall blocking our pathway. When I first look upon it, it's about the height of myself. Yet after each moment, as fast as a blink of an eye, it grows, becoming as tall as the buildings surrounding us.

We cannot escape here.

"'Zaki, follow my lead!" Tetsutetsu yells, giving me quite an interesting nickname. He lets go of my hand and looks towards a brick wall. Without hesitation, he literally runs through it, breaking the bricks effortlessly due to his Quirk. I follow him inside, going into an empty building. Ah, I assumed that nothing was in these buildings. They're only for appearances, after all. Where we once stood, the alleyway is soon quickly replaced by Cementoss's walls. If we had stayed there, we would have surely met our end.

We must continue onward. We mustn't lose hope. God is shining His light upon us, His faithful and pious Heroes. To abandon the fight now would be abandoning Him.

Tetsutetsu charges forward once again, running to the wall on the other side of the room. However, he is stopped. Through the open windows, Cementoss rises walls, more cement structures that immediately shield the light from leaking inside, sprouting upwards where I assume he would cover the entire building. Tetsutetsu looks towards the stairs, but what good would that do? Cement is faster than both of us combined. When we reach the third floor, the entire building would already be covered in concrete and cement. Conventional means of escape will not earn us the passing grade we desire.

We must think outside the box, which is quite ironic with the notion that this building is likely to become our tomb. Tetsutetsu, my dear vibrant partner, decides to fruitlessly punch Cementoss's barriers as if that would achieve anything. Well, anything but mindlessly destroying your body and thus decreasing your chances of success. He screams, "You won't take me slacking, Teach! I'm not 'bout to go down this way! Not like this! Ratatatata—!"

_PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!_

"Please conserve your energy."

_PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!_

"...I insist."

_PUNCH!_

"Well shit," Tetsutetsu swears once more, shaking his hand. Ah, his knuckles are cracked. His Quirk is waning. He is no longer fighting at full strength… And so our odds decrease. "Shiozaki, got any bright ideas? Think… Think these freakin' walls are too damn tough for even _me _to punch through 'em. C'mon, you got an idea right? I can't let my bros down, 'specially Inochi!"

Sanji… He wouldn't fare well in this fight. Cementoss's Quirk, despite his overwhelming skill in martial arts, could easily restrain him. The same can be said for myself… Really, Honenuki would be the best at removing himself in this situation. He could easily swim under Cementoss's constructs and reach him from there. Or Pony could fly with her horns higher than he could reach. Out of all of the teachers, Cementoss is surely one of the hardest to combat—with the hardest being All Might of course. I do hope Sanji and Itsuka are faring well in their fight.

But how? How can we escape this prison made from the toughest of stones? Tetsutetsu's fists are not enough, so what would be enough? I could use my Quirk, but it would be extremely limited as Cementoss has also blocked out the sunlight and thus stopped the regeneration of Vines. This building where we once thought would be our safe haven has become our greatest enemy, even more fearsome than our intended foe.

If only we could defeat this building, then perhaps we could reevaluate our options from there…

To defeat this building…

Oh dear.

"Tetsutetsu, I came up with a possible—and very unconventional—solution. Do you wish to hear it?" I ask of him, and he nods enthusiastically like a small puppy.

He pumps his fist into the air. "Hell yeah! What's on your mind?!"

With strong conviction, I answer, "Do you recall our Entrance Exam? When God put us in unfavorable circumstances only amplified by Midoriya's actions? Well, instead of Midoriya being the cause of the destruction, we shall act in his stead!"

Tetsutetsu's mouth goes agape. "Wait, hold on! How the heck can we do _that?! _Midoriya only knocked down that building 'cuz he _knocked down _one of those friggin' zero-pointers! I might be a buff dude, but I'm not buff enough to punch the foundations apart!"

My Vines extend, expanding from my scalp. I have not fully tested the strength of my Quirk, yet if they can emerge from the deep and break through concrete, then it would not be far to believe that they can destroy the foundational supports of this building. Through my eyes, Tetsutetsu sees my answer and nods. He walks up and puts his arm around me. Such a brazen character… "I'll protect ya, 'Zaki! When you take this building down, I'll be a shield for ya! I promise that none of us will get hurt!"

"You have my thanks… Tetsutetsu, we—?!"

_RUMBLE!_

"My dear students, do you concede the match?! You have no hopes of succeeding at this rate! Your plan has failed!" Cementoss calls out from outside. I look at Tetsutetsu, and with my eyes, I ask him to respond in my place.

Because, I extend my Vines throughout the entire building. Every pillar, every support that would be necessary for the building to remain standing, I _will _strangle them until they become breathless. This building is about ten stories tall, so my reach will be ten stories tall. Tetsutetsu sees my action and sighs, a worried breath leaving him. He calls out to our teacher, "No can do! You gotta knock us out, Teach! No way we're surrendering! Y'know why? 'Cuz I'm Real freakin' Steel, and she's Maria! Don't count us out!"

My Vines wrap around the supports.

"Even if we got a zero percent chance of winning, we'll defy math _itself _and pull out a win!"

Tighter.

"With my hard-as-hell body, you bet your ass that I'm gonna beat math to a pulp!"

I feel the pillars cracking…

"So that's why Cementoss, you're not gonna win!" Tetsutetsu pulls me close to him. "Now Shiozaki! Give him hell!"

"What are you kids—?!"

With the strength of a thousand men, I shatter and destroy the pillars. A symphony of destruction is heard around us. Immediately after, I detach my Vines from my hair, cutting it short. Tetsutetsu wraps his arms around me and falls over with him on top, using his body to shield me from the incoming debris. The sound is exactly the same from before: the crumbling walls, the groaning of the supports, it's the same from our Entrance Exam. And the feeling is the same as well. Bits and pieces fall onto our hair and body, but then the ceiling cracks like the spindle of a spiderweb.

_CRACK!_

And before our minds can process this event… Everything falls.

_COLLAPSE!_

It's not a pleasant feeling if I tell the truth. To have quite literally everything fall on you having the same weight as the world… Well, I would not go out of my way to seek it. However, Tetsutetsu became an amazing shield. He never relented his duty, never shirked it. Throughout the entire duration, he held onto me ensuring that I would receive no wounds, and I did not—only a few scratches, but nothing troubling. For Tetsutetsu however, he experienced more damage than I. His Quirk was already cracked beforehand, and with this barrage of damage, he's pushing Steel to the limit. I can hear him groaning on top of me, his breath hot and exhausted. My dear ally… I cannot thank him enough for doing this.

Darkness surrounds us as we're buried under a pile of debris. The only sounds we hear are that of Cementoss, running towards us with frantic footsteps. He yells, "Shiozaki! Tetsutetsu! Are you alright?! Goodness, what in the world were you thinking?! To pull a stunt like that, it could very well kill you!"

He sounds so frightened and concerned… His instincts as a teacher are taking over… Cementoss becomes closer to our current position, climbing onto the site looking for us. Tetsutetsu groans and shifts around, enough that the debris above us shifts with him. Cementoss must have heard it, because he starts running to our location within a few seconds. Tetsutetsu glances down, his eyes staring at mine. He whispers, "Don't worry 'Zaki, I'll bring home the gold."

"Tetsutetsu, wait—!" I say, but I am too late. As soon as Cementoss climbs onto the pile, Tetsutetsu jumps up and punches through the debris, striking Cementoss's skull. His feet take off from the earth, no longer having contact with the ground beneath him. Tetsutetsu sees this opportunity to attack, and so he does. He charges forward and grabs Cementoss by the collar of his costume, slamming him against a flat piece of debris, enough to crack it whole. Before our teacher could react, Tetsutetsu brings out the handcuffs we were given and puts them around one of Cementoss's wrists…

And…

Well…

That is our victory.

I stand up from the wreckage and make way to the two men. My pure dress is stained brown with dirt, which subsequently reflects my mood. I never expected Cementoss to react in such a way. We have taken advantage of him and his emotions. In this exam, we were expected to fight against our teacher who is supposed to act like a Villain. We forced our teacher, Cementoss, to worry about our well-being. In a real battle, this would never happen. How can we call this a true victory?

Tetsutetsu grins, obviously enjoying the fact that we won, but I am not. Cementoss, for some odd reason, is smiling too. He stands up and nods his head towards Tetsutetsu before facing me still maintaining his smile. "Shiozaki, you don't look pleased. How come?" he asks.

I truthfully answers, "I intended to destroy the building to put us in a more advantageous position—"

"—Which worked," he interrupts, and I nod in response.

"Yes, however we took advantage of your natural instincts as a teacher—"

"—That you did, and I am glad for it."

"Well I am not. Such behavior is unheroic. I never intended to make you fret over the possibility of our death—"

"—What done is done. And frankly, I thought that was intentional. You knew what kind of a man I was and exploited my weaknesses."

"Not like this. None of our Villains will ever act this way towards us—"

"—Yet you _can _exploit them nonetheless. One aspect of being a Pro Hero is to properly exploit your opponent in all areas: Quirk, technique, and most of all, personality. Today, you did just that, whether or not you meant to, you did."

"Cementoss, I insist—"

"—Shiozaki, I _insist _, accept this victory. Not all Villains will engage you on a fair playing field. In fact, most of them _won't _. However, giving yourself an advantage is not wholly a dishonorable strategy. Generals commit this act during times of war, yet many of them are still considered valiant in today's world. Do you know how, Shiozaki? They fight with heroic spirit, and that is how you ought to fight as well. Fight to ensure your victory _and _your heroic spirit. If you concede one, you concede both."

"...I—"

"C'mon Shiozaki!" Tetsutetsu exclaims with such positivity that I become startled by his voice. He grins and knocks his shoulder into mine. "Cementoss is right! We gotta fight to win and fight as Heroes! I get that ya wanna be fair and all, but that could really screw ya over in the long run! I'd rather get screwed over now than later, 'cuz by then… We'd be y'know…"

The air is suddenly filled with silence.

"I understand, Tetsutetsu. I will consider your words," I say after a few seconds of the silence transpired. Afterwards, I turn to Cementoss and nod. "Thank you, Cementoss… Your words are a blessing. I pray that you have a good day and a good life, for you are a very kind and generous man, and a better Hero."

Cementoss blushes, shaking his head. "Stop praising a blockhead like me so much! I am happy that I have students who are wiser than their age. It's great that both of you defeated me, because it means that you will be amazing Heroes. Now, let's head back to the bus and wait for the other of your classmates to finish."

"Hell yeah! Can't wait to have everyone pass!" Tetsutetsu cheers with another fist raised to the sky.

Yet however, I form a smile.

These are truly my classmates… I am blessed to have their company; even when their desires become too much, they are good men and women at heart. They truly would make splendid Heroes.

I nod. "Yes… I cannot wait."

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

_POP! _

_CRACK!_

"Ack! His pop-shooty is so freaking loud!" Pony freakin' hollers in my ear. God damn, she's yellin' like she's in a concern or somethin'! Okay, so I should prolly assess the situation like Setsuna an' the other jackasses. Let's see…

Oh right, I'm gonna get my ass capped like I'm in America! Fuckin' hell, if I didn't got these pillars behind my sorry ass, I'd be riddled with more holes than Bondo's head. Pony 'side me is freakin' out like usual… Shit, she looks too damn pathetic like that. "Horns," I say, grabbin' 'er attention _an' _'er big ol' eyes, "we ain't gonna die. His 'pop-shooty' thing ain't gonna hit us. The only sorry bastard's gettin' shot is Quirkless."

"Why is Inochi gonna get all shoot up?" she asks, an' well… He's the first guy I imagine getting shot. Why? Hell if I know. Kinda be funny though.

I shrug my shoulders. Let's see if we can come out now—!

_POP!_

_CRACK!_

Nope. Bad idea. "Well, seein' as we the two fastest dorks in the class an' we are stuck 'ere bein' pinned down, Quirkless ain't gonna do crap 'gainst Snipe. Sure, he might cut a bullet o' two, but not a barrage of 'em."

Pony snickers. Okay, that's one more question to answer. "Togaru—"

"Why the heck ya snickerin' like that? Was it 'cuz of somethin' I said?" I ask this goofy girl. She stopped being scared an' shit, but now she's actin' even worse: goofy. I hate goofy people, an' I'm surrounded by 'em every single day.

She points at me. "You called yourself a 'fork' you silly goose!"

Really? Good fuckin' God, Honenuki ain't teachin' 'er crap 'bout Japanese. For a guy as smart as him, he's a top grade dumbass. "...I said 'dork', you dork."

_POP!_

_CRACK!_

Pony snickers some more. "Even better! You're the dork here, dorky!" She jabs at my side, gigglin'. Jeez, why am I partnered with 'er again? She's so damn annoyin' that I just wanna pick 'er up an' toss 'er at Snipe. He can have this chick; I don't want Pony anymore. Way too hyper for my blood.

"Shut up, Horns. I ain't got time for messin' 'round," I tell Pony right as when a bullet whizzes past my head. Awesome, I almost died. Thanks U.A. an' 'specially Principal Nezu! They _love _killin' kids like this some fairy tale or some crap like that. Me an' Pony, we got a job to do: survive an' pass this freakin' Exam. God, I am _happy _that I ain't Inochi an' Kendo, 'cuz they're prolly gettin' their ass beat by All Might.

_POP!_

_CRACK!_

_"Ya ain't that bad, Fists. Hate to admit it, but you an' the rest of our idiots knocked some sense into me. Thanks for that. If ya tell anyone this, 'specially Horns, then I'mma gut ya."_

But… If it wasn't for 'em, I wouldn't be 'ere.

An' Pony, the one who's always naggin' me, I don't hate 'er so much…

"Togaru," Pony whines, too scared to poke 'er head out, "think we can win this thing?"

I sigh. "'Course we can. We might not be hot shit, but we're better than shit. That's what matters."

"Of course not! We're better than poop! We're super poop!" she… Yeah… I'll just not say anythin'.

"Horns—!"

_TINK!_

Oh shit… Snipe just threw something at us. Well I ain't gonna stand 'round tryna figure whatever it is he threw! That right there would be a death sentence! Fuckin' hell, I pick up Pony an' run like wind out of 'ere! I'm—?!

_BOOM!_

Well now I know! Smoke grenade! Shit! It means we can't see damn all! I'm pretty sure that Snipe could see our silhouettes, but even then, there's a hundred ways to tell where we are! Pony, who's in my arms, latches onto me and asks, "Togaru, you didn't warn me you dummy! I'm supposed to help too!"

"Well you were gonna be too damn slow!" I shout back. Well, if Snipe didn't know where we were, he did now. That's great, but I _do _know where Snipe is at. He's a real sharpshooter alright, but he ain't gonna be aiming for our heads. One: he'll kill us; and two: he'll fuckin' kill us. Knowin' him, he'll be aimin' for our center of mass. All goons with guns are taught that. Goin' for the head is way too damn risky, so body shots gotta be the one that brings everythin' home.

So that's fuckin' why—

— _TINK!_

I block his bullet. With my left arm, I use my Quirk to grow something like a shield alright. A blade comes out on both sides an' a little bit of my Razor Sharp protects the still-exposed bit. My Quirk is meant for growin' blades, but nothin' said that I can't use a blade as a shield. Technically, this is just a _really _big blade.

"Togaru—!"

"—Shut it, Horns! I'm tryna save our asses here!"

_POP! TINK!_

_POP! TINK!_

_POP! TINK!_

Fuck, guess I know why Razor Sharp ain't a Hardening-type Quirk. After I got shot twice, my shield here is startin' to crack an' crumble. After the next two times, a piece of it actually shattered. Each shot rings throughout my arm like my body's some sort of bell, an' it started to hurt a lil' too. But luckily, I don't gotta worry 'bout being shot anymore. I made it to another pillar which is a bit closer to Snipe. I retract my shield-thing an' plop my ass down. Crap, we're still an ocean away from the bastard. By an "ocean", I mean 'bout twenty meters or so. He can shoot us ten times within two or so seconds, but in two seconds, we'll reach 'bout five meters in that time, one quarter of the way there. Ain't gonna cut it.

After firin' another round at us, Snipe hollers, "Gosh darnit you damn kids! How in the dang hell are ya gonna get yerself outta this situation 'ere? Ain't no one can outrun bullets, boah! Not even God! If God was 'ere, I'd shot His ass a long time ago!"

What kind of a fuckin' boast is that?!

Pony screams at him, "Don't say that, Mister Snipe! You know that Ibara isn't gonna be happy when she finds out! She's gonna put the fear of God into you!"

"Like hell, little girl! I am that missy's teacher! If she needs to be 'fraid of sumthing, then she'd better be 'fraid of me!" Snipe replies, shootin' an' missin' again.

"I'm not a little girl! I am Pony Tsunotori, Your Best Friend! Tell him, Togaru!" Pony tugs at my arm. Oh God, she's givin' me 'er big eyes again… Alright, I don't wanna make her cry again.

I poke my head out a 'lil. "She's right, Snipe! She ain't a little girl!"

"Yeah!"

"She's a freakin' child!"

"What the?! No—!"

"A baby!"

"I'm not a baby, you stupid doofus—!"

"Horns is a baby alright! Tell that to everyone, got it?!"

"Togaru, you dummy—!"

"Eh—?!"

Pony climbs onto my lap an' holds me by the collar, shakin' me 'round like I'm some toy. Well, I'm bothered by one thing an' it's Pony sittin' on my damn lap! "I'm not a baby, Togaru! You're not gonna treat me like one!"

_POP!_

_CRACK!_

Shit, almost got my head blown off! Fuck, we're screwin' 'round too much—not like _that! _We gotta shape up an' beat the hell outta Snipe 'fore we get filled with holes. I kinda like where my blood's at. I push Pony off of me an' slowly stand up where Snipe ain't gonna get a good shot at us. I whisper, "Horns, we gotta stop messin' 'round, alright? We need to end Snipe."

Snipe shoots at us again, an' misses again. Pony nods an' whispers, "I'm gonna throw some horns at him! Follow my lead!"

Eh?! "Horns, the hell—?!"

Pony hops out of cover an' screams, "THUNDER HORN—!"

_THUNDER HORN!_

She fires a barrage of horns towards Snipe. The bastard can't shoot Pony, 'cuz if he does, then he's gonna get hit by Pony's projectiles. So he gotta shoot the horns comin' at him, even pullin' out a second revolver to shoot 'er horns down. Snipe's guns ain't like normal revolvers. Instead of carryin' five bullets, six, or even eight; his guns can carry twenty. He can prolly reload as fast as I can blink too. Since Pony decided to be a Hero, I gotta be one too.

_POP POP POP!_

From the other side, I dash out an' grow a nice long blade along my right arm. I run at the jackass with Pony directly in front of me. We got Snipe surrounded on both ends. He sees me comin' an' sighs. He—?!

_ROLL!_

Fuck me! The bastard rolled to my left! He put me into Pony's line of fire! Clever asshole! Don't underestimate me yet!

_LEAP!_

Instead of just runnin' on the ground like how a normal person would, I jump on a pillar where Pony's horns ain't gonna reach me. I grow a couple of blades outta my feet; that way, I ain't gonna fall off an' even run on walls. I learned this trick a long time ago. Havin' a bunch of moves an' techniques will surely give me _some _good marks on my grade. Hate to be Inochi right now.

"Seriously, boah?!" Snipe yells, aimin' one of his revolvers at me an' the other at Pony. She can take care of herself, 'specially since Snipe got two targets to worry 'bout. His accuracy ain't gonna be the best when he's worryin' bout gettin' attacked on two sides. Still, can't get caught slackin'!

_POP!_

_LEAP!_

_POP!_

_HORN!_

Me an' Pony circle 'round Snipe like we're planets 'round the Sun. I keep leapin' from wall to wall, pillar to pillar, avoidin' any shots he tryna take at me. On the other side, Pony is constantly firin' her horns so Snipe can focus on that rather on 'er. The room gets filled with the sounds of gunfire an' shatterin' horns. The floors get dirtied up from all the brass casings an' the dust crumblin' from the pillars. Snipe didn't hit either of us, but neither of us hit him. Compared from before, we're a lot closer now.

"You stupid damn kids! I'm gonna—!"

_CLICK CLICK!_

He's empty.

"Now, Horns! Charge in while we still got the chance!" I yell at Pony, jumpin' off a wall towards Snipe. Pony runs in with her towards Snipe's gut. Bein' a marksman an' all, he musta be able to reload pretty quick, but he can't reload if we don't give him the chance. That's how we win.

As we get closer to the bastard, Snipe says, "Ya got me good, kiddos."

_BOOM!_

"Geh—?!" Another smoke grenade! Shit! I can't see fuck-all! I'm headin' right towards Snipe, I know it, but he could be pullin' out another trick up his sleeve! I gotta—!

— _BAM!_

"Ughrk—guh—!" I went inside the smoke, an' as soon as I got inside, something hard striked me 'cross the skull—something hard an' metal. I landed on my feet, but stumblin'. A hand gets placed on my chest, then before I know it, I get pushed up against a wall.

_WHACK!_

"Ow—!" Pony. That's Pony's voice. I hear her fallin' down, prolly on her knees. Then the sound of bullets rattlin' comes next, then the smoke disappears.

"Y'all, don't move a muscle," Snipe tells us, the smoke disappearin' perfectly to reveal just him with a gun pointed right at my skull. A second after, I see Pony layin' on the ground, an' she has a gun aimed at 'er too.

Well fuck.

This ain't good. I'm pressed against a wall while Pony is on the ground. My head rings from getting smacked with Snipe's revolver. Surprised I didn't go unconscious, but hey, that's Heroes for ya. Snipe, like usual, looks like a western hero in one of 'em American movies. Gotta thank Americans for havin' cowboys an' sheep wranglers, 'cuz if they didn't exist, I wouldn't be 'ere nearly getting my brain blown out. Eh, barely have enough brain cells to function right anyhow.

Shit, let's see… I'm 'bout less than five meters away, an' Pony's a little further than that. If only I could distract his ass somehow…

Snipe glances at Pony 'fore givin' me his sweet an' somewhat-divided attention. "Jack Mantis, yer a good kid, alright? Ya got a good plan goin' actually, gotta give you two credit. Chargin' at me at once, 'specially with Tsunotori shootin' those horns? Pretty effective at dealin' with me, but I dealt with much worse, boah. This ain't my first rodeo, see? There's a reason why Nezu wanted my ass in U.A. an' not some chump Hero with glass as his spine. 'Spite all this nonsense, you is smart, boah. You is smart."

"You done lecturin' me, Snipe?" I ask, retractin' my blade. Don't need that piece of crap anymore. I lean against the wall an' cross my arms. Pony sits up, makin' slow movements so Snipe wouldn't suddenly pop 'er head off. Good, for someone as innocent as 'er, she's smart. She ain't gonna do anythin' stupid 'ere.

He scoffs an' says, "Well I'm 'bout to lecture you on some manners, boah. How 'bout a hole in yer chest to start?" Snipe takes a step forward, lowerin' his barrel a 'lil so it's aimed right at my heart. He ain't gonna shoot me. Sure, he might scare me, but he ain't gonna pull the trigger.

"Nah, I'll pass." I plant my feet down. Little does Snipe know, my blades are still there. It's just buried into the concrete, an' I'm more than strong enough to break the concrete. Once I kick my feet up, pieces of concrete will come up with it. It'll be a distraction so I could close in on his ass.

Snipe replies, "But you ain't passin' this exam. Sorry boah, looks like bein' a Hero ain't gonna come easy for ya."

Pfft.

"With all due respect, when was it _ever _friggin' easy?" I ask, throwin' my arm out. "You forget that I am the son of a Villain. Ever since my dad got arrested, my life was never easy."

No matter where I turned to, I was seen as the Villain. Elementary school, junior high, I was the Villain that needed defeatin'. Somehow, I ended up in this awful school with awful classmates makin' my life just _awful _. If I was the Villain that everyone thought I was, then I'd be that fuckin' Villain.

Pony musta hated me, 'cuz she kept botherin' me ever since the year started. So durin' the Battle Trials, I pushed 'er an' she cried. Go Togaru.

Kendo hated me, 'cuz I insulted her dad. She almost punched me if it wasn't for Inochi.

Setsuna hated me, 'cuz like Pony, she kept teasin' me 'bout useless shit that no one gave a damn about.

Manga hated me, 'cuz he was a scared nerd who couldn't stand up for himself. Shojo too. They were both afraid of everything pretty much.

Inochi hated me, 'cuz I had to get blessed with his damn goofy attitude as if he was hot shit.

Heh…

That's right, everyone hates me! Everyone hates me so much that they laugh whenever I crack a joke, that they bother smilin' whenever I walk in the room, that some of 'em even ask, _"Hey Kamakiri, how's your day?" _. They do all that crap, 'cuz they definitely hate me. They hate me so much that they would even throw _Operation Jack Mantis _to get me to stay in U.A.! They want me to be a Hero! But I ain't doin' it for 'em. I'm…

_"C'mon Jack Mantis, you got a world to save. Gotta prove yain't like me, right?"_

I'm doin' this for Dad, 'cuz I gotta prove that I ain't like him. Havin' a Villain for a dad, people would think that I was raised as one too. Hell no, this ain't some Japanese drama or anime shit like that. Executioner Wasp, Mamoru Kamakiri, was just an ordinary father. Sorry folks, but my backstory ain't all that interesting.

Onto another thought…

_"Heya Jack Mantis, ready to kick ass and take names? I'm not like the Wonder Duo, but I'm even better than that."_

_"Yo, Quirkless is here, Kamakiri! How's your day coming along? Is our favorite American happy as ever?"_

_"Heh, I haven't truly apologized for what happened during the Battle Trials. I'm sorry, Kamakiri. Hope you hate me a little less, hehe…"_

_"Hey Kamakiri, can you stop calling Shojo 'Glasses'? Apparently, she wants you to call her 'Countess of Mangas', but 'Lunatic' sounds a lot better."_

_"Togaru! Let's watch anime with Manga and Shojo again! They said that I'm gonna cry with this new episode! You better cry with me!"_

Havin' idiots who care 'bout me ain't so bad.

Gettin' my head back in the game, Snipe lowers his gun slightly. Ah, there's the teacher Snipe. He ain't actin' like my opponent for once. "Yeah, boah… You has a harder life than most of us. But havin' hardships ain't the ticket to glory."

"'Course it ain't. More unfortunate bastards become unfortunate, an' only a few make it out alive," I say. Hey look at me, I said somethin' smart for once, but it's true. I'm prolly an example of it, an' Inochi is too. That guy's been through some shit alright, but he's here fightin' All Might somehow. Let's hope he wins his fight 'gainst All Might.

Pony though, she looks ready to kick ass. I glance at 'er an' cock my head over to the side. She immediately understands. Snipe goes on, "Well look at ya, sayin' stuff that doesn't match yer age. Anyway, enough talk. I got y'all apprehended."

I flash a smirk. "I never said I surrendered."

_KICK!_

I kicked my right foot up into the air, breakin' the concrete up. Pieces of the floor fly, creatin' a nice barrier 'tween me an' him. Snipe swears under his breath and—!

_POP POP!_

He misses both shots. I ducked before he pulled the trigger, goin' off to the side. Pony did the same thing; she dashed to my right. We can reach the bastard now! "C'mon Jack Mantis, let's take this punk down!" Pony exclaims. Hell yeah we are!

Snipe points his revolvers at us, but we're way too damn close now! Before he pulls the trigger, I jump up an' grab him by the wrist, knockin' his revolver out of his right hand. On the other side, Pony jumps up an' literally headbutts his other gun, disarmin' the poor bastard. I swing my left leg into the back of Snipe's knee an' knock him over onto the ground. Pony whips out the handcuffs, an' without much ceremony, cuffs our teacher.

There we go. We pass. Cool.

Me an' Pony let go of Snipe. She smiles at me, hoppin' 'round like a little girl in a toy store. Heh, she's adorable. She's always been a cute 'lil thing. It's like she forgot that I pushed 'er at the beginning of the year. Hell, she probably _did _forget. But I can't feel guilty 'bout it. We moved on from that shit.

Pony says, "We did it Togaru!" She runs up an' gives me a big ol' hug. Great, now she's huggin' me. I _would _pry 'er away, but shit, her arms are like a vice.

"Horns, get off of me. Snipe is watchin' us." ("Good sir, you is incorrect.")

"Nope! I'm just so happy that we pass, Togaru! When we got partnered up, I just _knew _that we would pass! And we did! Go team!"

"Doesn't mean you can hug me, so please get off. I'm askin' kindly."

"Nope! It's not everyday that I could hug you! Lemme do it! I need to recharge my energy!"

Fuck, my face is gettin' red. "No."

"Too bad, not gonna pay attention to ya! 'Specially when you're blushing! Aw, you're adorable, Togaru!"

I look at Snipe, who's finally standin' up now. _Hey Snipe, shoot me._

_Son, I ain't legally allowed to kill my students for obvious reasons. Sorry, but if your missy wants to hug ya, she's gonna hug ya. _

_What if I kill myself?_

Snipe softly inhales. _Don't. _

Pony nuzzles my chest. "You're a lot more cuddly than I imagined!"

"You imagine _what?! _"

* * *

**Shihai Kuroiro**

"Vantablack," Yanagi says, finishing her foe. She takes a step forward down the hall. To an outsider, it would be unimaginable to believe that she's training to be a Hero. Her posture and frame is too slender to consider her an able fighter. A pale white kimono with a furred collar is donned over her body, along with a black mask that covers everything from her nose down. There's something elegant in the way she walks, how she moves her hands as if she is commanding an orchestra. She is just like an edelweiss.

Of course, she is my partner: Reiko Yanagi, also known as "Emily". I, Vantablack, am her abysmal guardian in which the dark final gods have named me as their prominence.

We, Vantablack and Emily, are fighting against the fiendish multiplier known as Ectoplasm, our dear mathematics teacher who we study under. However, we are not studying mathematics, but rather war. At the beginning of our Final Exam, we have started in the middle of the arena with the world as our audience. The arena, this labyrinth to be more specific, is our greatest hindrance towards our goal: the Escape Gate. Ectoplasm is a powerful Hero being gifted with a splendid Quirk and more experience than we can imagine.

We are paired for a reason, you see. Each Hero is meant to highlight our weaknesses. For example, All Might is meant to highlight just how much more powerful he is compared to Kendo and Inochi, the Wondrous Duo of Class 1-B. For us, we are not the most apt for close combat. Yes, I could fight with my hands and fists, but at the same caliber as the Wondrous Duo? Ha, what folly! And my dear edelweiss, my partner? She is an expert in long-ranged combat, similarly to an archer. The laws of warfare dictate that archers cannot engage in close-ranged combat because they will surely meet a swift end.

Yet, those laws are old. Modern day warfare involves the use of Quirks, and with Quirks, the boundaries that once limited us are able to be shattered.

"Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!" is our motto.

_BAM!_

"My clones are dispatched," I tell Yanagi, following after her. Piles of Ectoplasm's, well, ectoplasm is left behind, dirtying the walls of the labyrinth we are trapped in. This place is not good for me. Darkness is of an absence here. As a result, my Quirk use is severely limited. I am only barely able to destroy Ectoplasm's clones with my close combat skills alone, and like I stated earlier, I am not like the two greatest martial artists in my class.

Yanagi, the edelweiss, nods as we walk side-by-side down the crystal-like hallway of our battlefield. 'Tis an endless maze built just for simulations, I suppose. I'd imagine these grounds will be used to replicate Villain Raids where the Heroes must enter the hideout of a Villain, or Villains, and apprehend them all. More often than not, they will be hard to navigate to hinder the Heroes' approach. The real treasure, the concrete glory within this realm is in the middle, where our Escape Gate surely lies. Ectoplasm must be there creating clones to intercept us.

My dear partner speaks, "Strange, how truly peculiar…"

Oh? I ponder out loud, "Why does the edelweiss self-proclaimed as 'Emily' consider this situation to be 'strange' and 'peculiar'?"

"Edelweiss?" Yanagi asks, but shakes her head afterwards seeing as the detail is unimportant. "Gorgeous flowers aside, I expected Ectoplasm to unveil a battalion of his clones. Yet we have only encountered small patrols. It would be wiser to overwhelm us here in these narrow corridors, and yet he isn't…"

"Perhaps he is saving his strength for the grand finale! There, the climax of our battle will take place surely," I propose with a dastardly smirk. "If my theory is correct, then we must conserve our strength! We, Vantablack and Emily, cannot allow ourselves to tire before the end, lest we desire to make our ending a disappointing one."

"You are sounding like Monoma," Yanagi comments with haste being added to her pace; I follow. "However, your theory isn't wholly impossible. I cannot hear any wailing phantoms roaming around in these halls, so Ectoplasm is surely scheming a scheme by his lonesome."

I chuckle, nodding my head. "Ah! I'm glad we're in agreement, Emily. As the masterful swindler as I am—and the one who conquered all realms of darkness—I can detect a devilish scheme up to its very birth in one's thoughts! Fufu, and there have been many a schemes in Class 1-B, especially with our operations."

"Such as _Operation Lovebirds _? What do you believe about that scheme?" she asks. Well…

"Excellent, obviously. I _was _a part of the team who was eavesdropping on Kendo and Inochi and I myself had stakes reliant on the outcome. Why? Well I shall answer! Our secret betting ring which is not so much of a secret at this point and time," I say, raising a finger. So what Kendo found us wearing ridiculous disguises, with Monoma's disguise being the most outrageous of them all? And so what if she casually threatened to throw Monoma into the ocean and never look back? _Operation Lovebirds _was a successful scheme of Tokage's devising, as no one was able to cash in their bets, including me! Yes, I didn't win, but I didn't lose! That is a victory in my perspective! I have not lost money and I do not plan to!

"Hmph," Yanagi huffs. Ah, she is simply grumpy that she did not win any money. She, much like the rest of the class, has placed bets on these two. "What about _Operation Dreamcatcher _? What do you think about that scheme?"

Oh dear…

"Do not speak of the disaster that is _Operation Dreamcatcher _. Though Monoma head-mastered the operation, his head was almost mastered by the blade. Of course, Inochi apologized profusely, but the situation was awkward for all parties involved," I vaguely recall, not going too deep into detail. Yes, I cannot forget—as much as I wish to forget—Kendo's reaction. She almost ran Monoma through with a blade herself…

Heh, no matter what… Whenever we talk about Kendo, we have to speak of Inochi; when we talk about Inochi, we have to speak of Kendo. Komori, she would say that they are the ideal couple she wants to live up to. She is a hopeless romantic, but her hopelessness does not match mine. The gap between us is whole worlds stretching along the infinite cosmos we sleep under.

Ah, my thoughts are becoming like a poet. I need to return my thinking to that of a Hero! A poetic Hero even, who delivers poetic justice.

"I see. Nevertheless, we have to make haste. We—" Yanagi stops. How come…? Ah, now I see. There is a patrol of five clones ahead of us. I glance at Yanagi to quickly dispatch them, and she nods.

Yanagi raises her hands and from the earth arises small pebbles, large enough to be the average marble. Her hands glide across the air like an ice skater with an adoring crowd as their audience, then—!

_CHARGE!_

The patrol charges forth like a pack of rabid wolves smelling the scent of delicious blood. Ectoplasm's voice rings out, "Emily and Vantablack, seems you are approaching my location! Make no mistake, because a single error can result in your failure!"

_WHOOM!_

Using Poltergeist, Yanagi sends the marble-sized pebbles towards the pack, aiming indiscriminately for their false-bodies. Like bullets, the pebbles shred through the clones, forcing them to collapse in a disgusting, slimey pile of goo. However, that isn't the last of the clones. I hear more of those fiends coming; in fact, they are coming from both directions. Heh, Ectoplasm is coercing us. What a clever man…

"Come, Emily! We must charge into the thickets of war! After me!" I shout, gazing towards beyond our position where the enemies lie! They emerge in the distance with large numbers, condensed together! Behind us, I can hear the same! How exhilarating! How exciting! Surrounded on both sides with the only hope of success being the path forward! Yet, this is so prideful of you, Ectoplasm! Something as meager as numbers cannot stop me, Vantablack! I am the absolute article of a Hero, the pinnacle of heroism! Arrogance may be my name, but I shall gladly give you evidence!

I charge forward—!

—The army charges forth!

With concern, Yanagi exclaims, "Vantablack—!"

"—Fwahahahaha! Come fiends and ruffians! Come embrace the ideal image of a warrior of the umbra!"

I leap! Dear foes, this is the end—!

— _DARK PHANTOM BRIGADE!_

_WHAM!_

_BAM!_

_BASH!_

"Dark Phantom Brigade—!" I announce standing over my fallen foes all defeated by my unconquerable hand! Yes, Black is not effective in lit areas such as these, as I need black areas to morph into! However, take a look on Ectoplasm's costume! Underneath his trenchcoat is a black bodysuit! By jumping into his bodysuit, I'm able to possess him like a true phantom! Thus, I can destroy the clone from the inside, hopping to the next clone and possessing _him _! Of course, I repeat this process until every foul clone of his is destroyed! That is my Dark Phantom Brigade! "Fwahahahaha!"

_WHOOM!_

Yanagi properly deals with her side of the clones, dashing up to me afterwards. We exchange a brief nod before running deeper into the labyrinth. More of those clones approach us.

_LEAP!_

_WHOOM!_

We must run, we must keep running until we reach the promised land. To achieve glory, that is our mission.

_BASH!_

The world is fighting against us, so we must fight back. That is the duty of a Hero.

_BAM!_

There will always be evil, and so that is why Pro Heroes are made—to combat evil. A Hero ought to hunt ceaselessly, for villainy is relentless.

That is why…

_WHOOM!_

In the grandest of schemes, the schemes of schemes, the scheme known as 'The World', we are merely ants in the great battle that will last until the world's end.

Yet we still fight on.

_WHOOM!_

"So you arrived," Ectoplasm says below us with an army of his clones, all standing in the middle of a circular space that resembles an atrium—and the Escape Gate is within our sight. We are about five floors above him, but above _us _are about ten more floors whose radius gets smaller with each progressing floor. There, on the ceiling is a surface that resembles a twilight sky. If that was to break, then daylight would replace this dreary atmosphere. "Vantablack and Emily, are you prepared?"

Forming a small smile, Yanagi answers, "We are, Ectoplasm sir. I see you brought yourself an army—an army of yourselves nonetheless. We are prepared for your examination, and I hope you'd be pleasantly surprised."

"Yes, I hope so as well," Ectoplasm replies as his army of clones leap from floor to floor, quickly approaching our position. Yanagi and I exchange a quick glance, cementing our plan through eyes alone. Our hope is to reach the bottom floor, but knowing Ectoplasm and his cleverness, we would surely be apprehended. He can quickly overwhelm us, so what if we keep rising to the top of the arena? There, salvation awaits!

Yanagi waves her hands around once more, and before my eyes, she herself begins to float. That is the power of Poltergeist. She can control any object around her, which includes living people. She herself told me that her limit is the weight of an average person, so she keeps an eye on her _own _weight. Thus, Reiko Yanagi is light enough to be affected by her own Quirk!

And I, Vantablack, can reach the upper floors with ease! By blending into the shadows where the lights cannot reach, I am able to climb each floor with a combination of my Quirk and climbing! That is how we shall traverse this environment!

"Come, Emily! Let us climb the stairway to heaven!" I shout, morphing into the shadows and climbing my way to the next floor. Yanagi nods and floats herself towards the top floor. Our ravaging horde is below us, trying to reach our position to surely maim our young, fragile bodies. However, we are faster! We climb the floors faster than they can leap!

Soon, we reach the top floor! Ectoplasm now appears to be a small pixel of a computer screen! Yet his clones are relentless. They are still chasing after our skin, but we have the tactical advantage. Yanagi, who still has her marble-sized pebbles, simply raises her arms and let loose a hailstorm of debris towards the crowd of clones.

None of them are spared from her wrath. Each and every vile creature is destroyed, turned back into the goop they are. A shower of their ectoplasm rains on our teacher, who looks at us from above with a scowl. "What do you plan to achieve up there, my dear students? Ah, don't answer. I'll be up there shortly," Ectoplasm says with his voice echoing off of the empty walls of our arena.

Then, he opens his mouth and spits out an ocean's worth of pale ectoplasm, enough to cover an entire office building from floor to ceiling. The ectoplasm morphs and shifts, taking color and shape… It takes shape into a massive, an utterly gigantic clone of himself. It has no lower body, only an upper body. Before Yanagi and I can process this, his clone immediately rises to our position and—!

_ROAR!_

Surprisingly, he doesn't produce any saliva. This is probably a very unimportant detail, but a detail nonetheless. So this must be a Super Move of his, being able to create a very large clone that could overwhelm almost any foe. I never knew he could create a monstrosity such as this! Curses, our plan might be foiled! We need to find a way to destroy this clone and reach the Escape Gate without fail! Otherwise, we'll lose progress in our endless journey of heroism!

I look at Yanagi. "We must—!"

_SLAM!_

_SLAM!_

"Geh—?!"

"—Gu?!"

We were too slow! Damn everything! Ectoplasm threw his clone forward and _that _spewed a stream of ectoplasm that enveloped our bodies, pressing us against the cold wall. There's enough of this muck to envelop a hundred more men and deprive them of oxygen. This ectoplasm… It's different. The consistency is like glue. I can barely move my body, let alone using my Quirk. Yanagi is the same, but unlike I, she has smarts. Before she was struck by the ectoplasm, she raised her hands, allowing them to be free. Even when we're trapped, she'll still be able to use her Quirk.

As for me? I am useless like always. We should've charged Ectoplasm while we had the chance. We had the might to overpower him and flee, or maybe even restrain the man himself. And yet, we fled where we would find ourselves at a disadvantage. Like a true Hero, Ectoplasm exploited that fact and restrained us with this Super Move. Curse at my foolishness; curse at my inept ability to think properly!

"My students, will you resign yourself to defeat?" Ectoplasm asks, his voice bouncing off the hollow walls, the empty halls of this accursed arena.

"I…" I struggle against my prison, but I am not strong enough to break it. "I refuse… I refuse to concede defeat! Not like this!"

"Do you have a choice in the matter? It doesn't sound like you can escape, Vantablack. As The Scheming Hero, I thought you had a scheme planned. What about you, Emily? What do you have to say about this?" Ectoplasm replies with malice in his voice, and with disappointment hidden behind his words.

I turn towards Yanagi, who sighs. She let her hands fall limp. "If there is a way to escape, I cannot see it… I—"

"Don't say such foolish things!" I exclaim, fighting against her words. "There is always a way! I refuse to let myself be helpless once again! I refuse to be useless, letting myself be controlled by the whims of the world!"

_"Don't you think the sun looks pretty today? I mean, I can't really look at it 'cuz y'know, it's the sun, but you get what I mean!"_

Yanagi mutters, "Kuroiro…"

_"The world's coming up with a lotta new things everyday! I'm sure there'll be something that can help me! Just you wait!"_

"Such strong conviction…" Ectoplasm comments, his voice softening. "Can you live up to your own conviction through heroic action?"

_"Aw, don't act like that, Big Bro! You know I'm gonna scold you again, and prolly tug your ear, so don't do it!"_

I shout, "I have to! I must! I promised _her _that I will become a Hero no matter if the odds are infinitesimally small! I refuse, I absolutely refuse to shatter that promise!"

_"You promise, right…? You really promise to be a Hero, Shihai…?"_

"I won't let you break that promise, Ectoplasm! I…"

I…

* * *

It was June 20th, a Sunday… Only a week after Hikari made her famous Hikari Commandments.

Only a week after, so imagine how weak I felt.

How weak I felt throughout everything.

"Hah—" I exhaled with panicked breaths, turning to my parents. Since noon, we waited. It's been an hour or so, maybe two or three… I wasn't sure if I was keeping track of time then. Our mother received a phone call that Hikari's state was suddenly deteriorating—an unexpected development. We rushed to the hospital as soon as we could.

I felt my mother's supporting hand, rubbing my back while my father paced back and forth. He paced back and forth, like a pendulum swinging back and forth, with the minutes ticking by, with the minutes ticking down, with our hearts beating, with our bodies trembling, with an infinite weight weighing down our shoulders, with the world bearing down upon us—denizens who commited no act of evil—with the world giving us no answer to our question:

Why did it have to be her?

And so the world remained silent, silent even to this day, silent to the cries of everyone who Fate wronged because they… they were simply born.

We, those who are left behind, must keep living anyway.

And the clock ran, and time fell from our grasp.

Then suddenly, it fell right into our hands. The doctor approached us with a look we expected, a look that told a hundred words with two simple eyes. We came up to him silent, giving him the opportunity to speak, and so he did! He said, "Please follow me."

Only three words. We responded with none.

We followed him down the hall, down countless doors that almost seemed like a dream. Before this very day, I imagined this moment for so long that it felt like a memory, and it became a memory on this very day.

My father was a proud man who shared my mutation, and he was crying.

My mother was an honest woman who saw past appearances and saw the good in everyone she meets, and she was crying.

I… I was a boy who was about to face The Day in which I knew I yearned to be a Hero, and I was crying.

We reached Hikari's room, and the doctor let us inside first. We piled in, seeing a nurse at Hikari's bedside tending to her. Our Little Light herself was laying in bed with a transparent breathing mask attached to her face. She was hooked to an IV machine, getting the fluids she needed. When she saw us, she smiled as if nothing was wrong.

Our parents rushed to her, saying such kind words and hoping, practically praying that she would miraculously pull through—that she would miraculously pull through by her own will. But miracles aren't controlled by human hands—they are only controlled by the world.

Our parents' words became jumbled to me. They said the same thing over and over that she'll live, that she'll pull through and live for another day, that she'll go outside like she used to and bathe in the sunlight! They promised her the world, but we all knew that the world would have to break it.

Their promise was empty from the moment they said their first word! They were incapable of fulfilling that promise! They only said it because of how miserable Hikari looked! She was bedridden with each breath painfully pressing against her chest! She was dying right before our eyes, and they thought if they could promise her everything, then it'll be big enough that the world would _have _to listen!

They hoped— _we _hoped, but that is just another of mankind's follies, isn't it?

So yes, their words became unintelligible to me, because all I did was watch Hikari staring at our parents with a sad smile as tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't reply to anything they said; she only nodded. She would never stay silent. She loved to ramble on and on about the future—talking was one of her most favorite things to do, yet she remained silent. Hikari loved to ramble about the future, the one where she would live.

As Vantablack, my entire existence is built on delusions of grandeur! The average person would believe that I am so delusional that I might as well be convinced that I myself is God! But…

_"I'm gonna come back home and sleep in my big ol' bed and go back to school and be with my friends! And I'll spend more time with the best Big Bro in the world! That'll happen!"_

With those words, a pessimist would think that you were delusional… Out of the two of us, HIkari, seeing your head there without a word said… You were never delusional, weren't you? I was always the delusional one…

From the look in your eyes, from the very moment you were trapped within this damned hospital, you knew that you were going to die, didn't you? And I, I was convinced that you would, but really, I didn't want to believe it, so I just kept doubting and doubting when I never wanted to doubt in the first place!

You said that you will see the sunlight someday and have the outside air clashing against your skin, but you knew that luxury would never be obtainable. So every word you said to me, you just wanted to comfort me.

Because from the beginning, you accepted your fate.

This was why… This will always be the reason why you're stronger than me even when I reach my prime. At such a young age, you accepted that you would die. That… That takes such a large amount of strength, so much that I am envious of you…

My Little Light.

"Shihai," my mother called for me, seeing as I was standing uselessly near the doorway. With her hand, she ushered me towards Hikari while moving back with our father. Slowly, I approached Hikari's side and got on my knees, just so I could be at her level. With weakness overcoming my arms, I took her hand in mine and held it tightly. Hikari, as her insurmountable strength dwindled, held mine weakly.

"Hey Hikari," I greeted her with a smile she would wear, trying my best to not have my voice break. "Is it… Is it hard to breathe?"

Hikari nodded her head, giggling a little. But even a small giggle made her wince. "Yeah… Sorry Big Bro…"

"Don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing…" I said, clenching her hand which was getting weaker by the second. "Hikari…"

She replied, "Shihai…"

I inhaled, held my breath for a few seconds, then exhaled. "What… What can I do for you?" I asked. "What can I do?"

"..." Hikari let out a heavy breath, staring at me with those gentle eyes of hers. "Talk… like Vantablack… again…"

I nodded, clearing my throat. "Ah, of course, my… L-Little Light… I shall speak like this for eternity if you desire. My heart may be swallowed by supreme darkness, but it never made me heartless."

She giggled again, and she winced again. "Heh… You rhymed... " Hikari shifted around in her bed, trying to make herself comfortable as she possibly could be. "Hey… Do you remember last week…? With my… My commandments?"

"I never forgot! What do you take me as? A f-fool?" I said as if I was offended. My voice broke partly in the last sentence, making me seem like I was the biggest fool in the world.

"Can we… go over it… again…?" she asked me, and of course, I obliged. Hikari smiled, warming my heart. "Commandment One…"

"Shihai Kuroiro must be a Pro Hero."

"Commandment Two…"

"Shihai Kuroiro must be known as Vantablack."

"Commandment Three…"

"Vantablack must be the most confident Hero, no exceptions."

"Commandment Four…"

"As both Shihai Kuroiro and Vantablack, he must care for his friends."

"Commandment… Five…"

"He must be married and have children…"

"Six…"

"Vantablack must be in the Top 100 Heroes of Japan…"

"S-Seven…"

"He must never, _never _forget his Little Light named… N-Named—!" I raised my voice as tears started to flow down my face. I declared to the world, "—Named Hikari Kuroiro!"

Her voice weakened, becoming so soft that I could barely hear her. As her incredible strength waned further, she asked me, "You promise, right Big Bro...?"

"I… I promise! I'm determined to uphold each and every commandment for you, Hikari! No matter what, I won't falter! I won't! I won't! I won't! I'll become Vantablack! I will never forget you

My tears started to fall on her hand.

"Heh…" Hikari began to cry. "I'm… really happy, Big Bro… I can't wait to see you all… strong and happy…"

Sunlight crashed through the curtains, striking her face.

"Hikari… I'm so sorry for being useless! I'm sorry that I wasn't a better brother!"

"Don't… say that… C'mon… Repeat after me…"

"Hikari—"

"'I… Vantablack... will be a great Hero…'"

I sniffled. "I, Vantablack, will be a great… a great Hero…"

"Say it...again…"

"I, Vantablack, will be a great Hero…"

"Again…"

"I-I, Vantablack, will… will be a great Hero!"

"A...gain…"

"I! Vantablack! Will be a great Hero!"

She closed her eyes. "..."

"I…"

Her grip on my hand loosened. "..."

"Vantablack... will… will be a great Hero…"

And then silence. The Little Light never opened her eyes again, not even to witness a gorgeous summer's day as beautiful and strong as herself.

* * *

"I, Vantablack, will be a great Hero!" I cry! The tears I shed will not be in vain! Come fiends! Do you want to learn why! Then tremble at my feet and beg! I, Vantablack, have the steadfast resolve to not only become the greatest Hero, but to rebel against the world itself! Fate may control my strings but it'll be weak of me to allow Fate control my thoughts! She may have paved my road towards suffering and torture, but will I allow Her to cloud my thoughts with despair?! I think not!

Because I am the one who wields darkness! I am the one who sees through all delusions with my mystical eye! When the harrowing evils appear from the muck, I shall stamp them out like the rats they are!

I am The Scheming Hero, Vantablack!

I am the ultimate swindler!

I am a genuine article!

I am The One Who Darkness Embodies!

Most of all, I am Shihai Kuroiro!

Yanagi, my dearest partner! Her eyes go wide as if she stuffed large marbles in her eye sockets! Before she could speak, I yell, "Your hands! You have them like that as a reason, correct?!" I turn to the lights above us. "Destroy the light! Demolish it! Whatever our fate will be, we do not need light in them!"

Without question, she nods and straightens her hands out, attempting to raise them to the best of her ability! From Ectoplasm's clone attacking us, this idiotic thing also damaged some of the floors and pillars! Meaning, there are larger objects for Yanagi to control! Ectoplasm yells, "Is this your—?!"

_WHOOM!_

_SHATTER! SHATTER! SHATTER!_

Yanagi telepathically threw the debris and rocks into the lights above us. And the world grows dark. There is no more light shining upon us. There is no more light to take hold of. There is only darkness, and there is one man who can wield it.

That man is myself, Vantablack!

Thus, as darkness takes over, I morph into the wall I'm pressed against. Just like that, I am free from Ectoplasm's grasp. This is not the end of the battle though! Yanagi may have shattered the lights above us, but there are still countless more! And I shall break them all!

From shadow to shadow, darkness to darkness, umbra to umbra, I crawl in my sacred place and sweep in to destroy any lights I come across with my bare fists! But yet, await good sir! Await! There is a giant chasing after me tearing his eyes away from Yanagi! He roars and roars with fury stricken across his face, opening his mouth and spewing out ectoplasm in hopes to restrain me! But how could he restrain me when I'm literally shadow itself? How daft is this fool? Does he know who I am? Does he know that I am none other than Vantablack?!

I exclaim with the adrenaline of battle overtaking me, "Fwahahahaha! Come Ectoplasm, my splendid and powerful teacher! Allow me to show you the strength of Vantablack! I shall turn this battlefield into a stadium of darkness where the devil sings!"

_SPEW!_

_SHATTER!_

"Too slow, sir!"

_SLAM!_

_SHATTER!_

"Too little too late!"

_CRUSH!_

_SHATTER!_

"You must try harder than that to defeat me!" I taunt him! We chased each other for what it must feel like five minutes! I destroyed every light on every floor, and now the entire arena is my territory! It's shrouded in absolute darkness allowing me to bathe in its splendid glory like an holy angel wallowing in soothing light!

Ectoplasm is completely in the dark! It may be hard for him to see, but I see clearly! Now this is my chance! I can possess his clone and do what I want with him! That means I can destroy the clone from the inside and free Yanagi! When that occurs, then we could either defeat Ectoplasm himself or go through the Escape Gate! I must do this!

"Vantablack—!"

"—Ectoplasm!"

_MORPH!_

— _ROAR!_

Fwahahahaha! This is the greatest gambit! I have taken control of Ectoplasm's clone! The largest one in his arsenal! His whims are fully controlled by me as if I am Fate! Being inside this clone is a strange feeling, frankly. I am my own entity but I am also this entire clone! Ah, I cannot go on about this! I need to find a way to destroy this clone from the inside, but how?! I must figure out how before—?!

_ROAR!_

_THRASH!_

Curses, this clone is moving around on his own! He's trying to force me to leave! I can feel this damned fiend struggling against my Quirk! He bangs his head against the floors, the pillars, and including the ceiling! It's powerful enough that the concrete is cracked, even shattering altogether!

It—!

Wait! What if I force this clone to attack the ceiling?! Yes, light will illuminate the arena, but there will be so much concrete and debris that the clone _cannot _avoid being crushed! That is how I defeat Ectoplasm!

_LEAP!_

At the right moment, I jump out of Ectoplasm's clone heading towards the cracked ceiling above me. He sees me and charges forth with a makeshift arm of ectoplasm heading towards my way! I—?!

_GRAB!_

_SLAM!_

"Geh—!" Damnit! This clone forced me against the ceiling! The impact wasn't enough to break the ceiling apart! Now I'm stuck where I am! I need to morph back into the shadows—?!

_WHIP!_

_SLAM!_

No, never mind! As soon as I got myself comfortable, the clone whipped me towards the ground where the real Ectoplasm stands, restraining me against the floor. As I am restrained, Ectoplasm walks up and puts his foot on my chest as if to say, _Do not move or I will hurt you _. What he actually says is, "I'm impressed, Vantablack. You turned the environment to your favor, but you made a mistake of leaping out."

Tch… I…

"—!"

Yanagi!

She's free from her prison! How?! Ah, I shouldn't ask! She raises her hands and calls forth an army of debris and rock, looking towards the cracked ceiling above us!

Heh, so we _will _achieve victory after all…

"Ectoplasm sir," I say with a dastardly smirk, "that was not a mistake. I, Vantablack, have won from the very moment you took your eyes off of Emily. So look up towards the skies and witness the graceful edelweiss commanding her symphony!"

"Wha—?!"

Ectoplasm looks up at Yanagi—

—And she calls upon reckoning.

_WHOOM!_

_CRASH!_

Ectoplasm sees the ceiling crack, letting sunlight through. He sighs and nods his head, accepting his fate. "Clever."

_BREAK!_

A blizzard of debris fall upon us like snow on a winter night, colliding with Ectoplasm's clone and destroying him almost instantly. He turns into nothing more than ruined ectoplasm, and the ectoplasm I'm trapped with? It softens and goes back to a liquid state. The debris casts multiple shadows upon our bodies, and through the chaos, I melt into the lukewarm sanctuary that I hold dear. The feeling of a heavy weight—with the weight being Ectoplasm's foot—disappears, and I drift away from the main area, letting my teacher become pummeled by his own arena. I lie in wait, patiently biding my time as the earth shakes all around me, but I'm not yet forced out of my hole. Soon, after the shaking stops and the dust disappears, the assault has ended. I step out from the earth and face my teacher, who is surprisingly still standing. Ah, there's more ectoplasm around him. He must've used his Quirk to somehow shield himself from the debris. Out of all of our teachers, Ectoplasm is one of the smarter ones.

Yet we have won.

I place my right hand on his shoulder, saying, "Don't move, good sir. Within a moment's notice, I can morph into your costume." I raise my left hand. "Yanagi, the handcuffs."

"Okay!" she exclaims above me. Yanagi pulls out the handcuffs we were given and uses her Quirk to float them towards me. Hmm, Ectoplasm can very well knock me down and subdue me once more. It seems he isn't willing to fight any longer. I doubt it's because he is demoralized, but rather proud. With our scheme, he must've deemed it successful enough to merit a passing grade. Heh… I am thankful.

_CATCH!_

I grab the handcuffs and with one swift motion, I wrap them around one of his arms. This is not a ceremonious end, but this is an end nonetheless. Once handcuffed, Ectoplasm turns around to face me as Yanagi floats herself to where we are. He bows in respect, resting his arms by his side. "You reversed the odds, Kuroiro. I am impressed. That kind of behavior is exactly what I wanted to see. It's one thing to say that you will become a great Pro Hero, but to commit to put your lip service into reality? Well, that takes strength."

Yanagi offers me a kind smile, and I smile back. She says, "Indeed, I never knew such strength lied in Kuroiro."

"Ah perhaps, but maybe he needs a catalyst to use _all _of his strength. As for you, Yanagi, you did an excellent job in working with Kuroiro despite the lack of communication. He never said a word to you about the breaking the ceiling, yet you knew just from actions alone of his true intent. Not even _I _expected this. You two did an amazing job fooling me," Ectoplasm compliments us, truly proud of our work. Yanagi and I bow in respect before she starts walking towards the Escape Gate.

Finally, we can leave this place.

Ectoplasm and I follow after her. I—

"Kuroiro," Ectoplasm quietly gets my attention, taking the handcuff off of his arm, "you are a lot more confident in battle. In class, you often stutter, especially since you sit next to a girl."

"Really? I never noticed," I reply, smirking. I genuinely did not notice this fact, but it makes me happy. Little by little, I am fulfilling the commandments that Hikari gave to me.

"Heh, if _she _was here today, she would be proud." Ectoplasm looks ahead. Ah, it's no surprise that he knows. U.A. seriously vets each and every student, so a detail such as that would not go unnoticed.

I look up at the open sky. The sun is shining its light upon me. Heh, how ironic that I needed to bring light to defeat my opponent, when I myself am the harbinger of darkness? No matter, the day is won and the sun still persists where it stands. I say to Ectoplasm, "Indeed, she would…"

"How _did _you come up with the name 'Vantablack' anyhow?" he asks.

"Fufu, I am sure you are aware of the material. It absorbs almost all light," I begin to answer, finally walking through the Escape Gate and leaving the battle behind us. Vantablack, the material, absorbs 99.96% of all light. I am sure scientists have created new substances that would increase the percentage to 99.99% even. Yet…

I go on, "There is no such thing as darkness, I'm afraid. Darkness is simply the absence of light, much like how the cold is the absence of heat. You cannot shine darkness upon an illuminated object to render it dark, but you _can _shine light upon a dark object, and thus, illuminate it. Then what is black? Black is simply a quality where the object absorbs light, never reflecting it, thus the object seemingly embodies the word 'darkness'.

"However, there _is _light dwelling within blackness, isn't there? Light is absorbed, making a home within the color 'black'. With this logic, there _is _light in blackness and there _is _light in darkness. To an outsider's perspective, there is no light, but the object itself _feels _light.

"So the material so-called 'Vantablack', it selfishly absorbs almost every lumen of light it touches. No matter what, Vantablack is determined to become one with light, never letting go of light's warm touch.

"And I, Vantablack… Fufu," I stop, chuckling. As _if _I would finish my monologue. A small chuckle emerges from Ectoplasm as well, knowing how my small little speech will end.

Vantablack truly is a selfish Hero. He absorbed the spirit of his Little Light, and he will not allow anyone to tear her spirit away from his greedy hands.

Especially the world.

* * *

**The next chapter will be the final chapter for the Final Exam arc! Woohoo! Of course, this will be about a certain someone. Look forward to A Thief's Foil.**

**Post-chapter business:**

**Honenuki and Shiozaki: These two get to have more scenes where they can just show off what they got. For Honenuki, his brain; for Shiozaki, her might. I don't have much to say about these two other than the fact that it's good to have more characters showcased that aren't just the main cast. I know that it might drag down the story as a whole, but each character has at least one moment to shine in this arc. And when we finally get to the I-Expo Arc, we'll see everything come together more and more. Once we hit the I-Expo, the rest of the story will be really rampant. The only "break" arc we have is the Fireworks Festival after I-Expo, then after that is the Forest Training Camp Arc which will immediately go into Kamino. After the Fireworks Festival, it'll dive back into the more darker aspects of the story as seen in Catharsis.**

**Togaru Kamakiri: Much like how Manga's scene last chapter, Togaru is practically styled the same. There is no massive developments made since both characters got their needed development. Their scenes are just a reminder of their arc and what they have been through, and their fights are them reminding themselves of *why* they are fighting.**

**Shihai Kuroiro: And Kuroiro most of all remembered why he was fighting. It was because of his Little Light named Hikari Kuroiro, his little sister who passed away from cancer. Admittedly, I cried a little when writing his scene(s). For me, it sets up why Kuroiro is fighting and what he's trying to achieve. Being a chuuni and all, I want a reason as to *why* he acts as Vantablack. This is a good reason why, since I can still keep up with the themes of Dreaming of Stars and so on. Overall, I think Kuroiro is an interesting character to write. His motivations are simple, but there's nothing wrong with simplicity. In fact, simple things are often the best.**

**Other news: Well, for me, school is closed for the rest of the year due to COVID-19. More time for me to write! But yeah, I'm looking forward to what DoS has in store. Like I said before, after the Fireworks Festival, things will ramp up tremendously. The next few arcs will determine the atmosphere and mood for the second half of DoS. It will be darker, but I hope I'll be able to pull it off!**

**Thanks for reading y'all! Leave a favorite, comment, whatever to show your support!**


	42. A Thief's Foil

**Hiryu Rin**

"TEAM SANJI INOCHI AND ITSUKA KENDO HAVE DEFEATED ALL MIGHT! THAT IS RIGHT, EVERYONE! THEY BESTED ALL MIGHT IN COMBAT!"

"Ah?" Kodai mumbles, turning to the speakers attached to the ceiling. "They...did it…"

"Seems like it," I reply, nodding my head a little. I knew that they had a chance of defeating All Might. Wasn't too surprising hearing that announcement though. The only reason the average man would be shocked is because of All Might's status as the world's greatest Hero. However, it doesn't mean he's perfect. For one, his technique is incredibly flawed and predictable. He relies on obvious punches with the might of a nuclear warhead and the speed of the fastest military jet—might doesn't make right. Inochi—and most likely Kendo too—have been practicing "hearing a move", which is a skill where they don't need eyesight to detect their opponent's movement—also known as "prediction". But to actually _reach _and _master _that state would take a long time, something that Adoptive Muscle Memory won't be effective in. I assume that Inochi and Kendo only need to catch a single glimpse of All Might to properly react, which is pretty impressive in itself.

Since All Might's technique is mediocre at best—sorry, you're still an amazing Hero—the two of them can fight back. After all, they are trained by Master Kendo who is considered to be a master in all forms of martial arts—an exaggerated feat, but not completely false. Both of his disciples have a style that pulls from many others, like how a hundred rivers flow into the ocean. Besides weaponry, Inochi is mainly relying on fast strikes alongside the art of countering. Kendo on the other hand, is more centered on powerful punches and grappling, often being the one who strikes first. Both are exceptional fighters who have the body and mind to beat All Might—with some luck of course. With prediction in hand, Inochi can evade All Might's attacks and harass the hell out of him, but he wouldn't be able to do much damage. However, Kendo _can _with her Big Fists. Inochi is pushing his endurance while Kendo is testing her strength. With their teamwork, the odds of them passing their Final Exam through defeating All Might is higher than one might expect.

After all, they have a lot of spirit. To climb up a mountain filled with unforgiving terrain, the man with an indomitable spirit could sprint to its peak.

But there's another problem: us. Kodai and I are trying our best to fight Thirteen in U.S.J., who's using her Black Hole to suck up any projectiles we shoot at her. Her Quirk breaks down even light, so if it could _decay _that, then mere bolts and scales aren't going to do anything to her. We've been fighting a ranged battle for over half of our exam and we aren't getting anywhere. Blindly throwing things at a wall and hoping they stick won't cut it for our Exam. Besides, Heroes aren't supposed to do that. We are expected to come up with a strategy within a moment's notice and improvise if needed. We will rarely get a chance to do trial and error, because our first error can and will lead to our deaths.

When I look at Kodai, she isn't physically...fit? Uhm, she isn't physically _strong _, that's the right word for her. Her frame is slim, and you could see her curves from how tight her crimson and white costume clings to her body. Especially with, uh, with the parts that Awase and Tsuburaba would like. Frankly, every time I glance over at her, they're bigger than I expect… I—

"Hmm?"

"Gah!" I turn away with heat bursting in my cheeks—liquid fire almost. "Sorry Kodai… Didn't mean to stare at you so long. I was wondering how we could defeat Thirteen and pass our Exam. We could try and fight her in close-combat, but you're physically weak."

"Wah?" She definitely sounds offended!

"Sorry, forgive me! I didn't mean to word it like that!" I exclaim in whispers, peeking my head out of the concrete barrier we're hiding behind. Thirteen _was _patrolling the area near the Escape Gate, but now she's staring at the intercoms. She must be thinking about All Might's fight with Kendo and Inochi. Okay, she's distracted for a little while. I sit back down shaking my head. "Sorry Kodai, you're not that great in close-ranged combat. That's what I wanted to say. It's the reason why we were paired together. Our teachers noticed our skill in ranged combat, which can be easily countered by Thirteen. She's our direct and ultimate counter. Sure, we were able to enhance our attacks like when you enlarged the size of my Scales, but even Thirteen was able to break that apart. Our attacks aren't enough to overwhelm her, so we have to resort to fighting her with our fists."

"Ah," Kodai replies. She glances at her arms before pointing to herself, nodding her head.. I think she's agreeing with me about the "physically weak" part. As much as I don't like saying it—because it's a bit rude—Kodai won't be much of a help. But fortunately, Thirteen is wearing a big suit, so it'll be hard for her to fight. Even then, her Quirk draws the most concern from me.

Really, it has to be _me _who has to fight Thirteen alone. Of course, it has to be. Well, I won't let Kodai down. "Don't worry, I'll make sure we pass. Give me the handcuffs." Without a word, she takes out the handcuffs and gives them to me. Okay, now I'll be able to cuff Thirteen when I gain the advantage.

"Rin," she says—it's a miracle that she's able to remember my name, "I'll distract her." I smile. I don't get to hear Kodai talking much, so it's a treasure whenever she says anything that isn't hums.

"Right." I lower my head in thanks, putting my hands together briefly. "Defeat will not be an option."

Crouching, still being hidden by the barrier, I use it to sneak around, remaining hidden from Thirteen's sight. She's no longer distracted by the announcement; instead, she's looking around for us. I follow the barrier making careful, near-silent footsteps. There's a gap in cover between me and the planter ahead. Thirteen is looking away, so I quickly dash behind the planter with her none-the-wiser. She doesn't even sense my fast movements. Along the planter, I get into position where I'm on Thirteen's right, remaining hidden from her line of sight. I look back where Kodai's at, barely able to see her hat sticking out.

Alright, Kodai will provide a distraction while I move in. Judging from eyesight alone, I'm about ten meters away from Thirteen. I can reach her within a second or two—maybe under a second if I put power in my legs.

I need to utilize my training. I derived the powerful, short-ranged attacks from bajiquan; also making use of aggressive speed from bao quan. Only God knows how much I hone my spiritual self. Because, my body is a well that contains the water of infinite power—infinite life force. With Scales, my Quirk, my life force becomes the manifestation of darkened jade scales like a dragon.

No matter what, I need to keep training my physical and spiritual self. Without one, I cannot have the other. My Quirk isn't like my brothers, or my father's, or my grandfather's, or my ancestors dating all the way back to the Origin of Quirks. I do not have the ability to channel my energy into powerful attacks—the true symbol of mastering oneself and practically nature. At birth, I wasn't lucky enough to be born with Astral unlike my six brothers, or be bestowed a name. For now, I am just Dragon Shroud—or Long Weizi.

_Pop!_

There's Kodai. She's emerging from her cover. The steel on her hat glistens in the light, making it easy for Thirteen to snap her attention towards Kodai. "Kodai, why did you reveal yourself like that?" Thirteen criticizes her, opening her left index finger to reveal her Black Hole. She didn't even ask about my whereabouts!

Kodai, in response, takes out five screws and throws them at Thirteen with all of her strength. She presses her fingertips together; in an instant, her screws multiply in size with the same velocity as before, flying towards Thirteen.

"Not so fast, missy!" Thirteen exclaims and activates her Quirk, turning the first gigantic screw in front of her into nothing but mere particles. Her attention is completely on Kodai! Okay, this is my chance!

I leap over the planter and roll over onto my feet, charging at Thirteen. She turns her head just slightly and sticks out her right hand, opening her index finger. I stop. Black Hole doesn't activate, but it's acting as a firearm—I'm held at gunpoint about four meters away. Thirteen disintegrates the five screws that Kodai threw at her with ease, completely countering her attack. After the screws are gone, Thirteen turns off Black Hole and gestures Kodai to come closer, holding her at gunpoint as well.

"Sorry you two. Like Snipe, I'm faster at the draw," Thirteen says, still holding me hostage with her Quirk. If/when she activates Black Hole, I'll be immediately sucked in and be broken down into mere atoms. At that point, I would be dead. However, that isn't the purpose of this fight. We aren't fighting to kill one another, but rather for incapacitation. Thirteen doesn't have the heart to kill her own students. But still, how would we win?

Kodai steps out from cover, slowly shambling over where she's about twelve or thirteen meters away from Thirteen. She has her hands together with a very unimpressed look on her face. Even when in danger, she doesn't react strongly about it. I'm not sure whether to feel insulted or unsurprised. "Mmm."

Thirteen tilts her head. "Sweetie, we went over this. I simply cannot translate Yui Speak unlike your friends!"

Kodai nods. "Mmm!" For a brief moment, she glances at me. Ah, so that's what she's doing… Thirteen has her focus on Kodai and her eccentric hums. She isn't focused on me whatsoever. Heh, this Exam is supposed to be a serious test, but no one can anticipate Kodai being Kodai! Maybe she _does _have the power to bend the world to her feet!

"...Mmm?" Thirteen replies, trying her best to talk in Yui Speak. However, her guard is down!

_DASH!_

"Huh?!"

I dash forward, reaching Thirteen within less than a second. She doesn't have time to activate Black Hole! I exclaim, "The battle is decided, Thirteen!"

With my left hand, I open my hand and palm Thirteen's wrist upwards towards the ceiling making her Quirk a non-issue. I spin one-hundred-eighty degrees clockwise and use my left hip to knock her off-balanced. She stumbles with her footing, being unable to correct herself. I can only imagine how hard it will be when wearing that large suit! That's truly her disadvantage!

I fold my left arm faster than the eye can see, almost like my arm is being snapped inwards. Thirteen isn't making an effort to counter! She knows she lost!

_BAM!_

I crash my elbow into her right hip, contorting her body due to my strike. She yelps in pain even through the layers of her costume. Before she moves too far away, I stomp on her right foot, smashing through her large yellow boot. From the impact of the stomp, she's forced to lean forward. There, I spin around and turn my right hand into a half-claw, launching it directly upwards. It contacts the gray rim of her helmet with enough force that—?!

_POP!_

Damn, I hit her so hard that her helmet popped off! Her head is snapped back, her body stumbling back, essentially everything is going back for her. She falls onto the ground groaning in pain. Before I do anything else, I fall down with her and handcuff Thirteen's right arm, finishing the Exam. "There! Forgive me, Thirteen, but you lost!"

And she…

She isn't wearing her helmet anymore. She's...a lot prettier than I had expected. Her hair's the same color as Kodai's, but longer and more vibrant—no offense to Kodai. Thirteen has the look of a graceful woman with gentle, soft features that compliment her fair skin. There is a beauty mark too just below her left eye. Thirteen, in today's world, is more on the plainer side, but she _is _beautiful in every sense of the word.

"...Rin, you're staring."

"Gah!" I stand up, bowing. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to stare! I, uh, I've never seen you without your helmet, Thirteen… You're, uh, not what I expected..."

Thirteen gets to her feet with her helmet tucked under one arm. She pouts. "And is _that _supposed to mean something, young man?"

"Ah!" My body stiffens like a board, as if I ate metal logs for breakfast. "N-No, I didn't mean to insult you! You're a very beautiful woman, Thirteen!" Eh? Did I say that right in front of her?! Damnit, why do I keep doing these things?!

Thirteen smiles, her cheeks growing a faint blush. "Uh huh." She looks happy, but why does her tone still sound so hostile?

Kodai joins standing beside me. She says, "You're very beautiful." Then she...smiles at me? Why is she smiling? It's certain that she's trying to communicate a message through looks alone, but I can't tell what exactly she's trying to say! There's a teasing glint in her eyes, but also smugness…

"You're sweet, Kodai." Then, Thirteen lets out an audible sigh, turning to me specifically. "You two did a good job. You realized that you exhausted your options in a long-ranged fight, so you switched to hand-to-hand combat. I'm impressed that you intentionally made that choice. With Class 1-A, Aoyama and Uraraka faced the same decision but unintentionally came up with the same answer through sheer luck. A moment too late and they would've been defeated."

Kodai hums. "Mhm." I'm pretty sure she said, _Thank you _.

"My pleasure!" Thirteen exclaims with a glistening smile. Ah, Kodai definitely thanked her. Our teacher looks at me in particular, forming a slight frown across her peach-colored lips. "Though, I have a few questions for you, Rin. Just minor criticisms of course."

I nod. "And I have a few answers, Thirteen." They'll definitely pertain to my fighting style. Thirteen must've noticed how I fight. With only my half-claw uppercut, it's easy to determine that I adopt Chinese martial arts into my technique. But that isn't what Thirteen will ask about. She'll ask about why I didn't immediately engage in close combat instead of uselessly firing my Scales into her Quirk.

"To start, you seem reluctant to fight in close quarters. In almost every training exercise I see, you're mainly using your Quirk to fight from afar. But from what you just did earlier, you seem incredibly skilled in martial arts with barely any hesitation. Can I ask why?" Thirteen says, asking exactly what I thought she would.

"That's...a long story," I admit, glancing at Kodai who's idly listening to our conversation. "To shorten it, I want to focus on training my Quirk and not my physical body. Where my body is at now, I'm content for the most part. However, my Quirk is pretty weak compared to someone like Shiozaki's."

Thirteen nods, accepting my answer. "I see. Anyway, let's head back to campus. We're not that far from the school anyway. Most of your classmates should be there. And don't tell them what my helmet was knocked off." She turns around and puts her helmet back on. Frankly, I thought she would say more than just "I see", but I shouldn't worry about this.

We start to head out of U.S.J. through the Escape Gate, which takes us to a back exit where we don't have to climb the stairs to the main entrance. Kodai, she's… Uhm, she's looking ahead with a very blank expression. I can't tell if she's feeling any semblance of emotion right now, but that's usual. Out of everything in the world, I can't figure out the mystery of Yui Kodai. She _must _feel happy that we passed at least.

I should—

"Rin," Kodai calls in a soft mutter, "thanks."

I smile and nod. "My pleasure."

Kodai returns a smile. Heh, once again, I'm reminded why she's a popular girl. She has an ordinary beauty like Thirteen. The average man wouldn't be able to pick her out of a crowd, but up close, she's a woman to admire. Though, I can't imagine myself having anything to do with romance. Everyone thinks that I'm a calm-headed man, I don't know why! When it comes to women, my mouth talks on its own! I say the wrong things every time! At least Thirteen and Kodai like me, because if I mess up with a complete stranger, then I'll never live that embarrassment down.

At least… At least I'm free to find someone I love, whether that'll happen in high school or as a Pro Hero. Dad didn't get that chance because his wife, my mother, was picked for him by Grandpa. It was an arranged marriage—a Quirk Marriage to be exact. My mother's Quirk is Energy Production, a Mutation-type that allows the process of cellular respiration to perform more effectively, thus producing a larger amount of ATP, a substance that allows the body to perform its daily needs. That isn't the only function though. Normally, one's body would produce enough AP to allow their Quirk to function correctly without fail, but only _just _enough—hence AP Levels. Usually, those with powerful Quirks have high amounts of AP flowing throughout them. Yet there is a counter to that line of logic: Not everyone with a high AP Level has a powerful Quirk. An example is Mom. Energy Production itself does not require a large amount of AP to function, but the processes to produce AP, much like cellular respiration, is constantly producing AP even though Energy only needs a small amount. Because this happens, Energy Production has an abundance of ATP and AP.

With Astral, a Quirk that requires high amounts of AP, Mom was the perfect choice. Energy is perfectly compatible with Astral, mutating Astral's genetic sequence flawlessly for the user's benefit. As a result, anyone with Astral has access to a bigger pool of energy than previous generations, allowing them to fight harder _and _longer. Their AP Levels are the highest they've ever been too once they fully trained with their Quirk. Grandpa, his AP Level at his prime was 11,000AP; Dad was 12,500AP; but Lian? He hasn't reached his prime yet, but his AP Potential is 17,500AP. That's massive. I don't know All Might's AP Level at his prime, yet I'm sure that Lian rivals him.

Me though? When I got my AP Level measured a while back, I was sitting at 463AP. It's low; afterwards however, I talked to Recovery Girl personally to find out my AP Potential. She said that I was the second highest in the class with 7,750AP—and with Inochi being at 12,500AP. Recovery Girl said that I have a "decent" chance of being in the Top Ten with that number. It's crazy though, seeing the gap between Inochi and I.

I don't know much about his family, but I know mine. In China, heroism works differently than here. The Top Ten in China are ruled by rivaling families with the Fei-Longs—my family—being one of the strongest. We constantly compete to be No.1 because whoever is there, they represent the entire family. We fight not only for pride and fame, but also for the government. As No.1, we would "have power that is indescribable". That was what Grandpa said to me. I assume he misses that power after he lost his role as the No.1 Pro Hero in China. He never told me why, but Lian did—after convincing Grandpa of course. It was because of a mission in Busan, South Korea. That was all Grandpa said. Though, around the same timeframe, the Busan Bombing took place. I don't think I can call that a "coincidence".

That's besides the point. After Grandpa retired, Dad took his place as Xuanwu. Constantly, he was and still _is _shifting between spots five through three. Despite how much he worked towards No.1, he knew that it would be impossible in his lifetime. That's why he settled for the future. After he married Mom, he had Lian, who would turn out to be the strongest child. But he didn't know that then, so he decided to have more children—four boys and two girls. One of those boys is me.

(For some reason though, only men were able to be born with Astral, not women. Lian told me that he thinks sex is one of the key factors of determining whether or not you will be born with Astral.)

Anyway, it's obvious that I wasn't born with Astral. Out of the five boys, I was the only one who was born with Scales—a Quirk completely unrelated to Astral _and _Energy Production. Immediately, there was a chasm between my father and I. He never paid much attention to me, rather focusing on training with Lian, Song, and He.

Immediately, Lian stood out from the rest. He was a prodigy. He had a greater control of Astral at age five, the same amount of control that Dad had when he was sixteen. When he was ten, he mastered all kinds of Chinese martial arts. Sixteen, he was powerful enough to be in the lower Top Ten. Now, he's twenty-four capable of defeating Endeavor if he wanted to. With just his own body, being boosted by Quirk Passivity, he could defeat all of Class 1-B without using his Quirk. Anyway, he already has his license to be a Pro Hero, but he won't work until Dad retires. There, he'll be known as "Shangdi".

I'm not...completely jealous of Lian. I made my peace with my Quirk a long time ago. There's no reason to cry about being born in a lower position, because I can simply work to rise the ranks. That's why Lian took notice of me. Every time I decide to train by myself, I do it in the courtyard with an orchard. I always see Lian there, laying under a peach tree eating the ripest peach it has. It went on for a little while until he began to teach me himself.

Because of Lian, I trained my body and honed my skills until I became satisfied. But he never trained me with Scales, because he didn't know how to. I can't blame him because Astral and Scales is like comparing a whale to a shrimp. Yet despite the clear chasm of power between us, he still trained me. With his guidance, I can confidently say that I'm an expert in hand-to-hand fighting. In this school, everyone would consider me as a master, all thanks to him.

And he's the reason why I want to be a Hero for the most part. I want to be as strong as him, which will be an impossible feat, but I'll still try. He is the best man I know, so I need to honor him. In fact, he's the one who sent me to Japan and to U.A. High School. He knew that Dad wouldn't care about me seeking training elsewhere, so he made the decision for him and shipped me on a plane.

Heh, Japan is so different from China. The atmosphere is a bit lighter, and everyone admires Heroes more at home. When I first came here, I had never seen so many people wearing merchandise and constantly cheering Heroes on. There were a few like that in China, but not _this _much. The government in China has much more of an influence in heroism on a day-to-day basis, but in Japan, heroism is a constant topic that is universally accepted to be more important than the Japanese government. Personally, I wouldn't be able to choose which culture I like better, frankly. Both places are amazing, but in Japan, I'm...included, if that word makes sense. I have those who genuinely care about me, even when some of their antics can get a little much. And of course, there's the star of 1-B…

Sanji Inochi, the Baihu ("White Tiger") of 1-B—that's what Lian calls him anyway. (I talk to Lian about a lot over the phone.)

When I look at him and then Lian, they're similar; though, Inochi isn't as lazy as Lian. They're upbeat men in general though, not letting the world catch them when their spirits are low. Simply put, they exude an energetic energy every time they walk in the room, emitting an atmosphere that says, "I want everyone to live their best lives."

Though, Inochi is a darker man than he seems. He has such a light spirit, but I think… I think if I try to tap at his heart, it would sound hollow. There's something awfully peculiar about Inochi—that doesn't revolve around his Quirk. For instance, he rarely gets angry, but when he does, we _all _can feel it. I felt it twice, both times being caused by Suzuki—once at the Sports Festival and once during The Six Wanderers. This point might sound useless, since demons flee whenever a good man is angry. I might be imagining things, but there's something _more _to his anger than what meets the eye.

I didn't want to see it. It's why I punched him when he was about to assault Suzuki again. I did it for his own well-being. Inochi is one of the role models in 1-B and to every Quirkless in Japan. As much as he abhors fame, he has to stay in that spotlight. And I hope that he's able to handle it.

Because when I think about everything now, Inochi's Quirk makes a little more sense. Adoptive Muscle Memory as it stands is a good Quirk on its own—I wouldn't be surprised if someone has this Quirk. Yet it's not his actual Quirk, but a passive effect…

An inherited effect, like Astral and Energy Production. Whenever you would describe Energy Production, one would think, "Oh, that's your Quirk right?" You correct them, saying that Energy Production is simply a _passive effect _of the true Quirk, which is Astral.

Astral "absorbed" Energy Production into its own DNA without any major alterations to Astral itself. Quirks do not do that. Whenever Quirks "combine", they usually become a new Quirk altogether. Yet Astral as a whole remained the same. What if Inochi's Quirk is the same way? His Quirk "absorbed" Adoptive Muscle Memory from one of his parents.

It might be far-fetched, but the AP Levels don't lie. With Inochi sitting at 12,500AP and Lian at 17,500AP, and with these passive effects, one can say that there's a pattern with these two Quirks. Or maybe I'm wrong. I'm not a metaologist by any means—I'm only a high school student. Connecting the dots and making comparisons are how I came up with this theory.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong; if I'm right, I'm right. My life won't be affected by this—maybe. I have no idea what the future will bring.

Anyway, we're at campus. I see almost everyone gathering around a panel of TV screens, watching the final two matches—Tokage and Tsubaraba's, and Monoma's. But I hear them gossiping about Inochi's and Kendo's match, so they must not be here yet. Kodai and I approach everyone while Thirteen reconvenes with the other teachers.

Kuroiro is the first one to see us. He smirks and lowers his head as if he's about to declare himself as the dark overlord of the darkest darkness. I don't mind that he's a dramatic man. Ironically enough, I think he's one of the more normal ones in 1-B. "My dear friends, I see that you come bearing smiles and not frowns. I take it that your fight with Thirteen was a triumphant one?"

Kodai nods. "Mhm."

I nod too. "That's right."

"Amazing, I expected nothing less from the shadow controller of the world," Kuroiro comments, crossing his arms. "And you as well, Rin."

...Okay. "I frankly don't know how to respond to that comment, so I'll just say that I'm happy you passed too, Kuroiro. Unless you really know how to hide your defeat well."

Kuroiro leans his head back and laughs, clearly in a good mood. "Heh, worry not, my dear friend! Yanagi and I defeated Ectoplasm with our two minds alone. I, the great schemer and swindler, have conquered my villain, and I shall conquer Fate itself!"

"Good luck," Kodai says before she starts walking away.

I ask, "Where are you going?"

"Tired," she replies… I don't think "Tired" is a place, but I could be wrong. Now, it's just Kuroiro and I. Never mind, Awase is approaching us.

Awase wraps his arms over my shoulder and Kuroiro's, bringing us close. "What's up guys? Looks like we'll be going to summer camp! I heard some top-class Heroes will be there to train us! Can't freaking wait!"

"Hopefully it doesn't exhaust us to the bone," I voice my concerns, pulling Awase's arm off of my shoulder. "I swear, if I hear the words 'Intense Physical Training', my soul will leave my body and turn me a husk of my former self."

"Dude, I feel that…" Awase puts a hand over his heart shutting his eyes for a second. "But for me, those words are 'Pop Quiz'."

Kuroiro lets out a defeated sigh, nodding in agreement. "Indeed, but what truly kills my soul is the words 'We should be friends'." He ducks underneath Awase's arm and closes his eyes dramatically, acting like his soul is trembling in pain.

Awase clutches his chest; he feels the exact same pain that Kuroiro is feeling. "No, what would kill a man is 'I already have a boyfriend'. Looks like we're both lovesick men sailing on the high seas, Kuroiro. We'll be bachelors until the day we die. What about you, Rin? Think you'll find love?"

"It's about the same odds as you two. But at least you have someone you like, Awase. Even if you fell for her thighs first and not her character," I answer, smirking.

He puts his hand out and shakes his head. "No no no, I'm not like that! Shojo's one of the most, _most _cutest girls in the world. You think so, Kuroiro?"

"No comment."

"Haha! But yeah, that is a fact, alright? Not an opinion or some crap like that, a _fact! _With her auburn hair tied up in a ponytail…" Awase starts to swoon…

"Awase..." I say, but it's too late. He's swooning.

He continues, "She acts all high and mighty, but she's just a really shy girl underneath…"

"..."

Oh God. He's behind Awase. Kuroiro whispers, "Uhm, fiend…"

"Awase!" I loudly whisper trying to get his attention, but he isn't listening!

"Whenever she geeks out, I wanna listen to her. There's nothing better than a passionate girl who doesn't care about what anyone says!" Damnit, Awase! Don't you see that you are about to be murdered right now?!

Kuroiro snaps his fingers in front of his face, but not even that works! Awase's eyes are closed shut!

Awase opens his eyes and lays his hands over his cheeks, completely oblivious to the situation! "Oh of course, her body… She might have small breasts sure, they won't turn me away. I will literally kill everyone and myself for those legs, damnit!"

Kuroiro shouts, "For the love of gods, hit the breaks, Awase!"

"Huh…?" he snaps out of his swooning, glancing at Kuroiro and I. "Why are you guys shouting so much—?" Awase looks behind him, "—Ahaha..."

"What's up?" Manga waves, standing right behind Awase. Awase shrieks _very _manly and jumps up a few meters in the air; afterwards, he runs behind me and uses me as a human shield with Manga totally unamused. "Hey Rin."

"Hey Manga, how's your Exam?" I casually ask.

"I passed, became deaf, life is good. So good that this guy keeps perving on my twin sister, the very reason why I wanted to be a Hero," he replies, turning to Awase who's cowering behind me. I understand why Kamakiri calls him "Headband". His headband is cutting off the blood flow to his brain. He's losing brain cells every second.

Awase whispers in my ear, "Hey dude, help me out here would ya? I'm gonna get my ass handed to me all the way to next week!"

I turn my head towards him. "Honestly, this sounds like a you problem." There's a look of betrayal on Awase's face. It's unmistakable. It's the same face one would make when your dog chooses to munch on a bone rather than play with you—basically Shojo and Kagesuke. Awase looks at Kuroiro next, who denies him any help.

Admitting that he is doomed, Awase steps in front of me and bows. "How long is my headstart?" he asks.

"Ten seconds," Manga answers.

Awase runs away.

Ten seconds passes.

Manga walks after him. "Thank goodness that Inochi isn't here, because he'll stop me." And that's the last thing Manga says before he attempts to assassinate Awase.

Kuroiro and I watch him calmly walk towards Awase. Our headband-wearing friend is currently cowering behind a tree thinking that it's good enough to protect him. He must've forgot that Manga's Quirk is powerful enough to destroy an entire street. Kuroiro inquires, "We ought to tell a teacher, should we not?"

"We should, but Awase had it coming. I'm surprised that it didn't happen earlier." I sigh, taking off my visor. I'm sweating too much for my own good. "Anyway Kuroiro, I—"

"Kuroiro!" From a distance, Komori yells at us, specifically my friend here. Kuroiro seizes up and stands at attention, immediately diverting all of his focus to her. "C'mere! I wanna talk to you 'bout something real quick!"

Heh, Awase isn't the only one who has a crush. I nudge his shoulder, and that gesture is enough for Kuroiro to jog over to Komori. Alright, I'm alone. I'm alone…

_"Looks like you found your family, Lin. Y'know that old Christian saying? Uhm, 'blood is thicker than water'? Heard that was wrong. It was…"_

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." That's the phrase, alright. We, to the last, are outsiders one way or another. Yet, that's the exact reason we form bonds tougher than any metal—it is unbreakable like the strongest steel. I'm sure Shiozaki would love what Lian used that phrase, even though he's Chinese.

Well, what to do now? Everyone is waiting for the star duo to come back from their test. Maybe—

"Rin!" Thirteen grabs my attention, running up with my phone in her left hand. She places it in my hand. "Your brother's calling."

Yup, it's Lian's name. "Thank you, Thirteen. Have a nice day."

"You too!" She runs back wherever she comes from.

I shouldn't keep Lian waiting. I tap the green icon. "Hey Lian."

"Long Weizi!"

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

We have 12 minutes and 15 seconds left. That's what my internal clock tells me. As much as I love Principal Nezu, he's a pain in the ass. He is one of my direct counters because—I hate to admit it—he is smarter than me. His Quirk, High Specs, enhances intelligence far beyond the average human's, rivaling natural geniuses. Really, the only thing that could rival his intelligence are prodigies who take physics classes in universities while being ten years old! They are the only ones who have the possibility to outsmart and even trick Nezu.

For the last eighteen minutes, Tsuburaba and I have been getting our stupid butts handed to us. From the get-go, I was able to detect that Nezu is operating a large yellow crane about one hundred meters to the east of the center of Ground Gamma. However, to actually reach his position is another story. Of course, with my perfect Quirk, I easily flew towards Nezu's position and tried to take him down, but the slimy bastard had _flamethrowers _built into his crime that acted as barriers. He didn't activate the flamethrowers himself, so they're only activated whenever something, or someone, unwanted goes into the proximity of the crane. Either way, I won't be able to disable Nezu and pass the Exam via incapacitation. Yeah, Lizard Tail Splitter is practically near-invincible with my small, fast-moving parts. However, attacks with a large area of effect—or attacks with superhuman precision—can easily disable and render me an exhausted mess.

Of course, seeing that taking out Nezu was a bad idea, the Escape Gate were our only option. That idea got ruined. From his crane, Nezu swung around a wrecking ball that destroyed one standing structure, than another, than another, then yeah… As a result from the cascade of destruction, the escape routes to the Escape Gate became blocked one by one. Some of the factories even exploded too! From the nature of our Final Exam, I'm pretty sure our teachers _have _to give us a winning chance because it'll be plain rude if they make the fight impossible to win from the beginning—only jackasses do that. There has to be one path open somewhere. The Escape Gate is located at the southern end of Ground Gamma; naturally, Nezu's wrecking ball forced us north, the exact opposite of where we want to go. At this point, we have to cross 75% of Ground Gamma to reach the Escape Gate if we go straight ahead. There's no telling how many detours we have to take because of Nezu. Though, I could always fly above the structures and escape. That will result in leaving Tsuburaba behind and he'll get his ass crushed by the wrecking ball. It's a terrible idea. There's no doubt that Nezu will fail me for abandoning my partner despite me fulfilling one of the winning conditions.

Maybe that's why we were paired up. Nezu, as said before, is my direct counter to my usually-supreme smarts, and Tsuburaba is my partner because he limits my ability to just fly outta here. Nezu removed the obvious ways that I could win, forcing me to think up new ways that could let us achieve that sweet gold medal. On Tsuburaba's end, Nezu probably wants him to get an experience of what it's like to plan an attack knowing what your opponent will do even if they themselves have no freaking clue! I, being the genius I am, could totally come up with a plan to hightail it outta here or even get past Nezu's defenses somehow, but Nezu is not giving me time to think. Really right now, I'm lucky because I have time to think about everything. Nezu isn't tearing everything down around us, so we're perfectly safe for a little bit.

"Tokage," Tsuburaba gets my attention, doing some stretches out of boredom, "you came up with a plan yet? I kinda gave that responsibility to you since I'm not...exactly a smart guy."

"What's new?" I coyly reply with a quite cute smirk, if I say so myself. "I mean, for your last essay in Heroism Foundations, you went on a tangent about Korean Heroes being 'too beautiful for this scummy world'. I'm not sure if you were being spiteful or jealous. Maybe both honestly…"

"In my defense, practically half of South Korea's Heroes are supermodels. Have you seen the No.6 Hero, uhm, what is it, uh… Ah right! Starfield? She is one of the prettiest Idol Heroes there! She was even taught by Bam, whoever she is! I shouldn't mention the freaking guys there too. Sheesh, talking about pretty boys..." he says, probably jealous. He's living in a cave when it comes to anything that doesn't involve Japanese Heroes. To say "whoever she is" when referring to Bam is a little bit insulting, considering Bam dedicated her entire life to improve heroism in South Korea after the Busan Bombing. I personally have a conspiracy theory that it was a joint-international mission considering that there's eyewitness accounts of a Sengoku-period samurai wearing a white and gold haori. Kinda out of place considering that Japanese-inspired Heroes in Korea is a little… How do I say this…? It's like confusing France for Britain. The news stations at the time caught some glimpses of other foreign Heroes too.

I sigh, shrugging and looking up at the intricate maze of cold, hard pipelines. "You're jealous of Sanji, aren't you? Wait, what was his real name again? Jun-seo? I wouldn't be surprised if he has a secret identity."

"Aw quiet, Tokage! Someone needs to beat him in the most handsome men of U.A.!" he exclaims being absolutely delusional. The only other person I imagine beating Sanji would be Todoroki. As far as I know, he's the one other guy who has a fanclub.

"Uh huh. You're more delusional than Kuroiro." Right, we need to actually start talking about our Exam. "Anyway shut up, we gotta talk about our game plan. As it stands, our best option is finding a route to the Escape Gate and getting the heck outta here."

"Good!" exclaims Tsuburaba pumping his fist in the air, "you can just fly up and have a bird's eye view of everything!"

I raise a finger. "But Nezu will see me. Look Airhead—"

"Lizard Head," he retorts.

"Thank you, now lemme finish! Look—" I form a fist and punch my other palm, "—Nezu has us against the ropes. He's controlling our movements from the very beginning; in fact, I'm pretty sure he knows our exact location. Once I expose myself, he will react and try his dang best to crush us with debris. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. We'd be doing what he expects and fall right into his trap. That rat-dog-mice-thing has been playing 4D Chess from the get-go. Ground Gamma's his freaking chessboard and he's wrecking it!" he catches on, taking a second to look around at our environment. There's pipelines that attach to factories that probably produce nothing. This entire battleground is a labyrinth of industry. I'm pretty sure people who support Karl Marx would vomit at the sight. Tsuburaba smirks and says, "Lemme be honest with you, Tokage. I don't think we can escape without getting trapped by a rogue pipe or something. You said it yourself, right? Nezu knows exactly what we're at and knows what our options are, which is just losing, more losing, and even more losing! Instead of running away like a pansy, we oughta fight back! Give him a taste of Plus Ultra!"

...That actually makes sense. If we do decide to escape, Nezu gave us options where each one will inevitably lead us to defeat. Instead of going down the roads that are already paved, we pave our own road. But with that said, how exactly can we do it? Defeating Nezu himself would be incredibly easy if it wasn't for the fact that he's a small mastermind with a thousand gadgets at his disposal. His crane acts as a shield already, but his flamethrowers are a constant threat to my… everything. We need to find a way to disable his defenses while simultaneously keeping us alive and well. Maybe…

Wait.

"Tsuburaba!" I snap my fingers. "I think I got it! When we were running away from Nezu—"

"Which time?" he asks.

I facepalm. "All the time. Anyway shut up! The Queen of 1-B is having a eureka moment! When we were running away from Nezu, he tore down some buildings, right?"

"Right…"

"They collapsed obviously, but some of them _exploded _. That doesn't happen unless the buildings themselves contained something volatile enough to conduct an explosive reaction. And what's your Quirk again?"

"Solid Air. I can solidify air through my breath. Are you tryna say something?"

"Of course, Airhead! How about we do a little Quirk experimenting today? You're about to find out what else your Quirk can do! I understand that might be a little hard given the current situation—"

"Ah, difficulty can go to hell! If you think it's possible, then it's possible! Look Tokage, I'm about to put the 'Ultra' into 'Plus Ultra' dammit! I'm in this school for a reason, and that's to win!" he declares with the might of just himself! Would you look at that? I _can _be a good and powerful leader!

I take a closer look at the pipelines, but wait, there's a factory in the distance! It's going away from Nezu! It has a peculiar red symbol that's often used to label explosives. Oh, I wonder what does it contain? I chuckle, batting my hair like a true genius. "I see our destination, Tsuburaba!" I point at our factory in question. "Just like a video game!"

"Hell yeah! Let's head there—!"

_RING!_

"I'm all done with my smoke break! Now it's time to obliterate!" Principal Nezu yells over the intercoms. "You two have exactly ten minutes left! Make it count!"

Shit, okay! If we both head towards the factory, then Nezu will destroy and we have to find another! We need to split up! I whisper to Tsuburaba, "Head towards the factory! I'll draw Nezu's attention so he doesn't target you or the factory!"

"Got it! I'll run first!" He starts running towards the factory. Good, he doesn't question my orders! Okay, I think I know where Nezu wants us to go! I'll just follow that route!

I split up into my many pieces and turn left, going over and under the elaborate pipes of Ground Gamma. Nezu taunts, "Splitting up I see? Well I'll just take care of the fast one first! Sorry, Lizardry!"

I hear the distant sounds of metal creaking and moaning, before the whirl of something heavy.

_SMASH!_

That's the wrecking ball alright! Like before, it'll begin a cascade of falling structures in an attempt to both crush and bury me. But at least he isn't paying attention to Tsuburaba! I follow the obvious path, turning three times before there's a straight, clear path that goes on for fifty meters before a fork splits it into two. I fly forward, but the cascade already reaches me. The walls of my newfound home are threatening to turn me into a Setsuna sandwich, and I particularly don't like being eaten this way. Lemme give you the recipe first, even though I don't like this kind of sandwich.

You see, the main ingredients involve a Setsuna Tokage in the middle of what I like to call a "warzone". Around this "warzone" is a good dash of steel pipes falling down around her in all directions. Accompanying those pipes are sprinkles of concrete peppering Setsuna Tokage and making her taste quite bitter. The bread are the outside walls of the two buildings beside her, about to topple over and crush the adorable Setsuna into tomato paste. But of course, she manages to weave through the toxic ingredients by going over, under, around, and taking very unorthodox routes to the end of the road. Surprise surprise, she's alive and well! She didn't turn into a Setsuna sandwich and instead emerged as a living woman capable of taking down the sun itself! Bow down to the Queen of 1-B!

Anyway, after that's over with, I should take the right path since I'll be heading in Tsuburaba's direction. I don't think it matters here since Nezu will probably lead me into a dead end anyhow. This is just the illusion of choice. "Ahaha! Are you reading down the _right _path, Tokage?" Nezu exclaims from above. Yeah, now I'm pretty sure that this will lead to a dead end. Oh well.

"Pretty sure!" I reply, hopefully loud enough that a camera or a speaker picks up on my voice. "Sorry Principal Nezu, you've been playing 4D Chess, but I'm playing 5D! I wouldn't underestimate 1-B's prodigy!"

"You're a prodigy for being kinda stupid!" Ouch. I felt that right in my heart. Who knew U.A.'s panda-rat could be so freaking cruel?

_SMASH!_

Ah, he's wrecking with his wrecking ball, deciding that the wreckage I have isn't enough wreckage so he's adding some wreckage with my wreckage so I can wreckage while I wreckage—outstanding. At least I'm not completely surrounded by thick solid walls. To my right, I see Tsuburaba trying to climb up to the factory in short glimpses. Great, he's doing it. He isn't the smartest guy, but he's dependable. There aren't any undependable guys in 1-B—gals too. Everyone is useful in their own way, even Monoma!

_CRASH!_

_FALL!_

Ah, it's just more dodging and weaving. Nothing too exciting, I did this just earlier! Can't Nezu change up the way he can attack? Or is it just relying on the cascading effect and running down the clock his best option? He should know that he should've used Faux Villains to fight us instead, maybe even control Charon to try and take us down? Nah, Charon is too big for that. The regular ol' zero-pointer should do, but I know how to turn that thing off. This confirms that my lovely principal is a silly goose.

"Where you're flying towards is a dead end, Lizardy! Make sure to not become dead yourself! It'll be a shame if this story would have a bad ending!" gloats Nezu and his infinite wisdom of Nezu-ism. Too bad I'm not flying towards a dead end because—

—Tsuburaba gives me a thumbs-up, standing on top of the factory and going inside. Time to make my gracious exit. I exclaim, "Au revoir, mon ami!" Then I fly above the skyline and pipes, immediately soaring towards the factory.

"Oh? That's unexpected," I hear Nezu say before I duck inside the entrance, quickly reforming myself. Good, I think Nezu has to think a little to figure out where to hit in order to destroy the factory. We're lucky that his previous two cascades didn't destroy _this _factory, my goodness. Tsuburaba stands in front of a large tank that is labeled "PROPANE". Heh, we can certainly use that!

I reform myself—mostly really. My left eye is lagging behind a little. Tsuburaba glances at me while he's trying to turn the valve to let the propane out. With his manly muscles, he opens it and I quickly smell the fresh gas of propane. "Glad to see you're taking initiative, Airhead!"

"Yeah yeah! By the way, we're basically creating grenades to throw at Nezu right? I never actually tried moving the constructs I made with Solid Air before…" he informs me with a little uncertainty in his voice.

I catch my left eye and put it back in my face. "Like I said, Quirk experimentation. Better now than never, I say! Now c'mon, find a way to utilize propane with Solid Air!"

"What are you two doing in there? Scheming something big, aren't we?" Nezu calls out to us. I can sense the crane moving. We're running out of time.

Tsuburaba sweats and exhales a line of Solid Air, but he swipes it away; I think that attempt failed. "C'mon Kosei c'mon Kosei! You got a cute girl counting on you! Don't mess it up!"

"Cute _and _smart," I add on.

"Yeah yeah! Lemme focus, dammit!" he swears before trying again, and failing. I look behind me and see the wrecking ball swinging around like a pendulum, beginning its charge. That's really not good! What is Tsuburaba doing? Maybe… Maybe I think he's trying to store the propane gas within a construct of Solid Air! That requires a fine degree of Quirk control, and I don't think he's at that level yet!

"Tsuburaba, instead of trying to store the propane in a ball of Solid Air, how about you breathe in the propane and turn _that _into a construct itself?" I suggest, and Tsuburaba's head perks up.

"Ah, that makes sense! Thanks Tokage, you're a genius!"

"I know." Tsuburaba has the ability to solidify air through his breath. The thing about air though, most people would immediately think air is equal to oxygen. Thus, Tsuburaba can only solidify _oxygen _, but air is not wholly made up of oxygen. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, and plenty of other stuff makes up the air we breathe in. So what if there's a little propane added to it? Tsuburaba would be able to solidify it nonetheless. Sure it would taste terrible and wouldn't be totally great for your body, but medicine has gotten quite advanced in the last few years.

_BLOW!_

And in front of me, Tsuburaba successfully blows up a sphere the size of his hand, taking hold of it. He pumps his fist up. "We got it! Turns out we _can _carry this thing around! "Tokage, take this! I— Fuck, the wrecking ball's coming!"

"Get out of here! I'll do the rest!" Tsuburaba tosses the sphere into my hands, and—!

_SMASH!_

_CASCADE!_

_BOOM!_

"Oh how pitiful! I do hope you two are okay! If not, then this would be a lot of paperwork to do! Not to mention that I would probably go to Tartarus for the rest of my life!"

_SOAR!_

"Sorry Principal Nezu, you're not getting rid of me that easily! Killing me with an explosion is a pretty stupid idea since I can just fly the heck out!" I barely escaped in time. As soon as I grabbed the sphere, I split myself into fifty pieces and flew out of the factory, making sure that the sphere wouldn't be harmed. The cascade happened almost immediately though, sending a trial of destruction towards us. A few of my pieces _did _get caught in the explosion, which definitely stung. For Tsuburaba, I barely saw him jumping out of an exit with the skin on his back before the explosion happened. I'm sure he's fine though.

"How troublesome…" Nezu is helpless to stop me. I'm above the buildings, out of the range of his cascades. Quickly, I'm approaching his position, reaching him within ten seconds. Nezu still sits in his yellow crane with a smile on his face, staring directly at me. He even waves! "Greetings Tokage! I see you got something in your hand! Care to explain what it is?"

"You're about to find out!" I don't think I'll be able to throw this. Usually Tsuburaba's constructs would float in mid-air, so I think I have to literally suicide bomb Nezu. I'm not going to kill myself _obviously _, but sacrifice one of my hands to defeat him. It shouldn't be a problem since I can regrow my limbs anyway.

This will hurt though. My left hand is the one holding the sphere. I rush that part of myself towards Nezu's crane, and inevitably, his flamethrowers will activate. Nezu just watches me with a gleeful smile, tilting his head curiously as if he's accepting this fate. Then…

_FLAME!_

The flamethrowers activate and I dive my left hand right in. The sphere practically breaks apart, and—

— _BOOM!_

The crane explodes. A sharp pain flares throughout my nerves, but that's fine. Nothing to write home about. I hear Nezu yelping before a soft _thud _a few seconds after. He's probably on ground level due to the explosion. I fly towards the source of the noise and hey, I'm right once again! Nezu is sitting on his butt with his suit colored smoky and sooty. I land five meters ahead of him with my two feet landing first. I walk towards him while my body reforms. With my waist appearing, I take out my handcuffs with my right hand—the only hand that I have for the moment, heh. "Can you give me your wrists, sir?" I ask.

Obediently, Nezu lends his wrists at the same time my body becomes whole.

_Click-click!_

And with that, I just passed my Final Exam.

Nezu goofily hops up to his feet and exclaims, "Congratulations Tokage! You made fine use of Tsuburaba's Quirk and used my own equipment against me! You completely fulfilled my expectations! You and your partner! Now where is he?"

"Right...here…" Tsuburaba appears covered in more smoke than an actual fire. He shambles over like a zombie before falling flat on his face. "Ow…"

"You barely escaped, huh?" I ask.

"Yeah… That sucked… If we have to do that ever again, I'd rather just die."

"I'll be the one to put a bullet in your brain then."

"That's dark!" Nezu offhandedly comments, marching up and standing on top of Tsuburaba's dead body. "Nonetheless, I have officially murdered one of my students! Hip hip hurray! Let's ring the church bells!"

Tsuburaba, the dead man, wails, "I'm not dead! Get off of me, Principal Nezu! We already beat you, so step off! Literally!"

"I don't think so! I enjoy being somewhat tall for once! There's a reason why I hide in Eraserhead's scarf all the time!"

"That's his Capture Weapon! Now get off of me, dammit!"

"Don't use that language around adults, young man!"

"Frankly, I'm more scared of using language around Shiozaki than around you, sir!"

"That's fair! She can be a really scary woman!"

But also a goddess.

Jeez, U.A. can be a hot mess sometimes.

* * *

**Neito Monoma**

I wonder… Hypothetically, when you fall to the ground, did you ever really crash, or even make a sound? When you touch someone's hand but your hand phases through, were you ever really there, or even worthy of being seen? When you stand in front of the sun, would someone really notice you, or would they only be blinded by the glare? When you stand in a crowd with faces all around, who are the faceless: those who you see? Or were you the faceless all along?

Would you ever crash and make an impact?

Would you ever fall and attract everyone around?

Would you ever bleed and stain their clothes red?

Would I ever make a difference?

Would I ever be in history?

Would I ever have the light?

Would I ever be a Hero like those who came before me?

"You can never be a Hero like All Might!" said the feisty child who had an Extendable Spine. He rose to be the same height of a middle school student. He rose over a small blonde-haired boy whose spirit was stronger than his physical body. The feisty child practically roared like a lion and said, "You can't even use your Quirk! How could you be a Hero?!"

"I could be a Hero!" cried the blonde-haired boy, who slammed his hand against his heart as if he was declaring to a crowd of know-nots who had no faith in the boy that he would be remembered in history. "Just you wait! I'mma be a Hero! A great one! Just you wait!"

Another smug boy with 360 Degree Rotation appeared from behind the blonde, smirking—obviously since he was the smug boy. "It's impossible for someone like you to be a Hero! You're basically Quirkless!"

"Be quiet!" the blonde said, promising to the two boys and the others watching them from afar. "And I'm not Quirkless! I got one jointy-thing in my pinky toe! That proves I have a Quirk! I just gotta… I just gotta figure out how to use it!"

"Nuh uh!" the smug boy replied, waving his finger at the other boy. "I know a term for people like you! You're legally Quirkless! I dunno what 'legally' means, but you're that alright! You're legally Quirkless!"

A girl strutted up to the three boys wearing her pride close to her chest. She had the ability to Draw Air, and with her Quirk, she dragged her finger along the near-frictionless space and wrote: "Stupid Quirkless!" She stuck her tongue out at the blonde-haired boy, who didn't take kindly to her rude message.

"I'm not a stupid Quirkless! Who cares if I'm legally Quirkless or something like that?! I'll be a Hero no matter what! Watch, my Quirk's gonna blow everyone away!" promised the boy, who was legally Quirkless. Yes, he had a Quirk, but he was unable to use it. The doctors said that he most definitely had a Quirk, yet they had no idea how he could activate it. It was a complete mystery, an enigma within a riddle. Of course, word spread throughout his elementary school class, where each one awakened to their Quirk—their future.

They held their future. Those with boring Quirks? Heh, the world cared not for them. They would blend in with the majority of the people with equally bland Quirks. Their individualism must lie within their own personality and intelligence, and even then, those were rare. How about those with a Mutation-type? Those that were aesthetically-pleasing were accepted by most. With Mutations that came straight out of a horror movie? Then that was an issue altogether. As humans, we are conditioned to look towards the shiny gem—the jewel of jewels that twinkled the brightest akin to the North Star. When we were mere children, incapable of imagining that we wielded the swords that would cut away towards our futures, we still understood that those with the greatest gems would be the next stars that Japan would rely on.

I, Neito Monoma, thought I could be one of these stars. The doctors confirmed that I had a Quirk; I wasn't able to activate it for weeks. My loving parents took me to various doctors and they could not solve my future. Thus, they pinned me with a label that would determine my future to be shamed and shunned: legally Quirkless. I was legally Quirkless for a few weeks, yet it would determine my identity.

I believed that being legally Quirkless would mean that my Quirk would be the best thing that ever was! That made sense, right? It made sense that my awakening was purposely delayed to wow my classmates! God made me this way and He crafted me so particularly that I would be one of the greatest Heroes of all time! This delay proved that my future would be a shining diamond in the rough!

Yet God gave some people the ability to shine from the moment of their awakening. There, walking towards me and the crowd was the star student of my class. I forgot his name, but I knew his Quirk. He had the power of Force Amplification. Much like Shoda's Twin Impact, he could punch something and amplify the force of the impact. However, the amplification could multiply the amount of force much more than what Twin Impact could achieve. An adult would be injured if this child punched them and used his Quirk—that was how powerful his Force Amplification was.

Basically, as elementary schoolers go, he was the king of the school. To little Neito Monoma, the king said to me, "Neito, you're so dumb! Everyone knows a Quirkless can't be a Hero, 'cuz they're not strong 'nuff to be one! You're weak and stupid! You gotta learn that!"

"Yeah!" cheered the feisty boy who pumped his fist in the air. "You're so weak and dumb! What he said! What he said!"

"I'm not weak _or _dumb! That's a bag of lies!" I exclaimed but to no avail. "I don't care what you guys think! I don't! I really don't!"

"Stupid Quirkless thinks he's so big!" snapped the prideful girl who approached me with leaping steps.

"Yeah! Stupid stupid Quirkless!" the smug boy joined, stepping with the prideful girl and then with the feisty boy. In tandem, they surrounded me on three sides with the last boy, the one who held Force Amplification, beginning to seal my final opening to escape. Yet I refused to escape, being the prideful Quirkless I was.

Simply, I stood.

"You'll be a no-good awful Hero!"

"Yeah yeah! No-good stinkin' Hero!"

"I dunno why you can think you can ever be a Hero!"

"You're useless!"

"Shut up!" I screamed, taking no more of the constant insults and jeers. But the boy in front of me stepped forward, and now we were face-to-face.

He said, "Make me, Quirkless! Make me!" The boy shoved me and activated his Quirk. From the force of his push, I was sent back into the feisty boy behind me, who was able to act as a hard wall. My head crashed against his chest though, and being a fragile child, it hurt. The feisty boy pushed me back onto my feet, making me face the Force Amplification boy once again. He poked my head over and over, edging me on closer to the cliff.

I wouldn't expect too much from me. I was only five at the time. I never got a chance to learn restraint or have a saintly level of patience. The bully kept pushing me closer to the edge of the cliff, but he wasn't the one who sent me off. I jumped off the cliff out of my own accord.

_PUSH!_

I put both hands on the boy's chest and pushed him back. For a brief second, I felt a switch appearing in my head. Without hesitation, I flicked the switch and—

_SOAR!_

The velocity of the boy increased tenfold. A small shockwave emerged from the action attracting the autumn leaves around us. The boy flew back as a vortex of leaves followed, gaining a large amount of momentum. However, all that momentum snapped to zero instantly. He collided into a great, large tree, hitting the bark with his face-first before the rest of his body followed suit. Blood spewed from his nose and his right arm was broken—there was no telling what else was broken too.

The bullies around me screamed in horror of what I've done. Somehow, it took their screaming to attract our teachers who came running out as soon as the screaming started. They saw the boy I just injured and yelled at us what happened. I was voiceless; I couldn't comprehend what just happened. Today, it was obvious what I did, but then? As a clueless child? What _could _I say that would explain what occurs right in front of me? But my friends had an ample explanation.

"Neito did it! Neito pushed him!"

"We were only playing around, but he got angry at us!"

"Yeah yeah! We did nothing wrong! Neito's acting like a stinkin' Villain!"

One of the teachers grabbed me by the shoulders and shouted into my face, "What did you do, Neito?!"

We heard the boy crying. He cried so much that he would run out of tears within a few minutes. Still, I couldn't say anything. It was as if my voice was stolen from me by some phantom thief who wanted to play a cruel trick on me.

So the teacher yelled again, "Why did you hurt him?! He did nothing wrong to you! Were you so angry from being Quirkless that you _had _to hurt him?!" He shook me. "Answer me!"

I said nothing. I watched as two other teachers ran over to the injured boy. One of them even called the ambulance from how severe his injuries were.

The one who was yelling at me, he turned to his aide—she was a kind teacher who respected every child regardless of Quirks—and said, "See? Quirkless are nothing but troublemakers. Though, I don't think we can call this brat 'Quirkless' anymore. Call his parents. They need to know about this."

She phoned my parents while I could do nothing but think. It was like I took that boy's Quirk and used it against himself. It was like I stole his Quirk and used his very treasure to harm him. I used his future to hurt him. Everything he currently valued as a child, his Quirk, I took it for my own.

From that moment on, I was labeled as a "Villain" with a "villainous Quirk". Everyone shunned me in school. My parents tried their best to help me, but they would have never, in their entire lives, think that something like this would happen. Because of the incident with that boy who I forgot the name of, my school recommended that I would attend Quirk Therapy. It's a program similar to those who had special needs but for Quirks. Those who were in Quirk Therapy were practically deemed the lowest of the low, because their Quirks were considered "problematic". If a child, an innocent-looking child, suddenly manifested a Quirk that appeared to be disgusting, they would be sent to Quirk Therapy. Disgusting, villainous, overwhelming, or anything of that nature was placed here. Of course, meeting with our counselor was a personal one-on-one meeting, but everyone knew what types of folk would end up in the golden room where it happened.

No one else was in the room where it happened! Nobody, not even a jealous politician, would want to be in this room! What happened really? It was lectures and lessons and stories and anecdotes, everything else in-between too. Of course, I got the worst of it because I hurt one of my dear classmates. He, and the rest of my bullies, was absolved of punishment. There were many things I remember from my many sessions.

"Does it feel good, Neito? That you hurt someone for being Quirkless? And now you aren't. How does it feel?"

"Y'know, you should be glad that you're taking Quirk Therapy with us. Usually, kids like you would turn out to be delinquents—or worse, Villains."

"I'm here to teach you how to live with a villainous Quirk for the rest of your life. You can't be a villainous person anymore, Neito."

"Neito, I only want to help you," she said—my counselor in eighth grade. She was an attractive woman with long brown hair. To display a sympathetic aura, she sat in her cushioned chair with one leg over the other and her hands on her lap. Overall, she was the best counselor I had. She asked me, "How can I help you?"

It was time to think about my high school future. Like many others, I wanted to go to the famed U.A. High School—the same school that All Might and Endeavor went to. I sat in front of my counselor, exhaling. "Do you think I am a Villain?"

"Of course not. What happened when you were five was nothing more than an accident blown out of proportions," she told me.

I replied, "Because of that accident, I've been stuck in these sessions for nearly all of my life as a student—all because I wanted to be a Pro Hero."

"And you still want to be a Hero, right? I know the Entrance Exam is coming up within a few months. It's the only thing anyone talks about nowadays."

"Mhm. Even with my Quirk, I still want to be a Hero. My previous counselors, they immediately believed I would become a criminal and a Villain for just sitting in this chair. I refuse that fate."

"You want to be a Hero to spite them?"

"Maybe. Already, many people believe that I will be a horrible, no-good, absolutely rotten Villain, but so what? They also say that I cannot be a Hero because I need others in order for my Quirk to function properly! By saying all of this, I might as well be doing it out of spite, but I'm not a spiteful man."

"That's obvious. There's no doubt that you're a good person, Neito. But why exactly do you want to be a Hero? Every Hero has a reason, whether it be money, fame, honor, whatever! A lot of people become Heroes to follow All Might's footsteps even."

"Indeed. As for me, I think I want to devote myself to a noble cause—like heroism. However, I don't think I can be noble myself."

"How so?"

"My Quirk. What people say about it _is _true. I need others by my side with ripe Quirks to pick and choose from, like a kid in a candy store. Even then, I still persist. I don't think it's possible to be an honorable Hero like All Might, so I have to be a Hero who uses unheroic tactics. It's the only way."

"So you're becoming the Villain that everyone thinks you are? Really? That's...surprising."

"Heh, I guess it is… But I started to ignore those who add nothing to the conversation but insults. Really, the image everyone sees me as is the image I'm willing to adopt—the dastardly thief who steals their treasured gems. I know who I am, and I know who I am not."

"I'm happy that you said that. If I can ask, where did you get this confidence from?"

"...Well, maybe… Hmm, that's a good question actually… Aha! Plays! I always enjoyed plays and theater when I was little, and I still do now. Though, my favorite characters aren't the protagonists. Rather, I adore the background characters—they are the ones who push the protagonist to glory or ruin. They deserve credit just as much as the hero of the story, yet they go unsung."

"Really? I can't say I'm surprised, but I can't imagine plays giving you that much confidence, Neito. Are you sure that's the truth?"

"Of course."

"Heh, I trust you. Anyway, can I ask something?"

"Gladly."

"Do you think you're the hero of your own story?"

"Of my own story? Well of course! It'll be strange if I wasn't. But if I look at Japan… I'm not the hero of Japan's story. Once I enroll in U.A., I won't be the hero of U.A.'s story either. Heck, knowing my luck, I'll be pushed into Class 1-B; even then, I won't be the hero of _that _story. Yet I'll still be a Hero in my own right."

"I see." Finally, she wrote something down in her clipboard. With a sigh, she said, "I'll do you a favor, Neito. When we meet with your parents in a few weeks, I'll recommend that we put an end to your Quirk Therapy sessions in order for you to focus on the Entrance Exam."

A wave of shock went through my body. "Really? We'll stop these sessions altogether?"

She nodded. "Of course. You accepted who you are. Your previous counselors couldn't see that, but I did. You don't need these sessions anymore. You understand what your Quirk is, what you need to do, and how the world sees you. You solved these three problems and embraced those answers as your identity."

"So I see…"

"Yup yup! Besides, I think those at U.A. will view your application highly if they see that I deem these sessions as a success. If they saw that you were still taking these sessions, then they would doubt that you have the ability to be a Hero."

"Ah, thank you. It seems my future is coming up faster than we can think."

"It always is. Imagine being my age. Time goes so much faster. Anyway, let's talk some more since this session doesn't end for another fifteen or so minutes."

"Of course."

* * *

"TEAM SANJI INOCHI AND ITSUKA KENDO HAVE DEFEATED ALL MIGHT! THAT IS RIGHT, EVERYONE! THEY BESTED ALL MIGHT IN COMBAT!"

Ah…

That's right! I have an Exam to pass!

"They really did it?!" Kaibara exclaims looking up at the nearest speaker, absolutely amazed at what he's hearing.

"I thought it was impossible…" my other partner, Shishida, adds on to Kaibara's disbelief, pushing his goggles up.

I exclaim, "Do you two have no faith in the stars of 1-B? Of _course _they could beat All Might in combat! I bet that Bakugo and Midoriya couldn't even do that! I bet that they ran away from All Might like a couple of no-good cowards! I—"

Kaibara raises his hand, about to enact supreme punishment upon my neck. "Shut up, Monoma. I'll Kendo you." Ah, Kendo is a verb now? How fitting.

Slowly, in an attempt to show no harm, I lift up my hands and open my palms. "As you can see, I am virtually harmless. Though, seeing you in that state, I have a feeling that you would bruise my angelic body."

"Angelic?" Shishida comments curiously.

Kaibara frowns. "I wouldn't describe _your _body 'angelic', Monoma." He lowers his hand and I narrowly avoid certain death! How amazing! Though, we have pressing issues to deal with. We are fighting in a mock city… Well, more like a mock suburban neighborhood. It's a cute little place, perfect to raise a family in and maybe a dog too! Though sadly, Shishida and Kaibara are my family and our grumpy neighbor, Vlad King, is trying to restrain us with his own blood. Since the teams were announced, I knew why I was paired with these two. Shishida and Kaibara are quite ineffective against Vlad King since he is superior in close combat and especially in restraining techniques. I was paired with them because I was the odd one out.

I bat my hair and look ahead to the street plagued with nothingness. "Jokes aside, we cannot allow ourselves to be shocked by All Might's match. We must focus on our own Exam, either passing through the Escape Gate or defeating our very beloved teacher in combat! We already have an advantage with numbers, so—!"

"But numbers don't mean everything, Monoma!"

Mister Kan! He's leaping at us from above! I always knew he was a strong man, but this proves it! To jump from the rooftop of a house without any of us _hearing _or _sensing _him? That requires a fine control over one's body! Yet he made a mistake from the moment he uttered his first word! You don't announce that you're doing a surprise attack!

"Shishida!" I call him! Mister Kan decided to charge at me first for some reason, but he didn't charge at the most powerful one here: Gevaudan!

_ROAR!_

Shishida transforms into his Beast self, immediately lurching forward while I jump back. Mister Kan brings his large fists down upon Shishida, but the beast catches his fists with his own. Our teacher may be a strong man, but he isn't as strong as Shishida in his transformed state! That is why—!

_THROW!_

He's able to throw Mister Kan through a wall and even through an entire house! Kaibara runs besides me and activates Gyrate, turning his two arms into drills that could pummel anyone to a fine mist. I tell him, "Remember to keep your distance, Kaibara. But if you _do _attack Mister Kan, aim for his tubes. Cut them and you'll reduce how well he can use Blood Control."

"Yup, I know," he responds as we watch these two. Shishida charges into the hole he made and promptly engages in combat with Mister Kan. He knows to keep a fair amount of distance away from him, so that's why he's constantly throwing him around like a ragdoll—or trying too at least.

_CRASH!_

_TOSS!_

_BAM!_

I can't even see them. They went through so many houses that I only see the smoke they produce from their brawl. Oh well, we shouldn't let our friend fight for his life by himself! What kind of teammates would we be if we abandon him now?

I gesture to Kaibara and he nods. We run on the road of destruction these two men made, going through five utterly obliterated houses before we find them standing out on another open street. The scene unfolds as this: Shishida, the Beast, stands before the Hero who can control blood. The Beast is on all fours ready to pounce on his prey while the Hero watches him carefully with analytical eyes, ready to make use of any openings he can find. However, neither of them have noticed the presence of two newcomers ready to aid the Beast!

However, much to my disappointment, Shishida notices us first. For a brief second, his guard is let down. In that second, Mister Kan makes use of it by dashing with his right fist back. There is something arrogant about that action though—!

_BLOCK!_

"You didn't fully assess this situation, my dear teacher," I say holding his right fist with my left hand. I can feel his overwhelming strength battling my weak, poor arm. However, I copied Shishida's Quirk.

_ENLARGE!_

My body enlarges to almost twice its size from before, stretching my costume to its limits almost tearing it whole! Adrenaline drips into my nerves and sets my body into overdrive, increasing my strength, durability, speed, and senses. Mister Kan watches as I use Beast to transform myself into my true form! I don't grow hair like Shishida does, but my eyes become that of an apex predator ready to embark on a great hunt.

And our prey is right in front of us!

My hairs stand on the back of my neck, my nostrils flare, my pupils dilate, all of these are signs of a successful transformation! With my right hand, I grip onto Mister Kan's arm and lift him towards the air before slamming him down behind me!

_SLAM!_

Unfortunately for him, Shishida is behind me! He raises his bulging arms above Mister Kan, but Mister Kan uses his left foot to kick him away a few meters, hopping up to his feet. "You kids!" he shouts, turning to face me, "I'll try—!"

"—You'll _what?!"_

_DRILLING LANCE!_

Kaibara makes his entrance before Mister Kan could attack me. He thrusts his right arm forward into Mister Kan's chest—!

_GRAB!_

—And our teacher grabs his gyrating arm, specifically his wrist. Kaibara yelps in pain because Mister Kan's grip strength is so strong that he forces Kaibara's arm to stop gyrating altogether. Damnit, Mister Kan is that strong?! Of course _he _would be able to stop Kaibara from using his Quirk like that!

"Kaibara!" I shout, dashing at the two. A brief flash of worry runs through Kaibara's eyes before he is tossed away like a plastic bag in the wind, right into the destroyed house we came out of. I pull my right fist back and punch—!

_BAM!_

_BAM!_

"Ah… Shishida…" Shishida did the same thing as I did. We both tried to punch Mister Kan at the same time but we failed to cause any real damage. Because our dear teacher is much stronger than he lets on, more than I originally thought. He caught both of our punches as if we are mere children toying with a brick wall.

"This was a good try, you two. But please try harder than that!" Mister Kan with a simple movement grips our fists tightly before slamming his arms downwards into the concrete, forcibly dragging our bodies with them.

_SLAM!_

Our fists collide with the pavement first, enough to crack the concrete whole and reveal the dirt underneath. The impact sends pain towards my way, letting me know that this does in fact hurts. We don't have time to counterattack before Mister Kan, with one hand, throws me away like what he did with Kaibara. I get sent back into the destroyed house and I manage to catch a small glimpse of Kaibara standing up before—!

_CRASH!_

...I crash right into him. We roll on the ground tumbling over the splinters of wood and shards of glass, tearing holes into my costume and skin. Threads and blood leak out of my body with many bruises surely coming after the fight. I transform out of Beast, shrinking myself back into my normal size with Kaibara sitting against a wall groaning in pain.

Damnit! I try to stand up but I only fall back on one knee! Kaibara doesn't look like he can stand up immediately too! Through the gap of the house, I see Mister Kan standing tall with a broken house behind him. He must've thrown Shishida into that house! I—!

_ROARING RAGE!_

From the wreckage, Shishida leaps out and takes a massive swipe at Mister Kan, its range large enough to take out an entire group of Villains! However, Mister Kan steps forward and parries the attack by bashing his left arm into the middle of Shishida's right forearm, stopping his claw! With his other hand, Mister Kan grabs Shishida by the neck and slams him back down on the concrete.

_CRASH!_

Again, the impact was so strong that the road shattered into pieces. Still holding onto Shishida's neck, Mister Kan raises his other hand. He's about to use his Quirk! "Sorry Gevaudan, you might be stronger but you need to work on your technique!"

"I'm sorry too!" Shishida roars before he swipes at Mister Kan's face. His claws cut into his cheeks, forcing Mister Kan to jump back before he could restrain him! Shishida stands back up right as when our teacher charges in once again. He punches our Beast in the stomach, but he doesn't recoil in pain or from the impact—that is his durability working for him. In response, Shishida claws at Mister Kan's chest, tearing his costume but not his skin like what Kaibara did earlier.

Mister Kan doesn't step away from Shishida unfortunately, still determined to beat our friend. He stomps on his right foot, _really _stomping on it. From my position, I'm able to hear _bones _cracking! He's trying to break his foot, isn't he?!

Damnit! I recovered enough! I stand up even if pain is telling me to stop! Kaibara manages to stand with me, using Gyrate on his left arm—he must not be able to use Gyrate on his right. Either that arm is injured enough that Gyrate isn't able to be used, or Kaibara isn't risking further injury by gyrating an already fractured arm. For me, I can't clench my right fist. My fingers are broken and cut open. But like Kaibara, I activate Gyrate on my left arm. It spins and spins more revolutions I can count. It truly is like a drill. Maybe we can turn this into a fantasy story and have our arms be the drills that pierce the heavens? Heh, that would be a good Super Move!

"C'mon Monoma!" Kaibara beckons, not wasting any more precious time! He runs towards the two men with me following just behind him. Mister Kan hears us and turns his head, grimacing that we're still fighting.

"You two!" he exclaims after stepping off Shishida's foot, turning around to face us and turning his back on Shishida. Fatal mistake. Even though he crushed Shishida's foot, it doesn't mean he crushed his spirit. Just as he pulls his right fist back, Shishida wraps his arms around Mister Kan's waist, trapping him in his grasp. "What the—?!"

"Now!" Shishida cries! "Attack him! Crush him!"

"Don't hafta tell me twice!" Kaibara yells, eyeing Mister Kan's gloves. He's on his left while I'm on his right. Just from eyes alone, we know our targets. By destroying his gloves, it'll become more difficult for him to restrain us with his blood!

Kaibara and I approach him, and we strike—!

_DOUBLE DRILLING LANCE!_

We spear our lance-like arms forward—I'm attacking his right, he's attacking his left—and we run our arms through his metallic gloves, shattering them whole. We didn't shatter the metal weights luckily, so all we did was hinder him further! The tube attached to his left glove detaches completely with drops of blood dripping out. We make Mister Kan wince in pain, because by destroying his gloves, it's like ripping someone's IV out when they are in the hospital—multiple IVs even.

Yet Mister Kan counters once again! He leans back and leverages himself off the ground slightly, tucking in his legs. Before we could react, he kicks us away and forces Shishida to step back—inevitably, he stumbles because of his broken foot. Shishida roars and somehow regains his balance, lifting Mister Kan over his head and performing a classic wrestling move: a German suplex.

_CRASH!_

Shishida suplexes Mister Kan into a stone wall. Immediately, he gets on his knees and grabs onto Mister Kan once again. "Sorry 'bout this, Mister Kan!" Shishida says before throwing Mister Kan with more strength than before, most likely using every ounce of strength he has left. He throws our teacher over the suburban houses about five or six streets away. Then we hear a loud _crash _.

Kaibara helps me up, staring at Shishida who's supporting himself by leaning on a wall. He transforms out of Beast, turning back into the man we know and cherish. "Haah… Sorry everyone, I'm in a poor condition to fight. Mister Kan broke my right foot."

Kaibara runs up to Shishida and pulls one of his arms over his shoulder, helping him walk. "I got you, big guy. Monoma, you can walk right?"

I nod. "Mhm, I think he fractured my right hand, but that's the extent of my injuries. Come, we need to find the Escape Gate before Mister Kan catches up!" I run ahead of the two. Jogging, I run into another open street, and wouldn't you know? I find the Escape Gate immediately! What luck! It's on the end of the street about a hundred or so meters away. "Over here!" I say to them.

Kaibara and Shishida walk into the open street with me, both of them sharing a sigh of relief once they see our path to victory. However, it took them five seconds to regroup with me _walking _. It's impossible for them to run one hundred meters without Shishida breaking more bones. They are forced to walk the distance, which in that time, Mister Kan will surely find us. What if I support Shishida along with Kaibara? We would reduce the time spent, but even then, it's not fast enough. How about I use Beast and carry—or at least support—them to the Escape Gate? Even then, it's still one hundred meters; however, this is the best choice for all _three _of us to pass.

Kaibara says, "Monoma—"

I interrupt him, "We're going through the Escape Gate! I'll transform into Beast to aid you two, because God knows that Mister Kan will reach us before we reach the gate!"

Shishida agrees. "Very well! I—?! Monoma—!"

Behind me!

_SLAM!_

Barely, I jumped back before Mister Kan made his grand entrance. He didn't announce his presence unlike last time, which means he's serious. This is unfortunate though! I didn't expect him to find us so quickly! And to recover in such a short amount of time too! He really is one of the strongest Heroes in Japan! There's no wonder why Nezu wanted him to teach here! This changes my plan though! It's impossible for me to help my two friends with Mister Kan here! I need to fight him myself while they flee! "What's with that look, Monoma?" my dear teacher asks.

"What look?" I answer in the form of a question. Damnit though, worry must be plaguing my handsome face. "I'm calm as calm can be, Mister Kan!"

I glance behind me towards my friends. _Get away now. I'll fight Mister Kan by myself._

Kaibara shakes his head. _Don't be a dumbass, Monoma. I _—

_I wasn't asking you, Kaibara. I'm _**_telling_**_you: Run. If someone has to fail, then it'll be myself. _My resolve is clear.

Shishida lowers his head in guilt and shame. _I'm sorry, Monoma. This is the only way, is it not? _I nod. Kaibara hesitates for a brief second before looking away, doing his best to carry Shishida to the Escape Gate while I face Mister Kan by myself. Ah, thank goodness they actually did it, especially Kaibara. There was a part of me that doubted that they wouldn't obey me, but they did.

Good… Good… Seems like I'm selfish as ever.

Mister Kan sees my two partners making their way out of the battlefield. He sighs, knowing that if he wants to apprehend them, he has to apprehend me first. Of course, with that realization, he knows that I'm resigning myself to fail the Final Exam. He looks down at his broken gauntlets seeing the pieces of steel digging into his hands. I'm not sure if there's blood on his knuckles or the red is apart of his costume. Taking a deep breath, he finally says, "You're really doing this, Monoma? I wanted everyone to pass their Exam, especially you."

"Even with those feelings, you won't hold back, right?" I inquire, ready to activate Beast within an instant. "You are a Hero first, then a teacher. Knowing what lies in the real world, you mustn't hold yourself back. You told us that before our Exam started: that you will show us how a Pro Hero fights. And now, I'm demonstrating another aspect of heroism.

"'Nothing is nobler than self-sacrifice,' that's what All Might said. It seems that I'm putting his lip service into reality." I look down at my right fist. It's bruised purple and blue, yet I clench my hand tightly, never letting go what I hold inside.

It's cruel, isn't it?

Mister Kan shakes his head, disagreeing with me. "What are you trying to prove, Monoma? What are you trying to accomplish?"

"Nothing. I don't need to prove myself to you, Mister Kan. I don't need to prove myself to anyone at the moment! I know who I am, and that is the selfish thief of 1-B! I am the rascal that everyone adores and loathes! I already know my role in this story, and I ought to see it through! If 1-A was here, then I'd prove that my class is mountains ahead of them no matter the cost, but the only audience here is you and I! This fight is nothing but for my own satisfaction that my friends will pass your Exam! I'm simply fighting for my own gratification as a Hero-in-Training! Such an unheroic trait, is it not?!"

"Do you remember your own words, Monoma?" Mister Kan asks. "Remember the Sports Festival? Or the conversations you have with others?"

"Ah…"

_"Remember, you are the stars of your own light, your own story. No one, other than you can follow it. Simply, we're your side characters. Bakugo, Todoroki, Midoriya, they're _**_your_**_side characters, don't forget that! They don't rule your story! They merely influence it! So, let them influence you to victory! You are truly your own! So, let's show that to them! To 1-A!"_

_"Sanji Inochi, the selfless man who fights to ensure the public's safety while Neito Monoma struggles tooth and nail to shine in the limelight. Inochi, I see in your eyes that you fought against discrimination. So have I. Countless times, many have told me that I can't become a Hero without the help of others. I can't go out onto the streets of Musutafu and defeat a Villain like how All Might does it. It's impossible, but my hopes never faltered. I never resented what I've been given. So, in order to be the Hero I wished to be, it was necessary to resort to unseemly tactics."_

_"I am the most selfish man in 1-B. Every action I perform on this stage is each an attempt to swing the sun's spotlight to envelop me in its warmth. I steal Quirks from the people I swore to be my comrades. Pride, vanity, all sins are resting in my body. I'll be reincarnated when my time comes." _

I nod.

"Son," Mister Kan says, "you think that you're a Villain so you act like one. Yet, you're one of the most heroic students I ever had the pleasure to teach. So why are you constantly comparing yourself to Inochi?"

"He's…"

_"Yet, we're very much the same kind of person, aren't we? Without you or the others, I'm effectively Quirkless."_

"...perfect," I answer. "Mister Kan, he's the shining image of a Pro Hero! The definition of an underdog! If 1-B was a novel, he would be the protagonist! He is a foster child with an unknown power which was proven to be greater than all of us combined! He is exactly a heroic protagonist, far from the tragic heroes that the Greeks spoke about!"

I put my hand over my heart, shutting my eyes.

Oh Sanji Inochi, why was I made to be your foil? Why does my character reflect yours so much? We were both legally Quirkless once, and even then, I can be considered legally Quirkless when I'm alone! We were both criticized and ridiculed for what we are on the surface, never criticized for our own two hearts!

I knew that I couldn't be a heroic Hero, so I settled to be an unheroic Hero! My Quirk refused to be heroic as I stole Quirks from others! I could use them easily given I watch them long enough! And for you, you use everyone's techniques and make that into your own improvised style! However, you are the one with a supreme power that's hidden within your landscape of your mind! Your AP Level exceeds far beyond the average person, basically guaranteeing that you will be remembered in history! Whenever you fall, everyone is there to pick you up!

Why? You are a great person! You try your best to stop Kendo from assaulting me for my own health and to prevent Kendo from possibly getting reprimanded! You constantly help your friends whenever they need it, like when you taught Awase bojutsu! Or when you helped me with my interest in Kaibara! Whenever you walk in the room, you immediately attract eyes from your sparkling smile that a Hero wears as if to assure the public that they're A-OK! You preach that a Pro Hero needs to be selfless and to drop all selfish things to the side! You don't care about fame or fortune, only the lives of others and never caring about yourself! You devote yourself to heroism by training every night until the muscles in your body becomes sore and worn, which is the exact reason why you are superior to most in hand-to-hand combat! Why you were able to fight most of 1-D! Why you and Kendo were able to beat All Might in combat!

What about Catharsis? You sought to defeat Catharsis like a true Hero along with your friends! Afterwards, you helped Shojo become comfortable in the real world! Because of you and everyone else, we have another member of the family! I, in the eyes of U.A., am simply the black sheep!

I cannot ignore the similarities between us; the differences between us are astounding. I constantly trick and belittle others, especially 1-A, in order to gain the upper hand! Class 1-A is arrogant and prideful! Everyone there is gifted! Everyone there is focused on themselves! At the Sports Festival, they fought against each other while we, 1-B, pushed one another to victory! However, we weren't as powerful as the stars of 1-A!

Izuku Midoriya! He must be associated with All Might in some way! You know it as well! Through the looking glass, we both know he'll become something great!

Shoto Todoroki! He's the son of Endeavor! His story will be something to remember, being the successor to the second strongest Hero in Japan!

Katsuki Bakugo! He's the loud-mouthed king of 1-A! His attitude is tolerated by his class! He is allowed to be arrogant and smug! He focuses on nothing but himself! His classmates are second-class citizens to him! How could a selfish man like him ever get into U.A.?!

From the beginning, we were all fated to be who we're meant to be! Fate decided that from the moment we were born!

Sanji Inochi! Why did Fate deliver you right at U.A.'s doorstep?!

Sanji Inochi! Why does Fate seal away your power and promise greatness?!

Sanji Inochi! Why are you the shining example of heroism?!

Sanji Inochi! Why are you meant to be remembered in history?!

Sanji Inochi! Why do I admire you to the point I resent you?!

I don't have a good reason for resenting you! I adore you, I really do! But each time I look at you, I see what I am not!

We have the granddaughter of Master Kendo, grandson of Qinglong, son of Executioner Wasp, heiress of Tokage Industries, and you are the son of I-don't-know-who! What son am I?

My mother is a small actor while my father's a genius! None of whom Japan will remember their names!

There's a reason why I look down upon 1-A! From the very moment I stepped in my classroom, my second home, I knew that I want you and everyone else to be something great! I just knew that we were made up of outsiders, and because of that, we deserve something greater than our awful treatment we endured! Yet Class 1-A isn't made up of that! They are made up of those who fit naturally into the world and they are praised for it! They have the gleaming jewels; they have the brightest fireworks; they have the light that shines brighter than us!

Of course, Fate did this! I have no true control of our legacy! I can't control who prospers and who becomes condemned! We are whisked away along the threads of time, and we can only hope that we don't fall through the gaps!

And yet I have faith that you will not reach a bad end, Sanji Inochi! To the earth, to the sky, to the moon, you will reach your promised future!

You have already completed impossible tasks that Hercules himself would respect. It's only a matter of time before you become the man we know you are. I respect, I admire, I adore you. Even though you are what I am not, you are a great man.

I truly am your foil.

"..." Mister Kan stands in front of me with a faint look of disappointment on his face. I'll bear the guilt that comes with it, because my friends are approaching the Escape Gate by the second. I must hold Mister Kan back, just enough time so they can escape!

No matter the cost!

I reactivate Beast. The Quirk enhances myself to the point where I can fight Mister Kan on an equal field. I may not be as strong as Shishida, but I need to be strong enough where I do not get knocked unconscious with a single punch. I glare towards my opponent, who realizes that the show must go on. "Prepare yourself, Mister Kan! I for one will not be holding back!"

"Alright, Monoma." He doesn't let me have the first move and acts immediately. Mister Kan throws a wide right hook where I step closer to his body. With my left arm, I tuck his right underneath my armpit, forcing his fist to miss me. I hold his right arm in a way that goes stiff, and quickly, I put my left leg in-between his legs and flip him over to the ground! This is one of the takedowns that Kendo uses to put someone in submission!

I climb on top of Mister Kan and—!

_SPEW!_

Blood! Even with his destroyed gear, he's still able to spew blood at me! It gets all over my chest, forcing me to retreat a meter or two but the damage is done. His blood hardens and traps my arms inside. With enhanced strength granted by Beast, I break out of Mister Kan's blood and free myself. Unfortunately though, it gives him enough time to stand up and recuperate himself! Ah damnit, our positions switched as well! His back is turned towards Shishida and Kaibara, who only made it about half-way! If Mister Kan is smart, which he is, he won't chase after them because I'll surely catch up!

Mister Kan cracks his neck and fingers, taunting me. "You learned that from Kendo and Inochi, right?"

"I picked up more than a few things from them," I answer.

"Let's see if that's enough!" Mister Kan pulls both arms back and thrusts them forward like a cannon, unleashing a wave of blood towards me!

_SPEEEW!_

I step forward and shrink, transforming out of Beast! I weave around the sea of crimson red blood and emerge beside Mister Kan, who seems shocked that I manage to dodge his attack! I activate Gyrate on my left arm and uppercut Mister Kan in the chin! His neck snaps up towards the sky, causing him to stumble backwards off-balanced! Quickly, I lower myself and sweep his legs out from under him!

_THUD!_

Once again, Mister Kan is on the ground! I step forward—?!

I can't move! My feet are trapped! "—Ah!" That clever man! Even though I dodged his initial attack and knocked him on his back, my feet are stepping on _his blood! _He hardened his blood to prevent me from moving! "Mister Kan—Guh?!"

_BAM!_

"—Gah!" He punched me in the chest! I underestimated how fast he can truly recover! Because my feet are trapped, I'm forced to stand!

"Sorry Monoma!" Mister Kan apologizes before—?!

_GRAB!_

"Ghrk—!" He grabbed me by the neck, squeezing the oxygen out of my lungs. I'm pulled out of his blood and raised off of the ground. He's using just one hand to lift me up. Ah… Briefly, I see my friends closing in on certain victory…

Good…

Mister Kan, still disappointed in me, frowns. He pins me against a cold brick wall, placing his other hand on my chest. Ah, he's about to use his Quirk. "You held out pretty well, Monoma… But I don't think it's enough time for them to make it through."

Weakly, I raise my hands, letting him see the gashes along my palms which have blood dripping out. Then, I grip onto the edges of his costume as his hand roughly presses against my chest. With what little strength I have, I show him my dastardly smirk that would induce Kendo to hit me over the head with a book. His grip on my neck loosens, allowing air to flow back into my lungs. "Kuhaha… It's enough time… You put yourself in the worst position, Mister Kan… You see, from the moment I accepted that I would fail, I knew I would have to do this…"

"Do what?" he pries, his eyes going wide. "What the hell are you trying to do?!"

"You are a Hero first, then a teacher… Yet in some cases…" Using my palms, I activate my trump card.

_SPEW!_

"What the—?!" My body is a fountain, and that fountain spews blood. My own being is drenching Mister Kan all over. The sensation itself is really strange, frankly… It's like warm, thick water is flowing out of your body with the intensity of a strong river. And with each passing second, I grow faint and light-headed. My skin turns paler and paler, soon turning the shade of a phantom or an apparition. My blood hardens and he is trapped with me. "Monoma, what in the world are you doing?!"

"Ensuring...my...victory…" I answer with a smile. "—Ah—"

My body starts to fail… My mind...falters…

I had...something to say, didn't I…?

What was it…? Ah…!

Even though… Even though my teacher is a...Pro Hero… He is still...my teacher…

Seeing me...pull this stunt…? His instincts as a...teacher...will kick in…and he will forget...about Shishida and Kaibara…

I...the Phantom Thief...manipulated my teacher's emotions… I tricked him into…worrying about my...well-being instead of...focusing on destroying me…

This was...the scheme I planned...from the moment he arrived…

I risked my life…

I risked my life...in order for...my friends to pass…

"Monoma…! Open your eyes…!" Ah… Mister Kan's voice… He's...distant…

I had nothing to prove...to you, Mister Kan…

To think… This all started because…

Because…

I wanted to be...the hero of...a story greater than...myself…

My consciousness fades away…

* * *

**Hayami Kendo**

"Huh…?"

"Good morning, Monoma! Actually, can you really call it 'morning' when you're in Hell? You don't really have a sky to look up at."

"Miss Kendo, I don't mean to be rude, but… Why are you claiming I'm in Hell?" Monoma asks me, and frankly, I have no idea. It might be because I'm pissed at Toshi for pushing my kids to near-death and my kids pushing _themselves _to near-death. Oh, and of course 1-B's class rascal almost killed himself too! But this is normal for U.A.! I'm an alumni after all! However, in my three years here, no one died from the Hero Course Program or have any suicides! I'm perfectly peachy and optimistic about my kids' future as a Pro Hero! Absolutely!

So to Monoma, I sit out of my chair and say, "U.A. is pretty much Hell. Trust me, one of my classmates' Quirks was called 'Demon'. His voice was very demonic, but he was a really nice guy."

The look on Monoma's face is equal parts confused and amused. He's probably thinking, _This is Kendo's mother? How in the world does she live with her everyday? Inochi too! She is so eccentric and odd! _Anyway, Monoma shakes his head. He asks, "I see… Why are you here? I'm in… Recovery Girl's tent, aren't I?"

I nod. Monoma doesn't look half-bad considering he almost bled himself empty, and that he resigned himself to fail his Final Exam. I thought he would be a lot more depressed; I'm glad I'm wrong. "Auntie Chiyo—Recovery Girl—asked me to watch over you while she handles my two idiots and my bigger idiot: All Might. Your classmates are currently getting lectured-slash-praised by your other teachers, and giving out your overall grade. So far, everyone passed except for…"

"Me. I failed," Monoma finishes my sentence. Yup, he knows already. "Heh, to think I would be the only one in my class who failed my Final Exam. At least I am still allowed in the program. All I need to do is take supplementary classes, which shouldn't be hard. Tiring of course, but not difficult."

I cross my arms and smile. It's one of those "Oh you're horribly wrong" smiles. "Famous last words. U.A. was extreme when I was your age. Kaito, Itsuka's father, was in the Hero Course and he had to fight Faux Villains for his Final. You fought your _teachers _. I'm sorry Monoma, but your exercises will be a lot harder from here on out." At least Itsuka and Sanji adapted to the change pretty quickly. Uncle Sora told them that they would fight the Faux Villains and he turned out to be wrong. Though, they adapted so much that they almost killed themselves, so can I really call this a success?

"I understand fully!" he beams. He sees an unopened water bottle on the table next to him—Aunt Chiyo put that there for him. Monoma takes it and drinks the entire thing in one sitting. "Refreshing! Anyway, I'm not missing anything from my teachers' lectures, correct?"

I shake my head. "Like I said, they're mostly praising you guys. The other part is probably criticisms on what you could've done better, which you will get a mouthful of soon. Besides from that, that's it. You already know what would happen if you fail, which is extra classes _and _you will miss summer camp."

Monoma nods, laying back and looking up at the white tarp above him. "So I suppose I'm not going to get lectured, right? Not right now at least."

I laugh. "Nope. _You're _going to get lectured. It won't be by your teachers, but by _me _."

He turns his head to me, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Eh? But—"

"No 'buts'. I was watching your fight with Recovery Girl. I heard every word you said to Vlad King, especially about yourself." I approach Monoma's bed, which he quickly responds by sitting up straight, making sure his IV isn't ripped from his arm. He looks afraid; he _should _be afraid. I lean forward and grab onto the bed's metal armrest, smirking. "Why are you comparing yourself to Sanji?"

"Uhm—"

"Answer my question."

Monoma immediately puts his hands up, shaking them like he's riding a rollercoaster. "Well you see, funny story—!"

"This isn't a rollercoaster, Monoma! But I _do _have the remote that can turn your bed into one, so fess up!" I hold up the remote to his hospital bed, making sure he can see it. Monoma gulps and slowly puts his arms down. Good, he's taking time to think. I _want _him to think. I don't want a half-assed answer.

As much as I love Sanji, he isn't the golden boy of heroism. He's something worse than that, and I have no idea how I could fix it. And Monoma here, he admires Sanji for what he isn't. I suppose Japan shoves heroism down everyone's throats so much that they naturally believe in it.

Anyway, Monoma lifts up his head, signaling that he came to an answer. "I'm sorry for taking so long, Miss Kendo. I was thinking about how to word it. And well, I suppose I'll say this: He's my foil."

"Like tin foil?"

"Wha—? No, not like that!" he exclaims, sounding _very _offended. "I meant—!"

I laugh again. "I know what you meant, Monoma. I'm just pulling your leg." I lean back, taking a chair and sitting down beside him. "But still, why would Sanji be your foil or whatever? This isn't a story or a novel—at least I hope not."

Monoma sighs. He looks down at his bandaged hands. Did he kill people with those hands? 'Cause he's staring at them like he did. "Well, when I was five or so, I didn't know how to activate my Quirk. My doctors didn't know either, so they pinned me a special label that you're familiar with."

"Legally Quirkless," I immediately say, "you were legally Quirkless for a little while? Well, I can definitely see the resemblance a little better, but still. I'm—"

"I was bullied too. Then I used Copy for the first time and injured one of my bullies. Because of that, I was forced to take Quirk Therapy sessions up until eighth grade," he says. Well, now I begin to see everything a little better. Neito Monoma is a nerd. He hooked himself up on fiction and began to see the world like that too. From the circumstances of Sanji's upbringing, he couldn't help but compare himself to his— _that's _why he believes he's Sanji's foil. They were both outsiders, yet right now, they are seemingly two different people.

"Monoma—"

"Miss Kendo, for a long time, I wanted to be a Hero because I want to be the protagonist in a story greater than myself. It makes sense that I'm the hero of my own story, through my own eyes, but what about the entire school? The country? The world even? Through counseling and bullying, I've been told over and over that I won't be a real Hero—and they're right. Most of my counselors thought I would end up as a delinquent or worse, while my no-good classmates thought I would be nothing more but the faceless man you see whenever you're roaming the streets.

"I like to think I'm smarter than the average man too. At some point, I began looking deep into myself and asked, 'Can I really be a Hero like All Might?' Immediately, I answered that with a resounding 'No'. I have to rely on others to be strong. I have to be dependent on others, because they are my strength. But I won't always have those who like me. So of course, I have to resort to lowly tricks to steal Quirks from others like a thief I am.

"For years, I accepted that I cannot be someone like All Might! I accepted that I have to be selfish and unheroic! But then, Sanji Inochi came around. He's an anomaly, honestly. He is legally Quirkless but holds a Quirk that is stronger than we can imagine. He is a selfless man who would do anything for his friends and for heroism. We are two similar people, yet we are binaries. He represents the selfless side of heroism while I hide on the other with my selfish self. Do you understand?"

...Man, he talked a lot. Now I know why Itsuka wants to chop him all the time. Monoma has a tendency to run his mouth so much that he could be a politician. But I understood him loud and clear. It's time to run my mouth.

"Yeah, but the world isn't a binary, Monoma. Trust me, I'm a mom. The world isn't black and white like that. Selfish, selfless, you hold heroism in an idealistic frame. In Japan, heroism is a lot more complicated than that. I don't blame you though, because you're only a teenager. So how about I fight you on idealism, eh? And I'll convince you to hold yourself in high esteem too! In fact, I'll do that first."

"What—?"

"Monoma, you're pretty damn close to Sanji. You just do things in a different way."

"I don't follow."

"Of course you don't. You're stuck in the mindset of 'Woe is me, my foil is better than I am! I'm fated to be trash!' Yeah no, that isn't true. Itsuka rambles about you a lot, but I can tell you're a good man, and you are! I only saw you fight _once _and I know what kind of a man you are. You're selfless just like Sanji."

Monoma says nothing.

"Look, you sacrificed your own Exam in order to have your friends pass. If one person in 1-B had to fail their Final in order for everyone else to pass, Sanji would be the first one to volunteer himself. Not only that, you also put your life at risk for your friends… When you used Vlad King's Quirk, you nearly killed yourself! I can't tell you how many times Vlad King cursed while holding your unconscious body."

"Miss Kendo—"

"I'm not finished! Tell me, Monoma… You scheme and you deceive and you belittle, who did you do it for? Why did you do it? Was it for yourself? Was it to prop up your own ego and ensure that you are the best?"

He shakes his head. "They're for my classmates. They deserve to be praised for their efforts, but the public only bullies them, especially that Bakugo…"

"See? You do so many things for your friends! Remember Sanji's interview with Present Mic on his radio show? Sanji kept saying that there are more deserving people than him. If you were on that show, you would talk about how great your classmates are and how 1-A should jump in a ditch, wouldn't you?"

"Absolutely!" he exclaims with a smile. Ah, no matter how Monoma smiles, it's always smug. "I never realized that, Miss Kendo… I guess I always assumed that I was meant to be his opposite."

"This isn't a story, Monoma. Unless you wanna live in a story, then that's your problem. But still! But still, you should hold yourself high. Instead of stressing about being a foil to my idiot, stress about being a Hero, alright? You're blessed, y'know that? Some people treat their Quirks as if they're some precious jewel. They show it off to make others feel worse about themselves. For you, Monoma, instead of showing off your Quirk, you can show off something better: your friends. They are more precious than they can imagine.

"For you, with Copy, they're your power. You can show the world that you aren't alone. So c'mon Monoma, always cherish your friends, 'cause if ya do, you'll be a happy man."

Monoma stares at me for a few seconds completely amazed. Frankly, I'm amazed too! I didn't know I could say something so wise and mature! I'm finally acting my age for once! Damn that stupid father of mine! I inherited my immaturity from him, but thanks to this conversation, I can brag that I'm actually an adult!

Jeez, Itsuka is the only mature person in the house. I love her, but I'm also very jealous.

"Hah," Monoma dryly laughs, nodding his head. A single tear wells up in his eyes and he wipes it away with his bandaged hand. "I guess you're right, Miss Kendo. You really are a mature adult."

"Thank you." Take that, Dad! "I'm in charge of a house with a senile old man, a tomboy, and the biggest goofball in Japan. With them around, I'm basically normal."

Monoma laughs a very cute laugh. Like Sanji, he's definitely a pretty boy. Though, I'm pretty sure Monoma likes something else that isn't women—Sanji told me that. "You have a nice family. Anyway, you told me that you'll fight my ideals, correct? How so?"

Ah right, I promised him that I would do that. Well, I guess I have to fight him. Here I thought I wouldn't have to fight a minor today—guess I'm wrong. "Yeah, well it's nothing much. I think that Heroes should value their own happiness and well-being before heroism. Of course, you can imagine that this is the mother in me speaking, but I believe it. Heroism is…"

The reason why my husband is gone, and why Mom died.

"Kinda flawed, but you don't see me killing Heroes like Stain, do you?" I ask with a little giggle. Heroism has greater cracks than just mere "flaws". The people I grew up with, they changed because of heroism. Some _died _because of heroism, and now I see heroism changing how my kids act. I can't be a staunt advocate against heroism or else I'll be shunned by society and be treated like I'm Stain. I can't just take a sledgehammer and tear the foundations down like he tried to do. I have to chip at it piece by piece, and I'll start with Monoma. I won't force him to accept my ideals, but I'll make him aware of them. I want him to think; that's all I want.

Monoma puts a hand on his chin, humming. "I see. Personally, I thought you would say something more outrageous than that. Though, you think it's outrageous, don't you? Is it…" His eyebrows perk up. Oh what is it? Is my face giving him a look? My face is probably giving him a look, isn't it? "It's about Inochi, isn't it?"

Yup, he got me. "Ah, you shot me right in the heart!" Dramatically, I put my hand over my heart, acting like I'm bleeding out. I stop the dramatics and nod. "Yup, exactly. I don't approve of Sanji's actions. I don't approve of his suicidal beliefs."

"Suicidal? I wouldn't take it _that _far—"

"You almost killed yourself earlier, so you don't get to talk."

"...True."

"Sweetheart, since September, I took that boy in and raised him like he's my own son. I know him better than you do. I'm sure everyone knows about his intense training regime, and everyone approves of it except for me and Itsuka—Dad, Master Kendo, too. Just a little bit anyway. He even charged in to fight a giant robot during that Hero Course Tutoring thing all by himself! That's pretty suicidal to me!"

"You're scared, aren't you?" Monoma asks. "No offense, but I see the fear in your eyes, Miss Kendo. You're afraid of Inochi? Him?"

I sigh, shaking my head. "You make it sound like he'll kill me. I'm not _that _kind of scared, honey. I'm scared that he'll make himself a martyr for heroism. Sanji is…" I take a deep breath in. "Sanji is different, okay? He's different…"

"I don't follow…"

I put my hands together. I'm pretty sure I can feel tears starting to dam in my eyes. "Something happened to him, and I don't know what. Look, Itsuka loves him—"

Monoma interrupts, "As expected."

I can't help but laugh. "Yeah yeah, finally, am I right? Anyway uhm, Itsuka loves him, and I'm sure he loves her. But he doesn't. He loves her, but also doesn't love her." This guy is even a self-proclaimed Ally of Love! And yet, I don't think he _can _love.

"That...doesn't make sense," Monoma replies, looking at me like I'm a maniac, which I probably am. "I'm convinced that Inochi has feelings for her, but what you just said is a little bit of a...contradiction."

"It's Sanji, what do you expect?" I joke; well, that's a half-joke! More like a quarter-joke… Actually, I'm not joking. "I dunno, I mean… Uhm, well… I think Sanji has a wall around him. He has a mental wall that doesn't allow him to feel certain emotions. Considering that love might be one, it must be the extremities…"

"Extremities…?" Monoma repeats to himself. I try to say something, but he raises a finger. "Sorry, I'm trying to recall what someone said to me. It relates to Hifumi Osuhashi for sure, but I don't know how…"

Hifumi Osuhashi? Her? What does she have to do with this? Wait, didn't Sanji see her body with… Who was it? Tamaki Amajiki, right? Itsuka told me that a few unfortunate souls needed therapy to help cope with what they saw—

Oh.

"Please don't recall that, Monoma. I don't want you to experience that time again," I tell him with a smile, but I think it's a sad smile. "I know that it's crazy that I'm telling all of this to a guy who's half my age, but I think you can handle this information. You are more than mature enough to handle this."

"Thank you for thinking that highly of me," he replies with a much better smile than I have. "Now, you want to ask something of me, correct?"

Ah, this guy is too smart. "Mhm. Whether or not you believe me—really, just take my words with a grain of salt—watch out for my boy. He really is like a son to me. Whenever the time comes, be by his side and never leave him."

Instantly, he promises, "Of course! I was planning to do that anyway, so really, our schemes happened to align with one another! Inochi will always have a friend in me. After all, he _did _help me with a matter regarding the heart."

"Oh right, _that _. Sanji told me a few details regarding this matter of yours, but he didn't spill the entire story," I tell him, smirking. Hehe, I know just enough to get a good idea. With that look on Monoma's face, he seems afraid of me. He's scared of the information I wield. Well well, looks like I have the upper hand! I—!

"Yo." Sen Kaibara, he must be the man.

I stand up and pat Monoma's head like he's a little puppy. He tries to bat my hand away but my mom power is superior to him. "Kaibara, right? I was just talking to your boyfriend over here. Sorry that I kinda took your job to support him."

Kaibara lightly blushes, chuckling to himself. Monoma exclaims, "She's just joking!"

I lay my hand over my heart. "I, Hayami Kendo, don't joke."

"You heard the lady." Kaibara smirks and walks up to him, sitting where I was just at. "Don't be such a closet case, Neito. Do you know how much you tease me?" Oh? First names already? I _do _remember Kaibara referring to Monoma by his family name during their Exam, but to jump to first names already? How indecent! And teasing too? Well, it reminds me of Kaito a little, heh… Kaibara glances at me and winks, and I wink back.

Monoma shoots me a betrayed look. _Why did you do this, Miss Kendo? You're just as cruel as your daughter._

_Where do you think she gets it from? _I reply with my eyes, making my way out of the tent. "You two lovebirds enjoy each other."

"W-Wait!" Monoma calls out but I wave goodbye. I walk outside the tent and stand right by the entrance. Ahead of me is most of Class 1-B, still talking to their teachers about their Final Exams and what-not. Inside this tent, I can hear Kaibara and Monoma whisper to one another. I'm sure they're making it official.

Ah… Everything is just crazy, isn't it? Romance, fights, it's high school all over again. I hope Kaibara and Monoma will be happy together, especially after Monoma basically sacrificed himself for him and Shishida. And with the fights, holy hell… I watched most of them with Aunt Chiyo… She clicked her tongue throughout them all, but some of the fights were really extreme, even for U.A. standards… Of course, I watched Toshi's fight…

I need to repair those motorcycles and make suitable adjustments, thank goodness Toshi showed me their flaws. But did he need to force my kids to push themselves to the brink of death? Sanji and Itsuka are covered in bandages. They haven't woken up yet. What's even more crazy is that Itsuka awakened a new part of her Quirk too! She inherited Dad's Quirk! During her ten second brawl with Toshi, she was able to store the force of Toshi's punch and return the favor but with more power! Reversal combined with Big Fists results in a very bad combination—for the Villains I mean. My little girl is so strong… Sanji is so strong too… Both of my kids are amazing…

But why do they have to be so dumb?

"Hey hey! Mama Kendo!" It's Setsuna! She's running ahead of the rest of her class, who're quickly making their way over here. I remember when Itsuka absolutely hated her guts. I'm glad they're friends now. "I thought I saw Kaibara enter here earlier? Is he—?"

"Yup. Gimme a sec," I say before knocking on the entrance, which is just two thick white flaps. "Hey you two, people are coming so I suggest wrapping things up!"

Setsuna smirks, whispering, "I can't wait to tease them, especially Monoma! This will be payback for teasing me about my crush!" Boldly and proudly as ever, she runs inside the tent yelling something about "love" and "kissing". I don't think anyone else heard her though. How could they? Because all they would hear is Kaibara yelling at her to "shut the hell up". Monoma's yelling about "privacy".

Yup, this is high school…

_"It's Hayami Kendo, the goddess of U.A.! Wanna go on a date with me?"_

_"Heh, you're cute when you act all angry with me. Tryna hide something?"_

_"I might be a dumbass, yeah, but you basically claimed me as _**_your_**_dumbass."_

Kaito…

"Mmm?" Ah, it's Yui! My favorite girl! (Not including Itsuka!) The rest of 1-B is standing in front of me. They're listening to the chaos that's unfolding inside the tent. Behind them is their teachers watching us. Aunt Chiyo is in the front shaking her head at me. I can hear her clicking her tongue in disapproval. Vlad King is watching us too with a soft smile on his face—and a few bandages.

"What are those fiends doing?"

"I second that. Are they throwing a surprise party without us?"

"They better shrooming not! I just wanna check up on Monoma since y'know, he failed!"

"A surprise party?! Is there gonna be cake! I want cake!"

"There's no freakin' cake, Horns! Good God…"

"Dangit, now I want some cake…"

"Gonna make yourself a glutton, Headband?"

"Gluttony is a sin."

"I must thank Monoma for sacrificing his own grade to ensure that I pass."

"How honorable, Shishida. I do hope Monoma is well considering he used Mister Kan's Quirk."

"Goodness!" I say, loud enough where everyone can hear me. They immediately stop talking and turn to me. Well look at that, I command respect with a single word! Probably because I'm Itsuka's mother and all, but I'll enjoy this power! "Look, just head inside! I'm sure Monoma would enjoy your company!"

_RUSH!_

All it took was two sentences and they ran inside. Well, most of them ran inside. Yui and a couple of others just lagged behind. The tent practically explodes with chaos, noise, more chaos, and more more chaos. Well, I think I need to be a responsible adult. I head inside and see everyone crowd around Monoma's bed. He asks about why everyone isn't with my kids, and Kamakiri says that Recovery Girl isn't letting anyone see them—he's right. Komori chimes in, saying that everyone would've visited him anyway.

After that, I can't tell what the current conversation is right now. There's too much going on at once. _This _is the class my kids have to deal with. They're a bunch of rowdy, noisy, and loud kids. But they're together.

Just like a big little family…

For a brief moment, I catch Monoma's eyes. With my own, I say, _Hey there. Feel like a hero yet?_

Monoma pauses for a second or two. He nods. _Without a doubt._

* * *

"Welcome to Hell."

"...Thank you for that, Hayami. I—What the?!"

"Yes?"

"You can't see me like this! I'm—!"

"Calm down, you big oaf." Aunt Chiyo walks up to Toshi and bonks him over the head with that strong hand of hers. Heh, Toshinori Yagi is always such a dork. Though, seeing him in this state, it's kinda depressing. His torso is covered in bandages, and he's still bleeding on the left side of his chest. Not to mention that…that well, he can't maintain his "Muscle Form" like he used to do. What I'm seeing is quite literally a husk of Toshi's Muscle Form. He's basically a skeleton right now!

Toshi winces from Aunt Chiyo's very hard and very painful bonk. He scratches where she hit him and turns to me, carrying a sad smile. "Ah, I had originally imagined to reveal…" He gestures to his...everything basically, "... _this _to you in a different way. Anyway, enough about me. How are you? How are the young ones?"

Should I lie or tell the truth? I mean, it's Toshi so he should know the truth. He might cry and beg for forgiveness, but he should know the truth. "As for me, I'm kinda pissed. My 'young ones' are still unconscious after fighting Japan's No.1 Hero and pushing their bodies to the point of death. But at least one of them unlocked a new part of their Quirk, so that makes everything a lot better! Right? C'mon, you know I'm right."

"Recovery Girl…" Toshi mutters, turning to Aunt Chiyo who's shaking her head at him. She's giving him _the eyes _. "Eh?! Don't give me _those eyes! _Hayami is angry at me!"

Aunt Chiyo shrugs, turning her attention to a monitor with Toshi's vitals. "I'm on her side for this one. You had to administer an _exam _, not a _deathmatch _. If Inochi fought for one second longer, his heart would've stopped—and I'm not exaggerating. Of course, Mini-Hayami experienced an awakening where she can use Saki's Quirk as well. Do you know how bad a fight has to get in order to fulfill the conditions of a Quirk Awakening?"

"..." Toshi doesn't reply. He simply sighs and lowers his head, his body language saying he's begging for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, you two… When we decided to alter the Final Exams this year, I personally chose who I desired to test. I chose Young Midoriya and Bakugo, because they had a terrible relationship and I wanted to amend that—"

"And because Midoriya is your protege?" I ask, leaning back in my chair. Toshi nods. Of course… From Aunt Chiyo, Midoriya and Bakugo managed to go through the Escape Gate with a few...difficulties. By "difficulties", they were a really bad team-up. She even let me see clips of their fight, and _God _, that was rough to watch. Comparing their fight to my kids' is like comparing the sea to the sky.

"Anyhow, I like to think I...improved their relationship a little," he says, but Aunt Chiyo snorts. We turn to her and she bats her hand, signaling that we should ignore her. It's hard when she's laughing. We might as well though. "Laughing aside, I also wanted to test Young Kendo and Inochi. I'm sure you're aware of their desire to be partners after they receive their license, so I wanted to test their partnership. Additionally, I wanted to test their skills, because I severely overpower them."

"And you severely underestimated them," I state as if it's fact, and it is. All Might underestimated two first-year students, and because of that, he lost. "Itsuka has always been a smart girl, and Sanji's just as smart if you look past his goofiness. They have an amazing battle sense and was able to exploit your weaknesses. Frankly, I'm kinda happy that they won. When they wake up, they'll be so happy. They'll be in pain too, but also happy."

Aunt Chiyo pipes up, "Speaking of being happy, Saki won't be. You better be glad that he isn't here to watch your fight, because he would beat your ass for forgetting everything he taught you. Not to mention that you're passing your same fighting style to Midoriya. You should be thankful that Saki is teaching him martial arts, because you clearly can't."

I point to her. "What she said. You've gotten a lot more relaxed, Toshi. You rely too much on your overwhelming strength to the point where your technique became _lazy _and _unrefined _. Sanji exploited that and was able to last against you for _six _minutes. And you gave Itsuka the power she needed to defeat you. And now look at you!"

I gesture to his chest wound. Toshi looks down and sighs, shaking his head. "I see… Young Inochi really targeted my injury. He didn't hesitate to hurt me. I should be proud, but my chest hurts a little too much at the moment!" He dryly laughs, scratching the back of his neck.

Right, I don't think Toshi received that injury during the fight. Is that the reason why he can't hold his Muscle Form like how he used to? Aunt Chiyo let me see Toshi in this state, but she didn't explain _why _he's in this state. Well, I should ask him. "Hey Toshi, how did you get that injury? Aunt Chiyo didn't explain where you got it."

Immediately, a look of dread washes over his face. He puts a hand over his mouth, wiping away whatever's on it. "Well uhm… It was a Villain. A Villain gave me this injury. Because of him, I can only work as All Might for a few hours. Because of this fight, I believe that time has grown even shorter."

"Because of Sanji?"

"Mhm."

"God… Who was the bastard that did this to you?" When I asked that, Toshi and Chiyo go silent. They look at each other, then look at me. Ah, I know that look; I know those eyes. It's _him _, isn't it? It's the man who killed Mom and Aunt Nana. Those eyes are unmistakable. They have a sense of fear that only _he _could produce. For years, Dad always wears those eyes. That's when I knew he was thinking about _this _man.

Toshi, without asking, holds my hand. "Hayami—"

"You don't have to say his name," I tell him, squeezing his hand. "I know who it is. But is the bastard dead?"

Toshi shakes his head. "I crushed his head, but he still lives. He's currently entrusting his legacy to Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains." Of course… Not only Toshi is going to retire soon, so is his life-long nemesis.

"That jackass…" I mutter under my breath. One of these days, Dad will muster enough courage to tell us _just _what the hell is going on. Me, Itsuka, and Sanji too. "Toshi, you know that I don't know about the secret war you're fighting. But Dad is planning to tell me soon. Me and my kids. I think you should be there with us, Midoriya too."

He violently nods, exclaiming, "Of course! In fact, Master Kendo asked me to do the same thing when the day comes! Frankly, the three of you deserve to know sooner, but I believe that decision is left to your father's. But… I hope Young Inochi will find some sort of strange kinship with Young Midoriya and I."

I comment, "Because you three are idiots?"

"I—Well, let's go with that," Toshi says, laughing. Yeah, that was a pretty good joke, but I don't understand why he said that. Is there something that connects the three of them together? Besides from y'know, being guys. I'll find out when _that _day comes. "Anyway uhm, are you still upset, Hayami? I understand if you are."

"I'm peeved, but that's it. You should've seen me earlier, heh…" I let go of Toshi's hand, glancing at Aunt Chiyo for a moment or two. "You also should've seen the damage you did to Yume-no-Kami Ude and Golden Hand. I have to spend all summer repairing them, adjusting them, testing them, destroying them, repairing them again… It's an endless cycle, but it's my job and I love it."

"But you love your family more, don't you?" Toshi asks.

"That shouldn't even be a question! But can you promise something to me, Toshi?" I rest my arms on the cold metal armrest, then laying my chin on top of them.

"Name it."

"Don't be such a horrible teacher."

"...I'm a good teacher."

"Toshi, let's be honest. You're not the best. You can only see things as a Hero. That's great! But acting like a Hero won't solve all of the world's problems. It _can't _solve everything. The world doesn't revolve around Heroes. So don't answer a non-Hero problem as a Hero, would ya?"

"I will…"

"Good! Now try and be a good teacher, alright? You created Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo, but they aren't the only two you created. You also created Sanji Inochi—I'm not counting Itsuka because Kaito inspired her. God, you're one of the biggest influences in Sanji's life, so please guide him to a future where he can be happy. He's your responsibility as much as he is mine."

Toshi looks at me for a second or two. Then a little longer than that. Finally, he gives me a smile—not an All Might smile, but a Toshinori Yagi smile—and says, "Of course. He's my student. I'll guide him on the path of heroism."

"Thanks…" Those aren't the words I wanted to hear. The words I wanted to hear was: I promise that he'll live a happy life. I don't believe being a Hero equates to being happy. With what I said earlier, I think Sanji has a non-Hero problem, but I don't know how to solve it.

Aunt Chiyo makes a weird sound and stands up. "Oh! Hayami, your kids are waking up. Saw 'em on my nanny-cam. I—"

Oh shit! "Sorry you two! My kids need me!"

_SPRINT!_

In about ten seconds, I'm at their tent! I rush in—ignoring some of the stupid robots already there—and here they are! They're laying in their own bed placed near each other. Jeez, I think they're wrapped in more bandages than before with Sanji having the worst of it. He looks like a mummy. And wouldn't you know, he's moving. Itsuka moves too, slowly moving her head around.

"Huh…?"

"Ow…"

I walk in the space between their beds. Thank God they're okay… But I have some scolding to do. "G'morning, my lovelies. You two almost killed yourselves. For you Sanji, _again _."

"Good morning, Mom…"

"Again?"

Alright, time to be a mom.

_Crack!_

"Why are you cracking your knuckles, Mom?!"

* * *

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Wow, Iida was the real reason why I passed my Final. I can't believe you two actually beat All Might. I...don't know how I should feel about that," Ojiro says while scratching his cheek. Well, it's a few days after the Final Exams are done and over with. The four numbskulls are talking about how their Finals went. Itsuka and Sanji had to fight Toshi together, so did Midoriya but he was paired with Bakugo. Heh, if Ojiro and Midoriya are so impressed by Itsuka and Sanji, I oughta let 'em know that I personally kicked Toshi's ass a hundred times when he was their age. Mostly because Nana _let _me kick his ass so he could learn some martial arts.

Too bad he forgot all that shit when he became All Might. Right now, he could only punch, punch more, and punch hard. Sure, controlling One For All takes skill, but would it hurt if he changed it up a little? Bah, I dunno… Toshi is an idiot.

Midoriya has his hands together casually smiling like a little fool. "Hey Inochi, I think I should warn you about something… Kacchan knows that you and Kendo kinda beat All Might…"

Sanji tilts his head in confusion. "Who's Kacchan? Is that your dog?"

Itsuka puts her arm on his shoulder. "Sanji, Kacchan is Bakugo, but he might as well be a dog. Though, he can't be as cute as Kagesuke."

"Who's Kagesuke?" Ojiro asks, then he looks up slightly to think. "Ah, don't answer that question. I remember the incident with Koda."

"Y-Yeah…" Midoriya rubs the back of his neck. "Anyway uhm, Kacc—I mean Bakugo isn't too happy with you, Inochi. He already wasn't too happy after your interview with Present Mic, but after hearing that you beat All Might… He thinks you're trying to 'show him up' or something like that…"

"So basically, he wants to kill me," Sanji says, which makes Itsuka roll her eyes in disgust. Midoriya and Ojiro nod.

Itsuka groans, sounding pretty irritated with Midoriya's best friend. "I'm surprised Bakugo hasn't gotten any disciplinary action. I mean, even _I _got disciplinary action back in our Battle Trials—Ibara too! And Kamakiri."

Sanji frowns. "That's because you tried to punch him, Itsuka. If it wasn't for me, you would've broken his nose."

The two 1-A kids exchange a quick look with one another. Ah, they probably didn't know about the incident that took place during their Battle Trials. Ojiro chimes, "Only a punch? Bakugo threatened to kill Sero, Kaminari, and Midoriya during the Battle Trial. I mean, in his match against Midoriya, he almost killed him."

Sanji's mouth goes wide. "Eh? I mean, I blew up Setsuna myself but I made sure I missed."

"Ah, I remember that…" Midoriya says, swaying his body back and forth. He's one of those kids who can't keep still. "At the time, Bakugo had amazing control over Explosions which was my biggest obstacle, especially since I hadn't developed Full Cowling yet. With what Ojiro's talking about, I barely dodged that explosion."

Itsuka chuckles a little, leaning more against Sanji. "Either way, I'm still kinda surprised that Bakugo gets let off with those kinds of stuff. I guess having a really powerful Quirk has that effect on people."

Sanji clicks his tongue. "Itsuka," he disapprovingly says.

"Aw c'mon, I didn't say anything too mean!" Itsuka defends herself, but the look in her eyes say she concedes. She stops leaning against Sanji to stand alone on her two feet. "Anyway, let's talk about something else."

"Oh, can you tell us how exactly your fight with All Might went?" Midoriya asks. He looks around for something… Ah, must be his notebook. His backpack is right next to me.

"Midoriya boy, you looking for this?" I ask him, taking out one of his notebooks with a pen attached to the metal spine. He nods and runs over, taking the notebook with a soft "Thank you" under his breath. Alright, time to eavesdrop on these kids' conversation some more.

Sanji laughs, scratching the back of his head. "Seeing as you're about to take notes, I oughta be a bit descriptive. So uhm, well… Skipping the first part of the fight since Itsuka and I got pummeled by All Might, we had to fight him on equal grounds—no motorcycles, just our fists. First, Itsuka fought him for...two minutes?"

He looks at Itsuka for help; she nods. "Yup, about two minutes. I wasn't as agile as Sanji, but I managed to dodge most of All Might's attacks since his technique is really easy to predict. All he does is punch. Knowing that, I fought him face-to-face because if I try to fight him from a distance, he could use his wind pressure to immediately end the fight."

Sanji takes over, "Mhm. After Itsuka had her two minutes, I had my six minutes. My endurance was really tested, especially since I was pretty injured when I began to fight him. I basically did the same thing as Itsuka. However, there were a few times where All Might could use his wind pressure, I managed to keep fighting. Really, the battle began to shift once I began to attack the left side of his chest. He has an injury there—"

"How did you know that?!" Midoriya suddenly shouts. Oh boy, right… That's the injury that All For One gave Toshi… The room goes silent as the three of them look at Midoriya, who blushes from embarrassment. "S-Sorry… How did you know he was injured?"

Sanji clears his throat. "Uhm, well… It was more of an accident—Actually, it was completely an accident. I wasn't intentionally aiming for that spot. I happened to come across it and it worked out in my favor."

Itsuka sighs and puts a hand on her hip. "Yeah… Once Sanji nearly killed himself _again _—"

He interrupts, "You and Hayami are still mad about that, huh?"

"Of course!"

"Itsuka!"

"Sanji! I—Never mind, we're not gonna argue in front of our friends." Sanji pouts and crosses his arms, looking away. In fact, he's looking right at me with eyes that say, _What am I going to do with your granddaughter? _I shrug. _Marry her. _Sanji smirks and turns back to his friends. "Okay, so I fought All Might for about ten seconds. The only reason I won was because I awakened to a new aspect of my Quirk which allows me to store the force or energy of an impact and release it within my next attack. With Big Fists, you can imagine how hard I punched All Might."

"You punched him pretty good from what I heard," I say, finally entering the conversation. Everyone smiles when I walk up. At least they can respect their elders. "Itsuka inherited my Quirk along with her father's, so they pretty much combined together. It's great, but it also means she needs to train more. When I first had Reversal, whenever I got hit, I had to release that energy with my next attack, which is where Itsuka is at. Through a lot of near-death experiences, I was at a point where I can constantly store energy from multiple sources and release it whenever I want."

Itsuka hums. She isn't complaining about more training. That's my granddaughter. "Yup! Not only do I have to master my dad's Quirk, but also my grandpa's. When I mastered both, I'll be a damn good Hero. I mean, my regular punches alone have gotten pretty impressive. Sanji, be my dummy for a sec."

Sanji sighs, already wincing from the pain. "Alright…" He separates from the group, standing in the middle of the training mat. Itsuka walks with him standing about five meters away. Ah, she's gonna show everyone _the thing _. "Hit me good, Itsuka," Sanji says.

"Mhm! Hyah—!"

_WHOOSH!_

"Woah!"

"Wind pressure?!"

With a single punch—with her normal-sized hands no less—Itsuka produced a small amount of wind pressure that hit Sanji from five meters away, who didn't move an inch. It's not that impressive overall, but it shows everyone Itsuka's potential. Turning to Ojiro and Midoriya, Itsuka explains, "After my fight with All Might, I trained a little bit to see where I was at. Surprisingly enough, I started to create small amounts of wind just like how All Might does—and technically you too, Midoriya. All my hard work is paying off. Though, it's just a small gust. Gotta keep grinding it out, I say!"

"I swear, if everyone awakens to a new part of their Quirk, I'm gonna be so disappointed in myself," Sanji, who is legally Quirkless, says. Poor man… I—

_Bzzt bzzt!_

That's my phone, and it's Toshi! Better take this call outside. "An idiot is calling me. Better take this outside. Besides, I oughta give you kids some time alone without an old man bugging ya."

"See ya, Grandpa."

"Take care, Master Kendo!"

"Mhm!"

"S-See you!"

I leave the room, answering the phone. "Toshinori Yagi, still alive?"

Toshi clears his throat. I can hear him moving around in a very squeaky rolly chair. What a dork. "Master Kendo! Glad you picked up! Can I take up a few minutes of your time?"

"Of course. Anything for my former student who forgot everything I taught him. Is that why you're calling me instead of visiting me personally? Because you're afraid of me kicking your ass?" I ask him.

A few seconds of silence go by.

"Perhaps. Anyway, that isn't the point! I was wondering if you are going to I-Island for the I-Expo event. I'm personally taking Young Midoriya there myself. And…"

"You're gonna meet David again, right?"

"Yes… I haven't seen my old friend for a long time. You haven't' answered my question though."

"Mhm. Pretty sure Tokage is taking my kids there too, so Hayami and I might as well tag along with them. We haven't worked out the exact details yet, but we're definitely going unless something unexpected happens."

"Hehe, that's good. It seems that something always comes up, doesn't it? No matter what, we can handle whatever is thrown our way. Your young ones especially can."

"Yeah, how does your chest feel?"

"Haha, very funny, Master Kendo. But, may I thank you?"

"For what?"

"Everything that you did for me. You helped me control my power when I was only a teenager. Now, you're training the one who will carry my torch. Not only that, you're also training two very amazing young Heroes who will help bring Japan in a grander light. You are a great man, Master Kendo."

"Jeez Toshi, it's just our kids. I'm not telling them what to do or what they should focus on. They're deciding that all on their own. I'm simply there to ensure that they're doing it right."

"Ha, don't sell yourself so short… Please, keep doing what you're doing. If you need something, _anything, _don't hesitate to call me."

"Of course. Is that all?"

"Actually, I would like to ramble a bit about David. Would you mind?"

"Go ahead. I'm all ears."

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

Two weeks. I-Expo is in two weeks. The big guys of the Meta Liberation Army will be there, especially Rikiya Yotsubashi, also known as Re-Destro. Okichi gave me more information about who else is participating. One of them is Koku Hanabata, the leader of the Hearts and Mind Party. Surprisingly enough, the _actual _Liberation Party, the party that is based off of the M.L.A., doesn't seem to be associated with them! It's either that or a very good ploy, but they don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Kizuki Chitose, A.K.A. Curious, will be there… Jeez, there'll be so many others at I-Expo.

But Okichi gave me more of a concrete plan. He brought a device—called T.R.I.P. (I don't know what the acronym means)—that plugs into a computer, which will be a laptop in this case, which bypasses the computer's security. There, it copies all of the computer's files. Then T.R.I.P. transfers the files into a flash drive that is connected to it on the other end. I don't wanna know where Okichi brough this thing from, but it's useful alright. I mean, with this, it should be a simple plan, right? All we have to do is catch one of the M.L.A. members with their pants down, get their laptop, plug in T.R.I.P, copy their data, take the flash drive, and get out without them knowing. Considering how chaotic I-Expo can be, especially when they're very important people in the economic world, they wouldn't think twice about this. _If _we do everything right.

If not, then we will be in a whole world of trouble. We could have a fight, which is never good. Yet the odds of that actually happening are slim. I doubt Re-Destro would fight me in a convention with a lot of witnesses. Though, I cannot rule the possibility out. It's like dying to a landshark when you live in America, specifically in the Midwest. The chances of you dying to one is pretty damn low, _but it's not zero _.

Let's say that Okichi and I pull off this plan successfully. We can give this information to the Commission and they can handle everything from there. Congrats, we helped the Heroes out! When the second advent comes, they're prepared to fight M.L.A. and any Heroes who happen to work for them.

Dad will obviously hate this decision because he doesn't trust the Commission whatsoever. He only trusts himself… I guess that reflects how he views his other relationships, especially those who are close to him—other than his family of course.

But…

If I tell this crazy proposal to my friends, they will tell me to follow through. Itsuka will say that I'm crazy, but tell me that I should do it anyway, Sanji has full faith that I can handle something like this, Ibara will obviously do anything to fight against evil, Togaru will tell me to "fuck their shit up", Jurota will be polite about it… Basically, they will tell me to take some damn initiative and do it.

I mean… Logically speaking, this is the right choice. I would be helping the Commission fight against villainy, and that's always a plus! I remember Okichi's arguments to convince me to join him, and they make a lot of sense surprisingly!

Ethnically speaking, this is a no-brainer. Legarde said to always take Heroic Action, and this is the definition of Heroic Action. By remaining idle, I will be dooming Japan to a surprise attack! People can and will die!

So…

I think Aristotle would be happy. I appealed to pathos, ethos, and logos—his three appeals. I know Dad will be mad, but I'm doing this!

I'm gonna do this!

I take out my phone, open up "Messages", Okichi's number, and text: "hey". Yup, just one word. He won't—

_Beep!_

Oh, he replied instantly.

Okichi: "Finally! I didn't have to bug you this time!"

Me: "yeah, i got an answer"

Okichi: "And…?"

Me: "let's do it"

Okichi: "Splendid! How about we talk in person?"

Me: "about the plan?"

Okichi: "No, about the effects of a heroism society on infants"

Okichi: "Of course it's about the plan!"

Me: "alright alright, don't get sassy"

Me: "what did babies do to you?"

Okichi: "No comment"

Heh…

Well shit, I did it.

* * *

**The final chapter of Final Exams is here! The next chapter will head immediately into the I-Expo Arc where Class 1-B will fight the Meta Liberation Army!**

**Onward to I-Island!**

**Post-chapter stuff:**

**Crunch Time: Let me be honest with you, I rushed through this chapter. I didn't have much time to write so I just sat down and just said, "Fuck it. I need to write." As a result, you get this mess of a chapter. I'm a bit disappointed that I had to cut it close, but the chapter is done and completed! Of course, it had to be the chapter clocking in at 26k words, making it the longest chapter to date. Anyway, I'm sorry if anything seems "rushed" to you, because I definitely rushed to write the entire chapter within a week. I hope you like it though! Because...**

**Rin: Hiryu Rin, also known as Lin Fei-Long! Rin's scene isn't so much about his fight but it's an introduction to his character arc. As you find out, he is the only son in the current generation of the Fei-Long Family where he isn't born with Astral—a super powerful Quirk! In fact, Lian Fei-Long, the eldest son, has an AP Level of over 17,000AP! For reference, All Might's AP Level is 15,000, which means Lian is *stronger* than All Might on paper. Throughout the story, you'll begin to see more of Rin's family and more of the world as a whole. The Fei-Long is simply one part of the international world of Monoma: Of course, we have the Phantom Thief. Monoma's character arc revolves around his internal struggle to be something great. However, his circumstances say otherwise. He needs to rely on others, and if you want to be great, you *need* to stand alone, but that is impossible for Monoma. He understood this at a young age. With being bullied (because he was legally Quirkless at the age of 5 and having a "villainous" Quirk), he began to accept a persona of himself being an "Anti-Hero" of sorts. Then out comes this bastard named Sanji, who is pretty damn similar to Monoma, but everyone adores him for being the ideal image of a Hero. Thus, Monoma begins to resent Sanji for being everything he could have been: hidden Quirk that is super powerful, selfless, adored by all, et cetera. However, because Monoma accepted that he has to be unheroic, he also accepted that he was a bad person. He called himself "selfish" in a negative connotation and repeatedly insisted on being the "bad guy", especially towards 1-A. Yet, thanks to Hayami, he began to see things in a different light. Monoma was so convinced that he was San**

**ji's foil that he was, in effect, a bad person, so he wouldn't see that he is more similar to Sanji than he originally thought. He cares a lot about his friends and even endangered his own health by using Blood Control on Mister Kan (thanks DrZenkai for that idea) just to ensure that Kaibara and Shishida would pass! Really, Monoma wants his friends to succeed just like Sanji, but they do it in a different method.**

**Thanks to Hayami, she points out these details to him! As a result, Monoma gets to see himself in a better light. With 1-B coming in to check up on him, he ultimately feels better about his own self-image and his own ideals. From the beginning, he wanted to be a Hero because he wanted to be the protagonist of a story that's greater than himself. Thanks to this fight, he feels like he's exactly that.**

**Hayami: Hey, we finally get a POV of her! She provides Monoma a better outlook on himself and that Sanji isn't what he seems. (You'll see this come up again later.) With her talk with All Might, let's say it's some form of foreshadowing and leave it at that. Really, Hayami's POV is important because we get information on Itsuka's father, Kaito, and how she views heroism as a whole. She will be on the other side of the spectrum with her disliking heroism as a whole. She provides a unique perspective which, like a true mother, makes people think.**

**Final Scenes: Oh God, Itsuka is strong. She has both Reversal and Big Fists in her hands (pun not intended). Not only that, she's so strong that she's able to produce *wind pressure* just like All Might and Deku. She didn't need One For All to power her up! She did that all on her own! Though, her wind pressure is basically a regular gust of wind, but it shows that she can be *a lot* stronger in the future. At some point, you can expect that she'll be so strong that she could rival All Might one way or another. And with Setsuna's scene, it definitely sets up I-Expo one way or another. Really, all I needed to do was have her say "Let's fucking do it" to Okichi and it'll happen. I already revealed the antagonist back in HCT, and her toiling over the decision before Final Exams, so all I needed was an answer.**

**But of course, this means we can finally do something other than exams! *I* can get to write something other than fight scenes for a little while! Yay! I hope you enjoy this chapter y'all!**


	43. Onward to I-Island

**Shinzo Mantora**

_Chomp!_

Apple's pretty good. Summer Break isn't bad. And best of all, I don't have to deal with my classmates. Life is great. Today, I can just sit back on the couch and scroll through stuff on my phone.

"The Italian Villain group 'Iconoclast' is rumored to target Vatican City!" I'm not really caught up on international news, but I'm pretty sure that has something to do with the Protestant and Catholic conflict that's been going on for a while. They have their own views on Quirks, which obviously creates tensions between both parties, and terrorist attacks happen.

Next.

"Rumors have it: South Korean Idol Hero 'Starlight' and Japanese Idol Hero ' Kira-Kira ' will be performing together at the Eiyukawa Fireworks Festival!" Huh, neat. Starlight and Kira-Kira are performing together? Kazeha would love that. I'm not too interested in pop music though, but the idols are cute.

Next.

"The I-Expo is starting within a few days! Pro Heroes from all around the world are attending the event that will showcase the future of Quirk technology! All Might and other No.1 Pro Heroes are rumored to be there!" Oh, that explains a lot. Suzuki told me that he has to tutor his elementary kids by himself because Fukidashi won't be around. Must be because he's attending I-Expo with his classmates. Good on them.

Next.

_Bzzt!_

Nope, never mind. Kazeha's texting me. She said: "im bored" God, she wants me to entertain her. Why is she bothering me though?

Me: "i'm mantora"

Kazeha: "no dad jokes"

Me: "i'm not a dad, i'm mantora"

Kazeha: "why am i texting you again?"

Me: "because you're Bored Kazeha"  
Kazeha: "hmph, whatre you doing?"

Me: "nothing, shouldn't you bother suzuki?"

Kazeha: "hes tutoring"

Me: "gera?"

Kazeha: "shes visiting relatives in germany"

Me: "the elegant mysterious queen who rules over the domain of heroism?"

Kazeha: "i have no idea what my adorable chuuni is doing right now" (I can hear Kakumi Yamajiru going "Kuku" in my head.)

Me: "...yibiju?"

Kazeha: "shes currently undergoing modification"

Me: "got any other friends i havent mentioned yet?"

Kazeha: "you"

Me: "friends who care about you"

Kazeha: "wow"

Kazeha: "jerk"

Me: "nympho"

Kazeha: "hentai protagonist"

Me: "virgin"

Kazeha left me on "Read". Would you look at that? I found a way to shut her up. Just gotta call her a virgin and her lips will zip up faster than a hoodie. I need to take a mental note of that for future encounters, especially ones in the wild.

_Chomp!_

Ate this apple to the core unfortunately.

_Toss!_

There we go, made a basket too. Too bad I'm not tall enough to play basketball. To be fair, I don't care about basketball anyway.

What else is on the news? Is the world going to end? Is North and South Korea gonna unite? Will America… Yeah, I don't have anything for America. Great place. Weird, but great. I—?

_Click!_

_Clack clack clack clack!_

Someone's here, coming from the back door. Multiple people.

Four sets of footsteps. One of them belongs to Mato, but I can't recognize the other three; good, doesn't mean I'm getting attacked if Mato is here. Two of the footsteps belong to adults, probably male from how heavy their steps are. The last one is faint and soft, kinda like a child—can't make out the gender. Hmm, it's not anyone from my Yakuza, I think. I don't have any proof other than my gut. Though, knowing Mato, my surprise guests are from _another _Yakuza group, or maybe Villains in general.

They're getting closer. I sit up and put my phone away. For some reason, I feel a sense of dread. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up, and my stomach is twisting and turning. Whoever the hell is here, they mean serious business. Though, if one of those footsteps really _is _a child, then I know who's here…

_Click!_

"Shinzo," Mato says, walking into the living room with a resting serious face—or a jackass face depending on who you talk to. He never wears a smile. He always makes sure that everyone can see his face, so his black hair is swept back. Mato stops a few meters from the doorway, standing perpendicularly to the couch I'm sitting on. Looking towards the door, he announces, "We have guests."

Two men and a little girl come through the door. The obvious leader of the three is a tall guy wearing a black dress shirt with matching pants, white gloves, and a plague doctor mask that covers his mouth. His mask has a red-purple color, being tipped with gold. The other guy is wearing a white hoodie with gray-white hair with the tips naturally forming as arrows—he's a pretty boy. The little girl has pale hair with red eyes; she's wearing a tattered pale dress. Her arms and legs are bandaged up, but there's nothing that could bandage the dead look in her eyes.

I know these people. I hate these people—not the girl, obviously.

They're Kai Chisaki ("Overhaul") and Hari Kurono ("Chronostasis"). The little girl? I heard her name is Eri.

I stand up, shoving my hands in my pocket. I look at the three of them. They belong to the Shie Hassaikai, who is arguably the strongest Yakuza group at the moment. I look back at Mato, who has a small frown on his face. I ask him, "You know Dad isn't here right? You could be putting everything at risk, y'know." Casually, I turn towards a corner of the room. There's nothing there of course, but it's for dramatic effect. "There could be cameras." There aren't any cameras. We told the Commission to not spy on us, but they could always walk back on that promise.

"I know what I'm doing, Shinzo." Mato gives me a glare that could kill kittens, but I'm not intimidated by him. "You aren't going to tell our coward of a father, right? He—"

I interrupt, "Coward, haha… Yeah, this is coming from the same guy who's sneaking around behind said coward's back to meet up with the Shie Hassaikai, discussing God-knows-what. Yeah no, sounds a little bit hypocritical, doesn't it? Don't even know why you're doing this here. Could've done it somewhere else so I wouldn't have known." Overhaul and Chrono glance at one another. Eri shys her face away from us—poor thing.

Mato's frown worsens. Mhm, he's always disappointed in his little brother. We're two sides on the same coin: criminal and Hero. Well, I'm trying to be one at least. Didn't work out so well. "Either way, what's done is done. Are you really going to tell Dad about this, Shinzo? Or the Commission? Seeing as you're one of their puppets?"

For some reason, I hold my breath after he said that. I can't get an answer out. My words are caught in my throat. I can try and cough it out all I want, but I don't think I can dislodge them. Damnit all. Mato nods his head, taking my silence as an answer. "As I thought. You're no more of a coward than Dad. But let's not argue more in front of our guests. I'm sure you know who they are."

Mato steps aside to let them get a chance to introduce themselves. Overhaul walks up to me, maintaining a socially acceptable distance away. I put my hand out, but I immediately pull it back. "Right, I forgot… You're a little bit of a germaphobe, right?"

Overhaul huffs, scratching his cheek. "You still have some bit of sense, Shinzo Kichoki." His voice is husky like his throat is lined with sandpaper. From his presence alone, he's an intimidating man. I dealt with worse though. "Hmm, what can I say to someone as sick as you, Kichoki? Heroism is a sickness that ought to be eradicated."

"Uh huh, thanks. I don't know why you wanna work with us frankly. You know what kind of people we are." I look towards Eri, who looks away from me. "Unlike you, we draw a line somewhere."

"Then you should keep an eye on what your brother does," he tells me. "He draws a line and pushes beyond it. Oh, that reminds me of your school's slogan. What was it again? 'Go Beyond, Plus Ultra,' right?"

Of course Mato would compromise his morals to get what he wants. I didn't even know that he was interested in working with these guys. What kind of a man is he turning into? He's changing right before my eyes.

Chrono speaks up, "We should begin the meeting soon, Overhaul. We can't afford to waste time."

Mato nods. "Right, let's get to it." He walks up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Watch Eri, would you?"

"Why didn't you leave her with the rest of your thugs?" I ask Overhaul, who gives me a really fake smile. I think he's smiling, because his eyes definitely are.

Overhaul simply answers, "None of your concern, Kichoki." Mato gestures to him and Chrono, wanting them to follow him down the hall, probably using one of the extra rooms here. Before they leave, Chrono whispers something to Eri, which prompts her to sit down on the couch in front of mine. She hangs her head, gripping her dress. Yeah… This is just great.

The three musketeers leave to conduct their shitty business, leaving me alone with this girl. Damnit all… I sit down where I was at before, taking my phone out. Ah, Kazeha texted me again and I didn't even realize. She sent: "no u". Great, exactly what I needed. That is the exact reassuring message I want when Mato is potentially risking the deal Dad made with the Hero Public Safety Commission all because he read a single book written by Wahrmann, who is the ultimate nihilist of heroism. There has to be a reason why he's doing this. Other than trying to bring the Jizen Mugen to a higher standing than before. It doesn't make sense why he literally brought the Shie Hassaikai into our own home and asked me to babysit the child that they're abusing. It's like Mato is testing me or something.

Ugh, either way, I shouldn't bash Kazeha. I'm not blaming her for any of this.

Me: "that took you awhile"

Kazeha: "quiet"

Wait, right… I have to babysit Eri. Glancing up from my phone, Eri is awkwardly sitting across from me. She isn't maintaining eye contact; she isn't trying to. God, what did Overhaul do to her? Let's...try something. "Hey, you're Eri, right?"

Eri slowly nods.

"Okay, good start…" I mutter. "Wanna watch TV or something? Do you like cartoons? Or anime?"

Eri takes a second to think. After that second, which felt like an hour, she shakes her head. Amazing, that's just great…

Let's—

_Bzzt!_

Oh right, I'm still texting Kazeha.

Kazeha: "now you're doing what i said? jerk"

Me: "actually i was busy doing something else rn"

Kazeha: "oh? is 'something else rn' me?"

Me: "no you virgin, i mean job stuff came up"

Kazeha: "hey!"

Kazeha: "also, you have a job?"

Me: "something like that"

Me: "gotta take care of some stuff, ttyl"

Kazeha: "mwah"

Okay, got Kazeha out of the way. Eri is still an issue. She doesn't wanna watch TV, and I don't think her goons are giving her the luxury of entertainment. Well, I don't think she'll intentionally be a nuisance. Whatever Overhaul and Chronostasis do to her, it numbed Eri from things the average person shouldn't experience. From going through stuff-I-don't-wanna-imagine, I don't think she'll ask for anything… In her shoes, she's trying to survive. Here, it'll mean she's gonna do nothing. Anything she does, Overhaul will probably know about it. It makes my job astronomically easier, but it doesn't mean I like it.

Ugh, let's hope Suzuki doesn't mind me texting him.

Me: "suzuki, i know you're at tutoring but i need help"

He answers immediately.

Suzuki: "i'm not"

Me: "you lied to kazeha, didn't you?"

Suzuki: "yup, anyway what's going on? must be desperate if you're coming to me for help"

Me: "how do i make a child happy"

It takes a minute for Suzuki to respond.

Suzuki: "what did you do to this child?"

Me: "wasn't me, it was the yakuza"

Suzuki: "uh huh, very funny"

Suzuki: "of all people to blame, even god, why did you pick the yakuza?"

Me: "first thing that came to my head"

Suzuki: "ugh, do you know what this child likes?"

I look at Eri. Yeah, this is the first time I met her.

Me: "nope"

Suzuki: "you're the worst babysitter i ever met"

Me: "thank you"

Suzuki: "god, what is this kid doing right now?"

Me: "sitting on the couch doing nothing"

Suzuki: "okay, give them an apple or something"

Me: "i'll try that, thanks"

Suzuki: "good luck"

I go into the kitchen, get a fresh apple, and slowly approach Eri. I really shouldn't move too hastily around her for obvious reasons. "Eri," I say, "want an apple?"

Eri looks at me, then down the hall where her kidnappers are at, back at me, back to the apple, back at me again. She has an uncertain expression on her face. Damn, she's traumatized to the point where she's questioning if she can even have an apple? Well, if Overhaul has a problem with keeping his captive fed, then I don't care. I tell Eri, "Open your hand, please."

A flash of panic runs through her eyes. She instinctively looks around probably gauging if this is a trap or not. But there's nothing here besides the both of us. Slowly, and very reluctantly, Eri lifts up her right arm and opens her hand. I place the apple in her hand. "There, you should eat it. You should have something nice once in a while."

God knows that you need something like that.

I walk back where I was at before, sitting back down. Eri holds the apple in her hand. After glancing at me for a second or two, she takes a small bite. Her eyes light up a little as she keeps eating. There we go… Look at me, changing lives an apple a day. I'm starting to act like an actual Hero...

Who happens to be the Yakuza Prince of U.A. High School.

Well, if life was a novel, then I'd be one interesting character.

For an hour, nothing outstanding happens. Pigs aren't flying, the moon isn't crashing down into the earth, and Kazeha doesn't stop acting like a nymphomaniac. So quite literally, nothing happened. Absolutely nothing, nada. I simply sat here scrolling through my phone while Eri ate, and finished, her apple. At one point, I did get up and toss it in the trash for her, but that's about it. Eri went back to being her isolated self.

Finally, we hear the creaking of a door and three sets of footsteps. Eri immediately tenses, glancing down at the floor. I hear the idle conversation of three businessmen.

"I hope you understand, Overhaul. I would help you if my hands weren't so tied up."

"I know, Kichoki. You're in bondage, unwillingly becoming a slave to the system. If I was in your position, I'd do something to your troublesome family of yours."

Tch.

"The other Kichoki can hear us, Overhaul."

"I know, Chrono. Either way, Kichoki, keep your eyes open. Take this as a sign of goodwill."

"Thank you. I'll see you out."

Mato walks into the living room with the terror duo behind him. He's holding a small black briefcase—the gift. We lock eyes from the moment he took his first step. Well, kinda. My bangs still cover my eyes from his perspective. With a motion of his wrist, Overhaul calls Eri to her, who promptly hides behind him. She's obedient, yet afraid. That's a bit redundant though. Obedient people are always afraid.

Chrono asks me, "How was Eri? Did she do anything?"

I shake my head. "She was good. You oughta give her some candy or something sweet."

He doesn't respond. Mato sighs and leads the three of them out. I don't follow with; I just sit here idly like ever. My brother gives them a nice farewell before closing the back door. Of course, they have to maintain _some _secrecy. They can't use the front door like a normal person. At least they're gone now. I don't have to worry about them any more.

I have to worry about Mato though. He comes back inside the living room still holding that briefcase. Seeing that I'm looking at it, he lays it down on the table in front of me. "Since you're curious, I'll show you what's inside."

_Click click!_

The briefcase opens.

Ah.

Looking at its contents, I comment, "So this is the Quirk-Destroying Drug I heard about. Five bullets, and it even comes with its own gun. It's temporary right?"

Mato nods, shutting the briefcase. "Yes, only temporary. If you want to know why the Shie Hassaikai wanted to speak with me, they need funding to make the drug take on a permanent effect. But we weren't able to make a deal due to extraneous circumstances."

"Basically, you're a slave to the system, huh? Well, sorry for ruining your dreams, Mato. I don't know how you could ally yourself with the man who abuses a child," I say.

"You ought to watch your tongue, Shinzo. Once Dad inevitably retires, I'll take his place. Within a heartbeat, I can ruin your dreams too. And I will."

"Go ahead. I'm sure our guys would love to have their moral code violated by some power-hungry prick who thinks he's smarter than everyone else. We're practically Vigilantes, but you're a Villain through and through."

"Hmph," Mato huffs, taking his gift and tucking it under his arm. "I'll be in my room, Shinzo. Have a good day."

He leaves with a very frustrated look on his steaming face. Heh… He's a problem… He's too much of a problem…

_Bzzt!_

It's Suzuki.

Suzuki: "did the yakuza kidnap you yet?"

Me: "yeah, you have to pay the ransom"

Suzuki: "one: i'm broke"

Suzuki: "two: i don't care about you that much"

Me: "at least you care"

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Ho-hokekyyo!"

"That's a cute birdie, what is it, Papa?"

"A bush warbler, little one. Around the world, he would be referred to as the Japanese nightingale. Whenever you hear the nightingale's call, you know winter has ended, making way for spring," Dad told me holding the nightingale on his right index finger. The bird was olive brown about the size of Dad's palm. Its beak took on a lighter shade, shaped in such a way that it took on a permanent smile. Being the herald of springtime, of course it was smiling. Spring is the season of rebirth and growth, revitalization and development. With a single call from its smiling beak, it would usher a time where you can hear birds singing as nature begins to reopen itself from the still tranquility that winter brought.

My memory is still blurry. Everything is tinted in a white light, even Dad. I can't make out how he looked exactly, but compared to my past memories, he was clearer. He had a smile that complimented the nightingale perfectly, so I smiled too. "Really? That's so cool! You must be really good with birds if they sit on your finger like that!"

"Honestly little one, I never handled birds in my entire life," Dad said despite taming this small little bird who simply sat on his finger. "It doesn't matter. Finally, I can listen to the song of the nightingale. I never thought I would hear its music again."

"Why?" I asked, slowly approaching him and the nightingale, who was still chirping politely.

Dad sighed; his smile dropped. "I'm sure your mother will tell you when you are older. But let's not think about that, little one. Bring out your hand, would you?"

"Uhm, okay…" I shakily brought out my hand. I was nervous. Not because I was scared of birds, but I was afraid that I would hurt the nightingale somehow. I didn't have complete control of my body like how Dad did. Maybe that was how he could tame the nightingale so easily. He never wasted a single movement in his life. Life was a stage, and he was the main dancer. Most people would find themselves pushing against the grain, yet he somehow moved along with it. He found eternal peace which allowed him to waste not a single second of his life. There was no doubt that he was one of the strongest men I knew. Even with his frail body, he was still strong. When he was born into this world, he was already ingrained in nature.

To the nightingale, he probably thought he was resting on a tree branch.

Seeing my hand being offered, the nightingale didn't hesitate to land on my own finger, chirping. "Ho-hokekyyo!"

I was startled initially. The nightingale flew right towards me without hesitation, treating me exactly the same as Dad. Anxiety rose in my chest, but as the seconds flew by, that feeling subsided. And I laughed.

I never handled a bird, but I did it so easily with this one. It was hard to tell who was special. Me? Dad? Or this little bird who wasn't afraid of anything. With this adorable little thing in hand, I smiled along as he sang. Beautifully, the newfound spring air was filled with an orchestra of song. The nightingale took charge with his wondrous voice as if he was singing to the world; the wind was the sweeping chorus that chilled the audience to the bone; and the skies were damp with the tears of the trees clapping, celebrating.

The song ended, and the tiny singer had to leave. He bid Dad and I farewell before flying away wherever the skies beckoned him. I turned towards my father before I heard the door opening followed by a familiar voice that resonated deeply in my chest—my brother.

As I was about to go back inside my home, I took a second to look back outside hoping I would see the glimpse of the nightingale, but it disappeared. I sighed, heading inside to greet my brother. He stood in the doorway being engulfed in a reverie of white light, almost like dreams were overtaking his body. Once we saw each other, I couldn't help but form a goofy grin on my face.

I loved days like these. I was filled with a wonderful innocence ignorant to the cruelty of the outside world that grew darker as the years went by—I believe in the greatest heroism, the one that would shine the light on the shadows that the world made. And hopefully, on one fateful day…

Reaching up to the infinite space, my mind becoming one with my body—treasure unveiled—I would fight on until I could reach no more.

* * *

A warm hand touches my shoulder, holding it tightly as if they don't want to let me go. Having said that, at the same time, it feels like they want me to turn around and face them. _"Wake up… Wake up, dreamer."_

The real world comes into focus, prying me out of my daydream. The warm touch disappears as soon as my mind stops wandering. The voice fades away like a phantom haunting my mind. I don't recognize that voice; it doesn't sound like my father's or my brother's. It's a man's voice, but whose? Do I need an exorcism or something?

Crap, I've been experiencing this too much to ignore it. I forgot when it started to happen, but one day, I've been hearing voices that seem to be right next to me, but when I look around, there's no one who matches the voice. Before, I heard Dad and my brother talking to me, but now… I don't know. I'm going crazy, I swear…

Though…

The sun is nice.

Ah right! I'm going to I-Island for a few days or so. We're flying there thanks to Setsuna basically shoving us onto the plane. It's us three, Master Kendo, Hayami, Yui, and Mister Tokage. Everyone else from class is going to be there too, but they're taking different planes. Thanks to a little string-pulling by Mister Tokage, all twenty-one of us (plus Shojo) have invitations to the Early Access Event of I-Expo, which means we can experience everything before the mass public can. Unfortunately, Mister Kan couldn't make it due to his work, but he wants us to have a nice vacation before summer camp begins. That's how _Operation I-Island _was made, which can be summed up in one sentence: "Let's go nuts." (Thanks Awase.)

We're almost there! I can see I-Island in the distance; we're not too far now! I read up about its history before the flight! The United Hero Nations seeked further research on metaology and so did many other countries. Together, they formed the Council of I-Island to facilitate its construction. Engineers and scientists from all over the world made up the council, all to ensure that the construction goes well. The first obstacle was the location of I-Island. The United States wanted it to be off the coast of California because they donated the most to the project. However, pretty much everyone else disagreed and wanted I-Island to be near _their _country—even though some of the countries on the Council were landlocked! Thanks to one British engineer, he suggested that the island should move on its own and actually explained in-detail how that could work.

They listened to him.

And so, the world's largest artificial island was on its way! It took ten years for I-Island to be built from beginning to end. The United Hero Nations declared it a complete success and "the ultimate example of the heroic countries of the world coming together to uncover the mysteries of the world". Despite the U.H.N.'s statement on how successful the I-Island Project was, critics intensely scrutinized practically everything. They claimed that embezzlement was an often occurrence and the workers were treated like slaves. Some even said that I-Island was a cover for something sinister, though the "something sinister" was never elaborated upon. Those people were probably conspiracy theorists.

Today, companies all over the world have invested in I-Island in order to fund their research, like Tokage Industries. I heard it's pretty cutthroat.

That's enough about the history though. Today, I-Island is home to thousands upon thousands of scientists from every corner of the globe. The board who runs I-Island decided to have Japanese as the official language, but about two-thirds of the population speaks another language as well. Within I-Island are four distinct "islands" that are connected together via bridges and roads. Three of the islands form a triangle with one island being placed at the center. Each island is a district. There is the business district, the residential district (because scientists often live here with their families), the education district, and the research district which is the center island. The research district is where the I-Expo takes place, a yearly event that showcases the scientific and technological advances that I-Island has made. Every year, Pro Heroes around the world are invited to take part as the audience. Master Kendo was one of these Pro Heroes but he never went to the I-Expo until now, all because Setsuna wanted to drag Itsuka and I along.

Anyway, you need to mention David Shield if you say anything that is remotely connected to I-Island. He is a revolutionary scientist and engineer who did generations worth of research within a couple of decades. He published many papers and made many theories revolving around Quirks, even receiving a Nobel Prize at the age of 22. But most notably, he's a good friend of All Might. Setsuna said that we'll get to meet David Shield in person alongside her daughter, Melissa. She insisted that I should meet him. I think… I think she wants him to help me awaken my Quirk.

Let's hope something doesn't go wrong.

Eh, knowing life, something will… I just know it…

But…

"Mnn…" I think I'll be fine. Especially when I have her right next to me, taking a well-deserved nap. A few hours earlier, we got into a heated argument with Setsuna and Yui about who would win in a fight: Wash or Burnin'. I was on Wash's side with Yui, while Setsuna and Itsuka took Burnin''s side. Hayami had to be the tiebreaker and said Wash would win—Itsuka wasn't happy. Behind me, I hear Setsuna ramble to Yui about how "totally awesome" the I-Expo will be because it's a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". For Setsuna Tokage, an heiress, I feel like it's more of a "one-thousand-in-a-lifetime opportunity". Yet, being the mere peasant I am, it's definitely an opportunity I get to experience once.

And the opportunity I'm witnessing at this very moment is just as rare: a sleeping Itsuka Kendo. I'm blessed to see her so vulnerable. I could do anything I want to her.

_Click!_

So that's why I took a picture of her. I'm not creepy; I'm just doing my duty as a good citizen of Japan! Granted, we're not in Japan but I'm still a citizen nonetheless! Now, I'm sending this to Hayami. She would love a picture of her own daughter.

Me: _attached image _"It's your daughter!"

Hayami: "It is! Did you really take a picture of her while she's sleeping?"

Me: "I had to"

Hayami: "Jeez, you really are a pervert, huh? Taking pictures of vulnerable girls while they sleep. You horndog"

She sends a smug-faced emoji.

Me: "I'm not a pervert or a horndog"

Hayami: "Right, you're a masochist"

Me: "Not that either"

Hayami: "Sadist?"

Me: "I'm not any kind of -ist"

_Thud!_

Ah! Itsuka startled me… She's still sleeping, but her head falls on my shoulder. Well, perfect time to take another picture! This time, it'll be a selfie with the two of us!

_Click!_

There we go!

Me: _attached image _"There has been a development"

Hayami: "Cute! You two look so natural together!"

Me: "Mhm"

Hayami: "Remember our conversation from a while back?"

Me: "Yeah"

Me: "I still remember"

Hayami: "Good, keep that in mind, horndog"

Heh… I put my phone down… Jeez, until the day I die, Hayami will remind me that Itsuka has feelings for me. It's… It's a bit shameful that I never felt love before. I'm sure that I'll recognize the feeling _when _I feel it, but that time never came.

Despite this, I'm happy with what I have now, especially with her. The only time my heart will race is when I'm in a life-and-death situation.

_Tap!_

Someone's tapping my shoulder. I call out, "Phantom of my memories? Are you haunting me again?"

"Boo," Setsuna says, smirking as she sees Itsuka using my shoulder as a pillow. She rubs my messy hair. "Itsuka's napping, huh? Well, she deserves a nap after how much she yelled at you. There's nothing better than falling in love with your enemy, right?"

"Heh, I'm not her enemy though," I reply. She's about to say something before Itsuka stirs, eventually waking up. Yawning, she instinctively lifts her head up and rolls her neck around. Her yawn is absolutely adorable.

"G'morning, Itsuka."

"Morning sunshine."

Itsuka groans, not because of us, but because of how stiff she is. She steps out of her seat to stretch, cracking her arms and neck. "That hits the spot… Anyway, are we almost there? I want to be as far away from _this _guy as possible." Itsuka glares at me, but I smile.

I sarcastically say, "I love you too." My sarcastic comment makes Itsuka frown, makes Setsuna smile, and makes Yui pop her head in.

I can sense three different reactions.

Itsuka: _I hate you._

Setsuna: _Say that again._

Yui: _I'm hungry._

Like always, I solve this awkward situation by scratching the back of my neck. "Heh, so uh, what's everyone else doing? Are they throwing parties in their respective flights? I bet Komori is making her flight-mates do karaoke."

Setsuna grins. "That's exactly right! She sent me incredibly hilarious videos of everyone singing. Did you know that Tsuburaba has pipes? That guy can actually sing. Guess his Quirk helps out a lot, huh?"

Itsuka sighs and presses a hand against her forehead. "God, I don't wanna imagine the chaos right now. As much as I love you guys—" I smile, "—not you, leaving teenagers alone on a luxurious plane is screaming for trouble."

I assure her, "Don't worry! I don't think they're gonna hijack their flights. I'm sure they're having fun all by themselves.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

"Who the hell is gonna stop me from getting drunk off of milk?! The government can't do crap! _I am in control! _"

"Please sit down, Honenuki. You're scaring me."

"Can I toss Honenuki out the plane?"

"Permission granted."

"W-Wait Kaibara! Don't—Ahhhh!"

* * *

Woah… I feel a disturbance in the air… I should ignore it. Itsuka shakes her head. Disagreeing, she says, "Look guys, there's only a small amount of people who I consider to be responsible enough. Most of them are standing right here." That's...fair.

Yui nods. "Mhm." _We're pretty responsible, except for Sanji. I never know with him._

"Mnn," I reply. _I heard that. It's ironic considering you're the embodiment of chaos. _I stand up, joining the rest of my friends who are currently on their feet. Itsuka naturally gravitates a little closer to me. Setsuna and Yui stand in front of us as beautiful as ever. We're wearing something casual. No more school uniforms for a little while.

Itsuka lowers her hand and puts it on her hip. "I agree with you, Yui. Sometimes, Sanji is a guy that I can depend on. Most of the time though, he's a lunatic that ought to be put in a mental hospital." Ouch, she's still sore about her loss, huh?

Yui nods again. "Mhm." _He's dangerous too. He knows how to use a sword._

Itsuka snaps her fingers. "Exactly! He's an enemy of the state!"

"Pfft!" A laugh comes out. From the corner of my eye, Itsuka can't help but smile from my laughter. I look over at Setsuna who's casually listening to their conversation; how about I engage in one with her? "Setsuna, can I ramble about Itsuka for a little bit?"

"Of course, my knight. Spill every single secret you know," she demands with an authoritative finger point that could command the world. Itsuka watches us, curious to see how our conversation will go.

I hold the lower half of my face with one of my hands, tapping my cheek. "The woman who I dare not say her name—" ("You just said my name a moment ago!") "—is absolutely unbelievable. I live in the same house as her everyday."

"Oh, I can already feel your pain. Having a pushy tomboy bossing you around can get annoying fast," Setsuna sympathizes, winking at Itsuka who's pouting. I bet she's thinking, _I am not a pushy tomboy._

My tapping gets higher in frequency. "She isn't completely hopeless though—" ("Hey!") "—I'm teaching her how to cook. My lessons have been going well, but she still has a lot to learn. If only she can toss away her pride…"

"Mmf…" grumbles Itsuka.

"That's the thing with girls like her. They don't know when to drop the egotistical act, and this is coming from _me _of all people! Itsuka Kendo is a nutjob," Setsuna declares like it's fact. For right now, it's definitely that.

"Heh," I chuckle, my eyes wavering down towards the floor. "Even despite everything…"

"Mmm," Yui foreshadows. _He's going to say it. He's going to compliment Itsuka._

"Itsuka is a weirdo." Setsuna sputters out a laugh.

_TUG!_

Itsuka's tugging my cheek! "Waah!" She stretches it out as far as she can before letting go. My cheek snaps back like a rubber hand, visibly red. A sharp pain flashes through my face before subsiding.

She angrily complains, "I thought you were gonna say, 'Even despite everything, Itsuka is the best partner I can ask for!' Why did you call me a weirdo?"

Blankly, I answer, "I'm defying expectations. You see, I wanted to perform what was called 'comedic timing' in order to get a laugh. I—"

"I know why you did that!" she exclaims before turning away in defiance of my terrible comedy. "Jeez Sanji…" I think she's just upset that I didn't compliment her. I bet that whenever I sing her praises, her heart flutters like a singing nightingale. Wish I could experience that without getting stabbed.

_"Hahaha!" _Get out of my head, Catharsis. You already gave me a few scars. No need to give me any more.

_Click clack!_

Footsteps. Solid footsteps; that sound can only be made by dress shoes. Considering that only one man on this plane is the owner of a massive corporation, it's Mister Tokage. The four of us stand to attention, going silent in an instant—don't know if it's a sign of respect or fear, maybe both. Mister Tokage walks through the door wearing his signature frown; a smile doesn't grace his face very often, does it? He's wearing a typical attire for a businessman, but with a jade and gold tie. Setsuna, being his daughter and all, approaches him first with her hands behind her back. She asks, "We're almost there, right? Don't worry, I got my things in order."

Her father nods, checking his what-it-seems-to-be platinum watch. "Good," he says, turning his eyes towards Itsuka and I, "one of you, go tell your family that they should prepare. As soon as we land, we need to get off and head into a self-driving cab that will take us to the hotel we're staying at for the entirety of the trip."

Itsuka scowls, crossing her arms. "I know, you told us this already, _sir _. Most of us here aren't forgetful." Wow, not only does she sound hostile to Mister Tokage, she also has the time to casually insult me too. She is _sore _. God, I might as well tell Master Kendo and Hayami since he asked.

I put a hand on Itsuka's shoulder, turning around. I whisper, "I'm gonna tell your grandpa and mom."

She whispers back, "And—"

" _And _once I come back," I interrupt, narrowing my eyes, "I should see you holding your tongue, Itsuka."

She sighs. "Yeah… I'll bite my tongue, Sanji. Don't worry."

"Good!" I exclaim, loud enough so that everyone hears. I look back at Mister Tokage whose frown has grown. Jeez, if it wasn't for me, Itsuka would drive her fist right into his skull. I understand her hostility; we don't agree with how he raises Setsuna. Yet, one can easily say that this isn't our business. Though, Heroes made their careers over not minding their own business. Really, this is just Itsuka doing what she thinks is right. But this is unbecoming, even for her.

For extra emotional support—for myself—I give Yui a headpat ("Mmm.") and head into the other lounge, where Master Kendo and Hayami are at. Their lounge is practically the same as ours, but they get to have more space since it's only the two of them. As soon as I enter—?!

_Cock!_

"What the hell—?!"

"Hey Sanji!" Hayami's holding a pistol. Let's not try to panic! I'm sure she knows how to handle a firearm! Let's see… She is holding a pistol with an extended magazine and a ported barrel. I think it's a Japanese-made firearm but I'm not sure. In the extended magazine, there is a slit where I can see the bullets inside. They're red-tipped, so I think they're rubber bullets. Thank God… I'm not getting shot today. Master Kendo is sitting at the back, watching Hayami fool around with her gun. She's standing up with a gun case laying on the table beside her. There's another pistol within the case; it's the same one she's holding right now, extended magazine and all.

Okay, analysis completed. Time to ask why Hayami has a gun. "So… Should I ask why you're dangerously brandishing a pistol around? And why do you have a pistol in the first place?" Why would she need a gun? I-Island has incredible security, being able to match _Tartarus _of all places!

She laughs and puts her pistol back in the case, shutting it. "I just wanna scare ya. And as to why I have these babies, the Police Force is paying me to take a gander at their guns. I want to modify their pistols first, but the I-Expo came up, so I just decided to take them with me."

"You're a gunsmith too?" I ask. Okay, so not only Hayami is a blacksmith and a mechanic, she's also a gunsmith? What _can't _she do?

Hayami nods and hums. "Yup. After U.A., I enrolled in a school for support scientists. I had to get a couple of more years under my belt in order to get all of the certifications I want. One of those certifications involved firearms. Unfortunately, I barely got a chance to showcase my gunsmithing prowess until now!"

...What other certifications does she have? Don't tell me that she can build a giant mechanized robot!

Let's avoid this topic altogether. Master Kendo will be my way out of the conversation. "Master Kendo," I say getting his attention, "how are you holding up? You look...disappointed."

"I always look like this whenever I'm around Hayami," he admits while he stands up from his seat; Hayami pouts—she pouts just like how Itsuka does. "Anyway, you're here 'cause we're about to land, right? I'm all ready. Let's hope my daughter is too, despite being an idiot about safety."

Hayami gives her father an intense glare before turning back to me with incredibly kind eyes—the duality of Hayami Kendo. "I'm perfectly ready! Please ignore my senile dad, he doesn't know what he's talking about!"

"Sweetheart, I love you, but you will literally kill me one day," Master Kendo replies, taking his suitcases out of the compartment above him. "Goodness gracious, what's the schedule again? I didn't bother to read it."

Hayami snorts. I kindly answer, "For today, we're immediately heading over to the Gemini Hotels. That's where everyone will be staying for the next five days. What we do after that is up to us. We can check out the Early Access Event, the beaches, get a tour of the I-Island Academy, stuff like that. Though, later today around four o'clock, I'm supposed to meet with David Shield. Tomorrow is a clear slate, and the day after that… God, I'm supposed to prepare for the I-Expo Premier Party later that night. Then we have the last two days with ourselves."

My beautiful guardian of mine, Hayami, puts a hand on her hip and flashes a smirk at Master Kendo. "Looks like we will meet David Shield. And Dad, Sanji was able to remember our schedule, and he's the forgetful one!" I am literally standing right here.

Master Kendo argues, "I can't forget something if I didn't bother to memorize it. Do you think I would listen to a man like Fuyushiro Tokage?" I figured Master Kendo wouldn't like him either. Itsuka doesn't, and from the look on Hayami's face, she's the same way. Hayami nods, agreeing with what he said before turning to me like I should comment on him too.

Fuyushiro Tokage… He's...complicated to say the least. He punched me because I threatened his plan for Setsuna. He has a plan for everything does he? His Quirk, Setsuna told me that he could levitate and float, so it doesn't contribute to his intelligence. That man, he's smart; no doubt about that—a natural-born genius. I harbor ill feelings towards him, but not to the point that I _hate _him. I don't like how he's parenting Setsuna, or that he is insistent on his masterplan. If he's smart enough to create a masterplan, then he's smart enough to choose his words. I think from the very beginning, when I was enrolled into Class 1-B, he purposely said the things he said and did the things he did—all with intention and purpose.

I have a feeling that a great gambit is being played. But to what goal? To what end? Whatever it is, I need to watch his actions closely.

For now, I say, "What's with the look? I don't like him as much as you guys. I simply don't have Kendo knack for confrontation. Speaking of which, I have to make sure Itsuka isn't trying to choke Mister Tokage with his own tie."

"You go do that," says Hayami with a kind smile, hands placed on her lap folded together like simple, yet beautiful origami.

Master Kendo grumbles and waves me away. With a head nod from me, I go back to the other cabin where Mister Tokage is casually explaining things to the three girls. They turn their attention towards me right away. Mister Tokage jokes, "I thought you jumped out of the plane, Mister Inochi. Jokes aside, we should talk about your appointment with David Shield while we have a chance."

I stand beside Itsuka, stuffing my hands in my pocket. She whispers to me, "We just talked about the Early Access Event. We'll get a deeper rundown later."

"Thanks," I whisper back before giving Mister Tokage my eyes. "Anyway yeah, uhm… What will the appointment be about?"

"Your Quirk obviously," he puts it bluntly. "David said he could find out more about it through some testing. With any luck, he could solve your mystery altogether. However, _life _is never simple, isn't it?" That last sentence has a double meaning.

Itsuka comments, "That's a little ironic considering your personality clashes with your first name." Dangit Itsuka, how many passive-aggressive comments are you gonna make? Still, that one made me think about it. Fuyushiro, Mister Tokage's first name, is made up of "fuyu" and "shiro". The character for "fuyu" means "beautiful" and "shiro" means "castle", so altogether, it makes up "beautiful castle".

Discreetly, I move closer to Itsuka with a kind smile on my face. She lowers her head slightly, being able to feel my disappointment emanating from me like an aura. Setsuna gives us a disappointed look too; she knows that Itsuka hates her father. There's a slight twinge of annoyance in Yui's face too. Anyway, being the only one who can control Itsuka, I say, "Aw Itsuka, we're one to talk considering we both have numbers in our names." (Yup, the "san" in "Sanji" means "three". For Itsuka, her "itsu" means "one".)

Mister Tokage straightens his lips, seeing my obvious ploy to decrease the tension in the air. He crosses his arms and looks to me as the one to speak with. Seems like he's gonna act like Itsuka isn't there. "Anyway, don't worry about me or my daughter finding out any information you don't want others to know. David won't tell anyone about your Quirk unless you give him permission too. Not even the United Hero Nations can force him."

What the? I'm not sure if he's using that as an extreme example or… "Why would they be interested in me? I'm just a random teenager."

He chuckles; apparently that was funny. "To yourself, yes. Remember, Mayor Yamamoto passed a law that all students in Hero Schools must have their AP Level measured. The city paid for the machines and everything. Do you think the Hero Public Safety Commission has your data on hand?"

I answer, "I would assume so… They _are _the Hero Public Safety Commission. They foresee almost everything involving heroics."

Mister Tokage nods. "Correct, _almost _everything. The Commission doesn't force every Hero School to measure the AP Levels of their students due to their budget and other factors. The _city _did. So technically, the city _owns _your data. And as a result—"

"They sell it," Setsuna says. "The city sells our information." They do _what?! _They sell our data? To who?! They need our consent, don't they?!

"From the look on your face, you must be thinking about consent," Mister Tokage concludes. "You would be correct, but since you're in the Hero Course, consent isn't needed because you already gave it once you signed those paperwork on the first day of school. Now, the city has a lot of buyers. First, they sell it to the Commission. Here, the Commission actually benefits because they are spending less money than they would've from buying the AP machines and distributing them to each Hero School in Japan. I would assume that the Japanese government has your information as well.

"But there comes the other buyers: Japanese companies. Companies in the heroism industry will pay a lot to have information on each wave of new Heroes. They want a headstart on any future sponsorships, representation, and the like. I haven't even mentioned companies in other industries such as lifestyle, so the market is incredibly wide. With all these companies fighting against one another, it becomes an auction house where the highest bidder wins. Despite the fact that the law was recently passed, your data easily garnered hundreds of millions of yen."

"Who brought our information? Was it you? You know Sanji's AP Level and all. Probably the rest of us too," Itsuka asks before I got the chance to.

He shakes his head. "No, I only knew due to a few close friends. For your information, the 'auction' ended just shortly before this flight. The company who has your data is Detnerat." At the mention of the name, Setsuna sucks in her breath. Detnerat… I heard that name before. Wait, I _did _remember that name but I completely forgot. Awesome…

"So uh, I forgot who that is… Can someone remind me?" I ask.

Itsuka clicks her tongue. "Seriously Sanji? You're a mess… Detnerat is a company in lifestyle support; it's _the _company in lifestyle support actually. They just recently rose to the top of the leaderboards."

"You know this how?"

"I randomly saw it when I was scrolling through the news. Don't think that I'm involved with business or law like Mister Tokage or Honenuki."

Mister Tokage adds, "Detnerat is not only a company. In the business world, there are three major 'alliances' so to speak. One is in lifestyle support, one is in heroism, and one is in medicine and technology. Detnerat is the leader in lifestyle support, the Yaoyorozu Group is the ruler of heroism, and Tokage Industries presides in medicine and technology. In your terms, we are the Big Three."

"But you're involved in heroism too, right?" Itsuka inquires.

"That's right, but not as much nor as efficiently as the Yaoyorozu Group. They are the leading company in heroism. Currently, I'm engaged in a friendly war with them, hence why I'm unveiling Hero support technology in I-Expo to rival their latest innovations. But out of the three of us, I'd say that the Yaoyorozu Group is ethically and morally the best."

"Dad, did you really have to say that?" Setsuna grumbles. "You're kinda right though… Momo is a sweetheart. She's too pure for my tainted heart."

"She's too pure for any of us," he replies, still maintaining a frown. Yet, his voice sounds happier, like how a father should sound. At least we all seem to agree that Yaoyorozu is a very pure-hearted woman. "Anyway, let's get back on topic. Mister Inochi, you haven't truly realized the gravity of your AP Level. The general public don't realize just how massive your potential is. Everyone assumes that you will be a future Top Ten, which would attract the attention of companies within our borders. But with your current predicted Growth Potential, you have the capability of becoming a world figure like All Might."

"Eh?" Me? The next All Might? That can't be possible. My Growth Potential is 12,500AP, which is enough to become the next All Might? There has to be something else! Back then, when I was measured, my friends didn't freak out. But was it because we didn't know how large my number was? From the look on my teachers, they seemed to be slightly concerned… Did they realize how much potential I have?

Setsuna smirks, shooting me a look that says, _Always knew you would be someone great, my lovely knight. _Itsuka doesn't look like she believes Mister Tokage as well. She keeps looking at me as if she can't imagine me being someone as great as All Might. No, that doesn't sound like her. She still has a look of disbelief on her face though.

Mister Tokage continues, "In U.A., there is only one other man who has the same potential as you do. In fact, his Growth Potential is larger than yours."

I conclude, "Izuku Midoriya. It's him, isn't it?"

Mister Tokage nods. "Mhm. Even though technology that can precisely and accurately determine one's AP Level is still imperfect, the data cannot be ignored. There is a high chance that your information is not only in the hands of Japan but in the United Hero Nations as well.

"You most likely haven't reached this unit in your Hero History class, but the United Hero Nations put forth the Great Heroes Doctrine which contains articles of what a Hero-bearing country ought to do. One of the articles, which was added after All Might's appearance, stated that anyone that has an AP Level of over 10,000 should be reported to the Heroism Welfare Block within the U.H.N."

Itsuka raises her hand. "Isn't anything put forth by the U.H.N. just words? They can't actually enforce what they say, otherwise we would be living in a world with one government."

"Of course, they cannot enforce their doctrines, but they _can _reward those who are willing to comply with them. Mayor Yamamoto is the kind of man who would claim that he 'discovered' Mister Inochi and Midoriya in order to achieve a higher standing with the U.H.N. for his own personal gain." Honenuki said that Mayor Yamamoto despised me… Even though our mayor isn't a Pro Hero, I have a feeling that Stain would kill him.

Setsuna sighs and stretches her arms. "Dad, you've been rambling a lot." Mister Tokage frowns at her daughter's words but he doesn't respond. "I'm taking your silence as an answer. Anyway you three, I think I understand what point he's trying to make. Basically, this entire thing is a web of information. There's a hundred ways where the world can be informed, especially if it involves heroism. It's hard to keep this stuff under wraps, especially when a guy like Mayor Yamamoto gives out information to line his pockets and gain himself a couple of favors. As a result of his tomfoolery, people in high places know about your massive potential. These people aren't limited to Japan but rather the entire world. And of course, where are we now? I-Island! It's a hodgepodge of powerful people. This place is filled with researchers and businessmen around the world, but don't think that they're working together for the common good. There are factions upon factions trying to get the upper hand over one another. If you think heroism on a national scale was competitive, it's nothing compared to heroism on an _international _scale.

"You may ask, 'Aw jeez Setsuna, why would Guatemala or Australia care about me?' Here's my answer: They will try to convince you to move to their country and study heroism there. They want their own All Might within their borders. Of course, the U.H.N. would be like, 'Why don't you become an agent for us?' As a little aside, I barely know anything regarding agents in the U.H.N., but they pretty much act as international Pro Heroes. Anyway, that's about it. None of what I said will 100% gonna happen, but it's not zero."

Oh my goodness, this is a lot of information. We were talking about David Shield then I asked about the U.H.N.! We went into a rabbit hole of discussion that I can't get myself out of! Okay, so Mayor Yamamoto took the data we collected at that one training exercise a while back, sold it to a Japanese company called Detnerat which apparently is some kind of super-company. The Commission and the Japanese government also have our information too! But but but, Mayor Yamamoto _possibly _could have given it to the United Hero Nations as well. From there, word must have gotten out that there are two Japanese students who have a Growth Potential of over 10,000AP: Sanji Inochi and Izuku Midoriya.

Good God.

This led up to the possibility that I will be harassed by representatives of other countries to leave Japan and study over there! Of course, there'll be the U.H.N. knocking at my door asking if I want to be an agent for them. I…

For some reason, I hate the thought of being their agent.

_Click! Click!_

Behind me. Those footsteps belong to Master Kendo and Hayami. I hear Master Kendo's voice, "Hey, we were eavesdropping." Thanks for being honest. "There's some truth in those words, you three. Heroism is a business, and in most cases, it's a country's entire livelihood."

We turn around, Yui too. She has been silent this entire conversation; that's typical of her. Master Kendo and Hayami have their bags with them. Itsuka asks Master Kendo, "Grandpa, have you ever met a U.H.N. agent before?"

He hesitates for a brief moment, then nods. "Yeah, I met one; he was even Japanese. The guy was a powerful bastard. Hope he's doing well."

Hayami grumbles, "Anyway Tokage, do you have to give my kids a lesson on heroism while they're about to enjoy a nice vacation?"

Mister Tokage chuckles again. "Let me give you a warning, especially for Mister Inochi: the world is watching you. You should be on guard during these five days, because on this vacation, you and the world will finally meet.

"Do you understand?"

I put a hand over my scarred heart and nod. "I understand. You make it sound like I'm going into war."

"Heh, you are. Welcome to heroism, Sanji Inochi."

"Huh," Yui says. _I think the conversation is finally over._

_Bzzt!_

The intercoms. "We're about to arrive at I-Island shortly! Please take your seats for a smooth landing!" That was the pilot. All seven of us take a seat as I-Island looms closer into view. We're in the depths of the island now, with an airport built out of white steel and concrete appearing below us. There are other planes landing as well, making the same trip we did. Across the airport hundreds of meters away, I see an airplane with Chinese characters. From the door, I see a tall man with flowing golden hair with a beaming smile, as if he's the chosen emperor.

Ah, my hopes and dreams for a good vacation have been dashed… There's no rest for the wicked, I suppose.

Welcome to heroism.

Here, at I-Island, heroism is its foundations.

* * *

"I see…"

"You're with All Might right now, right Midoriya?" I ask him. Thank God I found some time to call Midoriya. Right after we got off our plane, Mister Tokage ushered us into a couple of sizable black cars. His car is driving to the business district where he has to attend a meeting while we're going to the Gemini Hotels.

To tease me, Setsuna and Yui are poking at my sides. Itsuka is batting their hands because I'm trying to make a serious phone call.

Midoriya replies, "Yeah… Uhm, we're still on the flight to I-Island. All Might never told me about those stuff… Does the entire world know who we are?" I didn't tell him about Mayor Yamamoto and his highly unethical, but legal actions. I only said that our data was distributed to "people of all kinds" without specifying who exactly. But Midoriya is smart. He probably could figure it out.

"I wouldn't say the entire world, but people in high places. Think CEOs and popular Pro Heroes. Even though our information was distributed, don't assume that those who received it will have a tight hold on the lid. People will naturally talk about our potential. And because of that…"

He finishes, "Word gets out and each country will try to convince us to leave Japan and join them." Setsuna pokes my cheek and Itsuka grabs her wrist, but Setsuna detaches her hand from her body.

"Exactly. Sorry Midoriya, but it looks like we'll have some trouble heading our way. Every country is looking out for themselves, and right now, we're Team Japan. Japan has been the ideal image of a Hero-bearing country, so others are trying to topple us from first place. I'm not saying that I'm angry about it; I'm not a competitive person at all, but that's the motive behind the actions we'll see momentarily."

"Okay… Thank you for telling me this, Inochi. I didn't know we were in the crosshairs of the world until now… I only had to worry about Japan. I never had to worry about the _world _."

Setsuna's hand is flying around Itsuka, taunting her with random finger gestures. Itsuka can't catch it. Dangit all… Without a word, I use my free hand to grab Setsuna's hand out of the air, still being focused on his phone call. I give it back to Setsuna and she stops playing around. "Heh, I was like that until about thirty minutes ago. But you should've known. You're All Might's student; he's teaching _you _. I know that most of your classmates aren't aware that you're his secret son—"

"Wait, I'm not his son!"

"Moving on, my point still stands. They don't know your relationship with him, but they know your power. We _all _got our AP Levels measured, and our friends _know _our Growth Potential. Look Midoriya, we are not predicted to be in the Top Ten—I was wrong. With our power, with _your _power, you could be Number One. I hope with that realization, you can grasp the full magnitude of your responsibility."

"...Yeah, this puts everything into perspective. Just a year ago, I never thought I would follow the same road that All Might took. What about you, Inochi? We're dropped in the same river. You have the same responsibility as me. We live in the same world. We are both trying to be Heroes like All Might."

"Well, I'm not All Might's future, am I? Don't worry Midoriya, I'm more worried about you than myself. I have my own ways to push against the current," I say. Hayami gestures that we're almost at the Gemini Hotels.

Midoriya sighs. "Thank you for being concerned. I believe I can handle myself too. Anyway Inochi, I have to go. I'll see you at the I-Expo."

I nod. "Take care of yourself. Tell All Might we said 'hello' too! Oh, and Master Kendo has a special message for him."

Midoriya hangs up. Good choice. I rarely curse because I'm not that man, but Master Kendo is _exactly _that man. Look at him! He's smirking right now! That's the face of a retired Pro Hero who said something that no young child should ever hear!

I lay back in my seat, putting my phone back in my pocket. Beside me, Itsuka's on her phone texting Monoma. I casually look over her shoulder, but she frowns and pushes my face away. "No peeping."

"Sorry," I apologize, turning my attention to Yui. She's looking out the window with her trademarked blank look that says everything while showing nothing. Ah right, we're almost at the Gemini Hotels. Almost forgot…

Well, I'm looking through the window and it's very hard to forget. The Gemini Hotels consist of two buildings that must be at least fifty floors each, being connected by a skyway. The left building has a giant golden "C" in the middle; the right has a giant golden "P". Both buildings are mirror images of one another. On the outside, they're black and white plates being mixed together for a geometric pattern that spans from the bottom to the top. The windows are framed in bright gold, so shiny that the sun reflects off of them. The tips of both towers are shaped like golden pyramids but with only the frames. Through some of the windows, I see facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, a theater, a massive cafeteria, and an arcade, each having their own unique style.

The car slows down, joining a loop where we'll get dropped off at the front entrance. That's weird, the only people I see are adults in suits and the hotel workers themselves. I don't see anyone my age or little kids. I mean, there's an arcade here. That is geared towards children, so why are there only adults staying at this hotel? I'd imagine that _someone _brought their child along, but I don't see any. This is strange…

_CLICK!_

The doors are unlocked. Our chauffeur says, "Here you are, the Gemini Hotels! Enjoy your stay all!"

"Thank you, good sir!" Hayami exclaims, being the first one to step out. The rest of us follow her, grabbing the rest of our belongings from the trunk. Then, with slow, careful steps, we approach the front entrance of the Gemini Hotels. The glass doors are opened with a small army of workers inside, directing and advising the other guests. All kinds of different languages are being spoken here.

Setsuna playfully jabs at my side with an elbow. "You nervous, Sanji? Truth be told, this is the first time I actually stayed at the Gemini Hotels. During I-Expo, this place is usually reserved for businessmen due to how close we are to the business district and the center island."

"So that's why I only see adults in suits around…" I comment, taking another gander at the population that's gathered here. "Heh, and truth be told, I _am _a little anxious. This is the first time I've ever been to a hotel, let alone something this massive…" Honestly, I'm more than a little anxious, but it's not because of this hotel. Mister Tokage's words are still lingering in my mind. If what he said happens, then I'll be walking into Hell for the next five days.

Master Kendo sighs, sounding a little disappointed in me. "You'll get used to the chaos, Sanji. When your friends get here, you'll be right at home." Yui gives me a very supportive head nod.

"Speaking of friends," Itsuka says, "it seems like we're the first ones here. So uh, where are we supposed to go? Is there some sort of helper for us or…?"

A young, gorgeous woman with tanned skin approaches us wearing a black and white outfit with gold highlights. She seems like she's from the Middle East. Her name tag says her name is Ishtar. "That would be me! Welcome everyone to the Gemini Hotels! My name is Ishtar, one of the managers here. You all belong to Class 1-B right? Sponsored by Fuyushiro Tokage of Tokage Industries?" Wow, she speaks perfect Japanese.

Setsuna walks out to the front of the group. "I hope so, because I'm his daughter. Nice to meetcha, miss! Are you the goddess of love?" She extends her hand.

Ishtar shakes Setsuna's hand and bows. "Hehe, perhaps. Come and follow me. Let's not be in the way of the other guests." She leads us away from the front entrance, going off to the side where an array of soft, cushioned couches and benches roam. There are a few others besides from us who're waiting. I sit down on one of the couches with Itsuka sitting on the other side; Yui and Setsuna are sitting together on another couch on Itsuka's end. Once everything quiets downs, she asks, "So where is the rest of your class? I was told there will be over twenty of you."

"They're right behind us," Hayami tells her, putting her belongings down. "We should wait until everyone gets here."

Ishtar nods and smiles. "In that case, I'll wait here! If you have any small questions, I'll be happy to answer. After all, I was assigned to help you!" Hmm, while I'm looking at her, she _might _be the goddess of love. She is a stunning woman, having enough beauty to rival most supermodels. Her eyes are strikingly purple like a jewel, her skin is flawless, and her long black hair appears to be as soft as silk.

I hear Itsuka whispering to Yui, "Ishtar is really pretty, isn't she? I'm surprised she's working at this hotel and not a model or something…"

As Itsuka whispers that, Ishtar's eyes dart over to mine, catching them in her grasp. They narrow, and a mischievous smirk forms on her face. In an instant, my instincts flare up. "Fufu, you must be Sanji Inochi. You're more handsome than I thought. Does this dashing young man have any questions for me? After all, I caught your eyes~" (Itsuka's scowling. I'm not sure if she's angry at me or at Ishtar.)

She's definitely a seductress. Her voice lowers just enough to tease me, but not to the point where it's inappropriate. Everyone's eyes are on me now because they must think that I'm interested in her. That's not correct. There's something else about this woman. I should be polite and ask a question though. "Heh, that's my name… And yeah, I _do _have a question. How long have you been working here, Miss Ishtar?"

"Ah, I didn't anticipate a question about myself! And please, no need for formalities!" she exclaims, giggling. Ishtar tilts her head innocently thinking for a second or two. "For a couple of weeks at least. With the I-Expo, this hotel needed more workers on hand. So I decided to work here until the I-Expo is over in order to make some extra money."

Itsuka, out of spite, moves herself over; now, she's sitting right next to me with our shoulders nearly touching. Aw, she's jealous. "Interesting! I'm a little surprised that a woman like yourself is working here…"

"Because of my beauty? Yes, I get told that often!" Ishtar reads my mind, ending her sentence with another giggle. "Personally, I don't find fulfillment by gluttoning myself in my own vanity. I _do _find satisfaction in something else though."

"That doesn't involve being a manager in a fancy hotel like this?" Master Kendo asks. He's—? What's with that look on his face? His eyes are narrowed, almost like he's suspicious of Ishtar. She sees him and smiles more, exuding an aura that is filled with innocence and naive beauty.

"Mhm, I have a side occupation that I devote my life to. Please forgive me though, I'm too embarrassed to say that that actually is!" Ishtar blushes, putting a hand on top of her breasts.

I hear Setsuna is quietly muttering theories to Yui. They range from modeling for charity to being a Vigilante at night. Yeah, that's what I expected from Setsuna. Itsuka raises her head and decides to ask, "I hope you find whatever you're looking for, Ishtar." There's a hint of hostility in her voice. Yup, she's totally jealous.

Ishtar recognizes the same faint jealousy too, smirking. "Thank you. But my oh my, are you jealous, Itsuka? I merely pointed out the fact that Sanji has his eyes on me. Perhaps do you want his eyes for yourself?"

"I do not!" Itsuka quickly exclaims, immediately turning red and sliding herself as far away from me as possible. "And I'm not jealous! That's ridiculous that you would say that! Do you believe her, Sanji?"

I smile. Here's the golden question: Is Itsuka Kendo jealous? I shall be the judge, jury, and if need be, the executioner. For right now, I'll be the prosecutor. Now, I shall present the testimony of the first witness: Hayami Kendo, the defendant's own mother! She herself stated that the defendant is in love with me! And I believe her. For the longest time, I didn't want to admit that she could have feelings for me, but the evidence was insurmountable. If the defendant is indeed jealous, then we have our motive in place. Let's roll in the concrete evidence, shall we? Evidence 1: The defendant's face has the same shade of the ripest tomato in the bunch! She is flustered, blushing so much that every liter of her blood is rushed to her cheeks! Evidence 2: Her voice is pitched higher than usual, indicating anxiety and embarrassment! The defendant tried to deny this accusation set forth by Ishtar by lying! Yet I know whether or not Itsuka is lying! She always taps her leg when she lies! And would you look at that, Judge Sanji? She's tapping her leg right now! Finally, Evidence 3: When Ishtar started to flirt with me, Sanji Inochi, Itsuka felt the need to move closer where our shoulders touch! If that doesn't spell out "jealousy", then take away my license to practice law! She is undeniably jealous!

I rest my case.

Thank you, Prosecutor Sanji. I, Judge Sanji, shall look over the evidence with due haste. Yes yes, from the look of things, the prosecution formed a superb case against our lovely defendant. From the previous knowledge we gained beforehand and the defendant's current mannerisms, the defendant is indeed jealous, yes yes. Now, we need to decide on the charge the defendant will face, yes yes. Come in, Executioner Sanji.

Good grief, Itsuka's at it again. I have a few ideas in mind. Lemme go through them real quick. Everyone's waiting for our answer.

Idea 1: We—technically I—say, "Of course I don't, Itsuka." With this answer, we'll gain more of Itsuka's trust. However, if this was a video game, then our relationship would have already reached the max level of Trust. Oh, and everybody else would be disappointed in our answer.

Idea 2: We say, "Stop being jealous, Itsuka." This would embarrass the heck outta her. I predict that she'll be even more flustered, and she would feel the need to punch our face in. We will be murdered with this option.

Idea 3: We stay silent. By staying silent, we are basically saying that we think she's jealous but indirectly stating it. However, much like the last option, we will pretty much be killed.

Personally, I, Judge Sanji, believe that Idea 2 is the best. Yes yes, Itsuka will want to murder us, but there's a positive that you aren't seeing. Itsuka is already flustered, yes yes. Considering the fact that we're in a public space, she'll become even more flustered. The proud Big Sister of 1-B will turn into a bumbling mess just from four words. Hehe, I can imagine how adorable she would look, yes yes…

I, Prosecutor Sanji, do firmly believe that you are a pervert, but I agree with your reasoning. So we can safely assume that the three of us are perverts.

I agree with that statement, yes yes.

Sure.

Anyhow, for the defendant's punishment, we oughta take our phone out and take a picture. We have enough time before she pummels us to death. I even did the mathematical calculations, but holy crap, I am terrible at math so don't expect anything amazing. Anyway, Executioner Sanji, do you agree with our conclusion?

Sure. Let's execute the idea.

Court is adjourned.

I have my answer! Pushing up my imaginary glasses and taking out my gleaming, shining phone capable of taking a timeless photo, I tell Itsuka Kendo, "Could you stop being so jealous, Itsuka?"

"Bah?!" I see my desired reaction. Itsuka's face somehow turns even redder than before. Her hair stands up, defying gravity! She looks incredibly angry! Her cheeks are puffing up so much! Most of all, she is incredibly adorable! Quickly, I take a picture, saving it to my album with my other 103 pictures of her! "Don't take a picture of me, damnit!"

She rushes over and grabs me by the collar, using her other hand to try and grab at my phone. I pull my arm away from her, and now we're in a struggle. Everyone is watching us, and everyone is listening to Itsuka threatening me. Ah, to think I will die by Itsuka's own hand… All over a chance to see her so beautifully embarrassed…

Worth it.

"Good luck Sanji." Thanks Hayami.

"You should've seen that coming." I did, Master Kendo.

"Huh." Yui.

"I'm taking a video of this." That's Setsuna.

"Fufu, I _should _be a responsible manager and stop this, but I rather not." And Ishtar.

"Give me your phone or I'm crushing your ribcage!" Itsuka shouts at me. To get a better position, she straddles me and tries to reach for my phone, but it's just out of reach. Out of context, this is a very bad position to be caught in. Even more out of context, it's worse when our friends—and Itsuka's family—are watching us.

"Hey hey!" Oh God, that's Tetsutetsu's voice. Everyone stops and stares at him. Yeah, should I mention that literally _everyone else _is right behind him? Literally everyone? The entire gang plus Kagesuke and Shojo? Yeah, they're staring at us. Tetsutetsu asks, "Inochi bro, you wrestling with Kendo? Can I join?"

Behind him, Tsuburaba nearly spits out the water he's drinking. Kaibara walks up to Tetsutetsu and puts an arm on his shoulder. He says, "If you think you're hard enough, Tetsu. Actually never mind. I think you're more than hard enough to pound them."

"Eh?!" Itsuka exclaims, immediately hopping off of my lap. She shys her face away from everybody, not letting her friends see her blushing. Okay, I live for one more day. I'm lucky to be alive.

Kuroiro scowls at Kaibara. He has Kagesuke in his arms, who's casually nibbling on his thumb. "Kaibara, must you make such jokes? You are more perverted than Headband and Airhead combined."

"Why does everyone keep calling us that?!" Awase exclaims, looking around at everyone. No one gives him an answer, not even Airhead. He turns to the smirking Togaru Kamakiri, completely and utterly smug. "This is your fault, you damned mantis!"

"Oh, so it's my fault that you're stupid? Yeah no, ain't my fault, Headband," Kamakiri replies. Beside him, Pony pouts and tugs on his sleeve, basically gesturing for him to be nice. Unfortunately, Kamakiri is a terrible person, and he deserves a hug from one of the cutest girls in 1-B. He needs to be purified.

Oh, I just noticed Honenuki. Shishida's carrying him on his shoulder. Setsuna asks, "So uh, hey guys… Who killed Honenuki?"

Shoda explains, "He uhm… Uh, how do I say this… He kinda tripped and fell… And now he's unconscious… And uh, he's been unconscious for thirty minutes…"

Rin states, "So in summary, he passed away from his own idiocy. Despite the fact that he's a very smart man, he's not very bright."

I hear Monoma's cackle. "Yet, he's smarter than all of 1-A combined! Especially the trio that will eventually destroy Japan and leave it amok with chaos!" It's the rascal of 1-B! From his voice, everyone turns to him. Kaibara sighs and casually holds him by his shoulders like a good boyfriend who isn't going to punch him. Hayami smiles once she sees Monoma too… Heh, Monoma is the only one who failed his Final Exam, yet he's treating it as a victory. Something definitely changed in him. I'm glad he's happy. That's all I want.

Itsuka stands up no longer blushing like mad. Komori runs up to her remarking, "You should've been on my flight, Itsuka! We sang for hours! Tsuburaba's such a good singer! Shojo too! We had so much fun!"

Manga crosses his arms. "Hey Komori, I had a great voice, right? I mean, my Quirk Factor _is _my voice and all…"

Komori turns around and faces him, smiling. Too bad her pretty smile is a smile filled with pity. "Of course!"

Shojo immediately retorts, "You were absolutely awful, Manga. I, on the other hand, had the voice of an angel. Because that's what I am."

"I will punch you, Shojo."

Itsuka laughs, looking down at Komori. "Sorry, I was stuck with these guys all day. Especially with that shameless idiot right there." She points at me; I smile and wave. Komori waves back.

Ishtar giggles, standing in front of everybody with a prideful grin on her face. Everyone quiets down and focuses on her, knowing that she's someone important. I hear Ibara whispering that she's a fairly beautiful woman. "Welcome Class 1-B! I had the pleasure of meeting some of you before the rest of your party showed up! You all seem like good young men and women capable of being Pro Heroes! I am Ishtar, one of the managers at Gemini Hotels. I was specifically assigned to supervise you!

"As you can see, this hotel has some influences from Greek mythology. It was designed by a famous Greek architect who was inspired by Dioscuri, but you probably know them as the twin brothers who became the constellation Gemini. There are two towers here being exact copies of one another. The 'C' tower is named Castor, and the 'P' tower is named Pollux. Castor and Pollux are connected by a skyway which is a symbol for the immortality that both twins were blessed with by Zeus.

"For the buildings themselves, they are designed exactly the same having sixty floors each, containing 900 rooms total! Allow me to go over what each floor may contain!"

Ishtar goes over what each floor has.

Two basement levels: These are the parking lots. Yeah, I didn't bring Yume-no-Kami Ude with me. Hayami didn't want us to bring our bikes here.

Ground floor: It has the lobby and a Greek cafe. Ah, I should stop by sometime. I never tried Greek cuisine before.

Mezzanine floor: There is a bookstore containing literature ranging from pre-Quirk days to today. There's a special section for Greek plays.

Floors 1-15: Hotel rooms. They're the cheapest that the hotel has. But here, "cheap" still means "pretty dang fancy".

Floor 16: It's a service floor.

Floor 17: Ishtar called Floor 17 the "Children's Floor". It has the arcade from earlier along with other facilities meant for children, like a puppet show, one of those build-your-own-stuffed-animal places (Yui will love that), things of that nature. And of course, there's a gift shop.

Floors 18-33: More hotel rooms! It's more expensive than the last set. They have rooms that are more luxurious than the last.

Floor 34: Another service floor.

Floor 35: At this floor, this is where the skyway is at. Alongside the skyway, a massive cafeteria, a gym, business rooms, and other communal facilities exist here. There's also a theater too right in Pollux. In a few days, they'll perform a few Greek tragedies for us.

Floors 36-51: Even more hotel rooms! If you didn't think rooms can be even more luxurious, then you're dead wrong. These are the floors we'll be staying at. Specifically, floors 46-47—for Class 1-B plus Shojo anyway.

Floor 52: Yet another service floor.

Floors 53-55: These floors make up an "altrium" of sorts. A swimming pool is here, even though it's closed down for cleaning. Here, there's a variety of small facilities like a VR store, candy store, lots of stores. This is supposed to mimic a "mall".

Floors 56-58: The last hotel rooms within the Gemini Hotels. These are the most expensive rooms in the house. It's worth more than my entire life, which isn't saying much, but still…

Floor 59: The last service floor.

Floor 60: The spa and rooftop. Hayami says she's looking forward to the spa, saying that she would like to "become a new woman". I don't know what she means by that, but I'm scared.

In floors 46 and 47, there are special rooms for such a large party like us. They have rooms that connect to one another. For us specifically, two rooms are connected, joining together to make one big ol' space for everybody.

In Castor, floor 46: Kamakiri, Monoma, Honenuki, Manga, Yanagi, and Itsuka will have a room to themselves.

In Castor, floor 47: Awase, Tsuburaba, Kaibara, Kuroiro, and I will be roommates. I can already feel the chaos…

In Pollux, floor 46: Tetsutetsu, Ibara, Komori, Pony, and Shojo are together. Oddly enough, Tetsutetsu won't care that he'll be rooming with a bunch of girls.

In Pollux, floor 47: Setsuna, Rin, Shishida, Bondo, Shoda, and Yui are teaming up. Amazing, Setsuna is the leader of her bunch.

For Hayami and Master Kendo, Hayami is in Pollux on floor 46, having her own room to herself. Master Kendo is in Castor on floor 46 as well, being in the same situation as Hayami. They're our unofficial chaperones.

But personally, as much as I love my roommates, I feel an overwhelming amount of dread. It's like poison, killing me from the inside out. For the next five days, I'll be with my friends who are undoubtedly chaotic. I have Headband, Airhead, Vantablack, and Kaibara. My friends are amazing… Yet they are chaotic. If you look in the dictionary and find the word "unhinged", you would find a picture of them.

Of course, said picture would be burnt to a crisp. Not too unusual for a group of unhinged guys.

After everything's all said and done, Ishtar brings her hands together as the lobby is cooling down a little. She announces, "And that's the end of my little speech! Oh! Before I forget, I-Island is home for bright minds from all over the world! But don't expect too much of a language barrier. If you don't know already, the official language here is Japanese, the 'language of heroism'! Now, you should get settled in your rooms! Here, take this."

Ishtar gives us slips of paper with her phone number on it. "This is my number! If you need me for anything, you have a quick way of communicating with me! Have fun everyone! And I recommend that not all twenty-four of you stuff yourselves into one elevator."

"Thanks, Ishtar!" Hayami exclaims, showing her a kind smile. "I'll be sure to contact you if I need anything. If these kids don't kill me first that is, heh…"

Awase puts an arm around me, whispering, "Hey Inochi dude, I saw a beach nearby. What d'ya say dropping by and charming some chicks?"

Tsuburaba ambuses me from my other side, putting _his _arm around me. "That's the entire point of _Operation I-Island! _We oughta get _wild _. Vacations like these won't happen every year, so we need to let loose."

They're trying to seduce me with the allure of unrestrained fun…

And I think I'm slowly lusting for it…

Tetsutetsu suddenly yells, "Eh?! Did you guys say something about a beach?! Hell yea!" ("Language,") "I needed a socially acceptable excuse to go shirtless!"

Kamakiri scolds, "Why the hell did ya say that out loud, Metalhead?! How freakin' straightforward can you be?!"

Setsuna teases him, "Aw, Jack Mantis cares about his classmates. He _does _love us! Especially me!"

He snaps, "I will stab you."

"Hey, we're going to the beach?" Honenuki suddenly wakes up.

Komori exclaims, "Woah! You're alive, Honenuki! I thought you died!"

"Nah, just wanted Shishida to carry me over here."

_THUD!_

Shishida just dropped Honenuki.

Oh boy, everyone is getting riled up again. All it took was Tetsutetsu announcing that he wanted to go shirtless and the entire world lost their minds. Tsuburaba quietly says, "I'm gonna join the chaos." He pats my back and walks away, leaving me with Awase.

This guy, this headband-wearing guy, decides to take me away from the crowd. He pulls me in close and asks me, "Hey dude, explain why we saw Kendo straddling your lap? And why Ishtar is so freaking hot?"

"For your second question, that's called genetics. For your first question, I made her embarrassed. You happened to walk in at the perfect time," I answer while I take Awase's arm off of me.

He smiles, giving me a look of respect. "Nice, man… Seems like you're getting a lot bolder with her, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you tease her a lot more than usual lately." He pokes my chest. "Are you falling for her yet? C'mon, you must be falling for her!"

I laugh, swatting his finger away. "I'm not giving you any insider information, Awase! You literally have a betting ring centered around Itsuka and I! Look, if you want information that badly, ask Setsuna!"

"You know she's a snake! Both literally and figuratively! Look at that smile!" he exclaims, dramatically pointing at Setsuna. She sees us and gives us a very pretty smile. "You can't trust that smile if you're her enemy! When you have your back turned to her, she's gonna stick a knife in ya!"

"Like Manga," I point out.

"Exactly like Manga."

"By the way, this beach thing… It's just an excuse to see Shojo in a swimsuit, right?" I ask, casually changing the subject.

Awase smirks, shaking his head. "I'm not gonna confirm or deny that, dude. But, you'll gonna see Kendo in a bathing suit." Heh… Everyone _did _pack a swimsuit just in case we need it… I wouldn't mind seeing my best friend in one.

"Hehe…" a laugh escapes my lips. It's the laugh of a man with lacking morals.

"See? Not even you can resist a girl's body! C'mon, let's have a class trip to the beach, Inochi!" he pleads. Well, there's no harm in going to the beach. We should have as much fun as possible during these five days, especially Itsuka… Soon, we'll be bombarded by representatives of other countries. She'll enjoy the calm before the storm.

"Alright," I say, making my way back to my friends. Standing before them, the next generation of Pro Heroes, I announce, "Let's go to the beach, everyone!"

Shojo shrieks, "No one told me that there's gonna be a beach episode! I didn't pack a swimsuit!"

I hear the groan of a defeated man. Not _everyone _packed a swimsuit…

* * *

_Click!_

"You two look great," Kaibara kindly compliments Monoma and I after taking a quick photo. He brought his camera over, wanting to immortalize these memories. We're at the Mercer Beach—the beach was named after a famous American Pro Hero who passed away before I was born. It's a stunning beach. There's no litter or garbage staining the beach's beauty. The sand is soft and the water is crystal blue, having the same color as a sapphire jewel. It even sparkles!

Kaibara manages to crack a little smile before sitting down on his beach mat with Monoma laying on a beach chair next to him—he's reading a book he got from the library. He posed just for Kaibara's picture before he went back to reading. An umbrella provides the couple—and me—some much needed shade from the sun. They're both in their swim trunks, and they're both pretty toned men, even Monoma. Too bad no lady is gonna separate them. I myself am laying on a beach chair too, enjoying the sight of this beach.

Awase and Tsuburaba are having a competition to see who can hold their breath longer while underwater with Honenuki and Shoda timing them. Shishida is currently at the vendors behind us getting a popsicle with Kuroiro. Kamakiri is swimming on his own, using his Quirk to swim even faster—Quirk use is allowed during I-Expo, but we're not technically in the event yet so he's committing a crime. Eh, no one would care. Tetsutetsu is currently harassing Manga to do pull-ups on the nearby outside gym just about fifty meters down to my left. Finally, Rin and Bondo are having a nice conversation while a cute crab acts as their audience.

But… The guys are here. Only the guys. The girls of 1-B are trying to help Shojo out because she didn't bring a swimsuit. We have to wait for them to come back. For now, it's just me and the bros.

I'm wearing a black and white swim trunks that almost go down to my knees. I'm also wearing a thin, nylon white and blue jacket meant for beachwear. I have it partially zipped up about half-way. Lastly, I have shades. I am the definition of cool. Just gotta talk like a Californian and I'll be the epitome of coolness, oozing coolness like sweat.

I push my shades up, looking ahead to the beautiful waters ahead. Monoma glances at Kaibara and I, smiling. "My good men, are you excited for the plays that will be performed in a few days? One of them will be _The Bacchae _as an appetizer, and of course, the _Iliad _will be the main course."

"You'll drag the entire class to them, aren't you?" Kaibara coldly asks, seemingly unenthusiastic about this. He's joking; Kaibara is like that.

"Of course! I want them to appreciate the theater like I do!" Monoma exclaims smiling at his boyfriend. "What about musical theater, Sen? Do you like music? I mean, you posed as a boy band with Inochi that one time."

I comment, "The Anti-Heroes weren't meant to be. We had talent, but we didn't have the bonds between our hearts."

Kaibara looks at me and retorts, "I blame our breakup on you, Jun-Jun. We had a good thing going before you decided to become a tyrant."

I frown. "We're not gonna fight about this… Uh, yeah… I already forgot your fake name, sorry." Crap, what was it again? We had Tadashi right? Sora too… What was the last name? Doesn't matter now.

My ex-bandmate shoots me a dirty look, clearly displeased by the Mad Tyrant named Jun-Seo. "Hmph… By the way, can you sing, Inochi? I mean, you got the looks."

"Eh?" I make a noise.

Monoma sighs and clarifies for him, "You know this already, my friend! You're a handsome man capable of wooing any lady you come across! It's one of the reasons why you have a fanclub!"

Clearing my throat, I correct him, "Actually, I know where you're going with this, but I don't have any intentions on becoming an idol. Komori will put the fear of Shroom into me and end my life."

Kaibara puts his hands up. "Just wondering. We could make a lot of money off of you. I'm trying to get a new camera. Speaking of which, unzip your jacket and pose for me. I'm gonna sell this to your fanclub."

"I'm pretty sure selling pictures of teenagers is illegal. Also, your boyfriend is right next to you," I voice my opinion.

Monoma smirks. "We're just teasing you. There's no way we can corrupt an already corrupted man like you."

"What do you mean by 'already corru[ted'?! Mono—"

"Mister Inochi," Shishida steps inside my shade with a mango-flavored popsicle. Looks like my treat is here! He hands me by popsicle and pushes up his glasses. Ugh, I'm gonna eat my heart out.

"Thanks Shishida," I say, already sucking it. This thing is delicious! Cold, sweet, and refreshing. This is exactly what I needed! Shishida gives me a head nod before walking towards Rin and Bondo—the crab is gone.

Kaibara engages in a conversation with Monoma and I quietly listen. They have some quality banter that makes the Ally of Love in me squeal in joy. Ahead of me, Awase and Tsuburaba are making their way back to us with Awase taking some playful jabs at Tsuburaba's chest. Guess he won. Honenuki and Shoda are off elsewhere doing their own things.

I stand up and approach them, waving. "So I take it that Awase won?" Weird, I would've thought that Tsuburaba would win by a landslide.

Tsuburaba lowers his head in shame while Awase laughs. For once, Awase isn't wearing his headband. His hair is down. "I managed to stay underwater longer than this guy did! I'm better than Airhead!"

The loser pouts, seriously punching Awase in his gut. The latter recoils in pain but still manages to taunt him by laughing. "Ugh, I only lost because I saw a freaking jellyfish! Of _course _I had to swim up! That thing would've stung me!

"I should've made you wear it as a hat for losing!"

"Even if I did, I would still have more brain cells than you!"

"At least I have a brain!"

Y'know, I think this popsicle tastes even sweeter. I look around and—! Ibara's here! The goddess of 1-B has arrived to purify this sinful beach! Awase and Tsuburaba stop arguing to watch Ibara step onto the soft sand with a holy smile on her face. She's wearing a beautiful green beach dress with flowers adorned on the fabric. Seeing us, she smiles and says, "Good man of 1-B, and the two rascals, I see you're enjoying your time."

Awase laughs at her comment—what a rapscallion. "Glad to see you're here too, O' Holy One! Where's the rest of the girls?"

Tsuburaba mutters, "Ibara Shiozaki, a woman of God. She's blessed with such beauty that it makes us sinners weep. Her body is truly breathtaking. Such a shame she wants to keep herself modest and humble. I want her to step on me."

Ibara returns a smile and looks behind her. "They're approaching us as we speak."

Our next guest is Kinoko Komori! She's wearing a bikini that's red with white spots just like her Hero Costume. She also has a floppy beach hat that kinda looks like a mushroom cap. "Shemage has arrived! Hold your applause, boys!"

Tsuburaba narrates, "Kinoko Komori. Her siren song can seduce men just from a single note. Her body is so curvy that not even circles could compare."

Pony Tsunotori is here! She's wearing denim shorts with a cute, Hawaii-inspired top. Guess she isn't swimming today. Makes sense… Her feet are hooves. Also, she has a gun. "I have a water gun!" She's the angel of death.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna say anything for Pony. She's too innocent." Pony skips away to (probably) terrorize Kamakiri.

Reiko Yanagi materalizes from the air. Before, anyone would think that she's a girl who liked ghosts and dark things in general. But if they saw her now, they wouldn't believe that she's the same girl. Yanagi is wearing a white bikini with a pale blue towel wrapped around her waist. An edelweiss is pinned to her hair which is tied back into a bun. "Hello, everyone."

"Reiko Yanagi! She is a woman of fashion! Most men would dismiss her as an emo girl, but she's still stunning! In a blink of an eye, she can transform into one of the most beautiful women you can meet!"

("What the hell are ya doing, Horns?!" Yup, Kamakiri is being terrorized.)

Aha, it's Yui time! Our silent mistress casually strolls out onto the beach with a blank look. She's wearing a red and white beach bodysuit that clings tightly to her body. "Ah." _Hi guys. Sorry that we took so long._

Tsuburaba squeals in delight. "Ohoho! It's Yui Kodai! I can't tell you how much we love her! She's an adorable kuudere that can charm anyone, men and women! Her breasts, her legs, they're perfect!"

The Queen of 1-B is next! Setsuna comes out wearing a green one-piece that compliments her very well. Like Yanagi, she has a flower pinned to her hair. But it's a chrysanthemum instead of an edelweiss. "Yo!"

"Your queen is here, Inochi! She looks cute as ever! Setsuna Tokage knows she's sexy and isn't afraid to tell everyone! That kind of confidence can hit a man right in his heart, y'know! She's one of the best girls in our class!"

Awase suddenly sputters. Yup, it's her, Shojo Fukidashi! Behind her is Hayami who's wearing a plain blue dress. Shojo is wearing a charming yellow bikini with red stripes. There's translucent red frills that're attached to both parts of her swimsuit. And of course, Shojo is blushing. She hasn't gone out to the beach in a long time if at all. I'm glad we can give her this opportunity. "D-Don't stare at me, p-perverts…"

Tsuburaba and I look at Awase. We give him a thumbs-up. Without a word, Awase runs up to Shojo and starts talking to her, doing his best to make Shojo feel comfortable. Hayami flashes a smile and mouths, _Watch these two, Ally of Love! Also, the woman of the hour is arriving now!_

I stand up straight, pushing my shades up. I finished my popsicle; the only thing that's left is the stick. I toss it away into the trash can. Tsuburaba notices that I'm tense, and soon realizes why. Itsuka Kendo arrives with flushed cheeks, meekly stepping foot on the beach. The first thing she sees is Tsuburaba and I. Itsuka is just how I imagined her. She's wearing a dark green bikini, the same color as the qipao she wears for her Hero Costume. Her hair, instead of being tied back into a ponytail, is braided. That's it, but it doesn't take much for Itsuka to be beautiful.

Tsuburaba doesn't say anything for Itsuka. He simply smiles and gives me a supportive look. _Go talk to her, Inochi!_

Heh, this is why I adore my friends. I never met more supportive people in my life, including Kamakiri. He says that he hates me, but let's face it, he loves me. Does it matter that he threatened to stab me a hundred times? No it doesn't. Leaving Tsuburaba behind, I approach Itsuka with a smile tugging at my lips. Once we're face-to-face, I ask, "New hair style?" Helping myself, I take her braided hair in hand, relishing the softness of each strand.

_Slap!_

And she slaps my hand away. Her blush gets a little worse. "Sanji, what excuse do you have for touching my hair like that?" she whines.

I press a hand against my cheek, my smile morphing into a smug smirk. "I have thousands of excuses."

"And…?"

"And all of them contain the word 'cute'." Itsuka grumbles; she can't deny that she didn't like my answer. "How about this, let's make a deal." I lower my hand, crossing my arms as if I am a shrewd businessman capable of swindling millions of dollars from my unsuspecting target. "You can touch my body as revenge."

"Why did you word it like that, you lughead?!" she exclaims, obviously displeased by my intentional unintentional phrasing. Itsuka sighs and shakes her head. Before I know it, she—!

_PUNCH!_

_GRAB!_

Yeah, I knew she would punch me. I managed to catch her fist before it turned my stomach into jelly. Crap though… She's a lot better than before. Her punch was faster _and _stronger. I'm pretty sure a small gust of wind pressure was generated too. I comment, " _Touch _me, not _bruise _me."

"Tch, pervert…" Itsuka grumbles, pulling back her arm. She smiles though. "Y'know, your reflexes are a lot better compared to the beginning of the year. Your resilience definitely got stronger too…"

"So have your strength. Soon, you'll be able to produce _All Might _-level of punches, Itsuka. I'm waiting for the day," I reply back. Our spars have gotten a lot more even now. Master Kendo said that I reached Itsuka's battle instinct. I'm actually starting to beat her in our spars. However, Itsuka is getting stronger. She can use Reversal alongside Big Fists. I already have so much adoration for Battle Fist. Any more and my heart will explode.

And speaking about my heart, Itsuka glances at it. Without a word, she tugs my nylon jacket open to get a good look. She drags her finger along the _very _noticeable scar. A slight cringe takes over her face. "Sanji… Catharsis didn't give you this scar, right? How did you get it? It's right over your heart."

Like clockwork, a dull pain wells in my chest almost like a memory. It's not the kind of pain that causes a man to scream, but the pain that's itching at you like a scab. You want to peel it off, but if you do, you'll feel more pain—a sharp pain like a knife sinking into your flesh. Just like my family and my past, I don't know. I take Itsuka's wrist and pull her hand back away from my chest. "No clue… But don't worry too much about it, okay?"

"You'll tell me when you're ready, right?" Itsuka asks.

"You'll be the first one I'll go to," I assure her, firmly holding her hand. To double-assure her, I give her a big smile, letting my shades droop a little. Itsuka smiles and lets go of my hands, pushing up my shades for me. She leans in close and—?!

_Click!_

Kaibara just took a photo of us. "That was a pretty romantic moment, you two. Want me to send you this, Inochi? You can add it to your collection."

Itsuka lets go of me and backs up. "Sanji, you have a collection of _what? _"

I casually turn around. I address Kaibara, "Sounds like I need to run. Don't worry, Kaibara. I'm faster than this slowpoke."

"You son of a bitch! I'll—!"

_SPRINT!_

_Operation I-Island _is starting off strong!

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

The entire day was filled with a lot of fun.

_Operation Love Hunter _was a thing. Awase, Tsuburaba, Kuroiro, and Honenuki decided to chase after women being the lovesick boys they are. Actually, all of them but Kuroiro. He was dragged into their mess. Their first mission involved water guns and chasing women away. Their second mission had them invading enemy waters before a jellyfish decided to ruin everything—that was when Kuroiro deserted them. God, on his own, Honenuki used his Quirk to pop his head out of the sand while two ladies were having a conversation! They kicked him in the head and ran away! I only knew about this when Kuroiro himself told me. He said, and I quote, _"I'm only informing you of this operation to ensure that I remain without punishment, Kendo." _So yeah, he only told me so he wouldn't have to meet my fist. I don't blame him, because once I heard that some of my cherished friends were harassing random girls, I had to do something. I distracted Sanji by giving him Yui so I could properly punish these idiots. It worked for the most part. I put the fear of God into them and now they're traumatized. Sanji ended up finding out and he's forever disappointed in me… Heh, wouldn't be the first time.

I _did _end up catching some tidbits from the other beachgoers. There's a ton of Pro Heroes attending I-Expo, including No.1 Heroes from other countries. I know that Monarch, a British Hero, and Odyesseus, a Greek Hero, are coming. But, there's this Chinese guy who I keep hearing about. He's "a very hot man" with long, flowing, golden hair. The people I heard this from said that he's probably the most powerful man in the world, stronger than All Might even. But… There's the issue with the Quirk Purists protest. They're planning to protest at David Shield's labs over his research. I can't be bothered to understand their issue honestly.

Pony and Reiko buried Shishida in the sand with his head sticking out. It _was _pretty funny since they molded a woman's body for him. Shishida had more curves than I did. However, it soon became a problem when a big wave was coming in. He couldn't break out of his prison in time. Yeah, I feel bad for him…

We played with water guns for a while. Eventually though, it ended up with Sanji fighting against half of our class—I sat out to take a video. Good thing too, because Sanji killed everyone. All he had was two water pistols and a dream, and he killed everyone. We watched a few American action movies together and they are really paying off. With his Adoptive Muscle Memory, I'm fairly certain he picked up some firearm training. I doubt he would actually _use _a gun in the first place though… Still, the sight of him standing tall with bodies surrounding him is permanently ingrained in my mind. He almost looked sad… Almost.

Volleyball happened. I was playing volleyball with Sanji on my team. We were doing pretty well before I spiked the ball. Setsuna claimed that "I recreated Hiroshima and Nagasaki _and then some _". It wasn't _that _big of an explosion honestly. I mean, sand _did _get everywhere and into our eyes, but it wasn't awful. But even then… Everyone kicked me out, even Sanji! They all mutually decided that I was too good for them and they wanted "to avoid further bloodshed". Hmph, I'm still grumpy over that.

Monoma heard that 1-A is finally at I-Island and proposed that we should make their lives a living hell. He went really in-depth with his plan, coming up with contingencies and assigning us certain roles even though no one said they wanted to do it. Of course, I caught wind and promptly put an end to his scheming.

Kaibara wanted a class photo of everyone together—Shojo and Kagesuke are practically a part of 1-B already. We all decided to do some funny poses that definitely came out of an anime. Pony and Shojo were ordering everyone around making sure we were absolutely perfect, and we were. But Kaibara wasn't in the picture. That was when Mom took over, acting as the cameraman—or camerawoman in this case. We had a heartwarming class photo. Mom said it was perfect, and it is. Everyone was smiling; everyone was happy. This… This was the very thing I wanted to protect: our smiles. When I first saw that picture, my eyes immediately gravitated towards Sanji. He had the brightest smile out of everyone—a smile that I wanted to cherish so much. But immediately afterwards, I couldn't shake this feeling… It was a feeling that said, _This is one of the last times you can smile like this _. It felt like a cocktail of emotions honestly. Dread, foreboding, and fear all mixed into one. As much as I wanna look away, the world is changing. Everything… Everything that's happening is contributing to this change. It'll be so drastic that we have to devote our strength to adapting to it, and in the end, we wouldn't have the strength to smile.

It might be useless protecting everyone's smiles when I _know _that we won't be able to in the future, but I don't care. My friends are happy and I'm willing to do anything to keep it that way. What kind of person would I be if I make them depressed? We should be optimistic, mature but optimistic. Despite some of my classmates being complete idiots, we're mature enough to handle whatever's coming. In the end, I hope everything will turn out alright. For Sanji… Well, I'll be by his side so he doesn't get himself killed. Heh… When we first met, when I first got to know him better, I admired him. Then, that admiration turned into adoration, and that adoration turned into love. I wonder how he feels about me, but I wonder about a lot of things, like why he's such an airhead.

Jeez, I sure know how to pick them.

I tug on Sanji's jacket… He gave it to me seeing as my bikini doesn't exactly allow for pockets and I didn't feel like carrying around my phone. I'm at the boardwalk outside of Mercer Beach. It's filled with vendors and other commodities. I just wanted to use the bathroom. Did that and subsequently fell in love with a strawberry smoothie. Anyway, it's a little before three. Sanji has a meeting with David Shield at four, so we should start thinking about getting ready to go. We have to wear our Hero Costumes and try not to get flustered in the Early Access Event. There… If what Mister Tokage says is true, then Sanji will be harassed until he goes insane. I _have _to be with him. Ugh, there's so many things to think about. I don't wanna stress myself out.

_Dump!_

I throw away my smoothie; it was delicious. Time to head back. I know that everyone isn't waiting for me, but I know Sanji is—Mom too. Grandpa is back at the hotel doing whatever. For just a few minutes, I get to have peace and quiet. But of course, I pass a vendor where a loudmouth is bragging about how strong he is. He must be the kind of asshole who looks down on people just because genetics was nice to him. Exactly a man I would be disgusted with.

Let's just walk past him and—

"Hey you!"

Nope, he's not talking to me. Just keep walking—

"I'm talking to you, redhead."

Shit, there goes that idea. Eh, I'll just keep walking. He doesn't deserve my attention—

"I know you're Japanese. You can understand me," he says right behind me. I can sense his hand reaching out to grab my shoulder. I turn around and bat his hand away, glaring at him. The jackass is a little taller than Sanji, has short blonde hair that hangs off one side of his head, and is actually attractive. Too bad his personality isn't. Ah, there's that smile too. It's the I'm-hot-shit-and-I-know-it kind of smile. Monoma smirks like that, but it's not as obnoxious as this guy's. I bet he's American.

"What is it?" I ask, crossing my arms. I take a step back to create some distance, and he doesn't seem to step forward.

When I question him, his smile grows probably because I proved to him that I _am _Japanese, but that's easy to prove. It's pretty easy to differentiate an American from a Japanese person. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you here for the I-Expo?" he questions, eyes measuring me up. "From your physique, you're probably studying to be a Pro Hero. So am I!"

"Heh, shockingly observant," I comment. I probably should get on his good side. I don't like causing unnecessary scenes. "But yeah, I'm here for the I-Expo. Came from Japan with some of my friends."

"Haven't looked at Japan much… I'm from America, but I lived in I-Island for a little over a year now. My dad is one of the Pro Heroes guarding this place. When he worked in the States, he was No.7! You must be impressed," he assumes, but I'm not. Grandpa was No.2 at his prime and Dad was in the top fifteen.

"Okay." Good job Itsuka, you sounded very disinterested. It makes the guy frown, but who cares? He seems too stubborn to let go of me.

He puts a hand on his hip. "Y'know, I got evaluated by David Shield. My AP Level has the potential to be in the thousands, _and _when I go back to America, I'll be a Sidekick to the No.3 Hero. I'm basically slated for the Top Ten. I'm exactly the type of guy that the Quirkless wanna be. Wait, shoot!

"I haven't even told you my name yet, haven't I? You'll recognize it. My name is Jason Mercer. They named this beach after my grandfather. What's yours?"

"Charmed," I say. The answer doesn't satisfy him nor does my reaction. He's obviously trying to impress me. I knew he was the kind of guy who looked down upon those who're Quirkless. What an asshole.

Jason goes on, "Well Charmed, I'm charmed." He laughs like he made a witty joke. "How about I can show you around I-Island? My treat. You'll get to meet a lot of famous people—Heroes, people in entertainment, all kinds. I'm even throwing a party later tonight. Who knows what kinds of connections you can make…" Jason takes a step forward. Damnit all…

With my voice cold, I tell him, "I have other plans. My friend, he needs me for something important." C'mon, take the hint, asshole.

"Really? Is this thing more important than me?" He steps closer. "There's thousands of people who want to be in your shoes right now, Charmed! I'm pretty sure you're not Quirkless, so—"

"What if I am?" I ask him. "What if I'm Quirkless this entire time?" My voice is as sharp as a knife right now.

"Impossible. You're way too hot to be one!" he exclaims with a bold smile, thinking compliments like that can make me fall on my knees. "Every single Quirkless out there are depressed good-for-nothings who contribute jack shit to society. They look at us, the people who have Quirks, and be envious. I can't blame them honestly. I—"

"Oh shut up! I don't wanna—"

Jason interrupts me, "I'm not done talking. Look, you have no idea what you're missing out on, Charmed. I'm basically a celebrity. Wait no, not 'basically'. I _am _a celebrity. Everyone knows my name. So c'mon, lemme take a pretty thing like you out for a date you'll never forget!"

This guy is relentless. Even when I snapped back about his awful opinions about the Quirkless, he still insists on asking me out. All he wants is a pretty girl wrapped around his arm. "I'm not interested, jackass. How about getting a dent in your thick skull? Maybe then you'll leave me alone."

Jason laughs. He's laughing at me from how I'm acting. "This friend of yours, you wanna hop on his dick, don't you? Tell me, does he come from a famous family? Is he as strong as me? Or maybe since you like Quirkless guys so much, he must be one of 'em. You must like pathetic losers, don't you?!"

"You mother—!"

"Don't you start, you bitch—!" Jason reaches out for me. I—?!

_GRASP!_

"—Call her a 'bitch' one more time. Just try it." Sanji! Jason looks at him then winces. I hear his arm _creaking _as Sanji tightens his grip, but he shows mercy. He lets go and pushes Jason back a few steps.

Jason holds his arm clearly in pain. His face turns red, angrily pointing at Sanji. "Who the hell are you?!"

Sanji slowly approaches him with careful, methodical steps. "My name's Sanji. You probably never heard of a pathetic Quirkless loser like me. However, from the sounds of it, I'm training to be a Pro Hero just like you. I don't really care about fame, fortune, or any of that—I _resent _the mere idea of them. I want to save people and their smiles. But I'm a very flawed person, y'know? I make mistakes along the way, I get angry even though I don't like it. But…

"Seeing people like you? Hearing you call my favorite person in the world a 'bitch'? I have a right to be angry, don't you think? And let me tell you: I'm _very _angry right now, and I want to tear that smile off your lips."

"—!" Jason stares at Sanji, who's face-to-face with him. Despite what Sanji said, despite him telling Jason that he's Quirkless and that he's trying to be a Pro Hero, Jason doesn't seem willing to boast about himself. He seems _afraid _even. "How are you—?!"

"Apologize to Itsuka," demands Sanji. He's on the edge of taking Jason by the throat and slamming his face against the concrete. I remember that Sanji punched a pervert in the face before… I can't imagine how much he's holding back his anger.

"So that's her name—?"

"I didn't ask for any comments, did I?"

"Ugh…" Jason looks over to me and grunts a mediocre "Sorry" before walking away, huffing and puffing. Heh… Sanji scared him off… Seeing my absent-minded, daydreaming partner defend me like that… I think I fell in love with him more.

Sanji turns around and immediately takes my hand, starting to make our way back. "Sorry about that, Itsuka…"

"Sorry about what?" My chest is pretty warm, and so is my face. Jeez, I can't get my mind off of how amazing Sanji looked back there. He's so handsome when he's angry… And how he's so protective of me… His grip on my hand is tight too, but it's almost like he's afraid to let go of me… Despite all his muscles, Sanji looks so soft. God, these thoughts are gonna drive me wild.

He takes a good look at my face and grins. "What did you do to my Itsuka?" _Whose _Itsuka?

"What? I'm just a little flustered over that asshole. He was saying bad stuff about people like you and I wanted to put him in his place." I let out a small huff, but I don't hate the fact that Sanji came in.

Sanji does a little chuckle before replying, "Clearly. But I'd thought you would be angry at me for jumping in. You don't need anyone rescuing you and you're stubborn enough to keep it that way. You _hate _the thought of being a damsel in distress."

"I _do _, but have _you _ever heard about swallowing your pride? I don't want to be rescued all the damn time, but we don't get to decide that—life does. Besides…" My face starts to emit heat. "If I _had _to be saved, I want you to be my savior." He said it himself… Sanji wants to be the one who protects me, and I want to protect him. It's a mutualistic relationship—if only that relationship was an actual relationship.

"...Oh my God, you really are an imposter. My Itsuka Kendo actually admitting that she can be weak sometimes? The world has turned upside down!" Sanji stops and doesn't hold himself back from laughing.

"Oh shut up, lughead." I let go of his hand and elbow him in the side. He sharply gasps, but laughs some more. Ah right, I forgot that Sanji is a masochist. "By the way, am I really your favorite person in the world?"

Sanji stops laughing, giving me his adorable smile that never fails to make my heart skip a beat. "No, that's Setsuna."

_Whack!_

"Ow! I'm just joking!" Hmph, jerk. He rubs his head, _frowning _this time.

I snark, "You're an imposter. My Sanji Inochi doesn't have any favorites. He's too much of a people pleaser to actually claim that he likes some of his friends more than others."

"Ouch."

"Yup. Anyway, what's your favorite person doing now?" We start walking again.

Sanji immediately answers, "She just asked me a question."

Okay, I will admit that I walked right into that one. "I mean Setsuna, you goof."

"Heh, I know I know…" He scratches the back of his neck, turning towards the sky. "She had to take a call. I eavesdropped a little and found out that she's talking to Okichi Tokugawa. Remember him?"

"Her arranged fiance? Yeah, of course. You complain about him, which is rare for you to complain about anybody." There's only two people that Sanji is willing to talk ill about—who isn't a Villain. That's Suzuki and Tokugawa. Out of the two, he talks about Tokugawa more.

"Well, I just want Setsuna to be happy. She won't find happiness in a loveless marriage especially when she doesn't romantically like men," Sanji explains, which is pretty reasonable. Setsuna doesn't like Tokugawa and neither do we. But of course, we don't have a say in the matter. Only her father can, and _only _him. Her mother doesn't control her life, only her father.

"If only her dad takes that stick out of his ass and decides to be an actual father for once. He isn't letting Setsuna do anything he doesn't want. That's why Setsuna hasn't been hanging out with us much after Catharsis. That's why he punched you after the U.S.J. Incident. All because we threaten his perfect little plan that will _supposedly _give Setsuna everything she needs to succeed. Yeah right…" Wow, I really went on a tiny little rant, didn't I? Well, Fuyushiro Tokage gets my blood boiling. He doesn't respect me or Sanji, doesn't give Setsuna the freedom she deserves, and acts like he's the king of a castle—too bad that castle is made out of glass. But there's one thing that needs explaining.

And that's Sanji. From the very moment I started to talk about Mister Tokage, his face becomes stern. He has something to say, so he says it, "Speaking about Mister Tokage, you should stop being so provocative. I'm worried that every time you say something, it could start an argument. Setsuna already knows that you don't like him. If you keep doing that, then you'll create a rift between you and Setsuna again."

"Well, I want to give that bastard a piece of my mind. If he doesn't give us—if he doesn't give _you _much-deserved respect, then why should I give him any?" I ask him. Sanji stops again, taking me off to the side. Great, I can sense that _we're _about to have an argument.

Sanji leans against a nearby light pole and crosses his legs before deeply sighing. "I'm not fond of Mister Tokage either, but we owe him. He's the reason why I'm still in the Hero Course. If he didn't let me know about my transcript error, then I'd be in real danger. He even let us be aware of a possibility that I'd be recognized by some people high-up in the ladder."

I stand in front of him just less than a meter away. Yup, we're totally having an argument right now. "That's because he adapted us into his so-called 'masterplan' to include us. He admitted this personally. In fact, he explicitly said that he's only helping us in order to help Setsuna. He's a scumbag! Of course I'm grateful that he gave you a chance to prove yourself, but it wasn't out of the kindness of his own heart."

Sanji frowns, eyebrows furrowing. He puts a hand over his mouth and takes a second to think to himself. Quietly, he mutters, "...he did?"

"What? I can barely hear you," I tell him. My words cause Sanji to stand up a little straighter.

"Never mind, forget what I said," he dismisses whatever he muttered. "Look Itsuka, there's more to him. I mean, _of course _his actions are morally questionable; it's why I don't like him in the first place. Yet! Uhm, yet despite all of that, there's something we're missing. He's hiding a treasure trove of secrets and ulterior motives."

"So? What's your point here? We both agreed that Mister Tokage is a dubious man, but what does this have to do with anything? Why are you so adamant on being nice to him?"

"Because…" Sanji begins, "we're not teenagers anymore. Gran Torino said that to us. We're supposed to be Heroes, and do you know who else believes in that statement? Fuyushiro Tokage. We need to act like adults. I—"

I cut in, "So you're saying that my outbursts are childish and immature?"

"No, I wouldn't go that far." Sanji puts out his hand, trying to reassure me otherwise with hand motions. "Uhm, I'd admit that you're acting a little...unbecoming. I know you wanna give him a few words in the form of verbal punches, but what good will it do? Will it fix everything? Will it turn Mister Tokage into a good man?"

That's...a good point. A man like him won't be easily swayed with a few words. No matter how much I'll be passive-aggressive with him or even outright insult him, he wouldn't change his ways. I guess… I guess I wanted to make Mister Tokage feel terrible about himself. Damn, Sanji won _another _argument. I sigh, lowering my head. "I understand your point… Guess I'm still a little immature, huh? Don't worry, I'll try to act like a proper adult next time."

"So you'll be nice to him?"

"Yeah… You win this argument."

Sanji smiles. "Heh, alright then! You don't _have _to like him, but at least try to show some respect. There's nothing more mature than being nice to someone you don't like. Sure, it gets hard some days, but you'll manage." Why is he saying that like he experienced it for years?

"Yeah yeah… Anyway Sanji, we need to give Setsuna some extra love. We're her sidekicks in this crazy world." After the Catharsis fiasco, she still isn't on good terms with the rest of the school or Japan even when Catharsis was revealed to be behind the suicides. I didn't expect everything would turn back to normal anyhow.

"You think I wouldn't? Regardless…" Sanji stops leaning against the light pole. He—?!

"—Eep?! S-Sanji, right here?!" He's hugging me again! I'm not even sad this time! Why am I trapped in this shameless man's arms? Ugh… I wouldn't mind if he did this while we're alone, but in public? It's embarrassing…

"Yup," he replies without a hint of shame in his voice, my head resting against his warm chest. "We had an argument and we worked it out. Remember when I told you that winning or losing doesn't matter? We're supposed to reach a compromise and we did. And now, I'm sealing this compromise—and every compromise in the future—with a hug. It'll be one of our traditions from now on." _One _of our traditions…? God, he's such a lovable dork…

I shut my eyes. "Idiot…"

"Hehe…" He holds me closer. I don't think I can decide when this hug ends… Only Sanji can decide that. I'd be lying if I said that I want this hug to end soon. I remember when Yui told me that Sanji thinks of us as friends and he's willing to help me be with the guy I like. I originally dismissed it as him being a dense idiot, but… Right after I was told that, it was the moment when he became bolder. He's been teasing me a lot more, sarcastically saying that he loves me, and he's even willing to hug me out of the blue. This jerk even tricked me by pretending he was going to seduce me! Yui's words don't line up with his actions… Not at all…

What if… What if Sanji knows that—?

"Why, you two are adorable darlings, aren't you!" I immediately push Sanji away, standing a _very _modest distance away from him! Before I stammer like I have a speech impediment, my eyes glimpse at the man who decided to crash the party. He's…?

Who is this guy?

His voice is upbeat like The Count, but more arrogant and haughty. There's a gleaming, daring smile on his face as if nothing in the world can touch him. He's wearing nothing but pale-colored pants leaving him shirtless. His skin is fair, yet lights up when the sunlight touches him. He's toned and muscular, having a very envious body. He's taller than Sanji, probably being taller than Kamakiri actually. I can see glimpses of a tattoo on his back. It's a tattoo of a dragon. The man has golden-colored eyes and his hair is long and free-flowing, being golden as well, almost like he's saying, _I'm a free spirit. _I heard about him… He's the Chinese guy. I don't know his name, but why would he be talking to us?

Sanji stands in front of me, already being protective. I casually stand beside him and cross my arms. Sanji asks this man, "Uhm… Can we help you?"

The golden man chuckles at first, then he breaks out into laughter. "Hahaha!" He puts his hands on Sanji's shoulder, treating him nothing but kindness. "Don't worry! I'm not going to steal your woman away from you, darling! What kind of man would I be? I'd be absolute scum! Besides, your lady is obviously infatuated with you, friend!"

Sanji is terrified from how forward this guy is.

I raise my hand. "Could you explain who you—?"

The golden man interrupts, "Wait for just a moment, little fire!" Little fire? He lets go of Sanji and spins on his feet, his hair actually smacking Sanji a bit. He gives us some needed personal space, thank God. He mutters, "To think that I'm standing in the presence of two talented individuals! One is the mysterious man with a mysterious power, Sanji Inochi, and the other has the strength of an army, Itsuka Kendo!"

"You know our names?" Sanji asks before I did. "Wait, do you know about my—!" He stops himself realizing what he's about to say, "—my uh… My thing?"

The golden man grins. "Of course I do! Well, I don't know which thing you're referring to, but I probably do!"

I whisper to Sanji, "This guy is crazy."

Sanji whispers back, "He seems nice."

The crazy guy clears his throat. "Anyway my darlings, it's finally a pleasure to meet the Fist and the Baihu of 1-B."

"Baihu?" Sanji and I say at the same time. He nods.

Putting a hand over his heart, he exclaims, "That's right! In your language, 'Baihu' means 'White Tiger'."

Sanji replies, "So you're Chinese? What's your name?"

"I am—"

"—!" Someone gasps behind the golden man. We turn to him and it's...Rin. Rin's right behind him. His face is filled with shock and surprise. With careful breaths, he asks, "Why are you here…?"

The golden man's grin becomes wider.

"Lian?"

* * *

**Finally! Chapter 43 is here! I'm sorry that I delayed this for a week. I'm having a crash of productivity because of the quarantine, but at least the chapter is posted!**

**Ch44: Embrace the Origin**

**Post-Chapter Discussion:**

**Shinzo's Scene: Okay, you might think it's a little weird that I placed Shinzo's scene in this arc instead of later/earlier in the story. However, I'm doing stuff chronologically. In terms of chronological events, this is the best place to put his scene because of the events that will happen in the future and after I introduced his backstory as a Yakuza Prince. Now, this scene won't impact the story of the I-Expo Arc, but it *will* impact the story. However, you won't get to see that impact for a while. I'm constantly setting up plot points that I need to have some events go smoothly. You'll often get reminded of these plot points so you won't forget about them. As for Shinzo's scene itself, it simply sets up the divide between him and his brother, his Yakuza against the Shie Hassaikai. (When Eri joins the cast in the Cultural Festival, things will get real awkward when she meets Shinzo again.)**

**Nightingale: Sanji remembers another memory where his father becomes a Disney princess. Seriously though, with each memory, more and more of Sanji's past (and abilities) will be revealed. He already hears phantoms, but what ability will be revealed with this flashback? Hmm...**

**Welcome to Heroism: Welcome to Heroism, y'all. If you think things aren't complicated, then you're in for a treat. I-Expo is the introduction to the world, and the world wants Sanji. Already, we have more insight on how much of a scumbag Mayor Yamamoto is and how he sold his denizens for some extra cash. As a result, he exposed that Sanji and Deku have the potential to become the next All Might. We all know that Deku *will* be the next All Might and exactly how he'll do it (because if you read the manga, you know what Deku has). However, Sanji is still an enigma. (Before you go: "Wait, Sanji will be as strong as Deku? Pfft, Gary Stu." Bro, Sanji will need all the power he can get for what's about to come.) Anyway, as an example of how the world is introduced, we have a few organizations and people already mentioned: The Iconoclast, United Hero Nations, Monarch, Odyesseus. Of course, we aren't going to explore what all of them have because this arc isn't meant to develop them. Like I said, this arc is meant to introduce you to the world.**

**Gemini Hotels: Keep this location in mind.**

**Beach: This is a nice fluffy scene. Unfortunately, I *did* want to write the scenes that Itsuka mentioned at the beginning of her scene, but the chapter was getting long as it is so I had to cut those scenes out. Anyway, let's go Sanji, defending Itsuka like that. Thanks Jason Mercer, a random character that won't be relevant to the story whatsoever and will only be a nuisance. At least Itsuka is beginning to realize that Sanji *is* bolder with her. Of course, he knows that Itsuka is in love with him, but is there something else to it? Who knows... I know, actually. I know everything. I am literally writing the story and writing chapters that are becoming 20k+ words long—please help me. Moving on...**

**Lian Fei-Long: Yup. I introduced him in Ch36 when Master Kendo said that he'll take over the Fei-Long Family. Then in the last chapter (42), Rin started to describe Lian more in-depth, citing him as the reason why he's in Japan. Lemme tell you something: I am excited to finally write Lian Fei-Long ("Shangdi"). You wanna know why? He's a very likable character and a badass. Not only that, he is *one of the strongest characters* in the entire fanfic. I'm not kidding. He's stronger than All Might (in the present) and can even rival him if AM was in his prime. If I had to make a ranking of the strongest characters right now, then he would be in the top five. You'll see him throughout the I-Expo Arc and even get to see him in action.**


	44. Embrace the Origin

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Welcome!" Ishtar exclaims, greeting the next batch of newcomers into the lobby. The kids, and Hayami, are off at the beach. I stuck behind because I honestly don't feel like going. I'm just here drinking some coffee at the cafe, sitting at a half-booth half-table on the booth side.. Of course, I see Ishtar through the window. There's something off with this lady. I felt a presence when I first saw her. It was familiar but I can't put my finger on it. Ugh, I hope I'm going crazy. Anyway, she asks these newcomers, "May I have your names?"

"Rikiya Yotsubashi." The CEO of Deternat?

"Chitose Kizuki." Oh, that bitch.

"Koku Hanabata." A politician guy.

"Gajin Nobuto." He's the CEO of some Hero Support company that Hayami complains about.

"Kabeya Rugami." She's the CEO of a lifestyle support company like Deternat.

"Hiro Takaiki." That guy's in the media too.

Ishtar hums as she checks the names off her list. However, someone catches her eye. He's at the back of the group, shying his face away from Ishtar and staring at the ground. He has pale hair, being a pretty boy if I have ever seen one. "Sir, may I have your name?"

Yotsubashi raises his hand, simply walking up to Ishtar and pointing to what-I-assume-to-be the man's name on her list. "It's this one…" His eyes catch Ishtar's name tag. "...Ishtar. I hope you do forgive me, but he's embarrassed to hear his own name."

Ishtar shakes her head. "Not an issue whatsoever, Mister Yotsubashi!" She checks the man's name off the list but suddenly frowns. "Although, if I need to call upon him, what should I refer to him by?"

He answers, "Geten." A pure-hearted smile forms on his lips. He brings his hands together as if he's persuading a client to buy his products.

Ishtar smiles and nods. "Geten, okay! There will be someone attending to you shortly! So please, find a place and patiently wait!" She bows and walks away, saying something into her walkie-talkie attached to her uniform. Yotsubashi and his gang of pricks look around for somewhere to wait in, and of course, the first thing they see is the Greek cafe I'm sitting in. Just my luck. I stop spying on them and sit back against my seat, acting like I'm just some tired old man—which I am.

I take my phone out right as when they walk inside. They pay me no attention and two of them get in line—Rugami and Takaiki. The rest of them sit near me, taking up the booths and tables. That pretty boy, Geten, is the closest one to me. They're none-the-wiser that I am sitting right next to them. I'm sure they know who I am. After all, Deternat brought my kids' data, didn't they? They know how powerful Sanji _could _be. Considering they're Fuyushiro Tokage's enemies, that makes me their enemy too technically. I have a few words to say to them, especially to Kizuki, but I won't bother. I don't feel like being confrontational right now. Besides, they'll be here for the next five days.

Speaking of which, I need to tell Hayami.

Me: "Sweetheart, you there?"

She replies instantly.

Hayami: "Yup! Rin's brother is here!"

Me: "Which one?"

Hayami: "Lian"

Shangdi is there? Crap, he's one of the strongest men on the _planet _.

Me: "Don't get on his bad side"

Hayami: "Obviously. I can sense how strong he is"

Hayami: "Anyway, what's up?"

Me: "We got 'friends' back at the hotel"

Hayami: "?"

Me: "Deternat and his lackeys are staying at the same hotel as us"

Hayami: "What? The same guys who brought our kids' data?"

Me: "Yup. Tokage got us these rooms right? Think he set this up on purpose?"

Hayami: "Idk. Thanks for telling me, Dad"

Hayami: "Ugh, can't believe he didn't tell us"

Me: "Yeah, that asshole is shifty"

Me: "Anyway, I'm going to keep an eye on them"

Hayami: "Stay safe, love you"

Me: "You too"

There, Hayami knows. Time to casually eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I-Island has gotten livelier this year," says Nobuto, dragging his finger along the table. He sits across from Kizuki, but he's mainly facing his band of business suits. "All Might is even attending the I-Expo. It's a change from previous years."

Kizuki crosses her legs, and with a bat of her hand, she says, "Oh, I wonder why that may be? I'm tempted to seek All Might out by myself and question him all day long! Maybe that Izuku Midoriya boy too! I heard rumors that he arrived on I-Island with All Might!" Those two are idiots. Please don't argue with me. I heard they're visiting David Shield before we do.

"Don't be so zealous, Chitose!" Hanabata puts a hand over his heart, laying back like an arrogant prick who thinks that nothing can touch him. "Your questions will only put a titanium lock on their thoughts and seal away their hearts! To truly open their minds, you must sing them praises that will cure them of their insecurities, then, and only then, they will lend their heroic spirits to you." Yeah, this guy definitely sounds like a manipulator. Real piece of work. Probably doesn't even care about his supporters. They're just tools to help him achieve God-knows-what.

Yotsubashi smiles, putting a hand on Hanabata's shoulder. "You have such a good way with words, Koku! Don't you agree, Geten?"

Geten sputters, turning his head away from Yotsubashi and towards me, but his eyes are pointed down at the cushioned bench. "Y-Yeah…" He fiddles with his suit, clearly uncomfortable wearing it. "It's hot…"

Takaiki comes back with a tray of drinks with Rugami behind him. He says, "The workers here are actually competent. Although, they have the audacity to make us wait for our rooms! Should I mention that Ishtar lady? She seems too proud for her own good. She's just a simple manager for God's sake."

Rugami sighs and sits down next to Kizuki, sweeping her light brown hair back. "Calm down, Hiro. We aren't the only ones staying at this hotel. You're a special man, of course, but everyone wears black suits here."

Takaiki deeply exhales before sitting down in front of Rugami, taking his drink and sipping it. "Rikiya," he says, "we know that Fuyushiro is here with his daughter's classmates. Are we doing anything to them? Him and that brat insulted our cause." Oh, this is getting interesting. What cause could he be referring to? And how are the Tokages involved?

Rikiya calmly answers, "Why should we? You are fully aware of _who _Fuyushiro is connected with. We'd be waging war against _him _. _He _is the very reason our cause is not plastered on every TV and billboard. When he falls, we will rise in his place." Just what the hell is this guy talking about?

Nobuto frowns, cracking his knuckles—must be a fidgety man. "Is it worthwhile to let the Tokages be? Setsuna is taking Inochi to David Shield, who will surely dispel some of the questions around his Quirk. What _if _she's trying to fight back behind the curtains?"

Kizuki smiles. "Then we'll give her a few lessons that not even her father would teach her. Her and her friends too, if need be. Wait, I have a riveting idea! We'll try to recruit some of her friends for our cause! We'll have a steady stream of information right under their noses!"

Geten whispers, "Risky…"

Kizuki curiously tilts her head to the side. "What was that, Geten? Speak up. Maybe we should've brought you your coat. You're more confident in it."

Geten repeats himself, "It's risky… These kids… Th-They're smarter than the usual bunch…"

Rugami gives him a stink eye. "They can't be _that _smart. I would be more worried about Class 1-A, frankly. They have experience fighting actual Villains, so they're surely wiser than 1-B. And I haven't mentioned the powerhouses within 1-A too, especially Katsuki Bakugo. You know I disagreed when Chitose suggested to conduct an investigation on Inochi." What are these people involved in? Good God, if I didn't know any better, then this "cause" of theirs is sounding genocidal or something. Hmph, even then, she shouldn't underestimate my kids. They're more mature than they look.

Hanabata grins. Still maintaining that shitty voice of his, he replies, "Geten, my trusted friend, I can't help but agree with Kabeya here! 1-A's strength is unparalleled! They carry the strength of an army with their two very own hands! Furthermore, with the fact they fought the League _and _Stain—that idealistic sword-brandishing murderer—their hearts must be spurred by the shortcomings of society and have strong convictions to change it! Chitose's idea could bear sweet fruit with that fact! Despite saying this, it is Rikiya who has the final say."

The entire table turns to him. Yotsubashi _was _listening to their conversation with a pleasant smile. Once they call upon him to answer, he brings his hands together gently, putting them down on the table in front of him. "I am blessed to have such strong-willed and bright-minded individuals by my side. However, for the sake of our futures, I firmly believe in observing our future Heroes instead of meddling in their careers—unlike Fuyushiro, that scum. Remember that I approved Chitose to investigate Mister Inochi because he has a _chance _to be a threat. We need to be aware of his potential."

Takaiki scoffs. "We spent too much money on those kids. All for what? To get some vague numbers generated by an imperfect machine? Chitose and I could've gained that information ourselves."

Nobuto argues, "How would you two have gone about it? Your outlets both ostracized U.A. and its students. If anything, _you _were the one who squandered our funds to radically push _your _agenda."

" _Our _agenda," Taikaiki corrects, "you were the one—!"

Okay, think I should tune them out now. Goodness, these people have a secret organization going on. It's safe to assume they're conducting some sort of shady business. Wait, I heard conspiracy theories that those in the ivory tower are apart of some group aiming to take down Japanese society. If those theories actually bear some truth in them, then this shadow organization actually exists. Of course this happens on the one vacation I take. This is why I don't go to I-Island because I accidentally uncover a conspiracy while said leaders are too stupid to realize that I'm sitting right next to them. No one else seems to care about their conversation too. Everyone is too engrossed in their own lives to even realize what's going on outside of their own bubble.

Damn, I need to keep an eye on these fuckers. I might be a retired Pro Hero, but like hell I'd sit around with a thumb up my ass. I already warned Hayami that they'll be an annoyance, but I can't tell her that they're an actual _threat _to our kids' lives, not now anyway. Have to keep this under wraps and get some more information. I might even have a couple of words with Fuyushiro Tokage. He knows more than I do.

Anyway, let's get out of here before they notice me. I can't just stand up because someone at the table will glance at me—that's natural human behavior. Once they see me, they will realize that I've been eavesdropping on their conversation and bad things will happen. I need to create a distraction somehow. Maybe…

_Bzzt!_

Okay, whoever's texting me better get me out of this situation. It's…?

The Count: "Is this Master Kendo? I hope I have the right number! Mon Dieu"

The Count? Why is he texting me?

Me: "Nah, just some senile grandpa"

Me: "What's going on, Count? I'm at I-Island yknow"

Count: "I know! Forgive my rudeness, but I'm staring right at you."

…? I look to my right, through the cafe window, and there he is… I see a Frenchman waving at me through the window. He's a happy Frenchman, finally able to get the attention of his elder. Well, if The Count is at I-Island, then Grandmaster must be here too. Man, these guys follow us wherever we go…

Count: "I've been trying to get your attention for ten minutes."

Me: "Sorry about that"

Wait, he's perfect to cause a distraction!

Me: "I need to ask you a favor, Count"

Count: "Name it, mon ami!"

Me: "Cause a distraction in the cafe. You see, I'm sitting next to some shady folks who know who I am and I don't want them to recognize me"

Count: "Say no more! In fact, I see a barista right now!"

The Count puts his phone in his black coat—why is he wearing a coat when it's summer heat outside—and without hesitation, walks inside the cafe like an aimless dolt. A barista walks out from behind the counter with a drink in hand, but she doesn't anticipate the "dumbass" about to hit her. Before the inevitable collision happens, The Count flashes a wink at me.

_CRASH!_

"Oh my goodness!" the barista shouts. Her drink, which turns out to be strawberry tea, spills all over her apron. Everyone turns to the commotion, and during this, I quickly stand up, throw away my drink, and leave the cafe. I hear The Count apologizing for his carelessness, sputtering his words in embarrassment. I should take him out for coffee to pay him back.

I go upstairs, getting on the mezzanine and standing just outside the library. I text Count that I'm there and wait for a little while. It takes him ten minutes to finish up whatever he's doing, finally meeting me up here. He looks frazzled; he's smiling, but frazzled. We head off to a corner where no one will eavesdrop on us. I check up on him, "You doing okay, Count? Sorry for springing that up on short notice."

The Count laughs, scratching his head. His curly brown hair seems to bounce just from a gentle touch. "No need to apologize, Master Kendo. I'm happy that you called upon me! Now uhm, can I ask _why _you needed me to ruin a poor lady's day? Who were those people? I recognize some of them, like that witch Kizuki."

Jeez, no reason to keep this a secret from Count. Wait, I should ask him something first. "Before I answer, why are you here? What's your partner doing?"

"Gathering information on his own," The Count answers with a frown. "He told me to contact you because he found a man who could reveal something about Mystic. He believes that he could uncover a path that will shed some light on the origin of… _that _Quirk." Ah, looks like Grandmaster told him about One For All. Figured it was only a matter of time.

I cross my arms. "So why aren't you helping him? Grandmaster explained our war to you, correct? It makes sense for you to help him."

He reluctantly nods before sighing, taking off his fedora and placing it against his chest. "He's afraid that I might lose my temper unexpectedly. My good man, our greatest foe had an ally named Savant, the Moriarity to our Holmes. In France, I was a mere Sidekick to a popular Hero named Jeanne d'Arc, but my holy saint was unfortunately an inconvenience to our enemies. She was killed and to deflect attention off of themselves, I was framed as her murderer.

"I was the most hated Pro Hero in France for years. I was imprisoned, verbally abused, beaten to near-death more times than there are stars in the sky; rinse, lather, repeat. Shindeka managed to clear my name and I moved to Japan with him. That's where we are today. I might seem like a jovial man in your eyes, but I have enough memories to scar a million men. Hearing that there was a mastermind behind Savant… It simply fueled my desire to see All For One buried six feet beneath the ground.

"I don't blame my partner for sending me away. It's almost guaranteed that the man he's trying to find won't anger me, but the _thought _of that bastard will. I understand why Shindeka didn't want to tell me, because he _knew _that the pain I experienced won't fade away until I die."

_"Saki, I'm so sorry…"_

"...I understand. My wife died in my arms, y'know?" I say keeping a steady voice. "Our friend took away my wife and the mother of my child. Toshinori and Sorahiko, they decided to tell me that the motherfucker was dead—Toshi killed him. Of course, that was wrong but they wanted to give me some closure. I was angry but there wasn't any time to mull over that. Midoriya has to train with that gift he has. Most importantly, I'm making sure my family makes it through this _alive _."

"And Sanji?" he asks.

"Of course. He's been family for a damn long while. I never once considered taking him in as a mistake," I answer, not hesitating for a single moment. Sanji was never a mistake. He's the man we need in this awful world. Itsuka needs him more than me and Hayami do.

The Count smiles, putting his fedora back on. "Good, I'm happy to hear that! Mon Dieu, I never expected to have a heart-to-heart conversation with you, Master Kendo. It appears that we're more similar than we have realized! Our grief is our anger."

"Yup," I reply. I hope I never get to see Count angry. He has the same temperament as Sanji. They're smiling, happy men but when they're pissed, they're willing to tear a man apart by the limbs. It… Wait…

The Count asks, "Are you okay, Master Kendo?"

"I'm fine," I answer, waving my hand as an added gesture. "I was just thinking about Sanji." From Count's imprisonment, he most likely has PTSD from all the abuse he experienced. It explains why All For One could be a trigger for bouts of anger. But Sanji… Someone as young as him… No, I won't think about this now. That will be a train of thought for another time.

"Ah, I have a few thoughts about that boy myself, but let's not jump into that rabbit hole. Now it's your turn to answer, Master Kendo. Who exactly were those people?" he asks, reminding me _why _I ruined "a poor lady's day".

"Some sort of Villains," I deduce, taking hold of my chin. "I overheard them talking about some 'cause'. They're observing the kids because of the threat they might pose to them. Whatever this 'cause' is, it must be pretty damn serious considering CEOs and politicians are involved. Rikiya Yotsubashi, Koku Hanabata, Chitose Kizuki, and the rest of those pricks."

The Count hums curiously. "Shindeka did offhandedly say that it wouldn't surprise him if there was a conspiracy in corporate Japan. He even picked out Rikiya Yotsubashi as a major player, but he hasn't investigated this conspiracy yet. Seems like we have a case to solve, Master Kendo."

"Hmm? 'We'?" I ask.

"Mhm! You want to make sure that these people won't hurt your kids, correct? Let me help. After all, I _promised _that I would—Shindeka and I would—protect your children as if they're our own," he reminds me with a pretty smile. He's definitely a lady-killer, but something tells me that he doesn't swing that way.

"I'm no Grandmaster though. You're working with a senile old man," I joke, putting my hands in my pockets.

He gives me a charming smile. "Better than most. I'll ask Shindeka for some of his masterful deductions later. For now, we have a shadow organization to investigate."

"Damn right."

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

Let's see…

The History of One For All:

During the Origin of Quirks—or the beginning of the Vigilante Era—there was an emergence of power imbalances all over the world. (An example outside of Japan would be the Fourth Reich led by Betelgeuse Sauer A.K.A. "Brimstone". Perhaps I ought to research Brimstone in my off-time. Food for thought, future Shindeka.) Inside Japan however—since the setting of these notes is solely based in Japan—there was the reign of All For One (AFO) who had the ability to steal Quirks. From the words of Gran Torino, he stated that AFO appealed to those who wanted power and those who wanted to be powerless. Thus, with his Quirk, he was able to build a loyal following and soon became the "Shadow Leader" of Japan. However, his younger brother defied his reign. His younger brother, who shall be named One For All (OFA), was forced with the ability to stockpile power. That combined with his original Quirk which allowed him to pass Quirks on to others. This is how One For All, the Quirk, was created.

After realizing his power, OFA tried to challenge AFO but failed, instead relinquishing this responsibility to the future generations, and so OFA gave his Quirk to the second holder. Eventually, it came into the hands of the seventh holder, Nana Shimura. She gave it to Toshinori "All Might" Yagi, who then gave it to Izuku "Deku" Midoriya. However, there are stories that stem from this hidden war.

For example, out of spite, AFO murdered the sixth holder's bloodline because he decided to accept One For All. The pattern continued with Nana Shimura, starting with her family and ending with the Tsukigamis. (Future Shindeka: Please research more about the Tsukigami Family. Information about them is unbelievably scarce considering that they _should _be a normal family. Their Quirks do not appear within the Quirk Registry List of Japan, which is extremely unusual. There has to be a reason why. Since the Tsukigami Family is connected to the Shimuras, with them being distant cousins, the cause could be related to One For All.)

Of course… Claude was involved. Savant and All For One both benefited from Jeanne d'Arc's death and decided to frame Claude for her assassination. I could tell that Savant was influenced with this attack. After all, he doesn't murder just one person; he murders hundreds or even thousands at once time. Well, he murdered two in this instance: the young Claude LeNoir. Claude today is traumatized from his imprisonment. It'll be a long time until he finds peace. Future Shindeka: If you need a reason to hate All For One more than you already do, then remind yourself of the terrible things he has done.

Another example is the Busan Bombing where AFO tried to "impress" Villains within South Korea. As I'm writing this, I found no evidence stating whether or not AFO was successful in his endeavor. The shadow war affected the country of South Korea and its former No.1 Pro Hero named "Bam", and was one of the main causes of Qinglong's downfall from his place as the No.1 Pro Hero in China. Additionally, the United Hero Nation's agent assigned to the operation retired shortly after the terrorist attack. His agent name was "Mystic", with his Quirk going by the same name. Which leads me to my next section…

Mystic and The Winter Samurai:

Thanks to Master Kendo's description of Mystic, it led me to believe he is/was related to The Winter Samurai (TWS) in some way. In the legend of TWS, he wore a white and gold haori. Mystic also wore a white a gold haori and appeared to be "a samurai from the Sengoku Period". About Mystic himself, almost everything about him is unknown. I had a file on hand but it only gave me his physical appearance and his nationality (Japanese). With Master Kendo's retelling of the Busan Bombing, Mystic's Quirk was described. It seemed to be a Creation-type where Mystic was able to create "constructs" from his body that he can freely morph. However, he was also able to channel some sort of "energy" that boosted his speed—and maybe grant him other enhancements as well. There is a high chance that his Quirk is an Accumulation-type due to this fact.

Anyhow, there were a lot of stories regarding TWS. Unfortunately, it was hard to differentiate the facts from fiction. TWS's description largely remained constant and so did his story: He was a well-known Vigilante who slain Villains to maintain peace in Japan. He first appeared six months after the Origin of Quirks and remained active for three years before suddenly becoming dormant. It was speculated that he was killed. As for facts pertaining to TWS himself, like his Quirk, they were rare.

One book ( _The Stories of Early Vigilantes _) contained a story from a man who was rescued by TWS: "[His] feet graced the snow-laden ground. He bathed in a white light given by the Moon. At first glance, I thought he did not have a Quirk. However, upon closer inspection of his figure, his eyes glowed. The glowing was a faint gold, yet striking."

Master Kendo said that Mystic's eyes gleamed white when he activated his Quirk, yet TWS's eyes supposedly glowed golden. This would suggest that they are not related, but I need more evidence to prove this claim. Anyhow, aside from this detail, this is the only evidence I was able to find. There were theories made about TWS's true name and Quirk, but none of them held any water. However, there was a detail about TWS's hometown.

In _Tales of The Winter Samurai, _it had another story of a woman who was saved by him: "I asked [TWS] where he was from. With a soft-spoken voice like the whispering winds, he answered, 'Where the stars and the oceans meet.'"

Of course, TWS answered with a riddle. Future Shindeka: Try to answer this riddle when you have time and patience. Mostly patience.

That is where my notes end. There are no books regarding One For All; all of my information was collected and gathered through first-hand accounts. However, there are many books centered around The Winter Samurai, yet actual facts about the Vigilante himself were scarce. This is as far as my research has taken me. Goodness, I read ten books in one day and none of them had anything worthwhile—that is evidence of how much of a mystery The Winter Samurai has become.

I need more information on Mystic. It's not because the man himself is important but rather his connections. If he is related to The Winter Samurai, then I need to find his name. Finding his name, I'll be able to find him or any of his relatives. They will know more about The Winter Samurai and his actions, because there's a high probability that he encountered One For All—the first user. If that's the case, then more light will be shed on the relationship of One For All and All For One, perhaps even All For One's weakness. This thread of information is incredibly loose and weak, but it is the best thread I have. Master Kendo said he doesn't know anything about One For All's history other than the basics, and the same applies for Gran Torino. They doubt that All Might knows anything more than he already does right now. I cannot believe that no one—not even a holder or one of their allies—thought to catalogue the history of One For All, and because of that error, we are left with a chasm of ignorance.

That's why I'm trying to find _him _. His name is Hakan Aldemir, a Turkish man. He belongs to the International Villains Affair bloc in the United Hero Nations. His speciality is within the Middle East. I chose him for a reason: he's a close friend of Fujiro Hideyoshi, the man who spearheaded the operation that eventually led to one of the worst mistakes in the history of the U.H.N.: the Busan Bombing.

There's no doubt that Hakan is a high-ranking official in the International Villain Affairs bloc. After all, he's in the _Middle East _of all places. There are operations there that can and will forever affect the public opinion on the U.H.N. and other affiliates. Most importantly, it's home to one of the most infamous Villain Groups in the entire world: the Order of Assassins. Information about them is highly likely to be on the same level as One For All.

Let's begin, Shindeka Oji.

_Sip!_

"This is an amazing espresso, ma'am. One of the best I had in years," Hakan said, complimenting the barista. He's inside one of the many cafes within the central island. Apparently, this one is the "best" out of them all. Not only will I have an opportunity to attain more information, this is a chance to experience coffee that's out of this world. It's a shame that I didn't bring Claude. I love him, yet I cannot risk a sudden outburst. Especially with what I have in store.

I go inside the cafe, conveniently taking a seat next to Hakan. I place my cane in my lap, scrolling through the menu that's placed above the barista's head. They have all kinds of drinks here, not just coffee. Impressive, really. The barista asks, "Good afternoon sir! What will you have today?"

I glance at Hakan and his espresso. "I'll have whatever he's having, ma'am. I heard him absolutely brimming with delight from outside the cafe! He must've enjoyed it!" My comment makes Hakan chuckle to himself. He's a middle-aged man with olive skin, having combed dark red hair with a trimmed beard.

I take out my wallet and give the barista the appropriate amount. She takes it and nods. "If you wish! It'll take a while, sir!" I return a nod, letting her go back to her station.

"Did I really sound _that _delighted?" Hakan asks, taking a small sip from his cup. "In my defense, this is one damn good coffee. It's worth the money."

"So it seems!" I exclaim, bringing my hands together. "Where are you from? Judging from your accent, I'll take a shot in the dark and say Middle East, specifically Turkey."

He smirks, confirming my answer. "That's right. Glad to see that there are _some _educated people out there. Never thought I'd see someone from Japan to even bother with countries in the Middle East though."

"I'm a Pro Hero. I naturally take note of Villains within my own borders and outside them, especially high-ranking Villains like the Assassins."

"Heh, that's our cockroach alright. It needs a heavy boot and a strong leg. Anyway, let me introduce myself." Hakan takes another sip, putting down his cup of espresso. "The name's Hakan Aldemir. I'm an official for the U.H.N. in the International Villain Affairs bloc. My expertise is in the Middle East obviously."

"Shindeka Oji. My Hero Name is Grandmaster," I reply, bringing my hand forward. My words make Hakan raise an eyebrow just slightly. It takes him little more than a moment to shake my hand. It's a slight hesitation that the average person cannot detect. If I had to pinpoint the cause of his hesitation, then it might be because he recognizes my name. It's a logical deduction.

After shaking my hand, he asks, "What's your Quirk? Does it have something to do with chess?"

"Sorry, but no. I was a master chess player when I was younger, so that was how I came up with my Hero Name. As for my Quirk, that's a trade secret. Of course, you could look it up on the Quirk Registry List of Japan; I'm sure you have the credentials to access them."

"I do, but that's too much work for my blood. Anyway, can I ask you something? I've been following the current events in Japan myself, especially with the League of Villains and all…" So it seems the League has made it to international infamy. "I wonder if you know anything about Izuku Midoriya or Sanji Inochi."

I need to choose my words carefully.

Think Shindeka, for what reason did Hakan ask me this question? Midoriya and Inochi have something in common, but what would that be? I barely know anything about Inochi's past and I haven't done any research on Midoriya's childhood yet. Instead of looking at their character, I should look into their Quirks. What do they have in common…

Power, that's it. They are both predicted to be powerful Heroes. The United Hero Nations would be interested in their strength because they could change the balance of the world. I heard some officials in the U.H.N. scout those with strong Quirks and make them into agents much like Mystic.

I won't tell Hakan that Inochi is my future intern just yet. "Both are very promising men, I tell you that much. Why do you ask?"

Hakan drags his finger along the counter, glancing at my cane before locking eyes with me. "My friend, he took an interest in those boys. We chat about them, especially after we found out that both of them have a Growth Potential of over 10,000AP. I take you as a smart man, Grandmaster, so you understand the gravity of those numbers. At the U.H.N., we have to catalogue the people who have the potential to change the world. The more we know about them, the better."

Ah, this "friend" must be Hideyoshi. Anyhow, I don't think I can give them information that they don't already know. It's difficult to tell how much, or how little, information the U.H.N. has. "Not much, unfortunately. I should know, my good man, because I have Inochi as my intern."

Hakan raises an eyebrow. "Really? You aren't joking with me or anything, right? You actually have Sanji Inochi as one of your interns?"

"Mhm. We met through a mutual friend. Believe me, if you and your friend also did your research, then we most likely have the same amount of information. I—"

_Tap!_

"Here's your espresso, sir!" the barista exclaims, setting my espresso down.

"Thank you," I say, turning back to Hakan. "Anyway, where was I? Ah right… I did my research and I only added more questions to the ones I already had. Though, I'm interested in how the U.H.N. attained the Growth Levels of my intern."

I take my espresso, blow gently, and take a sip. The taste is strong and bold, dancing on my tongue. It's not a complex taste—a simple one if anything—but it does simple excellently that it might as well be perfect. This _is _worth my money. When I have freetime, I'll take Claude here and we can drink together.

As I drink, Hakan casts away my questions, "Through a couple of sources. My friend, he has more questions about Inochi than Midoriya, surprisingly enough. But, I would rather not go into detail about that. We'll be heading into classified information. I'll have to kill you if you want to know." He laughs, finishing his answer with more caffeine.

However, he gave me everything I needed. I wasn't sure if he was high enough to know about One For All, but two words confirmed that he did. "Surprisingly enough" gave it away. Why would he say that after saying Inochi has more questions than Midoriya? Referring to that as a "surprise"? He knows that Midoriya has One For All, _the _strongest Quirk in the entire world. With Inochi being the weaker one out of the two, it would naturally be a surprise that he has less information than the next Symbol of Peace.

I hold my espresso close to my lips. Just barely louder than a whisper, I comment, "Like the July Accident in Liverpool? Yet you can hardly call whatever happened an 'accident'."

Hakan stops drinking. He stares at me with wide eyes.

I continue, "Or what about the Dublin Explosion? Where chemicals and gas were in the wrong place at the same time. Coincidences like that are highly implausible, my friend."

"Grandmaster—"

"How about the assassination of Jeanne d'Arc? Where Claude LeNoire was her killer, but he was framed all along?"

"...Savant," Hakan quietly whispers, intending to end my list of examples. Savant framed them as accidents—that sociopath. His henchmen were often killed to avoid leaving a paper trial. He was the fifth most dangerous Villain in the entire world. However, on the website, it was listed that he was a mass murderer but the method was never revealed. The U.H.N. hid the fact that he used tragedies as his attacks. I don't blame them. They wanted to prevent panic from spreading throughout Europe. It won't be far to assume that he's on the same level as One For All or the Order of Assassins. However, with the problems that U.H.N. faced during Savant's period, they were stretched too thin to be able to find him. But I did. "You know that Savant was behind those incidents, don't you?"

"I do," I answer in the same hushed voice. "I was investigating Savant due to him having connections to a certain Japanese Villain. One that you should know very well."

"No.1 on the Villain leaderboards, am I right?"

"You don't disappoint."

"I try not to."

"Heh, I'm pleased. Don't worry, I don't have any intentions of revealing what I know to the public. I might be a fool, but I don't want to see the world burn. Though, I want to exchange secrets from one man to another."

"Are you seriously making a deal right now?"

"I'm making a proposal. It's up to you, and your _friends _of course, if you want to accept it. You see, I'm doing research on one of your agents. I was able to attain his file through some digging, but obviously I only have scraps of information."

Hakan raises a hand. "Before I go saying anything that I might regret, _how _are you related to the situation in Japan? You might say that it's not my place to worry, but I work for the world. Japan is apart of it."

I should give him the truth. "I'm touched. To answer your question… I was contacted by an ally of one of the holders and I became a trusted individual that they can count on. I decided to become more involved because I want to ensure the welfare of my nation; it's _why _I decided to take in Sanji Inochi as my intern. In order to help my allies, I need to know more about the history of One For All."

"I see… I don't understand how one of our agents can help you."

"Well, do you have the complete history of the Vigilante Era in Japan that is completely factual and doesn't involve stories that may or may not have happened?"

Hakan shakes his head. "Fair point. Back then, the internet crashed and the world went dark. I doubt historians were recording what's going on considering they either died or have much more important things to worry about. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, what information are you offering?"

"Savant. I know that you don't have a conclusive report about him, not even _why _he went dark about five or so years ago. However, I _do _. Unlike historians during the Vigilante Era, I recorded everything he did. It'll fill in the holes that you have. You don't have to take my offer immediately of course. You can talk to your friends within the organization, but I need an answer within five days."

He puts his hand on his chin, thinking. "And the agent in question will fill in the holes that _you _have, am I right? If you're offering information about a Villain who isn't active anymore, then our agent isn't either. Considering that you're Japanese and know about One For All, there's only one agent you could be interested in."

He's a smarter man than I had originally expected. As Hakan reaches the final conclusion, I simply nod and smile.

"It's Mystic, isn't it?"

* * *

**Hiryu Rin**

"Father… I'll be leaving to go to Japan tomorrow. I already said goodbye to everyone else, including Grandpa Zun." My father stood at the doorway looking over his orchid of peach trees, his back turned to me. It was the dawn of spring. You could hear the chirping of the nightingale, the herald of springtime.

Father didn't turn around when he heard my voice. I only witnessed an image of Xuanwu stitched into the back of his white robe. His posture remained firm as if he was ready to fight a battle. As a gentle wind breezed through the room, he spoke in a quiet yet sturdy voice, "To U.A., am I correct? Going to Japan of all places?"

"It's not a terrible place," I replied, moving half a meter forward closer to his back. "I could learn to be a Pro Hero there without being a burden to you. You should delegate your focus to ensuring that Lian could be a proper successor."

"...Do you know what would our enemies say when they hear about this, Lin?" he asked after hesitating to speak, holding his hands behind his back and looking up towards the blue sky. "The family honor will be called into question. We will be scrutinized because of your decision. We— _I _will be remembered as the father who let his son run away to Japan because he wanted to be a Pro Hero."

Whose fault was that? He didn't care about me as much as Lian or any of my other brothers. I was raised by my mother—his wife—and our servants. I was taught to read books about Confucianism and that's it! Out of my own volition, I taught myself how to fight until Lian became my mentor. Unlike our father, he was the one who truly cared about me. Hearing my father's words, it was like he blamed me for running away—he _did _blame me.

"It's…" I sucked in a breath, preventing myself from accidentally letting my thoughts become my words, "...how I can be the man I want to be. Going to Japan, it's one step in my journey to attain wisdom about the world and especially myself. I may not have Astral like you or the other men in the family, but my Scales will be my armor."

He looked over his shoulder, his black ponytail swaying in the wind. His dark eyes gazed into mine, peering into the depths of my soul. We stood there for five seconds. There were many things that went through his mind during those seconds. Remembering everything he needed to, he finally said, "I didn't teach you confidence, did I? I didn't teach you heroism, did I? I didn't teach you anything. I only gave you that body of yours, but I could never give you the family's Quirk."

"Father—"

"—Lin," he interrupted, his dark eyes glowing. "I _will _give you this choice; I won't force you to do anything. Your life is in your hands."

I stood up straight with my shoulders back, my posture tense for what he was about to say next.

"You can stay here with your family, remaining as the outsider who was born different. Or you can carve out the path that Lian showed you. You can go to Japan and be the man you are searching for. The Fei-Longs' reputation will be hurt, but that won't be an issue you have to worry about.

"However, there is a stipulation. If you do go to Japan, I won't allow you to return to this household until you become a Pro Hero. I will not allow you to backtrack in your journey, do you understand?"

I nodded. "I understand. I'll receive my education in Japan. But I can't promise you that I'll return home after I become a Pro Hero."

"Well then, that's your choice, isn't it?" he states, turning around so we can face each other even though we're standing at a distance away. "Even despite everything Lin, I do hope you find satisfaction in your life."

"Thank you, Father." I bowed, knowing that this was the end of our conversation. Without another word, I turned around and left my father there, who watched me leave already said everything he needed to say.

Outside the room, Lian was there waiting for me. Once I came out, he smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "Got everything out, Lin? Tomorrow's the big day."

"Yeah, he wasn't too opposed to me leaving. No matter what anyone says, this is the right choice." I wasn't born with the best traits, I wasn't meant to be the next head of the Fei-Long Family, but I promised that I would make a mountain for myself and only myself. That goal hasn't changed for a single instance. I _will _find true satisfaction.

"Good!" Lian exclaimed before patting my back. "Before you know it, you'll be a new man! Do you already have your Hero Name picked out?"

"Mhm. I'll be Long Weizi, or 'Dragon Shroud' in Japanese."

"I like the sound of that, Long Weizi! C'mon, we need to celebrate your last day here. I know the perfect place."

* * *

"Hey everybody! I get to finally meet your shining faces in person, darlings!" Lian says, his eyes lighting up as he looks around at my classmates. Everyone is gathered around him, even Kendo's mother. I see that Tokage is done with her phone call. Kendo and Inochi are with Lian and I, since we _did _lead him back here—much to my dismay. Lian puts a hand on his chest, introducing himself, "If you didn't know already, I'm Lian Fei-Long, Lin's brother! My, if I can say, I never thought the women in Lin's class were _this _stunning. One of you might be my sister-in-law some day—Gah!"

_WHACK!_

I elbow his side because I'm _not _going to have him embarrassing me. It wasn't a hard strike, but hard enough to send a message. I… I now understand what Kendo has to go through everyday. "Please don't listen to my brother… He's somewhat of an embarrassing man, especially when he doesn't wear a shirt half the time."

"Believe me, I have my fair share of embarrassing men," Kendo comments, eyeing Inochi in particular. He smiles and rubs her head, and then Kendo smacks his hand away.

Lian whispers—well, he _loudly _whispers so everyone could hear him, "I completely understand why your class has a betting ring on these two. Can I join?"

Awase states, "You need to put ¥6000 down to join, dude." Behind him, Shiozaki gives Awase a death stare, which makes him shrink to the size of a gnome. He's not actually a gnome, but he's trying to hide himself from Shiozaki's anger.

Sighing, she shakes her head. "Forgive us for Awase's behavior. He, of all men, should know that I don't condone gambling whatsoever. Especially if it involves our classmates who never consented in the first place."

Kaibara, who has his arm around Monoma, explains Shiozaki's behavior, "Shiozaki makes sure that we don't become sinners and be banished to Hell."

"I want to ensure that my classmates don't fall to the temptations of the wicked!" she implores, confronting Kaibara who's just smirking. Monoma is smirking with him. Surprised that he isn't saying anything right now. "I have not forgotten about your incessant innuendos that you make on a daily basis!"

"I—"

Hayami raises her hand. Everyone stops talking and turns to her. She smiles before pushing up her shades. "Now now, we shouldn't argue in front of Rin's brother. From the look on his face, he has a treasure chest of things to say! Right?"

Of course he does. Lian looks absolutely delighted at our class dynamic. I'm happy too frankly. My class is filled with chaotic men and women who seem to never get along, always engaging in banter, but we care for one another deeply. I bet I'm not the only one who feels this way. Looking at my class, Lian puts an arm around me and proclaims, "This is an amazing set of starry-eyed students, my goodness! Y'know, whenever me and Lin talk over the phone, he talks about you all every time. He gives me juicy details about your antics, and especially what you have been through as of late."

Kamakiri asks, "So you know a whole buncha stuff 'bout us, right? Our dirty secrets an' crap like that?"

Lian smiles and nods. "Basically, yeah! As much as Lin knows anyway. Like you, for example! Your name is Togaru Kamakiri and your father was a Villain. You were ostracized for being related to him, and due to that, you have a very sour personality, like sour mangos!"

"Jackass, I'm not a sour mango!" Kamakiri snaps, shaking his fist at him. Shiozaki glares at him for cursing.

Shishida raises his hand, signaling that he has something to ask. "Mister Lian, if I may ask… You are a Pro Hero, are you not? You seem to exude that energy, and it would explain why Rin is in our class." He's perceptive.

"Mhm. In China, I am known as 'Shangdi'. Right now, I'm pretty much a Sidekick to my father—" Lian looks at me, "— _our _father. I'm not doing much because he wants me to focus on training myself and my Quirk. But, I got bored so I decided to take a trip here to visit my little brother and his friends."

Kendo remarks, "I thought you were some crazy guy about to harass us. I mean, you know a whole bunch about Sanji. For a second, I assumed that you were gonna pester him to study in China or something."

Lian pulls his arm off of me, laughing like a lion—he most certainly has the hair like one. "I'm not going to steal away your man, little fire! As far as I'm concerned, he's yours and yours only."

She blushes. "Th-Thanks, I—"

"Don't thank me." Lian's voice suddenly loses its cheerful tone. He faces Inochi with his golden eyes, like he's trying to challenge him or something. Inochi stands there awkwardly not knowing what to do. "Say Baihu, how about we have a little fight?"

"—?!" What the?! As much as I respect Inochi's strength, there's no way that he can defeat Lian! He can't even defeat my other brothers!

"Woah, I didn't see that coming!"

"Think you can take him, Inochi bro?"

"I love Inochi, but Lian seems way too shrooming powerful, and I don't even know him!"

The entire class erupts in the same comments. They didn't even know that Lian existed until now—most of them anyway. Just from Lian's presence alone, they can sense that he's a strong man. It's how I realized he was here. I felt a powerful aura that belonged to Lian, like how a dog can find something through scent. In the back, Miss Kendo is shaking her head and Tokage doesn't seem to support this fight. I figured…

Inochi stammers, "W-Wait, can I at least ask why you wanna fight me—?!"

_TUG!_

"Hahaha!" Lian suddenly laughs, tugging Inochi and pulling him close, wrapping his arm around him like what he did with me earlier but tighter. "I'm just joking! Trust me, you would get obliterated if you fought me, darling! My Quirk is one of the best there is! Not in China, before you say… It's one of the best _in the entire world! _"

Monoma, who somehow removed himself from Kaibara during the chaos, wears his usual smirk. "How bold! So I take it that your Quirk is better than those dunces in Class 1-A? Especially Midoriya's?"

"Monoma! Can you go one day without mentioning 1-A just _once _?" Kendo scolds him with an angry huff, then turning to Lian. "I've been wondering about that too actually…"

"A-And I've been wondering if you can let go of me… You're kinda squeezing me to death here," Inochi stammers. Lian does what he asks, apologizes to Inochi with a smile as if he's saying, _Sorry about that, Baihu. _Inochi lets out a few dry coughs, watching as Lian stands in the middle of the group.

Putting a hand on his hip, Lian explains, "My Quirk is called 'Astral', darlings. In essence, it is an Energy-type Quirk. If you study up on your Quirk Types, Energy-type Quirks allow the user to transform one substance into energy in its purest form. For Astral, I am able to convert my life force into physical energy—with energy here meaning 'physical attacks'.

"'What's life force?' you may ask, and darling, I shall answer! In my father's words, 'life force' is our soul; it's what sustains our vitality. However, I know that some of you won't take that as an answer. Really, down to our each and every cell, I am converting my AP into physical energy. Let me make this clear to you all: Your Quirks are using AP to aid activation. I personally know a man who also has an Energy-type Quirk who's able to convert pain into energy—insane, I know. For him, AP is used to help convert chemicals that induce pain into pure energy. Without AP, he's unable to conduct that chemical reaction.

"Astral is different. Instead of using AP to _expedite _any process and whatnot, AP is the _exact _substance that's being converted. You see, it's both fueling its own chemical reaction _and _being converted into physical energy. The middle man is cut out. I daresay that Astral is the most efficient Quirk in existence. I am able to squeeze out every ounce of energy that AP has, where the average man would only receive a fraction of its total energy.

"There's other factors too, darlings, but I'd rather not get into those right now! I hope I didn't bore you with the science lesson! I had to study metaology in order to properly understand my Quirk and how to efficiently wield it. What do you think, darlings?"

Tsuburaba politely raises his hand. "Why do you keep calling us 'darlings'?" Okay, out of everything Lian said, he asked _that? _Are you serious? I—Oh, Awase smacks him across the back of his head.

Lian chuckles to himself. "All of you are darlings. What more do I need to say?" He doesn't seem to mind Tsuburaba's question… I forgot how laid-back he was.

Miss Kendo sighs, rolling her eyes at Awase and Tsuburaba. "These two lugheads aside, your Quirk really does sound powerful. I mean, I already knew you were going to be the next big thing, but _damn _—sorry Shiozaki. For you guys, biology and its processes aren't meant to be the most efficient; they're meant to keep us alive. You don't realize just how groundbreaking Astral is."

Tokage giggles, leaning against Tetsutetsu for no apparent reason. "Oh I believe you. I'm not much of an expert on metaology, but Astral sounds pretty dang good. It's totally a different Quirk than you would see in your everyday life."

"Of course!" Lian exclaims, "Astral is a blessing! Our other brothers have the same Quirk, so did my father and my grandfather, and so on."

I jump in, "Except for me. Out of the men in my family, I'm the only one who doesn't have Astral. It's a bit disappointing, believe me, but I'm completely over it. I'm trying to forge my own legacy after all."

Kuroiro chuckles—Kagesuke is nibbling his finger, "Fufu, you refuse to stand in your family's light, so you aim to create your own! How noble of you, Rin."

"That's really cool, bro!" Tetsutetsu exclaims while he just does...push-ups for no reason. I have Tokage and Honenuki as my classmates, but I can never understand Tetsutetsu. Getting exercise strengthens your body, of course it does. For him, I think he's a little too zealous with his workouts.

A few others give their thoughts, all of them praising me for my words. It's embarrassing… Receiving so much praise and kind thoughts, I'm afraid it'll spoil me. Hehe, it's definitely a nice change of pace from the constant banter that drives everyone up the walls. Inochi and Kendo have nice smiles, being happy for me. Well, saying what I'm thinking will just be a broken record at this point.

Miss Kendo claps her hands, getting everyone's eyes on her. "Okay everyone, I have to take my kids to an appointment with David Shield. We should pack up and head back to the hotels so you can change into your Hero Costumes. The Early Access Event has technically started." Ah right, I almost forgot—I've been thinking about Lian this entire time. Inochi has a meeting with David Shield. I don't know the specifics, but considering that he's meeting with a world famous metaologist, then it has to be about his Quirk.

Honenuki tells Inochi, "You better give us the details about your Quirk, Inochi! You know that Monoma is going to bug you to hell and back."

Monoma nods, chuckling. "Honenuki is right, I _would _do that. I hope that you'll find out what your Quirk does, and I _also _hope that your power will make 1-A weep with jealousy!"

Pony hops up and down, her hooves making noticeable prints in the sand. "Uh huh uh huh! You better! Else I'll get Togaru to smack your Quirk outta ya!"

Kamakiri smiles. "Oh, I would do much more than just smackin', Quirkless. I'm ready to bruise your ass to kingdom come."

Inochi replies, "Thanks for that comment, Kamakiri. I never thought you would introduce Pony to the idea of violence though…" ("Whaddaya saying?! I _am _violence, hmph!")

Here we go again, back to our usual banter. Lian takes the opportunity to tap my arm, gesturing to go off to the side. I follow him a good distance away from the group. They won't be able to hear us from here. Whatever Lian wants me for, it's obviously something private and personal. I'll take a shot in the dark and say it's about my class. "I'm sorry that they're constantly arguing with each other, Lian. You have no idea what kind of conversations we have in class. This is pretty tame compared to them."

Lian shakes his head, sweeping some of his hair out of his face. "Nonsense, I enjoy your classmates' banter. They're really entertaining. I thought you wanted to know more about what's going on at home."

"I've been keeping up myself," I tell him. "Once I left, our competitors criticized Dad for letting me leave, accusing him of being a terrible father. However, he got overshadowed by China's neighbor: Japan. There's the U.S.J. Incident, the Musutafu Suicide Spree, and things of that nature. Instead of focusing on what's happening with its own people, our country has its claws brandished at Japan."

Lian's face drops. "Okay, never mind. You got everything covered. Well… Not everything. During our calls, we only talked about what's happening in Japan. While you've been going through literal Hell, we've been worried about you honestly—except for our father obviously. Song has been going on tangents about how All Might will retire and 'the next era will rear its ugly head'. Crime in China is on the rise ever since the U.S.J. Incident. You know what they say, 'When Japan blows up, the entire world will feel its shockwaves.'"

"Don't worry, Lian. You should tell Song that I'll be ready. Everyone will be ready when All Might retires. My classmates, despite their immaturity at first glance, are prepared to rise to the occasion to be the next figureheads of society. But I think 1-A will do that instead of us. They're more liked than we are. Besides, out of the first-years, there are only three powerhouses: Bakugo, Todoroki, and Midoriya. They're the golden kids of U.A. to be honest."

Lian leans in closely with a short distance between our faces. "And Inochi. He, more than anyone, deserves to be on that list."

He's a little too close for comfort. Why does Lian feel so strongly about Inochi? It's the same reason why his voice changed when he asked Inochi to fight him. It might've been a joke, but I never seen Lian act like that before. "Goodness Lian. What's going on? Every time I talked about Inochi, you keep saying how much you want to meet him in person. Now you have. So please, what's going on?"

"A monster is in your class," Lian states, turning around with his back facing me. A breeze goes right through us, making Lian's flowing, golden hair sway. "Whenever you talked about him, I thought to myself, 'What a strong-willed man. That Inochi character is clearly a role model.' When I first met him hugging his little fire, I never thought I would feel a _presence _emanating from him."

Okay, this is serious enough that he's willing to gloss over the fact that he caught Inochi and Kendo hugging. He would dwell on that, telling me all about why they're meant for one another, and he's _ignoring _it. I ask him, "What kind of presence?"

"A power like none other. His body has locked his Quirk away, but his Quirk is growing even as we speak. All that power its accumulating, I could _feel _it—it's like a sixth sense. You must be thinking about how much of a madman I am, aren't you?"

"I'm not," I say, hopefully assuringly, "you always told me that Astral was a unique Quirk, and I'm inclined to believe it. I mean, our family's Quirk existed ever since the Origin."

"Mhm." Lian turns his head to me, flashing a smile. "You oughta keep a close eye on Inochi. He's like a blooming flower, you know. Right before your eyes, he'll birth beautiful, vibrant petals that give off a strong aroma. When he reaches his prime, I think I'll have a little fight with him."

"You believe he can match your strength?"

"Or surpass it, who knows? I'm just a bystander in that man's journey, Lin. It's not everyday you see a legally Quirkless man trying to scale an impossibly high mountain—whose Quirk dwarfs the other 99% of the world."

"Heh, it's one of the reasons why we look up to him so much. We respect that kind of determination. Unlike others, we put aside prejudices."

"Good…" Lian looks towards everyone else, namely at Inochi who's carrying three coolers by himself, asking everyone if they have everything. "We could be looking at a legend."

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Itsuka, think everyone will be alright? I know you're a little upset that you're leaving everyone to their own devices again. At least Lian is acting as a chaperone," I ask, adjusting the straps on my bracers. We're walking over to David Shield's laboratory in the center island which is near the Early Access Event for the I-Expo. I'm heading there with Hayami, Itsuka, and of course, Setsuna. She's the one who'll introduce us to Mister Shield. His daughter, Melissa, is with Midoriya and All Might; that's what Setsuna said anyway. I hoped that Master Kendo would join us too, but he said that he has something to do and will catch up with us later—didn't say what that exactly is which is kinda weird.

Itsuka rolls her eyes; she doesn't look assured whatsoever. "As nice as Lian is, he gives off that sense of, 'I am going to do stuff on a whim.' That kind of attitude is dangerous, especially for a guy like him! He seems really damn strong! Like All Might-levels of strong!"

Before I say anything, Hayami cuts in-between us. "Well, Lian is apart of the Fei-Long Family back in China. They're known to be pretty dang powerful—and destructive. They got that in common with Toshi."

Setsuna joins the conversation, "Heh… On an unrelated note, I won't be surprised if Lian is No.1 in the 'Hottest Pro Hero in China'. I saw all kinds of women staring at him when we were at Mercer Beach. Not to mention how flamboyant he is, 'specially when he called everyone 'darlings'."

"Itsuka called him 'crazy', I called him 'nice'. Though, I was afraid for my life when he asked me to fight him," I admit, letting Setsuna rub her shoulder against mine. "I didn't expect he would do that honestly. He sounded a little like Bakugo, who by the way, is still kinda mad at me."

Itsuka scoffs. "Don't pay attention to Bakugo, would ya? He's obsessed with becoming the strongest Hero and winning. Personally, I have better things to worry about. _We _have better things, like for example, your Quirk!" She sounds so excited to find out more about me. Setsuna has a little hop in her step, and Hayami has a smile.

And for me, I'm cautiously optimistic. For a long, long time, everyone is focused around my potential. Ever since I introduced myself as the first legally Quirkless student in the Hero Course, my potential has been doubted. At first, they—the overall world—never believed I had what it takes to be a Hero. I convinced them during the Sports Festival, but they regressed back to their prejudices when the Musutafu Suicide Spree began; they went back to hating. Then on one faithful day, I got my AP Levels measured. By the hands of Mayor Yamamoto, those in high positions are aware of my potential. They're not just in Japan; they're all over the world. I've practically been ascended to the class of the elite. And yet, I still belong to the slums.

To my left, I am a useless, no-good man wholly undeserving of my seat in Class 1-B, undeserving of what I have today, undeserving of my life I'm able to live.

To my right, I am the world's next light, because my power—guaranteed by just a single evaluation—is able to _preserve _society as it stands today.

I wonder, Mayor Yamamoto, Honenuki said that you hated me because I was Quirkless; you seem to be that kind of man. Now that you found out about my potential, you magically forgot that I am Quirkless, didn't you?

So this begs the question: When these two words collide, just how many people will praise me? And out of that group, which ones hated me because I was Quirkless? God, from the very moment those _numbers _were calculated by an imperfect machine, they basically cemented my place in the social ladder. I wouldn't be surprised if these AP Machines become a widespread occurrence across Japan, the world even. If that actually happens, then there'll be an ocean-wide chasm between individuals with the strongest Quirks and the Quirkless—it would truly become a caste system.

—Ah, thinking about this now, it really opens my eyes. Society worships individuals with the greatest Quirks. Unless they do an incredibly unforgivable act, the world will turn a blind eye and say, " _This is fine _."

Let's say in middle school, there's this selfish boy who wanted to be more famous than All Might. He bullied his classmate, someone who is legally Quirkless and a foster kid. It was so bad that it drove him to the point where he—!

Everyone else turned a blind eye and said, " _This is fine _."

Let's say that there's this boy whose father was a Villain, the same boy inherited his father's Quirk. Naturally, society would cross him off as a "Villain", a rotten Villain who wouldn't amount to anything great in his life! It drove him to the point where he hates himself!

Everyone else turned a blind eye and said, " _This is fine _."

In Japanese, the characters used for the word "Quirk" are the same for "Individuality"—uniqueness pretty much. Everyone is a unique individual, but some are more unique than others.

I understand why some Villains become Villains… Maybe they just wanted to be more unique than others, or maybe not. I know that some Villains are born evil like Catharsis, but he isn't the standard. I believe in the greatest heroism—I do. I also believe that, in order to become a great Hero, I need to understand both sides of the coin. That way, maybe I can do something about this.

_Squeeze!_

Setsuna is squeezing my arm with hers. "You finally stopped dreaming, cowboy! The Kendos were making fun of you and you didn't hear a thing." She lets go of my arm, gesturing to the two Kendos. They're laughing and smiling together, mother-daughter duo.

I try my best to smile, but I could only frown. Hayami takes notice of my expression first. She asks me, "What's wrong, Sanji? What were you thinking about?"

I sigh, turning my head towards the sky. I tune out the noise of the people around us, only hearing a dull silence. "To be honest with you? A lot. Everyone is so focused on my Quirk. If I look left, I'm being ostracized for my lack of ability to use one. If I look right, I'm being praised for something I haven't even done yet. You guys know that the world cares so much about Quirks. Seriously guys, you're so excited about this! I'm trying my best to remain cautiously optimistic, but I can't help but ask myself, 'Will I be the same man when I leave that room?'

Itsuka mutters, "Sanji, I—"

I stop. They stand in front of me, and I take this moment to take in their expressions: slightly frightened, slightly worried. "If I awaken to my Quirk today, will you still see me as the same man standing in front of you? Will you still see Armory? Or… Will you see me as someone different?"

If that reality comes true, then I have to admit that I know what my Quirk was all along. They'll see me as a liar. They know that I keep secrets; they know that I keep some things about me hidden, locked away never to be seen again. They'll know about my Mindscape, my Dream Mirrors, and maybe these voices that I keep hearing in my head. They'll know everything.

I really wish Master Kendo was here.

Hayami forms a deeper frown than I have. "Sweetheart… You'll always be our Sanji. We're the first ones who believed in you. You might've stopped being so introverted, but you'll always be the same in our eyes. Nothing will change that."

Setsuna adds on, "Ditto! I always knew you were a special guy, Sanji. Quirks aren't the only things that make up who we are, y'know! We love you because of _you _, not some silly little power."

Itsuka, as if she needs comfort, wraps her arms around herself. "God, I didn't think we would have this conversation—" she laughs, "—Sanji, why do you think I admire you so much? Is it because of your Quirk? Of course not! You're the best partner I could ask for, and a Quirk isn't gonna change that. You're a selfless idiot, but you're _my _idiot."

She walks up to me, holding out her fist. "So c'mon Sanji, I'll be your first."

"Heh."

_Bump!_

"And I'll be your blade, partner."

_Click!_

That's someone taking a photo of us. Guess who took it? Her name starts with a "Setsuna" and ends with a "Tokage". She giggles, probably sending the picture to me. "Can you guys stop having sweet moments together? I'm gonna get diabetes at this rate."

"Honey, I live with these two knuckleheads. I can't tell you how many times I ran into them having a cute argument together," Hayami comments with a faint blush on her cheeks. There we go again. We're bringing out the romantic in these two.

Itsuka huffs and crosses her arms. "For once, I would like to have a peaceful moment with Sanji without being teased to death. C'mon, let's get going. Remember you're supposed to lead us, Setsuna."

Setsuna smugly smirks, casually putting her phone away. "Of course, Miss Itsuka Inochi. Come hither, children. I will take you to salvation," she says, leading us towards Mister Shield's lab. "As you know, David Shield is pretty dang famous. He revolutionized the world of metaology. Any conversation about metaology, his name is bound to pop up. Not only that, he's a fantastic engineer as well. However, there has been some backlash with his research and findings. These mostly stem from jealous competitors. Right now, David is researching ways to artificially improve Quirks—sounds similar to Tokage Industries who's trying to genetically alter Quirks, doesn't it?

"We're both under fire for pushing the line of ethics in scientific research and application. There are some reasonable, educated voices out there. Too bad that—"

We're here.

"—David Shield sits on the shoulder of the Devil! He's trying to poison us with Satan's vile touch, making us forsake the gift of Quirks given to us by the Lord Almighty! He walks the path of sin! Sin, I say! We must stand united with Jesus as our shield! Say it with me good Christians: 'Our pure bodies, our pure Quirks!'" That preacher with the megaphone is so loud…

"—Our pure bodies, our pure Quirks—!"

"—Our pure bodies, our pure Quirks—!"

"—Our pure bodies, our pure Quirks—!"

And now the crowd is chanting with him with picket signs.

The three of us look at Setsuna, who looks pretty annoyed. "Too bad that their voices are drowned out by Quirk Purists. They're radical Christians who believe that we shouldn't 'defile our Quirks given to us by God'. There's something they hate more than altering our Quirks though…" Setsuna looks at me.

I assume, "They hate the Quirkless, am I right?"

Setsuna nods. "Bingo. They say that, when you're in your mother's womb, Satan touched you and magically removed your Quirk or something crazy like that! So these people think that every Quirkless out there are vile, horrible, and most heinous of all, _godless _monsters. Congrats Sanji, you're literally the Devil."

"Awesome."

Itsuka cringes at the sight of the protest. "Jeez, how the hell did these people get inside I-Expo in the first place? I don't think that these asshats live in I-Island from the looks of it."

Frowning, Setsuna says, "They aren't. I'm assuming that they're Americans from the mainland. In America, there are a few Pro Heroes who are also Quirk Purists, so they could've given them invitations. That's the best explanation I got."

Hayami, standing tall, glares at the protesters. "We need to make our way inside as fast as possible. I don't wanna deal with these people. The Kendos are very confrontational people. We could get in a screaming match if we loiter around too long."

I feel like combat has started. Let's try and analyze the current situation. Mister Shield's labs is right in front of us. It's a steel building with glass being a majority of its walls, about ten stories high. It's gated off, acting as a partition. Just outside of the gate is a small blockade of orange security posts. Security guards are within the gates and the blockade while the protesters are outside them. There's at least a few hundred Quirk Purists here, and that preacher from before must be their leader. Luckily for us, the protest is peaceful. The only risk here is Itsuka and Hayami's emotions. Like what Hayami said, the Kendos are very confrontational. If the Purists annoy them too much, they're going to engage in a bad argument with them.

Me, Itsuka, and Setsuna; we're standing behind Hayami. Itsuka is visibly gritting her teeth, hearing the awful things that the Purists are saying about David Shield. I look over at Setsuna, tapping her shoulder. "You need to be our smooth-talker. We gotta get to the gate so the guards can let us in."

Setsuna nods, taking it upon herself to lead her children to salvation. "C'mon guys, we just gotta push through them. Kendos, please don't say anything."

"Fine…"

"Ugh, okay…"

Without further ado, we approach the thicket of the protest. The preacher is on his megaphone again, shouting about the evils of David Shield and how his cause will lead to the doom of mankind. Protesters on the edge of the group notice us, seeing our Hero Costumes. Some of them wear smiles while others wear worried looks. We push through the crowd with Setsuna casually apologizing to anyone we bump into in English.

Luckily, we make it to the blockade. No one decided to confront us about our beliefs. They saw that we were involved in heroism and didn't get involved in our business; they were too focused on their protest to care. Thank goodness for that. Setsuna approaches the guard behind the gate, tapping on the steel bars. She says, "Hey good sir, I need to meet David Shield brought to you by Setsuna Tokage."

His eyebrow perks from the mention of her name. Nodding, he says, "He's been expecting you for a while, Miss Tokage. Come inside." He lets us inside the blockade. A roar of voices follow afterwards with the protestors shouting about not being let inside. The guard opens the gate and we go inside. "Just enter the building and there'll be someone who'll take you to Mister Shield."

Well, that was easier than I thought. I seriously didn't want to have another confrontation like that guy back at the beach. Anyway, let's head to David Shield.

* * *

"Mister Shield, Setsuna Tokage is here with her friends," our guide says. We see David Shield sitting at his desk. There's all kinds of inventions surrounding us, whose purposes escape me. It's a fairly neat room too. His drawers are labeled and organized, there doesn't seem to be a spec of noticeable dust, and the scientist himself is fairly well-kept. Professor David Shield is a middle-aged man with brown hair and a goatee. He has a kind face. That's exactly the face I'd imagine the former Sidekick of All Might having.

David Shield sees the four of us, and he smiles. Standing up, he adjusts the cuffs of his dark blue button-up. "Thank you, Alyssa. You can leave them in my care." Alyssa, our guide, nods and leaves his room.

Setsuna's the first one to approach him, and _very _casually too. That's her in a nutshell: whimsical. "What's up, David? I'm surprised you're not focusing on the protest that's going outside your lab."

David sighs, pushing his glasses up. "I'd rather not focus on them. After all, I have to prepare a Quirk Analyzation which is more work than you might've anticipated." He turns his eyes towards me. "I've heard a lot about you, Armory."

I laugh, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah uhm, I'm not exactly famous for being a popstar. But uh, well, besides from _that _, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Shield." I walk up to him and extend my hand. He gives me a friendly shake.

"Ah please, just call me 'David'. And don't worry, I believe you are more than capable of becoming a Hero. I bet Toshi—I mean, All Might is your role model, isn't he?" David asks.

Before I can answer, Itsuka answers for me, "You bet. Even though Sanji was inspired by All Might like millions of others, he has more determination than most."

I try to stifle a chuckle, but Itsuka pries one out of me. I introduce her, "That's Itsuka Kendo who can give you a really mean punch. And she's standing right next to her mother, Hayami."

Hayami smiles and nods. "Yup yup. Sorry David, my dad couldn't make it to this appointment. I'm sure you two would have a lot to talk about, especially our knucklehead. Did you know that Toshi beat my kids half to death?"

"Ah." David, uh, just stands there. I don't think he knows how to respond. Honestly, I don't know how to respond to her either. No one knows how to respond to something like that, not even Setsuna.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure I sucked the good vibes out of the room," Hayami says, sounding a little disappointed in herself. "Ignore me babbling like an idiot. I'm just happy that you're able to do this for us, David."

"It's no problem at all. I already had my eyes on Sanji after the Sports Festival, but when Setsuna came to me personally, she described his situation more in-depth. If I may confess, I'm partly doing this out of my own curiosity. I never met someone like Sanji."

I ask, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Setsuna responds, "Depends. If your Quirk can turn your body into a nuclear warhead, then I'm sorry Sanji, as much as I love you, I'm gonna hightail it to Canada." We share a little laugh before David checks his monitor. I don't understand 99% of the information on there, but I think the preparations are complete.

Itsuka inquires, "David, why don't you walk us through this like a dentist? Y'know, tell us what 'Quirk Analyzation' will involve."

David takes in a deep breath. "Well, I'll try my best to explain it in simple terms. I have a machine in the other room that I will have Sanji in. It'll measure his AP Levels—which I have been informed that it was already measured—and also map his genetic sequence of his Quirk. Using this, the machine can instantly analyze his genetic sequence and place his Quirk under the three types—Emitter, Transformation, and Mutant—and specific Quirk Types.

"It's also able to _almost _determine what his Quirk does, and I said 'almost' for a reason. The machine will compare his genetic sequence to a 'bank' of sequences I have access to. It finds sequences that has: similar structure, or same classification, or same Quirk Types. Though, I'm pretty sure you already know, all Quirks are genetically unique. Unless we find a genetic sequence that perfectly matches with Sanji's, which would mean we found his parents, the machine can only spitball a prediction."

Interesting… So this machine can analyze my Quirk to a small margin of error. Well, up to analyzing what my Quirk _does _at least. Wait, I just remembered something! "David," I say, "whatever happens in that room, it stays in that room, correct?"

He nods. "Of course. We don't have anything written down, but you have my word that I won't discuss your Quirk with anyone _unless _you give me permission to. It's up to you if you want to tell your friends here."

Itsuka perks her head up. "Wait, we won't find out what his Quirk is?" Hayami and Setsuna frown. Though, it seems like they knew that this would happen.

"Unless he tells you himself. I'm sorry, but Quirks can be extremely personal to someone. You should respect that privacy."

She sighs, reluctantly nodding. "Alright. I know that Sanji will tell us when he's ready. I trust him enough." That's really sweet of her.

I deeply exhale. "Alright, I think we should get started. Sorry guys, but I think you should wait outside."

Hayami smiles, walking up and playfully rubbing my hair. "We'll see you on the other side, Sanji. Think you can go one day without dying?"

"I'll try my best," I reply. Hayami leaves.

Setsuna gives me a fist bump. "I'm gonna check up on what the others are doing while I'm at it. They're probably conquering I-Island as we speak."

"Make sure you take a photo." Setsuna pats my arm and leaves.

And the last one is Itsuka. She simply shoots me a thumbs-up. "Everything better go well, or else I'm gonna bust you out.

"Please don't." We smile, and then, Itsuka leaves.

Now, it's just me and David. He walks to his computer and types in a few things. The door on the far side of the room opens with a tap of a keyboard. Jeez, why is the analysis room so dark? It's _like _he wants me to feel scared. David says, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. While I make sure that everything is all set up, can you answer a few questions for me? They don't involve your Quirk. It's, uhm, it's about All Might."

"Of course. It's the least I could do."

"Do you know? About All Might's Quirk? I know Master Kendo is let in on the secret."

I shake my head. "Not yet. Master Kendo will tell me, Itsuka, and Hayami whenever he's ready. Believe me, I'm fully aware that there's something going on." Looks like I can add David Shield to the list.

"Heh, good. How much are you inspired by All Might?"

"He's the reason why I want to be a Hero. Really, if there wasn't an All Might, there wouldn't be a Sanji Inochi."

"Do you think he'll retire?"

"...Yeah," I answer. I answer solemnly… "He's gonna retire soon. He's been working as a Hero less and less as of late. Even though he's strong, I can tell heroism is taking a toll on his body. He won't go down with a whimper though, that's for sure."

"I see… Thank you for answering my questions. Anyway, everything's all clear. Before you go into the machine, please take off your shirt—err well, the upper half of your costume," David tells me.

I quickly undress, leaving my chest bare. David leads me into the other room, which again, is dark. The only light here is the light on the machine in front of me, an array of red, green, and blue. The machine itself is made out of two parts: the chair and the tube surrounding the chair. I can't make out the colors while standing in the dark, but I'm pretty sure it's some shade of grey. The cushions of the chair are a dull red, bent back to a point where you're basically laying down. Once I lay down on the chair, it'll automatically move into the tube. I don't know what else to say about the tube. It's just a tube, almost like the one you'd be cryogenically frozen in like a sci-fi novel. Though, the walls aren't transparent. It's made out of steel, and steel _shouldn't _be transparent.

"Alright…" I look at the chair. "I just lay down and you'll do the rest? Am I gonna get probed with anything?"

David laughs, shaking his head. "No, that won't happen. There'll be a few needles, but you will barely notice them. Really, don't stress about this. Everything will be handled by me. Once you get inside, just close your eyes and the test will be done before you know it."

"Okay. Here I go," I announce, mostly so I can muster enough courage for myself. David goes back into the main room and shuts the door. I lay down on the chair, letting my back hit the soft cushions. My arms touch the cold metal scaring me a little. But little by little, I let my head hit the headrest. Just gotta relax… David will take care of everything. My organs won't be harvested, everything will be alright…

_Brrrr!_

The chair moves, and I fully go inside the tube. A faint blue glow appears along the inside walls of the tube. "Okay, the analysis is starting," says David on the intercoms, "just relax. It won't be an uncomfortable process, I promise."

I nod.

Listening to his words before, I simply close my eyes and let my mind drift from reality.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

_Bzzt!_

It's Okichi again. I glance at Itsuka and Hayami—those two darlings—and say, "Yo, gotta take a call. Be right back."

"See ya, Setsuna."

"We'll tell you if Sanji comes back."

"Roger roger!" I exclaim, saluting before I duck into the hallway. I go down a few meters and turn the corner, right where the bathrooms are at with a few water fountains. I can barely hear the protest outside. Still going, huh? Can't believe those people. If my goddess was here, she would destroy their crappy arguments with her beauty alone. Hmph, can't believe these people call themselves "good Christians", like hating Quirkless is a virtue. Ugh, can't get myself worked up about this.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but Okichi came in at an amazing time. Waiting for the Quirk Analyzation to finish was absolutely agonizing. The last twenty minutes was hell. Though, we have to talk about the elephant in the room: the Meta Liberation Army.

So…

Ugh, let's just take the call. "What's up, Okichi? Are you finally settled in at the Gemini Hotels?" In the background, I can hear a barista calling for someone who ordered a strawberryade. Okichi must be in the cafe.

"Mhm. How are you, my sweet Setsuna? Are you with David Shield?" he asks, then taking a sip. No idea what he's drinking but I don't want it.

"Yeah, Sanji is getting his Quirk analyzed as we speak. It's just a matter of waiting until it's over. I expect that he won't tell us anything about his Quirk; I know him."

"Well, our plan doesn't hinge on Mister Inochi. It hinges on the two of us, after all. Do you remember it? It's simple, easy, and doesn't require us to sweat like pigs!" Another sip. Okay, his sipping is getting obnoxious.

"Mhm. Before you say anything, I know you want me to repeat it. Basically, when the gala starts, everyone will be there. We'll stay back in the Gemini Hotels, go to Yotsubashi's room, take his laptop and plug in T.R.I.P., unplug it, get out, bing bang boom, we're alive." I have to admit, it's a simple plan. I was really stressed out about this before because I barely had any information about I-Expo this year. Thank God that technology is so advanced nowadays. Cybersecurity be damned. I really doubt we will be noticed by anyone if we do it right. Re-Destro and his gang of liberators will be at the gala. Sure, they'll find out that we live in the same hotel, but they won't suspect anything—I hope.

I hear Okichi clapping his hands. "Good! I thought you purged it from your memory. You see, you didn't have to spend hours going through possible scenarios and such! Have you ever heard of Occam's Razor?"

"Oh be quiet, Okichi. It's your fault for not giving me enough information to actually help me! I had to run blind on wild assumptions! I even accounted for a situation when Sanji awakens to his Quirk and ends up fighting Re-Destro. That won't happen, but still…"

"Heh, you really did account for everything, did you? Remember the list of major players that are staying with us?"

"Mhm. You didn't give me their Quirks though. Just rough predictions."

"That's because I don't have access to the Quirk Registry List of Japan. But I gave you information I gathered on the public web. Never hurts to be safe, doesn't it?" Sip sip, I want him to stop, sip sip.

"Indeed… Hopefully, we don't need to use this information. We'll be in and out before anyone knows it. Then, we can have a somewhat peaceful vacation at I-Island."

"Heh, hopefully… You don't sound too convinced yourself, Setsuna. Is something wrong? You can always tell me."

...Actually, I should ask him this. "Well, it's about Sanji. Remember when we got our AP Levels measured?"

"Mhm. I heard Mayor Yamamoto sold our information. I wouldn't put it past him. That man would try and line his pockets any chance he's given."

"You know it… You see, and you better not tell anyone, Sanji has a Growth Potential over 10,000."

"...Oh. Now I see why you think your vacation will be chaotic. The world knows about his potential, doesn't he? They will try and steal him from U.A. and place him in their own programs."

" _Exactly _. He'll get harassed so much that he would wish that he didn't have a Quirk in the first place."

Okichi sighs. I hear him placing something down on a table. "I'm surprised Mister Inochi has so many eyes drawn to him, and he loathes attention! With his power, he's one of them."

Excuse me? "One of who-now?"

" _Them. _A man with a powerful Quirk like that can open doors. Companies would be on their knees begging for him to sponsor them. The media would prostrate themselves and apologize profusely to him. He could easily become an elite that possesses an awe-inspiring power over Japan."

"God, shut up would you? With how you're describing it, he'll become a scumbag who abuses his power to get what he wants. Sanji won't be that kind of man. He _refuses _to be that kind of man. So please, don't say that he's 'one of them'. He's _better _than them."

He chuckles. I can imagine him smirking right now. "If you insist. I am simply stating that men like him, born with the greatest set of genetics, are destined to sit at the top of the social ladder. Quirks are the very things that determine your place in society."

"Ugh, have you been studying sociology from Harrison recently? That sounds like something outta his book to me." Blah blah blah, Harrison was a famous sociologist who looked at how Quirks affect modern-day society—dubbed "Quirk sociology".

Okichi responds with a hum. "I'm glad you're studying to become an intellectual like I am. Anyhow, let's leave this conversation for another time. You put a lot of faith in Mister Inochi, don't you?"

I bat my hair. My answer should be so obvious. "Of course. He's an absolute sweetheart and you're the spawn of a demon."

"Thank you for the compliment. Oh, just because I'm curious, Izuku Midoriya has the same potential, doesn't he?"

"More potential than Sanji, I think."

"Ah, so another monster has entered U.A. High School. What do you think about him?"

"Honestly, not much. He's close with All Might, seems like a nice guy, and he's really determined to be a Hero—not as much as Sanji."

"I saw him once or twice. Personally, despite the fact that he fought the League of Villains and presumably Stain, he really seems focused on his own studies rather than looking out into the world."

"Whatever you say. Like I said, I don't have much to say about Midoriya. I don't know him as well as Sanji and Itsuka."

"I see…" Okichi says. I hear him ruffling through his belongings. "Did your mother and Haruto stay back in Japan?"

That's a weird question to ask. "Yeah, why do you ask? Is it about this plan of ours?"

"Mhm. They could be variables that we would have to account for, but I'm glad to hear that we will only have to worry about your father," Okichi answers. I hear him standing up, and the background noise slowly becomes faint. "I'm going to roam around at the Early Access Event. I'll speak with you later, my Setsuna."

"See—" he hangs up, "—ya. Okay, that happened." I will never like that guy. Sure, he wants the world to be a good place, but I just don't like him. All that talk about the social ladder and that crap, it's irritating. In an alternate universe, if I hung out with people of my status, I would be a snooty, bratty girl who looks down on people lower than me. But I'm not living in an alternate universe, am I? I'm with guys and girls who are lower than me, and I love them. Especially Sanji Inochi, who can be considered the lowest of the low.

Still, he makes a few good points. It doesn't matter what I think. A good Quirk separates average from great. Companies favor Heroes with the flashiest Quirks, the media is obsessed with gossip from the hottest Heroes, things like that. Guys in high-up places already have Sanji at the top of their lists. It's only a matter of time before the public finds out; they just have to accept that Sanji has the potential to be greater than a thousand Heroes combined. I can't imagine what it's like to be him. I feel so bad…

I mean hey, I'm an heiress and all… I have the responsibility of my dad's company on my shoulders. I have the responsibility to ensure our company's success and the lives of those I save. I'm both a businesswoman and a Pro Hero. Dad holds me as his future, so I need to make his future come true—make _our _future come true. But what about you, Sanji? Seriously dude, Manga and Shojo are constantly comparing you to a shonen protagonist. Mysterious power, no parents, you check everything off the list. I'm sad to say that real life is not an anime. The responsibilities you're holding, and the responsibilities that you're _expected _to have, I don't envy you. Still… This is what you signed up for, right Sanji?

Constantly, we do what we need to do to make the world a better place. All Might and the Commission is driving kids everyday to be Heroes. Heroism is what makes the world spin around, Japan most of all. For you, Japan drove you to try and become a Hero despite your lack of power. For me, my dad made me study day and night, train day and night, work day and night to mold me as the heiress-to-be. Everything is like a car, y'know? A car can take us where we need to go, but it's useless without a driver. That's where we come in. We drive and drive and drive and drive, following the road we're meant to be on. Honking our horns, revving up our engines, we ride on where the world wants us to go, laying back in our seats and hoping we'll arrive at our promised future.

I walk on, I guess, back to the lobby just outside David's office. And there, that's where I see a pretty man named Sanji Inochi. Looks like he's back already! David Shield is behind him near the doorway to his office. Everyone turns to me, and I put on my beautiful smile. Though, Sanji and David are frowning. "What's with the long faces, you two? How did the analysis go?"

Sanji awkwardly scratches the back of his head. "For starters, I didn't awaken to my Quirk. But thanks to David, I know a lot more about it. Though…"

Hayami concludes, "It left you more questions than answers?"

He sighs, confirming her words. "Yeah… I'm sorry guys… I don't feel too comfortable talking about my Quirk right now. I assure you that you'll know at some point in the future, but not at this very moment, no. Again, sorry…"

I honestly expected this. I mean c'mon, Sanji doesn't know his Quirk for his entire life. _Of course _it's personal. I wouldn't be too willing to bear my heart so easily.

Itsuka stands up and playfully punches his shoulder. It doesn't do much damage to the resilient Sanji Inochi. "At least you know more about yourself, right? That's a victory in itself. So how about we take your mind off of this and see what I-Expo has in offer, okay?" Itsuka knows that she wields power over Sanji. There's no way that he would deny her. Seriously, if I had to write an essay on why these two are perfect for each other, it'll easily be a thousand pages long.

I jump on the bandwagon, "I second that! There's a lot of fun stuff out there, Sanji! We need to get out, get wild, get hurt, and get wild again! We created _Operation I-Island _for a reason, y'know!"

Sanji takes turns looking at the both of us—Itsuka, me, Itsuka, me, Itsuka, me, Itsuka—before laughing to himself, pressing his hand against his head. "Alright, I concede. Like you said, Itsuka, I know more about myself, and that's good. We should enjoy ourselves."

Hayami agrees, "You bet. C'mon everyone, let's thank David for doing this for us." We give him a polite little bow in unison, thanking him for what he did.

David laughs, shaking his hands at us. "Ah don't mention it! I should be thanking you for helping out Japan. If you need anything, just have Setsuna call me. You should meet my daughter at some point."

"It's a date!" I exclaim, clapping my hands. Ah, Melissa is cute, but I still have my heart set on Ibara. Everyone shares a nice laugh before we head out. David waves goodbye, and we walk down the hall. I don't hear the protesters anymore, so hopefully they were chased away.

Hayami is in front of us, and I'm right beside Itsuka. I nudge her shoulder with mine, whispering, "Hey hey, aren't you a little bit curious about Sanji?"

She pouts. "Of course I am. That doesn't mean I'll pry into his personal life. He can tell us when he's ready too. It's the same with Grandpa."

Huh? "What's going on with Master Kendo? What kind of secrets is _he _holding?"

Itsuka suddenly straightens up. "Well… I'll tell you when I'm ready." Aw, she really played _that _card?

"Phooey." This is a good time to tease Itsuka, especially with what I have planned later. "You and Sanji have an amazing relationship honestly. You trust each other enough to draw boundaries."

" _That _constitutes a good relationship? Really? Is the line of relationships so low that drawing boundaries is _amazing _and _ground-breaking _?"

"You'd be surprised. Heh, I don't expect you to know about relationships though. You never had a boyfriend before."

"You never had a girlfriend."

"Hurtful. You're right, but still hurtful… Anyway, gonna admit that you like Sanji yet?"

"God, Setsuna… If I say 'yes', will you stop bothering me?"

"Can't make any promises."

Itsuka sighs, glaring daggers at me. "Well, I…" She turns around, looking back at Sanji. He's…? What is he doing? He's standing still, staring at the hallway behind him, but there's nothing there. There's no one there. Itsuka calls out to him, "Hey Sanji, do you see a spider or something? No one's there."

Sanji suddenly jumps. Itsuka must've scared him out of his daydreaming. Dang, he can do that while walking? Impressive. He scratches the back of his head again. "S-Sorry! Didn't mean to be weird again!"

He runs up to us, naturally being at Itsuka's side. She rolls her eyes at her goofy boyfriend, being adorably annoyed at him. She comments, "Weirdo."

"Yup, that's me…" Sanji replies. Just barely above a whisper, he mutters, "I'm the weirdo alright…"

That's weird.

So yeah, he's a weirdo.

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Welcome to I-Expo, y'all! We got cowboys, roller coasters, mechanical bulls, stands, junk food, the entire nine yards! Yeehaw, partners!" Setsuna explains… I think she's trying to mock Snipe's accent. Well if that ain't a cute little voice she got, then what is? Cowboys aside, I-Expo really is impressive. It's a massive theme park! Pro Heroes from around the world are here! Each and every person is allowed to use their Quirks! I doubt that we'll encounter others from U.A. just from the sheer size of this convention!

Ah, there's even Heroes with a Gigantification-type Quirk in the distance! Some Heroes are showing off their powers to their fans! There's even games specifically designed for you to use your Quirk! This place is just Quirks, Quirks, and more Quirks! I see why I-Island prides itself on metaology and technology. With technology, they can improve Quirks for everyone; with metaology, they can discover just how Quirks can work.

The smell of food fills the air. It's really fragrant, definitely enticing. I gotta say: I won't be seduced by lust, greed, envy, and the other sins. But there is one sin that I'll happily indulge in: gluttony. Please don't judge me. I just love food. If there's fish, then I'm going to treat it like it's my child—and subsequently eat it.

…

I really shouldn't have made that metaphor.

Hayami stretches her arms, sighing in pleasure. "Where are we going first guys? Actually, we should find one of those punching bag games and have Itsuka play it. She'll get the top score like it's nothing."

Itsuka laughs, looking around I-Expo with me. "That's a good idea. If there's a prize, you bet I'm getting it. Looking around though, it's a shame that most of these games require you to use your Quirk."

Oh, she's thinking about me. That's really thoughtful of her. Without her consent, I give her a head pat. "It's sweet that you're thinking about me, but don't worry… If I'm with you guys, then you bet I'm having fun."

Setsuna puts a hand over her heart like she's having a heart attack. "Just kill me already! My life is torture every time I see you two interact!"

Itsuka pouts and pushes me away slightly. "That shouldn't be a surprise at this point, Sanji! Ugh, let's just move on—?!"

_BOOM!_

"What was that?!"

"Sounds dangerous!"

"Not again…"

The heck is that?! I heard an explosion! I didn't see it myself, but I see the smoke from the explosion left behind! Setsuna points towards the smoke and announces, "That is our first destination! C'mon guys, let's go!"

Like many others, we follow the smoke and come across a massive battle arena surrounded by iron bars in the shape of a dome. There is a large TV screen that says: "BATTLE IN PROGRESS!"

"Who's fighting?"  
"I bet it's a couple of Pro Heroes."

"I wonder who they are…"

Itsuka and I look at each other. So apparently, there's a battle going on. As we approach the arena, we get a glimpse of the setting. The mysterious fighters are sparring in an open field with a few trees laid about. The arena itself is sinked a good bit below us probably for our own safety. We, all four of us, struggle through the crowd, pushing to the front. We look down at the two fighters below, and…

"Is that Valjean? He's fighting Monarch!"

"Again? They did the same thing last year."

"Jeez, I hope nothing gets destroyed this time."

Valjean and Monarch…

They're fighting…

Two No.1 Pro Heroes _are fighting _.

Valjean is the No.1 Hero in France. He drew his inspiration from an old French novel, immediately becoming a sensation within the country. His Quirk is called Chains: he's able to telepathically manipulate chain-like objects around him. Valjean himself is a middle-aged man with short, laid-back black hair with gray streaks. He has a trimmed beard that also has some gray in it. His Hero Costume involves a large black coat over a dark gray dress shirt with black vertical stripes. His coat is buttoned-up half-way up his body. His pants are black too with gray stripes running down it, and he's wearing black, stylish dress shoes. There's something interesting about his costume though: his chains. His arms are wrapped in small black chains, and so are his legs. Valjean even has a thick scarf made of chains too! Some of his chains have spearheads at the end, probably made to attack.

If I could describe Valjean in one sentence, it would be: A prideful man who would strive for justice and fair play.

Viva la France.

Then, there's Monarch, the No.1 Hero in Great Britain. A beautiful man and a handsome woman. Why did I say that? Well, Monarch is fairly androgynous, but sorry: She's a woman. Her Quirk is called Light: supposedly, she's able to "solidify" light. The Quirk itself is simple, but the versatility is absolutely breathtaking. Monarch has short blonde hair, at the apex of youth, I feel like. Her Hero Costume resembles that of a royal king. She wears fine black trousers with a single solid golden stripe running through the legs, and she has long brown boots fit for a king. Monarch wears a blue tunic adorned with gold, having a purple sash running diagonally from her shoulder. Finally, she has a large fur cape that's mainly red with golden spots. Usually, royals would have their cape tied around with a golden rope. But King has hers directly attached to her tunic, snugly fitting over her neck. She has support equipment on her right now: her golden gloves. I don't know what they do, but I know they help her use her Quirk effectively than without.

If I could describe Monarch in one sentence, it would be: A young, honorable woman who wants to defend the glory of her country.

God save the Queen.

The battle as it stands: Valjean is at the edge of the arena, his back nearly pressing against the cold concrete walls facing his opponent—Monarch. From the appearance of the battlefield, Monarch seemed to launch an attack but Valjean avoided it, coming out unscathed. They both seem to be energized with no visible signs of exhaustion. I think we didn't miss out on much.

Brushing off his coat, Valjean steps forward and runs his hand through his black hair peppered with gray. "Victoria!" shouts Valjean with enthusiasm, "we ought to stop fighting before someone gets hurt! Resolve things peacefully! Have coffee while we're at it!"

"You know I hate coffee!" Monarch yells. From her hands, a golden broadsword made of light manifests in the air. She grips the hilt with her right arm—her dominant side—and charges forward with amazing speed that turns her entire body into a yellow blur, her blade drawn low and beneath her.

Valjean exclaims, "Such an obvious attack!"

_SLASH!_

_CRASH!_

When she reached Valjean, she swung her blade upwards aiming to land a good hit across his chest. But like what Valjean said, her attack was obvious. Her form was perfect, definitely showcasing mastery in European swordsmanship. However, it's useless if the enemy can predict your attack and evade—!

_EVADE!_

—It didn't even make Valjean blink; he clearly faced more formidable foes, or maybe he doesn't want to show weakness. He sidestepped Monarch's attack, letting her golden blade dig into the concrete walls of the arena. A massive _crash _rings out, evidence of how much power she can effortlessly put into a single blow. The concrete walls crack and shiver as if they're afraid of what else Monarch can do.

_SPIN!_

Monarch, seeing Valjean just less than a meter away from her, spins around to build up momentum for her next attack. After a full rotation, her blade crashes against the left forearm of Valjean, directly striking his thick black chains. The sound produced is pretty strange like the sound of space is crashing against steel.

Surprisingly, Monarch's sword doesn't cut through Valjean's chains. "Trying to take my arm off, aren't you? You're just bullying an old man!" he says, pushing Monarch's sword back and shattering her weapon into pieces. Monarch's constructs must be easy to break, but why doesn't her attacks break her sword instantly?

"—Geh!" Monarch grunts, her defense wide open! Valjean steps forward and pushes his right arm forward, his fist flying right into Monarch's stomach. She gets launched back deeper into the arena with her feet off the ground—she's in a helpless state!

Valjean clenches his hand with a confident smirk. "Go and capture her, my—!"

_VALJEAN: VINES OF WRATH!_

On his right forearm, his chains rush forward like bullets being shot from a gun—ten in total, all having sharp, penetrating spearheads at the end of their lengths. They expand outwards in multiple directions. Within the second, they converge onto Monarch, quickly wrapping her body numerous times to restrain her.

But that isn't enough to capture her.

"Weak attempt!" Monarch states just as her feet hit the ground—!

— _BOOM!_

From beneath the chains, a blinding golden glow emerged from the cracks. Then right before our eyes, Monarch literally explodes free from Valjean's restraints, blowing his seemingly unbreakable chains away from herself. She jumps back ten meters to remove herself from the chains' range, but immediately, they sprint back towards her with a heightened fury. Gritting her teeth, Monarch produces another golden blade and deflects all ten chains away. Frowning, she shouts, "What a nuisance, much like yourself, Valjean!"

Like a king commanding his archers, Monarch raises her free hand. "Come, my knight—!"

— _ROUND TABLE: TRISTIAN'S SONG!_

In the space around her, at least a hundred arrows of light are formed within an instant. She grabs her cape and pull it so we can see the inside lining. Valjean sucks in a breath and recalls his chains. "That's a little excessive, don't you think?! Last year, you toppled a building on me!" ...I know the feeling.

"And this year, I'll riddle your disgusting body with arrows!" she replies, tucking her cape inwards to signal her invisible archers.

_WHMM!_

_WHOOM! WHOOM! WHOOM!_

Valjean uses his chains as a grappling hook, firing one length into the iron bars above and pulling himself towards it. Due to his quick thinking, he dodges the first barrage of arrows, which batters the poor walls into submission. That's a creative way of using his Quirk though. He has mobility covered. To think that he's able to pull his own body weight though! His telekinetic power must be strong! After all, that's the main source of power with Telekinetic-type Quirks like his!

From above, Valjean continuously uses his chains to move around the battlefield with Monarch's archers constantly firing upon him relentlessly, wanting his head. One of the arrows nick his cheek, inflicting him with a small cut. Yet, that's the extent of his injuries. He manages to evade every arrow with the combination of his Quirk and his pure agility alone. Looking down at Monarch, he places his feet against the iron bars like a bat hanging off a ledge. "You've gotten less accurate than before, Victoria!"

"Shut it! You called my brother a donkey!" she...replies? Okay, I guess this is how the fight started.

Valjean retorts, "You offended my daughter! She's watching us fight right now! What do you have to say about this, Cosette?!"

"...I didn't get offended?" Oh, his daughter is right besides me! That's a coincidence and a half! Cosette is a pretty girl, about the same age as me. She has black hair just like her father. Unlike Valjean though, she isn't wearing a Hero Costume. "Do you two have to fight _every _time we meet?"

"Of course! I want to fight for you, Cosette!"

"Absolutely! I have to embarrass your father!"

Cosette sighs and bangs her head against the iron bars. She looks over to me and the rest of my group. "Rivals, am I right? Sorry, but this might take a while."

Setsuna whispers, "Oh, I feel so sorry for her."

The fight continues! Much to Cosette's dismay I'm afraid…

—Monarch grabs hold of her cape once more. "Come, my knight!"

Valjean's chains levitate around him with at least thirty lengths at the ready. "Launch forth—!"

— _ROUND TABLE: TRISTAIN'S SONG!_

_VALJEAN: PARADE OF JUSTICE—_

One hundred arrows.

Thirty spearheads.

Monarch doesn't hesitate to launch her arrows immediately, and Valjean doesn't hesitate to send his chains forth. They collide, clashing, exploding in the air. A beautiful spectacle appears before us. Monarch's arrows outnumber Valjean, but these arrows will break given enough force. However, Valjean's chains are stronger, but fewer in numbers.

In this clinch, Valjean's chains break through Monarch's arrows, shattering the first wave before they could reach his position. Each spearhead breaks multiple arrows, but despite their strength, some of the arrows make it through. They dig into Valjean's body, managing to pierce through his coat. It's a necessary sacrifice, because his chains manage to push through another one of Monarch's barrages, charging at her once again.

"Damn—!" Monarch swears, readying her blade!

_VALJEAN: HONORBOUND LANCE!_

Valjean's chains come together to form one single spear that rotates clockwise in the air, quickly gaining speed and momentum. The strength of this Super Move is powerful enough to generate a spiral of wind, the spear itself moving just as fast as a missile shot from a fighter jet. Monarch doesn't attempt to avoid this attack, but she faces it head on!

_CLASH!_

Once again, there's that strange noise of space colliding with metal! Monarch manages to take the massive force of Valjean's attack with her blade, just barely able to block the speartip! Despite the overwhelming weight of the spear, she steps forward and spins the spear around her sword. With her strength, she redirects the spear into the ground by impaling it through the cracks of the chains.

"Get down from there!" she roars, taking her sword with two hands and running the edge down a meter of the spear, tearing it apart. She swings her blade upwards and emits a wave of tangible light! It's just like her arrows from before! Her wave of light comes faster than Valjean could think. He instinctively jumps away just before the wave hits him—!

_BOOM!_

Another explosion! This attack _broke _through the iron bars! Ah! From Monarch running her sword down Valjean's spear, she manages to break his chains, rendering them useless for him to control! This time, Valjean is in a vulnerable position. He's caught helpless in the air, his body shaken from the shockwave of the previous explosion!

"—Fly free!" Monarch exclaims with the thrill of battle conquering her voice. She creates a long spear in her free hand, thinner than the one Valjean used on her. The spear itself is simple, yet at the end, I can only describe the head as pure beauty personified in a weapon. While she has the opportunity, she tosses the spear with the strength of an Olympian—no, her strength _exceeds _that of an Olympian.

_ROUND TABLE: WEAPONS OF PENDRAGON - RHONGOMYNIAD! _

In the battle of spears, Monarch wins. Valjean's spear—I honestly don't know the name of that Super Move, I'm sorry—was fast and contained a lot of speed enough to pulverize a semi-truck. Yet, just from Monarch pulling out her own version of her spear, it's superior. There's so much more energy contained in that spear, and once she threw it, the spear flew so fast that it became a golden blur in the air. Valjean's spear was as fast as a missile from a fighter jet, but Monarch's spear was as fast _as a fighter jet _.

That's why he doesn't avoid it. His reaction time is honed enough to realize that a spear is thrown at him, but I don't think his body can move in time.

He's only able to put up his arms before the spear hits him. Another explosion is created matching the power of one of All Might's punches. A tornado of wind batters the battleground and us, the audience. The iron cage rattles and moans, contorting just from the shockwave alone. We take a step back trying to avoid any unnecessary damage, but Cosette, Valjean's daughter, stands unamused at the battle she's witnessing.

The explosion from the attack makes a cloud of smoke that conceals Valjean's position from Monarch. Valjean may be a No.1 Hero, but that attack _must have _done some damage. Monarch, who still has her sword, waits for him to come down. "I know that Rhongomyniad didn't seal your defeat! You're stronger than that, Valjean!"

"You're correct!" Directly above, Valjean appears into sight. Not even I noticed him navigating around the smoke! He flies down with a kick, the chains on his leg contacting Monarch's sword. Despite his confidence, I can tell he's hurt.

Monarch pushes Valjean back, making him flip backwards ten meters away. He lands on his feet and sighs, cracking his neck. Monarch gets into a stance, showing off her training in European swordsmanship again. "Don't believe I will be holding back."

"Neither will I." With his left hand, his chains form into a flail with the spearheads acting as spikes. With his right hand, a short spear is created, stiff and strong. From the looks of it, both of his weapons aren't that long, especially compared to Monarch's broadsword. However, I think he made his weapons like that on purpose. He wants to make Monarch confident so he can punish her for it. Because… On his whim, he can alter the length of both weapons—the chain length for his flail, and the pole of his spear.

The two Heroes have a standoff. One holds a sword made of condensed, solid light. The other wields two weapons made of chains. Ten meters apart. A silent, steady breeze blows into the field, swaying the grass and the fallen leaves. Monarch, the king, pushes her cape back. She takes a single step forward and bridges the gap between her opponent.

_SLASH! PARRY!_

_THRUST! SWING!_

_CLANG! _

They engage. Aiming to wound the other, they don't relent in their blazing attacks. I'm barely able to keep up with them with my own eyes. The average person may see a mix of black and gold blurs, thinking that they're only performing one attack in a second. They're wrong. Each of them are performing _multiple _attacks in one second. Monarch performs at least three swift slashes that were all parried by Valjean's spear. He replies by swinging his flail at Monarch; she avoids his attack, and at the same time, does an upwards swing. Valjean steps back. He wraps the chain of his flail around Monarch's sword and yanks her to the side, spinning around and landing a kick in the middle of her chest. She's disarmed and her sword is destroyed. Instantly though, Monarch forms another _much longer _sword than before. Valjean wouldn't be able to use his flail in time, so he tries to thrust with his spear. Monarch sees this attack coming and avoids the thrust, tucking the spear under her left armpit. Stepping forward, she brings her blade forward to stab Valjean's head. He snaps his head to the side just narrowly avoiding being impaled. In this awkward position, he swings his other arm forward and nails Monarch in the head with his flail; at the same time, his spear, trapped under Monarch's arm, bends around and strikes her in the back of her head. Both attacks cause her to stumble back, drawing blood and staining her short blonde hair.

I'd say all of this happened within five seconds. That's how _fast _they're moving. There's a clear gap between me and the No.1 Pro Heroes. Valjean is excellent in close combat, restraining, and mobility. Monarch is amazing in _all _combat, able to pump out powerful attacks without breaking a sweat. They're monsters. I know why they're the No.1 Heroes now.

"You look a little worse for wear, Victoria." Valjean says, playfully swinging his flail around like a toy. God, I didn't notice that his spear is twice the length from before…

Monarch grunts, wiping the blood off of her face. "Hopefully, I'll finish you with this next set of attacks."

"Heh. Then please, you can have the first move." Valjean stops spinning his flail, pulling his spear back. At once, every single chain on his body begins to unwrap themselves. They levitate around him, their spearheads aimed and at the ready. From eyeballing it, there's at least one hundred individual chains.

_VALJEAN: THE SINGING PEOPLE!_

"Very well." Monarch raises her sword in the air. Five hundred golden arrows pop into existence. There's so many that a shadow is casted upon the pair—kinda ironic considering Monarch's Quirk.

_ROUND TABLE: TRISTAIN'S BALLAD!_

"—Haaah!"

"Hup—!"

_LAUNCH! BANG! SHATTER!_

_CLING! BASH! _

The chains and arrows bombard each other like before. The battlefield truly turns into a warzone as the plains become bruised from the impact of both projectiles clashing against one another. The entire arena is filled with complete chaos while the two main players are fighting in the middle with more fury than before. They fight and fight and fight while chains and arrows are taking part in an aerial battle around them. Plumes of dirt emerge as Valjean's chains dig themselves into the ground, and there are dents made from Monarch's arrows.

_CLASH! BAM!_

_THRUST! SWING!_

_SLASH! STAB!_

I can't follow the fight anymore. There's too much going on. The cloud of chains and arrows are blocking my sight, and the few moments that I'm able to _see _the two, I just can't process what they're doing anymore. The arena is too crowded with action for _anyone _to properly watch their fight. All we hear is the explosions from the aerial bombardment, and the sound of space hitting metal.

For the next two minutes, the fight goes on exactly like this. Then—!

_KICK!_

Finally, when their Super Moves stop, I see Monarch kicking Valjean in the stomach. He soars back at least twenty meters before jumping up. He—?!

Oh crap, he's jumping back towards _us _! My reflexes force me back a couple of steps as Valjean leaps onto the netting. He uses his chains to support himself, and he needs it. From the intense combat before, he looks tired. Looking back at her daughter, Valjean grins. "Don't worry, I refuse to lose, Cosette!"

Cosette frowns. "Dad, I'm happy that I didn't inherit your stubbornness… Please, let's just finish the fight so we can move on."

Valjean huffs, focusing his attention on his opponent. He looks ahead wearing a smile that speaks of victory. Suddenly, his littered chains are recalled, then like before, they start to levitate around him. Though, it's different than before. I think it's similar to the time when he used his chains as a large spear, but from the looks of it, this spear will be larger. Wait… Maybe… Oh jeez, don't tell me he's going to use _himself _as a spear! "Let me show you my strongest Super Move, Victoria! I perfected it!"

Monarch gives him a nasty glare. Her sword enlarges, making her take hold of the hilt with two hands. She points it towards Valjean as her weapon ignites with a light that's almost blinding. From the ignition alone, it emits a shockwave that makes our clothes flutter violently. What power… "Then allow me to respond in kind, Valjean!"

Cosette cringes at the sight, turning to us again. "I really am sorry guys. These two take their fights way too seriously." ("This is the spirit of France, born in blood.")

Itsuka gestures to the entire fight. "You think?! Monarch literally blew a hole in the very thing that's protecting us!" ("I will stand over the edge of chaos, a land amok with war.")

Hayami doesn't look too afraid though. "We'll be fine guys. They're No.1 Heroes after all. They know how to control their own power. They _should _anyway." ("We are a lance that pierces the heart of injustice!")

Setsuna is taking a video. Of course she's recording this fight. "Mhm. Honestly, this is the best fight I watched in a while. I needed some excitement." ("In this moment, this earth shall burst with light!")

Cosette gives Setsuna a frown before turning to me specifically. "Well, I guess this is your first glimpse of how No.1 Pro Heroes fight. Impressive, isn't it?" ("I'll show you our strength! We,—!")

One day… This is how I'll fight. They are my potential. "Yeah… They're incredible examples of strength. Almost makes me envious." ("Vanquish them,—!")

_VALJEAN: LES MISÉRABLES _— _!_

— _ROUND TABLE: WEAPONS OF PENDRAGON - EXCALIB _—?!

"Ohohoho! C'mon Hugo! Victoria! What in the world are you two doing?!" Wha?! Who's this?! Some _massive _man just stormed through the crowd and approached the cage! Valjean and Monarch stop what they were doing and stare at him! Who the heck is he—?!

Cosette smiles and waves. "Hey Uncle Odysseus." Uncle—what?! Odysseus?! He's the No.1 Pro Hero in Greece! God uhm, now I recognize him… Odysseus is a mountain of a man with striking red-hair with a beard. He wears leather garments colored red and gold like he's from the Trojan War, all of that over a tight black bodysuit. I'm pretty sure he has more stuff he wears for his Hero Costume, but he's not wearing that here. For the life of me, I can't remember what his full costume looks like… I _do _remember his Quirk. His Quirk is called "Endless". It's a Mutant-type Quirk where Odysseus literally cannot get tired. He doesn't need sleep and he doesn't feel exhaustion. Though, Quirk Passivity is the reason why he's the No.1 Hero in Greece.

Itsuka grabs my arm and pulls me back, away from Odysseus. Hayami and Setsuna follow suit, letting him and Cosette handle the two fighters. Valjean looks back and waves at Odysseus; he has a face that says, _I'm in trouble now _. "Hey Odysseus! I see you finally arrived at I-Island! Don't mind us! We're just having a friendly spar!"

Monarch lowers her head in shame, letting her sword fade away. "With your appearance, this spar is finished. It's a little disappointing that we don't have a decisive victor. Come on, Valjean, let's leave. And I swear to God, if you mention anything about my brother again—"

"Don't worry, Victoria. As long as you don't insult my daughter, we'll be on good terms. Well, as good as a capsizing ship that's stranded in the middle of the ocean," Valjean replies, leaping off the bars and rolling onto the ground. Him and Monarch start to head back to the exit… Okay, I think this fight is a tie.

Odysseus lets out a long groan and looks around at the crowd. There's at least a thousand people here. Once he reveals himself, they're clamoring to get his autograph. They're so loud that my eardrums could burst. It's enough to induce discomfort in him. Slowly, he raises his hand. "My good men and women! If you wish to love me this much, then I have an event in an hour where you can give me all of your love! The first ones there will have a chance to earn a ride on my ship! Bwahahaha!"

_STAMPEDE!_

Immediately, most of the crowd runs to… I don't know where. Odysseus never specified the location of his event. Do they know where to go? Goodness… When they first heard about his offer, they just ran away without a second thought. The four of us remain where we are, and at least thirty other people loiter. They aren't too focused on Odysseus or the other No.1 Heroes.

Cosette looks at the distant herd that's stampeding over everyone they see. "Do you really have an event or did you just want to get rid of them?"

Odysseus haughtily chuckles, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know Heroes aren't supposed to resort to lowly tricks! Who do you think I am? Your father? Bwahahahaha!" Yup, I think Odysseus resorts to lowly tricks.

Grabbing the three of us, Hayami whispers, "The fight is over, guys. Do you wanna do something else or just stay here and talk to them?"

Setsuna leans against her and responds, "I wanna talk to them! You don't meet No.1 Pro Heroes every day! Especially not three of them at once!"

Itsuka nods. "Mhm. We're trying to be Heroes too, Mom. We might as well get some advice from them even though they're not from Japan."

Hmm… That's a good idea, but I'm worried about one thing: they will try to pressure me to join them once they figure out who I am. I'm not stressed about it, not as much as you might think. They seem like great people. "Let's do it."

As soon as I give her my answer, Valjean and Monarch meet up with Odysseus and Cosette. Immediately, the two of them start arguing over who won. Even though no one was defeated, it doesn't mean there isn't a victor. They ask Cosette who would've won if Odysseus hadn't interrupted them. Apparently, they're keeping a tally of wins and losses. Right now, they're tied five to five.

Cosette whines and moans right before she sees the four of us. "You guys a re still here? Come help me out!" The three No.1 Heroes turn to us, and God, I never felt so much stress before in my life. "You'll be the judges. I'm not doing this."

Setsuna exclaims, "Awesome! Personally, I think Monarch was going to win. I mean, you're powerful and all, Valjean… But Monarch's Quirk packs a bigger punch. And I'm not picking her because she's pretty."

"Thank you, ma'am." Monarch smiles, even growing a faint blush. She mutters, "Though, you really didn't need to flatter me…"

Hayami steps back, declaring, "I'm letting my kids handle this. No offense you two." Alright, seems like this decision will be up to the three of us. Setsuna already said that Monarch would win. Now, it's Itsuka's turn.

Itsuka puts her arm on my shoulder. "Personally, I think Valjean would've won. I have a feeling that Monarch's Super Move is pretty stationary, while Valjean is shown to be pretty dang skilled in mobility. I'd say he would have dodged Monarch's attack and finished her off with his own."

Valjean does a little fist pump in celebration. "Ha! Looks like the vote is tied one to one! Luckily, the miss is abstaining so the final decision lies on this samurai right here. Tell me, good sir, who do you think will win?"

I can't even open my mouth before Monarch interrupts me. "Before you answer, you ought to know that this Frenchman is a rude man completely undeserving of his ranking! He called my Queen an 'old hag'! The only old hag is him!"

Odysseus, acting as a mediator, steps in. "Now now, let's not get too worked up over this silly spar! Just let the boy decide so we can move on with our splendid day."

Monarch huffs, puffing her cheeks. "Fine. If you make the right choice, I may or may not be inclined to reward you."

Valjean shouts in disgust, "Are you trying to bribe him?! What kind of scum are you?!"

"Scum?! You ought to watch your—!"

Odysseus claps his hands, creating a weak shockwave that shuts them up. "Civility! I know this is coming from me of all men, but let's try to practice civility, you two!"

"Okay…"

"Alright…"

"Good! C'mon boy, say something before they go back to bickering like elementary school kids!" he exclaims.

Okay, now I am double stressed. I can't believe such a big decision is resting on my shoulders. I don't have any preference for one or the other. Besides, I want to make this choice as unbiased as possible. I don't think they'll believe me though. No matter who I pick, they'll go back to arguing and Cosette will be disappointed even more! She's looking at me to make a choice while I'm here worried about the consequences of my actions! And… Once everyone finds out that I'm Sanji Inochi, after I make my decision, it'll show that I favor one of them. God, I'm just thinking random thoughts right now. I just need to say something. "Okay uhm… Frankly, I wasn't rooting for one side to win… Who wins and who loses wasn't on my mind. More or less, I was watching your fight in order to gauge the distance between me and you."

What David found out about me…

I look down at my open palm, clutching my hand. "It's not really fair for me to be a judge when I was only looking out for myself."

Odysseus suddenly breaks out into laughter, his chest heaving as he does so. "Bwahaha! 'Gauge the distance'? You're just a small boy, probably no older than Cosette here! Thinking about strength already, aren't you? I admire that kind of determination, don't get me wrong! We need strong men for this world! We're always in short supply!"

Monarch comments, "Odysseus is right. Either way, I'm a little disappointed that you decided to abstain. I suppose this spar will end in a tie, Valjean. Until we fight again, rascal."

Valjean chuckles, happy with the outcome. "If you insist. One of these days, we oughta settle our rivalry once and for all! See who's the better nation: France or a land made of tea."

"At least we don't wave the white flag," she retorts. Before Valjean can snap back, she faces the four of us. "Anyway, I apologize for our behaviors. I'm sure Cosette already apologized for us."

"Many times…" Cosette states, moving beside her. She eyes us as if she's analyzing everything about ourselves. First, she looks at Setsuna, then moves down to Hayami, then Itsuka, then me. She leans forward… Again, she's looking at me specifically!

Valjean frowns. "Why are you looking at him like that?"

Itsuka frowns too. "I was about to ask the same question."

Cosette shakes her head at the both of them. "Sorry. I was trying to figure out who you are, Samurai. Sure, you're handsome, but that's not what I'm focusing on. What's your name?"

Welp, here we go. I glance at my friends, telling them with my eyes, _They probably know who I am. Let's be ready. _With a deep exhale, I answer, "Sanji Inochi."

"It's him."

"That changes things, doesn't it?"

Odysseus stands there silently with his head down. Then, just after a few seconds, he snaps his head up with the fury of Zeus himself. "Bwahahaha! Now I understand! I understand plenty! I heard about you, my boy!"

"Who?" Cosette looks absolutely confused. She tugs on Odysseus's tunic. "Hey uh, why does everyone know who he is? The only Japanese Heroes I know about is All Might and Endeavor."

He kindly answers, "Well, he's just a small boy, but he has a mountain of a potential! The three of us heard about two young Heroes who have the ability to create waves everywhere they go! One of them is this boy right here! What's more special about him is the fact that he's legally Quirkless!"

Cosette's mouth goes agape. "Huh?"

Valjean nods. "That was my same reaction too, sweetheart. Sanji's journey is what novels are made of. Frankly, I didn't believe it at first."

"Neither did I," Monarch says, "Cosette, he has the potential to not only be as strong as the average No.1 Pro Hero, but _stronger _. Right now, he's still rendered Quirkless. It'll be more than beneficial to awaken his Quirk."

Odysseus exclaims, "Of course! We're lucky that we caught this boy first! In the name of Greece, I—!"

"I have something to say," I interrupt, and Odysseus stops. Oh God, I didn't think I would be able to interrupt _him _of all men. He's so loud and boisterous that nothing could make him stop talking, yet I did! Well, I should use this chance to actually say what I want. "I know that you will try to convince me to study heroism in your country, but I have to politely decline your offers. I'm more than happy with what U.A. have; they're great at teaching me the ropes of heroism. And besides…"

I glance beside me, at Itsuka in particular. She meets my eyes. "Plus, I have some great reasons to stay in Japan on top of that." My words cause her to blush, trying her face away from me mumbling something under her breath. Aw, she's flustered again.

Valjean has a laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "Seems like you have everything settled. How did you know that we were interested in offering you a free ride in our borders?"

Setsuna raises her hand. "My father is a CEO of a big company in Japan. He has a way of obtaining information."

Monarch, who I should note is still a bit bloody from the fight, states, "I see… So Sanji got himself some valuable connections. You need that in this world. It's such a shame that you won't join Great Britain."

Nodding, Odysseus agrees—right after bringing his hands on Monarch and Valjean's shoulders, "I'm sure All Might is helping this boy achieve his full potential! Who would need useless Heroes like us when he has him around?"

Cosette clicks her tongue. "You know you're not useless, Uncle Ody. Why do you guys want him to study with you guys anyway? And why did you easily accept that he won't?"

Valjean raises a finger and answers her, "We're very selfish people, you know. Hearing that Sanji Inochi will become someone powerful, if we convince him to become a Hero for us, it would raise the status of our country. The entire world is engaged in a battle with Japan, who has All Might. And everyone wants to be the one to take Japan's crown.

"But didn't you hear his words? I don't think there's any way to convince a man like him. Sure, I may doubt the ability of U.A. High School's curriculum, but it's near-impossible to persuade a man to betray his friends _and _his beloved. Loyalty is the strongest bond of them all."

"H-His beloved?" Itsuka whisper-shouts. "We're not… We're not even dating… Damnit Sanji, why are you so embarrassing?" Heh, I _would _answer her, but I don't feel like it. Besides, I said that on purpose. Not because I wanted to embarrass her more—although I do that all the stinking time—I knew that they (hopefully) would understand that I refuse to leave Japan. Odysseus and Valjean are both middle-aged men. I may not feel my heart racing from love, but I know that they felt its thrill—I mean, Valjean _has a daughter _. By stating that Itsuka is one of my reasons to stay in Japan, they know better than to get in the way of that. I'm glad Monarch was able to understand too. She's the youngest of the three, probably a little older than Hawks.

Honestly though, it was a gamble. I had to trust that they value heroism over propping up the status of their individual nations. And they do. Instead of insisting that I join them, implying that I will have to leave everyone behind or downright _offer everyone _a free pass to heroism with me, they backed off and gave me that respect. Seriously, even calculating this option, to think that they are giving me respect as if I'm stronger than them already. They're not seeing me for the man I am today, but the man I _will _be.

Sorry Itsuka, but I had to use you in order to convince them to not chase after me.

Odysseus, looking down at Cosette, lovingly rubs her raven-black hair. "You'll understand young love someday, Cosette!" She pouts, taking his hand off of her hair.

Ah, I should also ask them for a favor… I need to use their respect for me to my advantage. "Oh, if I can ask, please don't harass my friends about this. They aren't involved in my situation. It'll give me some peace of mind when others, namely more _insistent _individuals, aren't as kind as you three."

"I'll respect your wishes. While you still fight for Japan, I'm still interested in your development as a Pro Hero." Monarch takes out a business card, handing it to me. "If you find yourself in Britain, just call me and I'll help you any way I can."

"I wasn't planning to anyway. Since Victoria here is giving out cards, here's mine." Then Valjean gives me his. "We don't have to do anything with heroism. We can just have a good lunch!"

"Bwahaha! Of course, my boy! Unfortunately, I'm not as corporate as these two knuckleheads! Cosette, give this boy my number, would you?" Cosette does what he asks, writing Odysseus's number on a slip of paper and handing it to me. "I can take you out onto sea, my boy. It'll be a trip to remember!"

Heh… I can't believe I got three numbers for three No.1 Pros. This is crazy… When Mister Tokage told me that I'll be harassed, I think he was partly wrong. He's a pessimist. He believed that every single person will be out for blood. Yet in front of me, these people proved that wrong. They have goodwill and utmost kindness. Hopefully, they are the standard, not the exception.

I bow, hoping I can repay that kindness back. "Thank you. I hope that we get to see each other again when I actually become a Hero."

Setsuna corrects me, "When the three of us become Heroes. We're in it together, y'know! All for one, and one for all—and that jazz."

...Why do I feel an incredible sense of irony from that sentence?

Itsuka says, "Yeah, I'm stuck with these two weirdos. You have no idea how much they tire me out. At least I'm only being with one of them when I'll be a Hero. The other will do her own thing."

"Aw, you wanna get rid of me _that _badly, don't you?"

Hayami gives Setsuna a headpat. "Let's try to not get in an argument this time, Setsuna. I'm the mom here, and my word is law." She turns to the Heroes plus Cosette. "Seriously though, thank you. You restored my faith in humanity. I only lost it when my daughter managed to burn water."

"Hey!" complains Itsuka.

I add on anyway, "Heh… Really, thank you. I promise to be a good Hero."

"That you will, Young Inochi!" All Might?! He's with Midoriya, Bakugo, and a blonde-haired girl. That must be Melissa Shield, David's daughter. But still! Why are so many people joining this scene?! We got enough people already!

The other four notice All Might, standing up straighter than before. Just from his presence alone, All Might commands respect. Not because he's an intimidating man, but because he's a heroic one. Bakugo frowns when he sees them, spitting, "Who the hell are these losers? And why are two of 'em covered in dirt n'blood?"

Itsuka, holding back from having a nasty tone with him, answers, "Three of these 'losers' are No.1 Pro Heroes in their respective countries."

Bakugo smirks. "Prolly not as good as All Might. Heh, I'll surpass them all the same. No one's gonna stop that." Already, he's making a terrible impression on the other No.1s. As strong as Bakugo is, he won't win against them. The skill gap is too big.

Melissa ignores Bakugo and notices Setsuna, running up to her. After exchanging some warm glances with me, Itsuka, and Hayami, her and Setsuna walk off to the side to have a conversation by themselves.

All Might pats Midoriya's shoulder. "Come, Young Midoriya! Let us meet the other Heroes in this great world of ours!" He takes him to the four, engaging in a lively conversation with them. There's a lot of power within that circle. They can take over a few small countries with only themselves.

Bakugo, seeing that All Might focused on Midoriya and not him, grunts. He has no choice but to talk to us. "Ugh, guess Deku's tryna impress some nobodies. Why the hell are you guys here anyway? I thought the guys in charge of I-Island don't invite losers to this convention."

Hayami, who's profusely annoyed with him, says, "We had someone give us invitations. Besides, my dad receives invitations every year for being a damn good Hero."

Itsuka off-handedly comments, "And I don't think you'll ever come close to being a good Hero like him."

That comment makes Bakugo upset. "Oi, what was that, redhead? If you're tryna say something, then just say it! Say it right to my face, would ya!"

"You're a crappy guy with a crappy personality. You have the audacity to call three No.1 Heroes 'losers' and 'nobodies'! Who the heck does that?! I—!" I grab her shoulder, signaling that she should stop. She does.

Bakugo smirks again, crossing his arms. "You're just all bark and no bite, just like a lotta of the pricks back in Japan. Look punks, I'm gonna be a better Hero than you two combined, y'hear? Y'wanna know why? 'Cuz I win; it's as simple as that. Speaking of winning, you still owe me that fight, Shitty Deku."

"Stop calling Sanji that," Itsuka snaps, and I grip her shoulder harder.

I would say that winning is far from what a Hero does, but I don't think I'll convince him. He reminds me a lot of Suzuki now that I'm thinking about it. At least Suzuki's somewhat trying to clean up his act. Bakugo… He's still insulting everyone he looks down upon. "Why can't we just talk? I can admit that you're stronger than me, because you are. Will that satisfy you?"

He shakes his head. "Don't be a little bitch 'bout this. You told me that you wouldn't win the Sports Festival, 'stead you propped up your girlfriend here. But then, I heard 'bout you fighting with Deku _and winning _. Like I told you before, Shitty Deku, what's the point of winning if I lost to Deku but you beat him? What kind of Hero would I be? Huh? Tell me."

I find myself saying, "That's something you gotta figure out yourself."

"Ugh, you annoy the hell outta me. 'Sides, why are those losers interested in you anyway? I saw you talking to 'em before we got here."

"Autographs. I got their business cards," I politely answer him, lying straight to his face. To provide evidence, I simply show him their cards and Odysseus's slip of paper with his number on it.

"Ugh, whatever." Bakugo slouches in frustration, walking over to All Might and Deku, joining their conversation.

I let go of Itsuka's shoulder, the both of us sighing in relief. Itsuka says, "Jeez… I didn't like the way he was talking to you. Someone should really fix that attitude of his."

Hayami more than agrees. "I wonder how his classmates can tolerate him… I know I wouldn't be able to." Both her and Itsuka begin to talk about how much of a troublemaker Bakugo is. Heh, he's the kind of person that they will utterly hate. They despise egotistical men like him. I guess, just like Suzuki, Bakugo is brought up believing that he will become something great. I wonder how many people like them are out there?

I begin to listen to All Might talking to the three No.1 Heroes and Cosette. Bakugo is making snide comments, often either propping All Might up or himself. Midoriya simply nods along. Before I know it, Valjean asks Midoriya about what kind of Hero he'll be. Midoriya replies, "The kind of Hero I want to be… I want—No, I _need _to be strong. I need to be the strongest just like All Might. Just like him, I need to be a dependable Hero who's capable of smiling whenever the worst comes. I need to save everyone I come across so I can become who I need to be. If I fail to do just that, then how will I ever call myself a Hero?

"I won't be the useless Deku who can't do anything. I'll be the Deku that gives everything he got no matter the cost!"

A sense of admiration and repulsion wells up in my stomach. I don't know why… His words are admirable, showcasing the innocent dream of heroism with just a small speech. But at the same time, I can't help but feel disgusted by them. Why disgust? Why am I feeling such an overwhelming urge to be disgusted?

Why? Why do I? When I think back on Midoriya's words, for some reason, I imagine a child saying them. I imagine a child holding an action figure of All Might while watching him on TV. I don't see a man saying that, only a small child. Is that why Midoriya is the way he is? He's so fixated on becoming All Might that he fights exactly like he does, even if it means breaking his limbs to the point of permanent damage?

I personally want to be like All Might, but I don't want to be _him _. He's him, I'm me. Midoriya is trying to be exactly like him. He's trying to be the strongest Hero, the one that smiles when he saves the day, the one that everyone can depend on, the one that everyone will think of when they hear the word "cool". He wants to be that shining image; he wants to step onto that mantle and be what All Might is.

He wants to save those in need to become him.

And that's…

And that's undeniably selfish.

The actions he takes everyday, they're a means to achieve his end: becoming the greatest Hero. Is that why he sees the world differently than I do? A more idealistic lense? Ever since I was in Class 1-B, I had to constantly question my own beliefs and this world. These questions formed the ideals I have today. Does he question the world? Does he question his own motives for becoming a Hero? Or does he question why he isn't strong enough? Why he isn't good enough?

Izuku Midoriya, what kind of man are you? You are gifted with such a powerful Quirk! You are in the same position as I am! You have so many people expecting you to become an amazing Hero just like you showed them back in the Sports Festival! I am both hated and loved, loved and hated!

Yet, why do you keep focusing on your own journey to becoming the epitome of strength?

I kinda understand just a little bit…

_We both have Origin-type Quirks._

You are blessed with the rarest type of Quirk in existence, but you don't act like you do.

Bakugo bullies you for being weak, but you have an Origin-type Quirk.

You act humble, but you have an Origin-type Quirk.

It's like…

It's like you weren't born with your Quirk.

You're acting like you're Quirkless, trying to control your newfound power.

Odysseus pipes up, "You know, boy, I wonder who's stronger! You or Sanji Inochi. I would be interested in that fight."

"Then let's do it," I say, making everyone go silent. I leave Itsuka and Hayami behind, walking up to Midoriya with my hands clenched.

Midoriya backs up, raising his hands. He stammers, "W-Woah! What happened, Inochi? Why are you acting like this all of the sudden?"

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it, Midoriya." I take a quick glance at a scowling Bakugo before looking back at the Hero in front of me. "I want to see if you're any better than before. I hope your technique has gotten better."

"What's the meaning of this, Young Inochi?" All Might.

"Who woke the devil in ya?" Bakugo.

"Oh… I didn't expect this." Melissa.

"Are you okay, Sanji? Why do you sound so angry?" Itsuka.

"This isn't good…" Hayami.

"Uhm, as much as I would like to see a fight, are you sure?" Setsuna.

"Did I accidentally trigger another rivalry? My bad…" Odysseus.

"Well, looks like we'll see who's the stronger student." Valjean.

"A Quirkless man against one who has a Quirk. How interesting." Monarch.

"...Can we stop having fights for one second?" Cosette.

_"Fight." "Fight." "Fight." "Fight." "Fight." "Fight." "Fight." "Fight." "Fight." _Nine voices are ringing in my head.

Midoriya asks me, "Are you serious right now? I-I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything. Just let your fists do the talking." I look down at him, my eyes practically shooting knives to his.

"Let's have a real fight for once, Deku."

* * *

**Hi! Sorry that this chapter came out a day later than expected, and a bit late too! Quarantine crash is a bitch.**

**Look forward to: The Early Access Event.**

**Post-Chapter Bits:**

**Master Kendo and Grandmaster: I consider their scenes as "introductory scenes", as in scenes to introduce the chapter. They set up future plotlines that will be explored throughout the arc, like Master Kendo and The Count investigating the MLA while Grandmaster does his own investigation on The Winter Samurai. Of course, we have Setsuna's plan to get some information on the MLA while Sanji is busy trying to figure himself out. Lian is also there, because he just wanted to visit his little brother. You can see how everything is a bit messy, but I'm trying out something new with how plot structure works. So try and bear with me here.**

**Rin: More information is revealed about Rin. Since he wasn't born with Astral, he had to come to terms that he won't be as powerful as his brothers. As a result, he realizes that he can't stay in his family because it'll only hurt him as a person. So Lian helps him transfer to Japan so Rin can find satisfaction in his life. He wants to be his own man because his family's legacy pretty much revolves around Astral. I'm looking forward to what I'm doing with Rin in the future, and with Lian too. Just wait until Lian starts using his Quirk. He seriously is one of the most strongest guys on the planet.**

**David Shield's Scene: In this scene, I purposely left out what the analysis said for Dreams. That will be a scene for a later date, ha! Take that guys! I'm trying to be a good author by leaving y'all in suspense, mwhahaha! Anyway, for the first scene, I simply wanted to showcase more of the world and how it reacts to the current events. The Quirk Purists are one such example. For Sanji, this is where he finally thinks to himself and realizes just how much the world cares about your Quirk, and how the world reacts to what kind of Quirk you have. He's slowly evolving as the story progresses. As you see more of the world with Sanji, his ideals slowly shift and change as a reaction. Anyway, look forward to what David says about Sanji's Quirk. It's bit of a doozy.**

**Monarch, Valjean, and Odysseus: Hey, I foreshadowed some of these people before! These three are No.1 Pro Heroes in Britain, France, and Greece respectively. They act as a comparison of how strong our main characters could be in the future. I mean, they almost went all out in their fight before Odysseus stopped them. And, I didn't want to make them assholes and constantly harass Sanji to join them. However, then Sanji hoped that they were the standard and not the exception, he shouldn't have hoped that. Anyway, I hope it's obvious of the allusions I have to each of the Heroes. Monarch is based off of King Arthur, Valjean is based off of Les Miserables (I mean his ultimate move is literally called that), and Odysseus is based off of The Odyssey by Homer.**

**Bakugo: Oh boy, I have some things to say about him. So let's get this clear: I'm not really fond of Bakugo myself. But it doesn't mean I'm going to write him as an unredeemable asshole. I am going to try my damn best to write him as he is written within the canon story. However, keep in mind that his interactions in the fic are mainly 1-B, a class that he doesn't care about whatsoever. You won't see Bakugo soften up to Sanji or the rest of the characters until way later in the story (and yes, that will kinda "happen"). So right now, Bakugo is still very much hostile to Sanji and looks down on him. He even insults the trio I mentioned in the above paragraph because Bakugo mainly focuses on himself and Japanese Heroes (like All Might). Anyway, because Bakugo is pretty hostile to 1-B, expect 1-B to not be so kind to Bakugo in return. They don't have him as a classmate, 1-A does. Unlike Deku, who has a saintly patience, Sanji...isn't the most patient person when it comes to his friends being insulted. Speaking of Deku...**

**Deku: Oh boy, is this the start of something? At the end of the chapter, Sanji is properly thinking about Deku and his values after overhearing what he said to Valjean. I've been thinking about what Deku is as a character and what his words mean. And using those thoughts, I'm able to differentiate Sanji and Deku as two different people despite similar circumstances. Deku really wants to be All Might and focusing on himself. Though he does save people and sacrifice his body to do so, he inevitably falls back to "If I can't save this person, how can I call myself a Hero?" (which is what he roughly said in the anime just before punching Overhaul to oblivion). He sees [saving people] as a means to be a Hero. Sanji calls him out on that and considers him to be a selfish person. Then, he also lowkey calls him childish, soon thinking that Deku is Quirkless. They gonna fight.**

**Look forward to that in the next chapter!**


	45. Early Access Event

**Sanji Inochi**

"—Ah."

I was there, within my Mindscape.

What was the total amount of Dreams I had? Right… It was 27,632. Previously, it was 23,510.

Something was different.

Yeah, something was really different. Once I closed my eyes, taking a "nap" in David's machine, I was forced into my Mindscape. I always had the ability to dictate when and where I entered this place, but my mind pulled me in without my consent.

I probably—I _definitely _took note of that. But that wasn't my top priority right now. As soon as I entered, there was this white shadowy smoke that was constantly coming off of my body as if it was generating the smoke itself. To the average person, I didn't look human. Really, I looked like a phantom roaming this earth.

And in front of me, there were nine phantoms who looked exactly like me—all faceless. They were beyond the invisible barrier that trapped me like a prisoner, just about ten meters away. Each phantom took the shape of a person, each of them having different figures than the other. I was able to tell that, out of the nine, there were seven men and two women, all lined up.

What did they look like individually? Well… I don't really remember. I swore I remembered that there was a phantom who was a large man who had the shape of a bodybuilder, but that was about it. However, I noticed that their eyes had a fierce white glow that had a long trail that gravitated upwards.

Yet, there was one special phantom who was different from the rest.

It was the first phantom. His eyes didn't glow white; in fact, he only had one eye unlike the others. Instead of glowing white, it had a faint golden glow to them. There was no trail that emanated from his single eye, but just a mere glow. He was the first one I looked at, and unlike the rest of the phantoms, he had a conscience. He _knew _that I was looking at him.

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

He took three careful, methodical steps towards me. Our eyes met.

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

Another three steps. It was torture. I tried to say something, but I couldn't force the words out of my throat.

_Click._

_Clack._

Two steps. The phantom stopped just three meters ahead, just in front of the barrier that separated us. "Ha—" he breathed. So the phantom _could _talk. "Finally, dreamer..."

I recognized his voice. On the plane to I-Island, he was the one who spoke to me after I remembered the memory with the nightingale. And back then, he called me a "dreamer".

Again, I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"You have to remember..."

Slowly, he reached out and pressed his right palm against the invisible barrier. He stared into my eyes, he stared at me as if he knew everything about me. I didn't know what he was talking about. I didn't know what he wanted me to remember.

"—You… You are the tenth heir."

_CRACK!_

"—Ah—!" I finally said something, but at that moment, my barrier cracked.

It didn't shatter.

It didn't break.

It cracked—a hairline fracture.

A crack.

A single—only a single—just a single— _crack _.

"—Wake up—"

It was enough that my head felt like it was splitting apart.

So I woke up.

Once I opened my eyes, I saw David Shield at my side.

I had never seen a man look so concerned before. He worriedly asked, "Are you okay, Sanji?! The machine overloaded with energy, but the limiters kicked in and turned it off. I'm glad that nothing exploded this time around. "

I winced in pain, holding my head. The headache still lingered. "Yeah, I'm fine… Just a headache. Did my Quirk do this?"

"Mhm, I already know the cause," said David. "As you were inside, one of the Quirk Types registered was Mental. Coupled with the fact this machine trapped you inside a dark, quiet, enclosed space that acted like a sensory deprivation tank, there was a high chance that something would go awry. Though, any good engineer knows to build in failsafes to prevent any serious damage to the equipment or the user themselves. Though, you really pushed those limiters… I'm sorry, I only realized everything once it was too late."

I shook my head, trying my best to ease David's worries. "Don't be, I should be thanking you for doing this for me in the first place. Anyway, you said that I overloaded your machine right? How? I don't think I was _that _powerful, especially now."

David sat down on a nearby chair, rubbing his chin. "Well… Let me explain to you what the tests gathered. First of all, it wasn't able to determine the main function of your Quirk, but it was able to determine other things. Like for example, your AP Level. Inochi, Setsuna told me that your Growth Potential was 12,500; correct?"

I nodded. It was a shame that the main function of Dreams wasn't able to be calculated or whatever… I kinda expected that outcome though.

David told me, "It's now 12,750. It increased by a quarter of a thousand."

"What? Aren't Quirks supposed to, uh, stay constant, right? I thought Growth Potentials were determined at birth," I replied. A brief chill went throughout my body but that was probably because I wasn't wearing a shirt.

"They're supposed to be. Accumulation-type Quirks have a 'limit' so to speak. Your cells are able to accumulate a substance up to a certain point. When you fully reach your Prime—where your AP Levels match your Growth Potential—you can accumulate energy up to its greatest limit. However, you're different. Frankly Sanji, I don't think you have a 'limit'."

"...I don't have a limit? That's kinda unsettling."

"Yeah, it's honestly a shock to me as well. As you grow, your cells will naturally produce more and more AP until it stagnantes when you're in your Prime. You're the exception. This basically means that your cells are constantly increasing the production of AP until you die. There's no telling how this affects your body negatively. I wouldn't be surprised if you develop _cancer _when you're older. You basically have no theoretical limit, but your body _does _."

I let out a breath, taking that in for a moment. At least I wasn't told that I'm dying within a month. Hmm, I think my cells will stop increasing production when I refuse to collect any more dreams. Unfortunately, that's impossible. I have no control over whether or not I collect dreams. If what he said is true, then I might have cancer or some other disease in the future.

Then, I heard a whisper, _"Dreamer…" _It was the phantom's voice again.

I shook my head, getting rid of his voice. I didn't need him talking to me right now. "That's definitely something to keep note about. Anything else you discovered?"

"Well, there was a big discovery but I'll save that for the end. Let's talk about Quirk Passivity. Do you know what that is, or do you need me to explain it?"

I haven't reached that unit in metaology yet, so I shook my head.

Tapping his leg, David answered, "I'll give you a brief explanation. Let's say, for example, a man has a Quirk that allows him to produce water. Besides this ability, this man has incredible speed being able to scale a ten-story building within seconds. These two things are completely unrelated to each other, but both are effects created by Quirks.

"Producing water is the Quirk's main function, yet its speed was a passive effect granted by this man's Quirk. This is what we call 'Quirk Passivity', where Quirks passively enhance the user's body outside of its main function. We are able to calculate a person's Quirk Passivity with our current technology. There are five categories we look at:

"Speed: How fast you can move in one direction.

"Power: How much strength you have.

"Endurance: How long can you fight while pushing your body to the limit.

"Agility: How easily you can move your body in multiple directions.

"Resilience: How much damage you can withstand.

"We give these categories a nickname: S.P.E.A.R.! Each category is measured on a point scale of 1.0 to 10.0. For example, let's say your power is a 1.0. It means your Quirk doesn't enhance your power, so you have the power of the average human. But what if your Power was a 10.0? I'll let you imagine how strong you'd be. A good example of a Hero relying on Quirk Passivity is Odysseus. His Quirk is Endless, which doesn't allow him to feel exhaustion. His real feat is having a 10.0 in _all five _categories. He's one of the most powerful Heroes in history. Now, here are your numbers:

"Speed: 6.9.

"Power: 6.5.

"Endurance: 8.0.

"Agility: 7.3

"Resilience: 7.8."

"Goodness…" I muttered under my breath. "Those must be some high numbers, right? The average of those numbers are above six."

"7.3, to be exact. You see, we also calculate the average Quirk Passivity—and for the sake of brevity, I'm going to refer to it as Q.P. because it's a mouthful to say. The average person has a Q.P. of 1.5, while the average Pro Hero has around 3.7. A top-ranking Pro Hero would have an average of 6.3. You can see why Odysseus is No.1 in Greece for a reason, don't you?

"Oh, before I forget… In some cases, we also have an instance where some of the categories go below 1.0 and into the negatives. This would mean that the Quirk negatively enhanced your body, but those types of Quirks are rare. On the other hand, some Quirks directly boost strength or speed, so you would see a big value in those categories.

"Back to the main point, we're not accounting for the fact that every human is made different. Some are bound to be more physically fit than others while some are naturally frail. I'm told that you have an incredibly high endurance despite not having Q.P., —"

I raised my hand. "Wait? Are you saying that I'm not affected by Quirk Passivity? My endurance and resilience are pretty high, so I'd imagine that's why I can last so long in fights."

"Heh, and that's why you're an amazing man, Sanji. Because you're unable to use your Quirk, your body won't be affected by Q.P. because as you train your Quirk, your Q.P. is also 'trained' in a sense. Your body as it stands today? It's from pure, unadulterated exercise without your Quirk. Remember Sanji, your _human _body and your _Quirk _are two separate things. Let's say that this is a video game. Your human body has your stats categorized by S.P.E.A.R., and Q.P. acts as a 'permanent buff' to those stats."

"I see…" Well, looks like I hit the jackpot. Too bad I didn't win the lottery of life. "Is that everything before we tackle the elephant in the room?" That would be my Quirk Types.

Deeply sighing, David took off his glasses and set it in his lap. "Yeah, we finally can… There were three Quirk Types analyzed, but two of them were determined before the machine was overloaded. One of them was Mental, and the other… Well, let me say something first…"

"Okay…" I said with my voice rising in anxiety.

"You were born a special man. There's no wonder why some people are chasing after you for your potential. Thankfully, you have great mentors to guide you like All Might. Because uhm… This other Quirk Type is the _rarest _Quirk Type in the world… You are exceptionally rare, less than one percent of one percent.

"Because you have an Origin-type Quirk."

"Eh?"

* * *

"Armory versus Deku," I say, announcing the match to everyone. "For context to those who aren't aware, back in Japan, I help Midoriya with his martial arts. One of those ways was sparring with him, and I pretty much won every match. But those were _relaxed _spars—"

I look around at my current audience who are more or less bewildered by my suddenness, "—so what would win in a real fight?"

Midoriya, flustered by my eagerness to fight, is viciously rubbing his head. "N-Now, of all times? Just to see who wins? I-Is that why you wanted to fight me all of the sudden? Odysseus couldn't have persuaded you _that _much!"

Itsuka nods, giving me her concerned eyes. "Midoriya's right, Sanji. You aren't a confrontational person like me and Mom are. The only time you're willing to fight is when—" She hesitates. She knows that the only time I throw myself into a fight is when I'm angry. From that hesitation that lasted just less than a second, she put together that I'm kinda mad at Midoriya right now. But with that hesitation came vulnerability; I saw the look in her eyes. I know what she'll say next. "Well… I mean, I _guess I would _like to see you two fight."

...After this, we're gonna have a long talk.

Hayami raises her eyebrow, surprised that her daughter, out of the blue, suddenly agrees with me. "You too, sweetie? Well, so be it. I'm not in the mood to stop you two."

Setsuna pulls up three fingers. "Make that three. I'm gonna text everyone in the group chat that you and Midoriya are fighting! I think bets are gonna be made." Oh God, that's gonna be a mess.

Melissa's mouth is slightly agape. "Wait, more people are coming? I didn't expect your classmates would want to see them fight so much!"

All Might feverishly shakes his hands in an attempt to calm everyone down. "Young ones—especially you, Young Inochi—what has gotten into all of you?! It was just an offhand comment made by Odysseus! To take it so literally…"

Valjean smirks, crossing his arms. "You can't stop the fighting spirit of the young. How do you think revolutions happen? For the better or worse, they're usually caused by the young. My Cosette is pretty rebellious herself."

Cosette whines, "I got my ears pierced one time, Dad! You freaked out!"

Monarch comments, "Valjean was always an overprotective father."

Odysseus adds on, "Who wouldn't be? A father's job is to be paranoid and what not! At the mention of fatherhood, I'm weeping at the thought of my son back home. He would've enjoyed this upcoming fight, which _will _happen, right All Might? We have the four of us—all Number Ones—to step in when things get too rowdy!"

All Might enthusiastically nods. "Yes, we can! Well Young Midoriya, your friend here challenged you to a fight! Why don't you showcase the fruits of your training?! This is an ample time to display your prowess to a fine bunch of strong Heroes! And to Master Kendo when he arrives… I fear for my life whenever he's around, but I shall not be paralyzed with fear!"

Midoriya gives him a reassuring hum, glancing at me before looking back at his mentor. "Alright, I'll do my best, All Might! I'll prove to him that I'm strong!" He's obviously a bit opposed to my challenge, but if his idol approves, then he'll do it.

Hayami shakes her head at us. "That's about what I expected from—!"

Bakugo snaps, completely interrupting Hayami, "What about me, you damn loser?! Why is everyone so gung-ho 'bout you and shitty you fighting?!" He points at me specifically, almost like he's threatening to blow me up with that grenade-shaped bracer of his. "One second, you're too much of a pansy to fight me, and in the next, you're 'bout to kick Deku's teeth in! You're mocking me, aren't you?! You think I'm not that strong enough to beat you, is that it?! You think that Deku is stronger than me, don'tcha?! You bastard! I'll fucking kill you, you goofy-faced jackass! Don't underestimate me!"

("Where are his parents? Why would they allow him to act like this? Even cutting off that girl's mother..." Valjean mutters to Monarch. Monarch nods. They just agreed on something… I feel like that's a rare occurrence.)

Itsuka steps in, "Bakugo, don't interrupt my—!"

All Might raises his hand, stopping Itsuka from saying anything more. "Young Bakugo, calm yourself! I know you're worried about your own strength, but I assure you that you're just as strong as these two right here if not stronger! However, this isn't the time to display such strength. For now, you must let Young Midoriya and Inochi have their fight. Do you understand?"

Bakugo huffs, spitting on the ground. "Fine, All Might. But this isn't over, y'hear? One of these days, prolly when you awaken to your no-good shitty Quirk, we're gonna have a fight. You'll gonna regret everything, 'kay? That's not a promise, but a fact."

Jeez, Bakugo is so self-centered. While everyone was talking about me and Midoriya, he had to chime in about how much he wanted to display his strength. His crudeness and ego are his flaws. Though, once he really becomes a Hero, I can see him becoming very popular. The media might say he has villainous traits, but with how skilled he is with Explosions, they'll ignore that.

Crossing my arms, I just nod to whatever Bakugo said, focusing my attention on Midoriya. I'm the taller of the two, but in terms of raw power… Then that has to go to Midoriya. "It's settled then. C'mon Deku, let's follow the signs and head down." Saying that, I realize just how hostile I sound. It puts Hayami, Itsuka, and Setsuna at unease.

Nodding, Midoriya does just that. Just before I follow him, Itsuka runs up to me. She pulls her face in close and whispers, "We're gonna talk about why you're angry at Midoriya after this, right?"

"Of course. I wasn't planning on leaving you in the dark," I reply.

"Good. Go win this fight would ya? If we could take down All Might, then you can surely beat Midoriya by yourself," cheers Itsuka, giving me a fist bump and a smile. "I'm your biggest fan, Armory. Rooting for ya."

I manage to reciprocate her smile before catching up to Midoriya. We follow the signs to the entrance of this battle arena. From what I read about this arena so far, any Hero—or Hero-in-Training—can use this arena for whatever reason, whether that be for sparring or just showing off their Quirk.

As we approach the entrance, a fair bit away from everyone else, Midoriya keeps glancing at me. He's definitely thinking about something alright, and I know what it is—I mean, it's really obvious. I come out and say it, "Just ask me, Midoriya. I can see the words lodged in your throat."

"You do?!" He shakes his head. "Wait, sorry… That's just a metaphor or something… Anyway uhm, why are you _really _fighting me, Inochi? I might not be Kendo or any of your other friends, but I know you well enough that you don't fight for the sake of pride."

Yeah, that's obvious… He knows me well enough that I never fight to elevate myself. Yet of course, I'm fighting him for a different reason. Honestly, being angry at Midoriya isn't a good answer. Challenging him to a fight was an impulsive decision, but I'm not against it. Really, hearing about how much he wants to be All Might, he sounds just like a little kid. He's so focused on achieving that fantasy that everything he does is the means to reach that end. Like I thought before, it's selfish.

I mean, heck… Midoriya is one of the most influential players on the chessboard. He's a pawn that's about to be promoted into a queen. He's being mentored by All Might of all Heroes. However these two met, I have a feeling that All Might wanted to foster the next Symbol of Peace, but Midoriya only wanted to become the strongest Hero.

Our Quirks are both Origin-types. I remember the conversation with David Shield after my tests were finished, specifically about Origin-types.

_"Origin-type Quirks are, and I will say it again, the rarest type of Quirks in existence. They are the exceptions to the rule, completely undermining the foundations of metaology. The general public aren't aware that it exists unless they do a lot of research. Now, metaology community as a whole have a list of key traits that all Origin-type Quirks have: _

_"One: They originate from the Origin of Quirks. Meaning, for generations upon generations, the basic genetic makeup of the Quirk has stayed relatively the same ever since Quirks came into existence. We can't place the 'why' just yet, unfortunately. However, there's a genetic marker that exists in all Origin-types that we can use to identify one, and you have it._

_"Two: They have a specific condition of inheritance. Like for example, being born into the right family, which I suspect was your condition. This does mean that there are other ways of inheriting Origin-type Quirks. With these unorthodox methods of inheritance, it's often the easiest way to identify whether or not the Quirk is an Origin-type._

_"Three: They undermine a foundation of metaology. In your case, as we talked about before, your maximum AP Level is constantly growing making you theoretically limitless. In one other case with an Energy-type Quirk, their users can directly convert their AP molecules into physical energy, which is unheard of._

_"Four: They have special genetic properties. They are able to resist being extremely altered by other Quirks. There are even some cases where the Origin-type 'absorbed' another Quirk and turned it into a 'passive effect'. For some reason, Origin-types do not like being changed to the point where they lose their identity. This, I suspect, explains why your Adoptive Muscle Memory isn't your true Quirk. If you use a pedigree of those who contain an Origin-type Quirk, you would see that almost every offspring would be colored in._

_"Five: Their AP Levels are over 10,000. Given the rarity of Origin-types, it only makes sense that they are super powerful. However, there are examples of Quirks that are not Origin-types that have an AP Level of over 10,000. Additionally, you would see a high average in a user's Quirk Passivity, which we have already been over._

_"You have no idea just how rare you are, Sanji. We predict that there are less than one thousand people with an Origin-type _**_in the entire population of the world_**_. Metaologists are scouring the globe to find people like you."_

I asked David, _"I see, but I have a feeling that I know a few who have Origin-types, am I right?" _He hesitated, but that hesitation gave everything away.

_"Yes, and I'm sure you know who they are." _Our heroic duo have an Origin-type Quirk like I do; more powerful, I believe. That explains their overwhelming strength…

From the beginning, from the very beginning where the society as we know it was literally birthed in fire, there were a few special Quirks that existed. It was only until generations after that someone recognized the patterns and declared them a new type of Quirk altogether. They managed to persist through time and resist genetic variation. It's...crazy honestly. It's so crazy that I carry a direct fragment of the past. That means most, if not all, of my ancestors have Dreams just like I do.

My dad had Dreams as his Quirk. And if David said was right, that Adoptive Muscle Memory was absorbed into Dreams, then my mom must have had it or maybe a relative of mine. God, the implications that this has is astounding… I have the rarest Quirk Type in existence. I pretty much won the lottery.

(On another note, I have to talk to Lian about Astral some time. David used him as an example, but I didn't think he realized that I know the exact man who he used. I have to be careful with choosing my words when I do talk to him about it.)

"Inochi?" Midoriya asks, getting my attention.

I wave my hand. "I'm here, I'm here, don't yell at me. I was just thinking about something, Midoriya."

"Yeah… I could tell… What is this about, Inochi? Why are you mad at me again? I mean, we had that argument about Heroes killing Villains. I'm sorry that I compared you to Stain, but—"

"—I'd like it if you don't finish that sentence." Again, I'm sounding hostile. "God, we're both fighting for the same thing, yet we're butting heads a lot, don't you think? We were both born special; we're both cut from the same cloth."

"What? What are you saying?" Midoriya asks. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I was never born special! Before I met All Might, I was just a useless Deku who couldn't do anything! He gave me this once-in-a-lifetime chance! If I remember right, we're both lucky to be standing where we are today!"

He's trying to talk about my past… Well, as little as I know about Midoriya's past, I won't deny that we're a bit similar in that regard. "I know, I'm not gonna refute that. But it's up to us to decide just _what the hell _we're gonna do with this 'once-in-a-lifetime chance'. Our motivations determine our actions. So remind me, Midoriya, you know enough about me right? What do you have to say about my motivations?"

Midoriya pauses, taking a second to process what I just said. We have a lot of similarities, but unless we were born from the same mother and grew up exactly the same way, then we're different. The line that separates us is our individual beliefs, the core of our hearts. I watch Midoriya think of an answer for a second or two, then finally, he answers me, "I don't agree with how easily you accept killing as an option. Our world doesn't need to see Heroes staining themselves with the blood of Villains; they need saviors to uphold, not killers. Inochi, you're trying so hard to be a Pro Hero like I am, but I have a feeling that you're just going to hurt yourself in the end. I admire your determination and your strength, especially when you're legally Quirkless, yet it's misplaced somehow. You're trying so hard to be selfless as if you're compensating for something. And now, you're angry at me. From what you said, I gather it's from my motivation, isn't it?"

...God. Itsuka yells at me all the time for training every night until I go sore—luckily, it's hard for me to get sore nowadays. Considering that Midoriya didn't reprimand me about much, then we mostly agree on what Heroes oughta do. It's just the _why _. _Why _are we fighting? _Why _are we trying so hard?

"Yeah… C'mon." I gesture to keep walking, and we do. "I'm not the kind of person who constantly criticizes everyone for their ideals, but you're the exception. All Might, Master Kendo, Gran Torino, and everyone else involved are looking up to you as the next hope—I can't mistake that gleam in their eyes. Out of everyone else in U.A., you have the most power to hold up the world. But why are you fighting?

"When I hear you talk about your motivations, I can only envision a child sitting in front of their TV screen surrounded by action figures of Pro Heroes. That _dream _of yours, I don't need my Quirk to figure out that you want to be All Might; strong, cool, the greatest. You're even fighting like him. What separates you from 99% of kids across Japan? Is everything you do an effort towards that goal? Not for the sake of Japan, but for yourself?"

"Inochi—"

"That's selfish. That's why I have a problem with you. To chase that chimera of yours, you want to inspire others not for the sake of helping them, but to be more like All Might. I bet that your head is filled with the urge to train yourself and your Quirk, right? When you fought Stain, you obviously disagreed with him. Why? What's your reason?"

Midoriya exclaims, "Because he kills Heroes! He is a murderer! He paralyzed Iida's brother! Stain was a Villain through and through!"

"Is that all? I don't disagree with you, but that wasn't the answer I was looking for. Ever since he was put into Tartarus, he gained an online following of an audience who shares his ideals. _Everyone _watched the video, Midoriya. Did you take the time to think about Stain's beliefs and understand _why _he was wrong? And…" I pause. "Did you understand why he was right?"

"What? Don't tell me that you believe in his ideals too…"

"I don't. Every argument, no matter how illogical and far-fetched it may be, has a semblance of truth even if it's small. Stain is no exception. Catharsis is no exception. I disagree with them; I _hate _them, but there is some truth to their words. So we have to take that truth and ask, 'What will I do with you?'"

"..." Midoriya goes silent for a second. "I see… You're criticizing me on how much I focus on myself. Still, even if he was right about some things, I still need to be a Hero—!"

"We all do!" I yell. "We all need to be a Hero, but we can't have such idle thoughts about this! We can't just go 'Oh, he's just a Villain!' and sweep him under the rug and act like he never happened! At this rate, the people won't admire you for your impact on the world, they'll only admire how hard you punch the bad guys while the same world keeps spinning!

"You understand why I'm criticizing you so _freaking _much, right?! I want to be a Pro Hero like All Might too, yet I want to shape our world into a better place, the world that he will pass onto us!"

We're at the entrance. There's a tunnel that leads down into the arena. Midoriya stands in front of me with his eyes glaring into mine. We're both angry, we're both heated. I've been dominating the conversation, but this has to end here. Midoriya says, "Inochi, I—"

"Don't say anything else. We fight in front of our adoring crowd. Let's see who wins, Deku." I start heading down the tunnel first. "Good luck. I won't be holding back."

As I walk down the tunnel, I step into the arena littered with dirt and holes from the previous fight before. It's a relatively flat plains with a few trees here and there about average size. Good to keep note later. The arena itself, now that I'm standing in it, has a radius of about fifty meters. From the ground to the iron netting above… Eyeballing the distance, it's definitely out of range of my grappling hook. Midoriya, with Full Cowling, could jump that high if he was determined enough, but it's a big enough gap that he'll probably won't risk it.

The wind blows. _"Don't… forget…" _I'm hearing voices again. It's faint this time around.

I walk down about three-quarters of the arena, stopping. I look up and see our audience gazing down at us. There's the group and even a few spectators are stopping to watch us.

Setsuna gives me a thumbs-up. "Give 1-B a win, Sanji! I'm counting on ya! And by the way, everyone is running over as we speak! Pony is even flying over!" Those guys…

All Might nods. "I have also notified your classmates as well, Young Midoriya! They will also witness this fight of yours!"

I look behind me and see Midoriya about one-quarter of the arena away. He blushes at All Might's comment, rubbing his head. "O-Oh…"

I walk over to the other side of the arena, checking my equipment to make sure everything's ready. I got my katana, wakizashi, tanto all there. My grappling hook—left hand—is calibrated and ready. My crossbow—right hand and loaded with regular bolts—is ready too. My M.K. Bracer, the one I used to access Yume-no-Kami Ude's features will be useless because again, Hayami didn't bring our bikes here.

At the other side of the arena, just across from me, Midoriya is there with his green Hero Costume. He stretches his arms, locking eyes with me. I won't use my katana just yet because that won't be too fair of a fight. Unless Midoriya went through an intense training montage, I should be better than him in martial arts. I hear Odysseus's voice above us, "Are you two boys ready to see who's the better match?!"

"I'm ready!" Midoriya exclaims.

"Ready!" I shout, making sure Odysseus hears me.

Odysseus bangs his hand against the iron bars above. "Good! We have two promising individuals who are quickly rising in the industry of heroism! Both are Japan's children! On one side, we have Deku, a man taking after All Might! And on the other, we have Armory, an honorable man! Come my boys, fight!"

Here we go.

Fifty meters separated by a plain of grass. Our previous spars before this were small simulations for the real battle. I ingrained Midoriya's fighting style within my mind, and Midoriya has my style ingrained in his. We know how the other fights.

_ONE FOR ALL: FULL COWLING - FIVE PERCENT!_

Full Cowling. That's just five percent of his total power. It's a technique he learned from Gran Torino that increases practically every part of his body at the cost of dealing less damage. It's an upgrade however, because Midoriya wouldn't break his arms using this Super Move.

The air vibrates slightly, reacting to the energy output that Midoriya is generating with his Quirk. I can almost see a faint tinge of green staining the clear air. After he activated Full Cowling, Midoriya leans forward, preparing to scale the fifty meter gap within seconds. He mumbles something to himself, his eyes focused and his breath steady. Looks like he's taking the first move for himself. Alright then! A direct charge!

_LUNGE!_

Midoriya lunges forward, crossing the distance between us. With his right hand pulled back, he shouts, "You have your defenses open, Armory!" Just as Midoriya swings his fist forward, I parry his strike to my right, letting his momentum fly his body behind me. "Wha—?!"

_BAM!_

Without looking, I slam my right elbow into his back. "Gah—!" His body bends to my elbow, causing him to lose his balance. He stumbles onto the ground, his momentum carrying him ten meters and creating a small mound of dirt. Rolling onto his feet, he wipes the dirt off of his face and glares at me with that glowing green eyes of his.

"You usually start out with a right hook, Deku. Sorry, but I saw your attack coming all the way from China." I get into a proper stance now, using my left arm to act as my shield and my right as my spear. "Let's show each other what we know, alright?"

Deku nods, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms out. "Alright! I won't lose to you!" he promises. Well, let's see if he can keep it.

He raises his arms.

_DASH!_

"Yah—!" Midoriya charges in using the enhanced speed and strength from Full Cowling. He stomps his feet down and bends low, doing an upwards jab coming straight for my chin. I block his attack with my left arm. With his right pressed against my left, I straighten my left arm out and push against the air, my fist coming downwards into his face.

_WHAM!_

My fist connects. Midoriya turned his head at the last moment to take the attack into his left cheek. As my knuckles are pressing against his skin, his right hand grabs onto my shoulder. What is he trying to do? "What are you—?!"

_GRAB!_

His left hand grabs onto the rope that's tying my metal breastplate against my chest. Giving it a hard yank, my armor comes right off my body. Dammit all! I bring Midoriya in close, letting my elbows bend before I push him away. He holds my breastplate in his hands, smirking as if he's saying, _You don't need that here. _I have to give it to him; that's smart. Hayami made me wear some metal armor to help protect me. Though, knowing that it could be used against me, she made sure that I would be able to take it off at a moment's notice. Midoriya took advantage of that fact and used it to even the odds.

_THROW!_

And now he's throwing my breastplate at me! Instinctively, I grab it and throw it off to the side, but that's just a distraction. As soon as the breastplate is no longer a nuisance, Midoriya is right in front of me with his feet off the ground, just above me. From his stomach, he yells, "Detroit—!

— _SMASH!_

My head rings a little bit. Midoriya's fist collided against my head like a sledgehammer to a watermelon, but luckily, my head has a tougher shell than that! His punches have definitely gotten stronger; nothing compared to Itsuka's punches though!

"Hrah—!" While Midoriya's still in the air with his right arm extended, I grab onto it with both hands, twisting my hips and slamming Midoriya onto the ground!

_SLAM!_

"—Guh?!" he yelps, his body bouncing off of the grass. He doesn't remain idle though. Once he bounces up, he spins his body in the air, causing me to take a step backwards. Going back onto his feet, he steps forward and performs another regular old right jab. With my right arm, I block his punch. I try to reciprocate his attack, but he bends low and sweeps the air upwards into an uppercut with his left.

_WHISH!_

I managed to step backwards and let the uppercut zoom past me with a very faint blast of wind following afterwards. Even though his punches aren't that powerful compared to when he uses one hundred percent, I can still feel the energy vibrating throughout my body! Imagine when he's able to fully control his Quirk!

Although Midoriya definitely improved from the last time we fought, he's still not perfect. His technique is still imitating All Might's but with less power and speed! All he's been doing is punching! Bellowing, Midoriya yells, "Armory—!"

_PUNCH!_

_DEFLECT!_

He's getting a lot more bold with his attacks! He used his legs as springs to leap up and attempt a straight right into my stomach. I managed to deflect his arm away with my left and replying with a right jab for his face. He stumbles from the impact, but he's far from over.

Here we go!

"—C'mon, Deku!"

"Haaah—!"

_WHAM!_

_PARRY!_

_BAM!_

_BLOCK!_

_PUNCH!_

_DODGE!_

For the past five seconds, we exchanged a series of punches one after the other after the other. None of our punches actually hit our marks, because they were either blocked, parried, or avoided altogether. One could describe our flurry of attacks as a festival of failed punches, I guess. We tried different stances—going low, going high, leaning off to the side, things like that. We didn't give each other time to breathe—I didn't even have time to feint from how fast-paced our attacks were—so really, this was a battle of who can outlast the other in a sprint of strikes.

So far, within that five seconds, Midoriya punched for a total of ten times while I did eleven. Only one of us is visibly tired, and that man isn't me. Tell me, Midoriya, what were you thinking when you decided to engage like this? What did you expect? You remember that I train myself every night, right? Because of that training, I honed my body enough where I can fight an endurance battle with All Might. So why did you, a weaker version than him, decide to fight me like this?

Midoriya pulls back his right arm, putting his strength into this punch. He roars, "—Hrrraaah!"

His fist upwards into another uppercut. I back away just in time where his arm flies high into the air—he did this before! With his defense wide open, I bend low and slam my fist into his face—!

_BLAM!_

As my fist connects, I spring up and use the force of my punch to slam Midoriya onto the ground, his head smashing into the grass first. A small crater is created—look at me, creating craters. It's nothing to write home about. I stand up and kick Midoriya while he's down, sliding him over five meters away. Slowly, he stands up, wiping the blood and sweat off of his lips. "Haah… Haah… Dangit, what am I doing wrong…?"

Really? He's still thinking _that?! _"What are you doing wrong?! Did you listen to anything I said?! You model yourself so much after All Might that you fight just like him! Don't you remember that Itsuka and I literally defeated him during our Final Exams?! You and Bakugo couldn't do that!

"No offense to All Might, but his technique relies too much on overwhelming the enemy! Sure, he has an excuse because he can literally level cities with a couple of well-placed punches! But you can't do that, can't you?! Your fighting style is so blatantly obvious! You are adamant on using your fists and only fists, but that isn't working! I even fought you on the same playing field and you can't get the advantage! You fight like you never used your Quirk before!"

He kept breaking his limbs during the beginning of the year. It was like giving a newborn baby a rocket launcher. Midoriya seriously fights like he never used his Quirk before. He should've been born with his Quirk, right? Unless he has a troubled upbringing, his body should have been able to handle the consequences of his Quirk. Ugh, I can't think about this now.

Just… What the hell is going on with you, Midoriya?

Recuperating some energy, Midoriya stands tall. I hear Bakugo shouting profanities at me. Time to ignore him. Midoriya shouts, "Stop berating me! I'm doing the best I can with this power given to me!"

A twinge of familiarity is invoked in my chest. The wind blows again, and I can sense something standing beside me. _"Your best…" _

I say, "...isn't enough, Midoriya."

"Shut up!" he shouts loud enough for everyone to hear. With Full Cowling still coursing through his veins, he charges at me with an obvious right hook. His arm swings around. The speed of his punch is admirable, faster _and _stronger than most people. Despite the fact that it's obvious and emotion-induced, the average man wouldn't be able to react until after the punch. However, just from the mere fact that I can think about his punch, then my reflexes are more than just _good enough _.

_DUCK!_

I go underneath his arm, emerging behind him. His Hero Costume, Costume Beta, has a hood. The hood mimics All Might's bunny-like tuffs. It's directly made apart of the costume and not buttoned on, unlike mine. That's a flaw right there!

I reach out and grab his hood, yanking him back. "Even your costume has flaws, Midoriya!"

_PULL!_

I take Midoriya off of his feet. I throw him back just enough where his head reaches me. Then, without mercy, I pick up my leg and slam my heel into his stomach!

_SLAM!_

His head collides with the ground first, picking up a small cloud of dirt from the impact. "Gah, ah—!" he groans.

"This is a flaw too!" I take my hand off of his face and grab onto his metal respirator that he wears! Why does he even have this when he won't use it regularly? It's asking for someone to grab it and throw him just like this!

_THROW!_

I slid Midoriya along the grass before throwing him into a nearby tree just about eleven meters away! His back crashes against the bark of the tree, resting against it barely able to stand! I won't give him time to react, to breathe, any of that!

_DASH!_

Just as he realizes where he's at, I'm right in front of him. He braces his feet to jump away, but I stop him just before he dodges by striking the middle of his chest with my palm, distorting the air somewhat.

_PALM!_

"—Guh, fwah—!" His body smacks against the tree again, causing a few leaves to rain down on us. I have him trapped!

"Grrah—!" Midoriya yells, trying to punch me again, but I block his arm. Countering, I knee him in the gut. The sound of my knee against his body was gruesome.

_KNEE!_

He's stunned. Why is he still trying to punch me?! In this position, what good will that do?! Master Kendo, one of the greatest martial artists, is teaching him! He needs to improve his technique, my God! I reprimand, "Use your damn head, Midoriya!"

_HEADBUTT!_

"—Ah!" I slammed my head against his! C'mon Midoriya, arms aren't the strongest muscle in the body! They can do damage, but there's other things that can work just as well if not better!

Grabbing him by the shirt, I hold him against the tree as his head hangs low, his eyes staring at the ground. Midoriya slowly picks his head up, his face scratched up and sprinkled with dirt. I mutter, "Is this it, Midoriya? Is this how the fight will end?"

"I worked hard, Inochi…" he replies just above a whisper. No one would be able to hear us. "Ever since that day, I've been working so hard with what I've got… I don't win, not like how Kacchan does… But I'm still going to try my best to win! Thank you for showing me my flaws. I needed this."

He grabs my wrist. I—!

_PUSH!_

"—Heh." Midoriya pushed me away from him. I take a few more steps after that, giving him the space he needs, giving him the time he needs. There's a new feeling in the space around us. Something clicked in Midoriya's brain. It speaks of raw determination and newfound courage.

"Let me show you everything I'm trying to become—!"

— _ONE FOR ALL _—

The air vibrates again. Is he increasing from 5%? No, I don't think so. While I had him against the tree, his eyes weren't glowing. He powered Full Cowling off, and now, he's reactivating it. I can see the lightning sparks flaring around him like an anomaly event. The fallen leaves disperse around him—a small whirlwind in the making.

— _FULL COWLING _—

He lunges! His arm—! No, he isn't going to punch! He's twisting his torso! Instead, he's—!

— _SHOOT STYLE!_

I raise my arms—!

— _ST. LOUIS SMASH!_

"Gahah—!" I grunt. Shockwaves of pain ran through my nerves. Even though my bracers absorbed some of the force from Midoriya's kick, it wasn't worth experiencing the damage that it dealt. I should've dodged it instead! I—?!

"—Take this, Inochi!" With his shin pressed against my arms, Midoriya forces his leg downwards, breaking my guard completely! Twisting his body, he uses his other foot to—!

_CRACK!_

"—Nuh!" His foot collided with my skull. My head is snapped back as my body flies helplessly away from Midoriya. I hit the ground rolling, but I manage to use the momentum to pop myself back onto my feet. My costume might be black, white, and brown; but I'm not done fighting!

Midoriya doesn't relent. He lunges as soon as I recover my footing, following up with an aerial front kick with his right leg. I step forward and spin around him, letting Midoriya fly right by me! We have our back turns to one another, but we're right in each other's range!

I twist my body!

He twists his!

I lift up my leg, spinning on my heel!

He does the same!

"Raah—!"

"—Graah!"

_CLASH!_

Our feet collided in the middle with a _smack _that radiates throughout the arena, blocking each other's kicks.

No time to waste!

I drag my foot lower onto his leg, gaining more leverage to push it down like swords caught in a bind. Feeling his leg—knowing where his leg is at without looking at it—I leap up and spin around, bending my other leg and snapping it forward, my sole flying towards his head!

_BLOCK!_

Damnit, blocked! Midoriya grabbed my foot before it could hit him! He leans back and spins around on one leg—his other leg, the one he kicked with earlier, is still off the ground—then throwing me back!

_Whoosh!_

Because Midoriya was balancing on one leg, he falls to his knees just after throwing me! Crap, I'm going pretty fast, aren't I?! I look behind me, and I'm going right into a wall! I flip backwards, letting my feet hit the wall first. I bend my legs to act as dampeners, staying on the wall for just a second! But from how fast I was going, my legs sustained some damage.

Midoriya, with that glint in his eyes, is going to charge again! Guess I'll meet him halfway!

Using the wall as a springboard, I leap off heading towards Midoriya! He jumps towards me like a rabbit, his right leg back like before!

_FLIP!_

I do a front flip, rotating my body in just a way that I actually gain height, effectively dodging his kick in mid-air. As I flip, my fingers catch his hood again. Bringing Midoriya along, right as when I finish my front flip, I throw him back on the ground!

_CRASH!_

He's on his back! I do another flip, rotating my body so I could redirect my momentum downwards towards Midoriya. As I let gravity drag me down, I lift up my right leg, about to bring down an axe on his ribs!

_SLAM!_

"Gah—!" Damnit, it didn't work! Midoriya rolled out of the way just before the kick landed! My right heel slammed against the ground and my leg ended up taking the brunt of the force! If I didn't train my body as much as I did, then that attempt would have definitely shattered every bone in my leg.

As I stand up, my instincts kick in right as Midoriya tries to do a side kick into my hip. My arms move on their own, catching his leg and tucking it underneath my armpit. I use my left elbow and strike his knee, causing him to whine in pain. Following up, I bring my right hand around and smash it into his cheek!

_BAM!_

"—Geh!" Midoriya, who sees the clinch he's in, drops his body, making himself fall. Smart! By doing that, he's forcing me forwards off-balanced. I stumble forward being unable to stop myself. Then, with his other foot, he presses it against my chest and launches me over him!

I roll forwards, landing on my hands first before doing a few somersaults to slow myself down, then going back onto my feet. That's my acrobatics at work. Itsuka's always been jealous that I could do this so easily. Midoriya lunges forward, spinning around to perform a butterfly kick that I dodge effortlessly.

Responding to that, I bring my leg upwards, making him think that it's a high kick, but that's wrong! I twist my hips about halfway through the kick, directing my foot downwards and striking the crook of his neck! That's a Brazilian kick! It's hard to pull off, but satisfying once connected!

Before he can react, I flip backwards, letting my other foot strike him upwards into his chin!

_SMACK!_

Alright, time to go in!

_PUNCH!_

_KICK!_

We're more evenly matched than before! Because Midoriya has more moves in his arsenal, it makes it harder for me to predict his next actions. Although, during the first bouts, he begins to rely on his legs a little too much. However, he quickly realizes his mistake and uses a combination of hands and feet.

_BAM!_

_WHAM!_

Out of the two of us, I'm winning by a good margin. I'm still the better martial artist here; it's just that I'm taking more hits. Unlike the fight with All Might, where I _had _to focus on dodging because being brushed by just one knuckle will result in defeat, I can freely guard against Midoriya's attacks. Midoriya himself is using his added agility to his advantage too. He's jumping off of nearby trees and the arena's walls for a boost; too bad I avoided those attempts. It might be harder to predict him, it's still relatively easy.

_BASH!_

_SLAM!_

Midoriya's lucky, in my opinion. Throughout this entire fight, I haven't used my crossbow, my swords, or my grappling hook. I don't think I'll use them here. It tips the fight too far in my favor, basically a guaranteed way to win. Especially with my katana. I have something to prove here, and so does he. There's no reason for me to ruin this fight.

I just avoided a heavy kick from Midoriya by jumping back, creating some distance between us. He puts his right foot in front, his mind probably running through ideas on how to land a good strike on me. We basically have a stand-off at this point. I, making small and careful movements, simply pat my sheathe where my katana's sleeping in. "If I really wanted to, I could end the fight." That comment wasn't necessary whatsoever, but hey, that was a taunt. It'll make him divert his thoughts to my weapons, even if it's for a brief moment!

This is my chance! I kick off the ground, running straight at him. Midoriya picks up his head realizing that I'm coming. He drags his right foot around like an arc of a circle, then he—?!

_WHISH!_

Dirt?! Midoriya kicked up the dirt! With Full Cowling, the kick was powerful enough to create a "wall" of dirt that he can hide behind! This move is meant to give Midoriya time! He won't be behind this wall! Why would he? Instead…

I turn around, and Midoriya's right above me with his right leg back. "Ah—" I shouldn't have turned around. That wasted precious moments that I could've used to avoid this attack, but because I had to look at him, I'm unable to jump away. Well, this will hurt!

"ST. LOUIS—!"

— _SMASH!_

Midoriya's roundhouse kick connected perfectly. It hit my head with the force of a semi-truck. I can't tell how far I fly back or how fast. But just after a second or two, my back collides into a tree. It's not the same tree that I forced Midoriya up against; this one's larger. The impact manages to pull some of the roots out, breaking through the earth, but just barely. Some of the leaves shed too. I pick up my head with ringing in my ears. As soon as I begin to stand up straight, Midoriya is already making his next move.

His feet explode from below, flying towards me faster than I have seen him before. During his charge, he spins in the air, picking up an enormous amount of energy, especially when he's maximizing his angular momentum by having his legs bent close to his body. He does three full revolutions before he extends his right leg.

Crap, I should definitely dodge this one!

"Take this, Inochi—!

_DODGE!_

_ATALANTA SMASH!_

_CRASH!_

_WHOOSH!_

"—?!" That kick! What the hell was that kick?! I managed to dodge, but Midoriya just slammed his shin against the tree, and the tree was uprooted! He just kicked a tree down, creating a powerful blast of wind pressure just like All Might's attacks! His other kicks before didn't cause that much wind even with the added speed! So whatever that kick was, it wasn't at 5% Full Cowling! I'd say it was at 10%! I don't think he suddenly increased from 5% to 10%, but rather used 10% for that kick alone!

When the dust settles, I see Midoriya's striking green eyes glowing at me with dangerous intent. Despite this slightly intimidating moment, he can't fool me. His right leg is trembling. That kick dealt some damage to him, either from channeling 10% of his power or from the kick itself, or a combination of both.

Well, time to stand up, Sanji. Face your opponent and all that. Look him in the eye, have your back straight, hide all signs of hesitation, and gather every bit of courage you can muster. There, all ready!

Take a stance, alright good.

Midoriya steps up, having his arms to the side. "Have you given up yet, Inochi? Do you still want to fight?"

I nod. "You know how fights go, Midoriya. Until one of us concedes, the fight won't end. Sorry, but that's just plain stubbornness."

"Well, I need to prove to you that I have what it takes. I want to be a Hero too."

"So do I, just as much as you." That's where the banter ends. I want to be a Hero just as much as Midoriya. I…

The wind kicks up, and the world becomes slightly more grainy, faded even. That's...not normal. What's wrong with my vision? Materializing in front of me behind Midoriya, a wispy phantom engulfed in white emerges, faceless like always, but has a distinct form. I think I recognize that phantom… It's not the one with the golden eye, but one of the phantoms at the end of the line.

_"Y'know…" _That's my brother's voice. So that's how his body looks, if only his face is revealed. He walks behind Midoriya, pacing back and forth. _"...I haven't really thought about why I wanna be a Pro Hero so much. I don't have a sad backstory, I'm not continuing our non-existent legacy, and I don't really feel inspired by All Might or any other Heroes. I mean, I just wanna do some good for the world! That's all there is to it! Doing good for the sake of good! My motivations aren't special, but genuine kindness shouldn't be either. You understand, right—?"_

"—Inochi! Where are you looking?!"

_KICK!_

"—Ghrk!" Where… Where did Midoriya come from?! I just felt his leg crashing against my chest, cracking a rib or two!

"Detroit—Smash—!"

_BAM!_

I can't even react! It's like my body is paralyzed! My brother's phantom… That… That distracted me so much! It put me so off-guard that I just don't know what to do anymore! Midoriya, taking this amazing opportunity for himself, barrages me with punches and kicks all over my body. I try my best to guard against them, but the energy used was wasted. My brain is in a haze, my mind is a mess.

Each time I get hit, the pain from Midoriya's attacks are stacked on top of each other, making it harder to focus. I don't think I can recover from this, but I'll try my best!

After getting hit with practically everything Midoriya threw at me, I clench my right fist and swing it downwards into his gut! I—?!

_GRAB!_

"Not so fast, Inochi! I'll end this fight here!" he proclaims, twisting my fist after catching my punch. With his left leg, he turns his hip and slams his leg against my chest, letting go of my hand. I fly backwards, rolling back as my Hero Costume is further stained with dirt and sweat. Unlike last time, I can't roll myself onto my feet or even do a couple of flips. I just can't…

Eventually, I find my back hitting a wall.

_SMACK!_

"Ugh—!" Yup, my back hurts again.

Slowly, I use the wall to stand myself back up clutching my chest with one hand. Midoriya's… Midoriya's still beside the fallen tree. Why isn't he trying to close the distance? What is he planning to do—?

Midoriya drags his left leg back so hard that he creates a line of dirt. It's like he's about to do a penalty kick in soccer… Then what's the soccer ball—?

Oh.

Oh God.

The tree is the soccer ball.

And I'm the goalie.

Well… This isn't good.

"Sorry about this, Inochi, but this is it!" Midoriya's left leg is charged with 10% Full Cowling. Like a giant wielding a blade, he slams his foot against the bottom of the tree—

_WA-BAM!_

_WHOOSH!_

The kick is powerful enough to turn the tree into a giant spear. The wind created from the kick pretty much acted as extra propulsion to increase the velocity of the tree. There's no way I can dodge in time. The leaves cover too wide of an area. If I use my grappling hook, that will take too much time to fire and pull me away.

The only option is to take this head-on! I hold up my arms and wait for the tree to come!

_CRASH!_

"—Mhk, ugh—!"

I take it back… Midoriya's super kick from earlier wasn't like a semi-truck… _This _was a semi-truck. A tree weighing God-knows-how-much just crashed into me directly. Sure, I was hit with the leaves first, but then came the thick branches. On the parts where my skin is exposed, I get littered with a bunch of small cuts. Finally, as the full force of the tree hits me, I get sent back deeper into the wall with a crater acting as my home. My back takes the worst damage throughout my entire body. I'm surprised that my spine hasn't shattered despite everything it's been though…

My vision consists of only green leaves and brown branches. Ugh… That's it… My body is practically crying out in pain. I'm done.

Taking myself out of the crater, I navigate through the leaves and make my way out. It takes about ten seconds for me to do so, but at least I'm still alive. Midoriya waits for me to come out, having a frown on his face like a disappointed mother. He opens his mouth, but I raise my arm. "You win, Midoriya. I don't feel like continuing our fight. That was a good idea, I give it that. Using the tree as a spear? It would do a lot of damage. I wouldn't grow a big head though… Your technique still needs some work."

Midoriya is amazed that I just conceded the fight, having his mouth wide open. Anxiously, he nods, exclaiming, "R-Right! I'm calling this 'Shoot Style'. I already developed a couple of Super Moves for it. Anyway uhm, I'll keep working on myself, Inochi! I'm going to try my best to improve both my body and mind!"

I give him a thumbs-up. "Okay." Then, I start walking towards the exit. "Oh, before I leave, grab my breastplate for me." Midoriya nods and quickly does that, tossing it over to me. "Thanks." _Now _I can walk back.

Well, that's another loss. It was kinda humiliating honestly. I wonder what everyone was thinking when they saw me stand like a deer caught in headlights? I was distracted for one moment and Midoriya used that chance to defeat me. If I… If I didn't see my brother's phantom, then I would've probably won. Eh, I'm not complaining. In the end, Midoriya developed a new style and promised to always remember my words. That's what matters. If Midoriya took this victory as a sign to ignore everything I said, then I'd be really pissed. But he didn't, thankfully. I consider this a victory for both parties.

Walking alone, I make my way back to my group. And what do you know? Everyone is there. Class 1-B, some guys from 1-A, Master Kendo, Lian, and hey, even Grandmaster and Count are here too! I didn't know they would be here! This is a pleasant surprise! I hope they're happy with how I fought, even though it's a bit shameful in hindsight.

Monoma exclaims, "I will not consider this a defeat, Inochi! You were obviously distracted by something just after Midoriya knocked that tree down! If you weren't distracted, you would have wiped the floor with that man! I—!" Itsuka chops him.

Lian smiles, shaking his head at Monoma. "At least you're smiling, Baihu! Are you happy to see us?"

Grandmaster says, "I'm sure he is pleased to see his future mentors. Claude and I wanted to make our appearance a surprise." The Count nods, but he hangs behind Grandmaster. For some reason, Count seems depressed. I'm surprised he could feel that emotion! He's always been a jovial man.

Master Kendo, he's wearing something casual, just shrugs. "That was a good fight, Sanji. There's definitely some things you can improve on, but I'll give you criticisms later. Either way, I'm glad you showed Midoriya his flaws in his techniques. The _very same _flaws that Toshi had in his. Good God, what are you teaching him?!"

All Might raises his hands. "Forgive me, Master Kendo, but I taught him everything I know!"

"Which is next to nothing! You're lucky we have other No.1 Heroes watching us or else I'd dethrone you!" Master Kendo threatens with a huff, crossing his arms.

My friends chimes in with their own comments, trying their best to praise me. That's sweet of them… Of course, Class 1-A is more focused on Deku. Odysseus, Monarch, and Valjean give me warm smiles. Looks like I didn't disappoint them. I'm glad—?!

_BOOM!_

"You fucking shithead! Who the fuck d'you think you are?!" From out of nowhere, Bakugo used his Explosions to propel himself up to me. He grabbed my neck and slammed me against the iron netting of the arena. My back swells up in pain and his hand wraps around my throat, almost suffocating me.

I spatter, "Gah—?! What the?!"

"—What are you doing, Kacchan?!" Midoriya's here too?!

"Shut up! You think you can go 'round telling people how you and that chick beat All Might?! Saying that I fucking lost to him like a pathetic little wimp?! I'll fucking kill you for saying shit like that! I'll—!"

"That's enough!" Monarch implores, marching up to Bakugo and—?!

_BOOM!_

Bakugo ignites his right palm in front of Monarch. It wasn't a powerful explosion; it was an attempt to intimidate her. Who in the world would pull that stunt in front of Great Britain's No.1 Hero?! "Don't get in my fucking way, punk! I'm not finished with this dumbass just yet! I'll make him regret _everything _he fucking said 'bout me! Just watch—!"

— _WRAP!_

"Katsuki Bakugo, wasn't it?" Valjean asks, wrapping Bakugo's entire body in his chains, restraining him completely. Bakugo is forced to let go of me as Valjean yanks him back. It's like how Eraserhead does it…

Now that I'm not being choked, I can see that Monarch was ready to _attack _Bakugo.

Lian has his hands in his pockets with a look that says, _That was a terrible idea, Bakugo._

Odysseus has his arms crossed. He was ready to escalate the situation if need be.

All Might just looks shocked that this happened.

Bakugo, being restrained by Valjean, tries to struggle free but fails. "Get these fucking chains off of me, you bastard!"

Valjean shakes his head. "You assaulted not only this young man here, but also the No.1 Pro Hero of Great Britain. What gives you the right to do that? Over what? Ruined pride?"

"Heh, you're just afraid that I'll surpass you, right?! I'll—!"

"Actually no, letting you talk was a big mistake." Valjean wraps one of his lengths around Bakugo's mouth. Seeing the unenvious situation he's in, Bakugo stops struggling and glares at his captive. "I've never met a man like you, and believe me, that's not a compliment. I don't know why your school hasn't expelled your sorry ass yet."

"Fw—!" Bakugo tries to say something, but Valjean simply pulls tighter on his chains.

I get pulled away from Itsuka, who makes me wrap my arm around her. She lifts me up and quickly walks me back to the rest of our class—plus Lian, Shojo, Master Kendo, and Hayami. Everyone is whispering about what Bakugo did. They have angered voices and angered eyes. They're mad at him.

"Dude, now I understand why they had to chain Bakugo up back at the Sports Festival."

"Yeah, he's too mush of a wild animal!"

"'Wild animal' is too good for that asshole, Shrooms. Sure, I hate Quirkless as much as the last guy, but that was too fuckin' much."

"What an abrasive man, filled with pride and arrogance. I can't imagine a worse sinner than him."

"Now do you see why I loathe Class 1-A so much? All it took was for someone to do something better than Bakugo, and this happens. Sure, I'll say that the other nineteen are tolerable, but Bakugo is their star student. He represents the entirety of 1-A."

"I feel sorry for his classmates right now. Look at 'em! They're embarrassed!"

Hayami puts a hand on my shoulder, asking me, "Hey sweetheart, you okay?"

"I got hit by a tree earlier. Compared to that, what Bakugo did was nothing," I answer with a smile. Itsuka sighs, muttering about how this situation is ridiculous. I unwrap my arm around her; I can stand on my own.

Back to Bakugo, All Might is pleading with Valjean. He says, "Valjean my friend, don't you think this is a little unnecessary? Young Bakugo wants to be a Hero more than anyone! His drive and strength are simply inspiring! He exudes that kind of presence! He's the perfect kind of student to be an amazing Hero like you and I!"

Valjean blinks. "Perfect? You call him _perfect? _God, I don't know if I should be shocked or horrified at that statement. Do you call assaulting a man 'perfect' over a bruised ego? Even a No.1 Hero? From the first moment he saw us, he didn't give us any respect. Why in the name of God should I respect a brat like him? Sweet Jesus, this makes me feel blessed that I have a wonderful daughter."

All Might glances at Bakugo, sharing a brief moment of eye contact with him. With his hands at his side, he bows. "I understand, Valjean. But with all due respect, you don't know Young Bakugo as much as I do. He has his flaws, yes, but I am his teacher. I am his teacher and the rest of these young ones here. I will do my best at guiding him to become the Hero he wants to be."

"Ugh." Valjean lowers his arms. His chains immediately release Bakugo, like a prisoner being freed from jail. Before Bakugo says anything, before he even does anything, Valjean tightly grips his shoulder, pulling in him close. "Before I let you go, I have a few words for you. This crusade of yours? I've seen it before. You're trying to be the strongest man in the world; I can see the desperation in your eyes. If you want to be the strongest so badly, then why not be a Villain?"

Bakugo growls and shoves Valjean away. "Does it look like I'm tryna be a Villain, you no-good prick?! Don't fucking lecture me when you don't know shit 'bout me! Watch, I'm gonna surpass every single asshole here! Including you No.1s! 'Specially you, All Might! Just watch!"

Before anyone can react, Bakugo storms off, stomping to who-knows-where? Kirishima and Midoriya run up to him, trying to say something to Bakugo, but he pushes them away. I can hear Bakugo shouting dagger-like insults at the two of them. Well, that ends that… All Might looks around at everyone then rests his eyes on me. He bows as if he's saying, _I'm sorry that happened, Young Inochi. _Then, he follows after his perfect student.

Perfect… I didn't think that All Might would defend him. Thanks to Bakugo, I got flashbacks to middle school with Suzuki. I admit that Suzuki has what it takes to be a Hero, but his flaws are literally the reason why he's in the General Courses. Frankly, even though he's trying to change, I still kinda hate him.

But Bakugo's on a whole other level. I tolerated him at first. He _did _yell at me before, but it wasn't _this _bad. He kept shouting that he'll beat me and crap like that. Now that I can see the worst of him, I hate it. How can an utterly selfish, arrogant, thick-minded guy like that can ever be a good Pro Hero?

Y'know, still…

Our world puts those with the strongest Quirks on a pedestal, the shining image of the future like they're preaching, _This is the next big thing! _Unless 'the next big thing' does something absolutely criminal, they will turn a blind eye and say, "This is fine."

During the Sports Festival, when Bakugo was fighting Uraraka, the audience booed him for his behavior. When Bakugo becomes a Pro Hero and inevitably will be in the Top Ten, I think they'll ignore his behavior. If he does the job, then we'll let him do his job. Even though Monarch, Odysseus, and Valjean don't particularly like Bakugo, they aren't Japanese. Of course, I wouldn't trust my words too much. They aren't gospel, I'm not foretelling the future. I'm just saying stuff from my own experiences.

I mean after all, at the end of the day, I'm legally Quirkless. People like me, we have a bit of a reputation for being outsiders. So this is me, on the outside looking in.

Grandmaster approaches me with The Count behind him. He has a hand on his chest, looking solemn, apologetic even. "Well, I didn't expect Bakugo to make a fool of himself, but here we are. I'm glad you're okay, Inochi."

Itsuka smiles. "I am too. That asshole can't even respect No.1 Pro Heroes. Ugh, I want to rearrange his teeth for hurting Sanji like that. Anyway, why are you here, Grandmaster? I didn't think you were invited."

He just laughs, playfully tapping the ground with his cane. "I simply asked the officials to give Claude and I an invitation with a reason stated why we should attend—easy really. As for my going-ons, I needed to make a deal with a man; good news, he will give me an answer within a couple of days."

Master Kendo crosses his arms. I think he knows what Grandmaster's deal was. There's a reason why he didn't tell us the specifics, I'm pretty sure. Anyway, Itsuka nods, turning her attention to Count. "Awesome, and why does The Count look depressed?"

Grandmaster frowns, glancing behind him to look at Count. The Count is currently off to the side smoking a cigarette. Valjean keeps glancing at him too… "Sorry to say, but that's personal. Don't worry, Claude is my responsibility and it's in my best interest to make him happy. We're partners after all."

Heh, something tells me that they're more than just work partners. As soon as I'm about to speak, Monarch and Valjean approach us. Monarch asks, "Armory, we're going to the doctor's tent near here to get our injuries fixed. You should come with us because you quite literally got a tree kicked into you. I'm amazed you can just walk it off."

I laugh, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah, guess I'm tougher than I thought. I'm pretty sure a few of my ribs are cracked, but it's nothing new. I would've been able to get away scot-free if Midoriya hadn't taken my breastplate off."

Itsuka looks at me and frowns. "You're lucky that your body is built like the Great Wall of China, 'cause otherwise, I would scold the hell out of you. I'm coming with you, Sanji. Is that okay, Mom?"

Hayami hums. "Mhm! Take care of yourselves! We'll be here!" We nod, letting Valjean and Monarch escort us to the doctor's tent a fair bit away. I don't think anyone will harass us with them around.

I walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Itsuka, who's still a bit fuming after what Bakugo did. She whispers to me, "After this, Melissa offered to give us a tour of I-Island Academy in an hour or so. Wanna come?"

"Of course, why would I say no?" I answer. Wait, I didn't see Melissa in the group. Setsuna was off talking to Rin and a few others. "Where did Melissa go anyway?"

"Back to her dad's. She needed to do something."

"Heh." We hear Valjean and Monarch chuckling to themselves. Man, I didn't realize how tall Monarch is. She's a woman, but she's taller than me, and I'm pretty tall considering I'm Japanese. Itsuka curiously tilts her head, wondering what they're talking about.

Valjean asks, "Armory and Battle Fist—I hope I got your Hero Name right, young lady—how long have you two been together?" Oh right, I forgot that I said that Itsuka was one of my main reasons to stay in Japan.

Battle Fist, as usual, blushes and turns away. "Sanji, have I mentioned that I really hate you sometimes?"

"You say that every day. It's not _just _a 'sometimes'."

"Be quiet. And with all due respect, Valjean, I'm not gonna answer that question."

Monarch quips, "At least you have more respect than that blonde-haired rat. That's all I'll say about him. God, I need something to hit. He irritated me."

"Why," Valjean starts, being smug and everything, "that's not very ladylike of you, Victoria. I thought you were a king!"

"I would've chosen the name 'King' instead of 'Monarch', but someone else already took it! And if you ask me, gender doesn't matter when it comes to leadership. 'I have the heart and stomach of a king.'"

"Queen Elizabeth the First, when she was inspiring her troops to fight against the Spanish Armada."

"I see you're well-informed on the history of Great Britain, Valjean."

"To be fair, you're a history buff. You know every single detail about Arthurian mythology. You even name your Super Moves after the mythos."

"It's the most well-known myth in Great Britain, the world even. While in your country, they're pretty well-known for surrendering."

"Why does everyone keep mentioning that?! That happened at least a couple hundred years ago! Should I mention that you bent over backwards because you were too cowardly to fight a war?"

"At least we fought to the end!"

"With America saving your sorry behinds."

Monarch groans, grinding her teeth from annoyance and frustration. "I don't want to start another fight, Valjean. You're lucky that I sent Eliza to run errands for me."

I ask, "Who's Eliza?"

Valjean smirks. "Eliza is Victoria's most trusted servant. Back in Britain, Victoria is quite wealthy. Her servants take care of her household and her duties as a Pro Hero. But out of all of her servants, she only brought Eliza to I-Island. Her and her alone."

Monarch frowns. "Thank you for explaining." That was definitely sarcastic. "If only you had insulted Eliza, because then, I would have a good excuse for tearing your throat out."

"Again, you're being unlady-like."

"You're a sorry excuse for a father."

Itsuka giggles—very cute giggle—and moves closer to me. "Y'know, I hope representatives are as nice as them. Too bad that won't be the case probably. You think you're ready to be harassed to your wit's end?"

I sigh. "I would say 'yes', but I often underestimate their tenacity."

"Agreed. But hey, at least we got each other."

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri**

"Hey Togaru!"

"Why are you still callin' me by my first name, Horns?"

"Because I wanna! Now shush, lemme finish!"

"Fine fine…"

"So _Togaru _, do you like our little vacation? I mean, you've been all moody, all angsty, all angry—"

"So basically me on a Tuesday afternoon."

"Pretty much! But c'mon, spill the cool beans and cheese!" She's still sayin' that shit? I need to slap Honenuki later; I already have fifty other reasons to slap his annoyin' little teeth out anyway.

I groan. Why am I hangin' out with 'er again? Right, she dragged me away after Inochi's fight with Midoriya. The action's over an' we can go back to whatever we were doin'. Fuckin' Bakugo, that asshole. I might be an annoyin' prick, but I'm not him. At least I have common sense to not fuck with No.1 Pro Heroes. Thinks he's all hot shit an' fuckery like that, makes me wanna stab 'im. Anyway, I should prolly answer Pony.

Or maybe not.

"Say something, Togaru. Don't make me cry in public! I know how to make myself cry! I watched a really sad anime with Shojo a few days ago! The girl—!"

"No spoilers!" I flick 'er head. "I won't hesitate to tape your mouth shut, Horns. I did that with Cartoony, so I can do that to you."

"...How did you tape Manga's mouth shut?"

"Ah, shoulda worded that better. I basically grabbed a roll of maskin' tape an' said 'To hell with it'. Next thing I know, Cartoony's head was pretty much wrapped in tape. Did Glasses not send you a picture or somethin'?"

"Oh! It's _that _one! I thought Manga was doing cosplay of a mummy!" Pony exclaims, hoppin' up an' down like always. "Shojo didn't correct me or anything… Hmph, I shoulda known that you were up to no good! You dirty prankster!"

"Wow, you're insultin' me of all people? You? Pony Tsunotori, everyone's lil' sister? Holy crap, I think I might die from a heart attack."

"What?!" she hollers, immediately jumpin' up an' grabbin' me by the arms. "Do you need a doctor?! Are you choking?! Are you choking, Togaru?!" What?! I said I was havin' a heart attack! An' that's an idiom for God's sake!

I grab 'er arms an' push this crazy chick away from me. This idiot is just as shameless as Inochi—actually no, no dumbass can be as shameless as that dolt. Anyway, Pony ain't got a care in the world whether or not she's embarassin' 'erself. The world can go fuck itself if it was in the way of what she wants. Very stubborn…

I prod Pony's forehead with my finger, pushin' 'er head back. "Does it look like I'm havin' a heart attack? Or chokin'? No, no I ain't. Why would I have a heart attack at my age? Well actually, 'cause of goofy shorties like you, I'm gonna die of stress."

"I am not short!" she exclaims, stompin' her hooves 'round like a grump. "At your height, everyone is short! I mean holy heck and cream cheese! Bondo is taller than you by just a lil' bit!" Surprisingly enough, Monarch's prolly as tall as me, an' she's a woman. No wonder people mistake 'er as a guy sometimes. Though, if you ain't blind, you can tell she's a woman. But people are blind all the damn time, like Shojo. Without her glasses, she's just a wrinkly old, perverted man.

A good chuckle comes outta me. "D'ya wanna be called a 'gnome' then, lil' gnome? Hell, at your height, you're just a cute little baby."

Pony's cheeks get a tinge of red. "I am not a baby! Hmph, I'm pretty dang good at fighting, Togaru! If you think I'm a baby, then gimme a bad guy so I can knock their lights out! Let's see who's the baby then!"

"Still you. Unless you get a growth spurt overnight, you'll still be a puny lil' Pony Tsunotori." Havin' her at this height is perfect. She's short an' annoying, but pretty damn cute. Setsuna would poke fun at me for admittin' that Pony is cute, but fuck 'er. I can always snitch on Shiozaki 'bout her crush. She ain't hot shit.

"Hmph hmph hmph," Pony grumbles, crossin' 'er arms an' turnin' the other way. Aw, she's angry at me. Her cheeks are puffin' up again. Silently like an upset kitty or whatever, she nudges my arm an' we get walkin'.

The Early Access Event is filled with a lotta shit. Most of it is Quirk-based. Like to my right, there's shit for Hardening-type Quirks to see who can last the longest. Lookin' left, a Pro Hero is yammerin' 'bout how awesome he is. He has a lil' power an' it already went straight towards his head. Ugh, just the average asshole who thinks he's better than everyone else. At least Bakugo has the power to back his shit up. Even Inochi could beat up that guy.

'Sides from the games an' shit, there's food stalls. Just earlier, Pony dragged me to get a candy apple. 'Course I paid. Pony got 'er daily dose of sugar, an' I got to see 'er happy. But damn, there's a lot of people 'ere. I-Island is a small country with how many knuckleheads are crammed into this thing, kinda like the Vatican. I get that this is the Early Access Event, but _fuck _. If this is early, then how many people will be 'ere for the actual convention itself? Makes me more worried 'bout Pony's safety. She's so damn small that she'd be swept away by the crowd, like a freakin' ant roamin' 'round in a playground filled with toddlers whose diet is just fuckin' sand _like come on _.

"Does any daring man or woman out want to attempt this game? All you need is be fit and have your wits!" Nope.

"I'm selling never before seen pictures of your favorite sex icon Pro Heroes! C'mon, c'mon! Who wants a piece?" What the fuck? He's gonna get his ass beat.

"Test out our new equipment! This state-of-the-art machine can restrain any VIllain with ease, being able to account for any type of Quirk! I—" _Boom! _"—Oh shit, why the hell did it explode?!" State-of-the-art, huh? The only thing that's good for is bein' a bomb.

Shit, it might just be me, but I ain't seein' anythin' good—boring even. Setsuna made this place out to be 'magical' but the only magic 'ere is my ass. There's a fuckton of Heroes an' Heroes-in-Training 'round the place, but they're too caught up in their own shit for me to give a damn.

At least Pony looks happy. Her eyes are sparklin' like this place is a fantasy kingdom or some crap. Maybe I'm just bein' a cynical prick 'bout this, eh. That's the asshole I am, cynical an' pessimistic. Good reason though, 'cuz the world is pretty shit. Least I'm tryna do somethin' 'stead of sittin' 'round with my thumb up my ass.

I sigh, stuffin' my hands in my pockets. Why am I wearin' my Hero Costume anyway? It's hot as hell. Shoulda left my cloak back at the hotel—on an unrelated note: Grandmaster an' Count are idiots for wearin' fuckin' coats in the summer. How are they even fricken human? "Hey Horns, wanna—"

She gasps, stoppin' me. Pony has her stupid big mouth open, 'er eyes glancin' at me, some random ass stall, then me, the stall—okay this isn't a freakin' game, Pony, you can stop. What's the stall anyway? Let's freakin' see what's the commotion… The sign says, "Enter the contest to win…!" That's all I can read. The rest of the words are cut out from people bein' in my way. Pony must be lookin' at the prizes. The stall has 'em layered out in a hierarchy of sorts, I dunno. Plushies are at the bottom, big stuffed animals are at the middle, an' the expensive shit is at the top—like anime figurines, _that's why _… Pony's obsessed with 'em.

"Togaru Togaru! They're having a contest! We gotta enter! We just gotta! I see a really cool figurine that I want, please please please! We gotta take home the bacon! We need to smack 'Plus Ultra' into these fools and win!" she exclaims, yankin' on my arm.

"I don't have a choice, do I? Ugh, I was gonna help you anyway, you didn't need to ask me," I grunt.

"Thank you so much! I pay you back for this, don't you worry!" She drags me over to the booth. Then, like a puppy seein' that they're at the vet, her face drops. "...Hey Togaru, we're friends right? We're super duper best friends in the whole wide world, right?"

"Aw, what's goin' on now? Did you see a puppy gettin' killed or somethi—?!"

The sign.

The fuckin' sign.

"Enter the contest to win a prize! The best couple with the most votes wins!"

What the fuck. Who designed this thing?! Fuckin'—! You have to be in a relationship for this crap?! Who the fuck cares 'bout other people's business?! This is some kind of perverted shit I swear! Some scam, some major big-name conspiracy out to get information on us! Absolutely no one, in the freakin' world, would give two flyin' shits 'bout this game!

Pony slowly turns around an' looks up at me with 'er big eyes. Oh God, there's tears in 'em. She's givin' me her pleadin' look. "I know we're not together, Togaru… But uhm, can you do this for me? Just for today? I really, really, _really _want that top prize… I understand if you wanna say no…"

...I'm really fuckin' doin' this. Yup, that's it, Togaru… Just be in a fake relationship with this goofy girl for a day. Nothin' will go wrong, nothin' at all! She won't be even more clingy to me! Oh fuck, she might actually feel the need to _kiss _me! Haha, I'd rather cut my intestines out before that happens! Aw shit, might actually do this!

Why? Well, I just like Pony too much.

—Oh. Well shit, let's just bury that fuckin' thought down an' kill it. Not worryin' 'bout that today, no. Just uh, just forget that I ever thought somethin' like that. Luckily for me, no one can read minds in my class of dumbasses and idiots. No one will know.

_"Oh, we know!" _Okay, shut the fuck up, Setsuna. I have no idea how you managed to get in my head, but shut up.

Facing the crystal blue sky, very beautiful an' peaceful actually, I mutter, "Go to hell." Okay, now I look down at Pony. "Fine. You wanna be a fake couple, fine by me! But we ain't doin' the shit that gives me a heart attack, alright? You owe me big time for this, Horns."

Pony wipes a few tears off of 'er face before huggin' me. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Horns," I grumble.

"Right! Sorry!" She lets go of me. "Now, let's submit our names and crap! Nothing's stopping us now!"

We approach the booth with the girl in charge. Nice-lookin', but there's probably the devil underneath that skin of hers. Shiozaki should perform an exorcism or whatever it's called. The booth girl says, "My, you sweethearts are adorable! Must be here to join the contest, right? Best couple and all that? You came to the right place!"

Pony raises her hand. "Can you explain more about this, please?"

She nods. "Of course, little lady! On each day of the I-Expo, we hold contests on different things by drawing out of the box. Today was 'Best Couple', and tomorrow will be something different! Once you enter, you'll be put with the other contestants. At the end of the day, we'll stop accepting contestants and open the voting, which you can vote on our app. The winners will be determined the next day and they can pick up their prizes! Simple, right?"

"Sure," I say.

"Uh huh!" Pony agrees, noddin' like a dork. "How do we enter? Do we give you our IDs or something like that? Our blood?!"

The lady shakes her head, laughin'. "Oh no, not your blood! We're not _that _freaky! But yeah, we need your IDs and that's it!"

I give Pony my ID without a word. Like the eager little kid, she hands 'em over to the lady. She puts 'em through some kind of machine before we hear a _ding _. Then, she hands our IDs back. That was quick. "There we go, you two! Download our app and you'll see your names—and pictures—in the pool with the rest of the contestants! I gotta say though, there's a lot of competition. Actually, I see some of them right now!"

"We're definitely gonna take the cake home. Sure, the other couples might be supermodels or some crap like that, but dude, who cares about that? We're both charming as hell, _and cute _! No one's gonna get in our way!"

"Heck yeah! I'm not a Hero-in-Training, but I'm definitely cute!"

_HIGH FIVE!_

"Oh."

"You gotta be freakin' kiddin' me."

"Huh?"

"Is that—?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Shojo Fukidashi."

"Headband n'Glasses."

"Togaru Kamakiri."

" _Them_."

"Oh dear!" the booth lady says, retreatin' to the back. "It seems you guys know each other! Well, if you wanna fight, please take it someplace else! I just cleaned the blood from last time…"

Pony an' Shojo approach each other, both shorties who no one takes seriously. Pony is too much of an oblivious idiot, an' Shojo is a nerd who flip-flops from bein' confident an' bein' cowardly.

"Why are you here, Pony?"

"I am allowed to be here, Shojo! I got an ID and everything, ha! Look in the Constitution to see all of my rights!"

"We're not even in America! This is I-Island! Look, either way, I _really _want that figurine of the Monkey King. Not only he's king, he's the god of high school."

"Hmph! You're not getting the Monkey King, 'cause me and Togaru will get more votes than you! We're more likable!"

"Oh please, that guy looks like he's about to kill everyone here!" ("I _want _to kill everyone 'ere.")

"He always looks like that! I know he's a big softie on the inside! Sweet like sugar! He's sugar, Shojo! What about Awase? His headband is too big for his head!"

"It's not too big! It's the right size! You're just jealous that you can't pull it off!"

"Yes I can! I can just yank it from his head! I can totally pull it off!"

"That's not what I meant, Pony!"

"Well, what in the cool beans and cheese did you say?!"

Awase looks at me, scowlin' like I tore up his favorite headband. We face each other like two cowboys 'bout to have a showdown; though, I fought Snipe durin' my Final Exam. Awase crosses his arms an' says, "Togaru Kamakiri."

"You already said my name before, dumbass."

"Well, I wasn't sure if you were paying attention, dude!" He starts shakin' his fist at me. "I never know with you!"

"Okay Headband, I know my own name! Fuckin' hell, least I ain't an idiot like you! Your headband is cuttin' off blood to your brain!"

"It's not _that _tight! Look man, you're just jealous that you're not as charming as me! I mean c'mon, you're as charming as a pile of bricks dumped in a pile of manure."

"You're 'bout as handsome as a dirty monkey on roller skates. Perverted too. How many times did you mention Glasses's thighs?"

"Oh shut up! You're in denial about Pony! Everyone knows you would die for her!"

"No, I wouldn't! The only people that're gettin' their ass shanked is you if you keep talkin'! I won't hesitate, bitch!"

"I swear to God and Shiozaki that I'm gonna weld your stabby ass to a cross and leave you there for the rest of the trip!"

"Just try it! I've been meanin' to bruise you black n'blue ever since I saw ya!"

For about ten minutes, we were at each other's necks. Pony was about to headbutt Shojo, an' Shojo was ready to shove one of her drawings in Pony's face. Awase had his metal bars out, an' I was wavin' my arm 'round like one of those guys who direct planes.

The booth lady simply watches us, all shocked an' horrified that teenagers are 'bout to spill blood. Oh well, it ain't gonna be my blood paintin' the ground. It's gonna be this dumbass's. Tsuburaba will be pretty damn happy once he hears that I killed Awase. It'll be—

"Am I interrupting something?" Oh fuck, it's Inochi. He's back from the doctor's already?

Shojo an' Pony point at each other. "InochiSanjiYougottavoteforShojo'sbeingabigdumbPonydoesn'tdeservetowinI'mgonnasmackyouShojo!"

Inochi takes a deep breath in an' puts his hands together. "I understood absolutely none of that. The only thing I got out of it was, 'Shojo's being a big dumb Pony.' I hope you guys didn't swap bodies or anything."

He looks at me an' Awase for an answer, but Awase goes first, bringin' an arm 'round him. "Hey Inochi, we're friends right? Best buds? You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Y'know, that stuff?"

Inochi frowns. "You want something from me, don't you? I can see in your eyes."

"Nooo—!"

"Headband wants your vote, Quirkless," I answer, finally givin' him the truth. "Basically, me n'Horns an' Headband n'Glasses signed up for a contest. The—"

Pony jumps up an' shouts, "The couple with the most votes wins!"

Shojo lets out a pathetic squeak. "Wah?! Why did you say that in front of Sanji?! You know he's a romantic!"

Awase slowly takes his arm off of Inochi, backin' away like he's a bomb. Inochi has his head down. Oh shit, we're fucked. Awase asks, "Inochi dude… You okay? You're not giving off a good vibe right now, hehe… Oh man, we're screwed."

Inochi raises his head, glaring at us. " _You guys became a couple without me knowing? _" But then, his anger turns into complete an' utter sadness—what a pitiful dork. He runs his hands through his hair, unable to cope with this. This is actually fun to watch. His misery is my happiness. "Oh my God, I thought we were friends! I thought you trusted me enough!"

_THUD!_

He falls to his knees, bangin' his hand against the concrete. "What did I do wrong?! Why did you keep this a secret from me?! Instead of my heart exploding from joy, it's gonna explode from betrayal! I can't believe there was a traitor in my class, let alone four of my closest friends!" ("I ain't pals with you, Quirkless.")

The idiot looks up at the sky with tears wellin' up in his eyes. Damn, is this the first time we're gonna see him cry? "God, I sinned, didn't I?! I knew I shouldn't have eaten the last mango mochi in the freezer! I knew Itsuka was looking forward to it, but I couldn't help myself! It tasted so sweet and cold, especially after a day of training at the Dojo! I needed the relief! Forgive me, I'm just a filthy glutton! I'll repent!"

The rest of us… We just, uh, glance at each other like we ain't witnessin' Inochi havin' a mental breakdown. At least I got somethin' checked off my bucket list. I can even snitch on 'im to Kendo 'bout the mochi thing.

Shojo says, "We have something to confess, Sanji."

"Huh?"

We explain everythin' to 'im.

"I see." Inochi stands up. Okay, now he's actin' like he wasn't crazy the second before. "So the couple with the most votes win, huh? And you guys are posing as fake couples. Got it. You want me to vote for you, but I'm guessing I can only vote once."

"Yup! So vote for me and Togaru! We love you very much, Inochi!"

"I don't love you 'cuz that's too much, damnit! But if you don't vote for us, I'mma stab ya."

"Yeah! And I'm your best friend! Vote for us, dude! You're our only hope!"

"Don't listen to them! Vote for me, Sanji! You saved me from Catharsis, remember?!"

Inochi sighs, closin' his eyes. After a few seconds, they open. Looks like he has an answer. "Togaru Kamakiri and Yosetsu Awase. You will be the representative of each group. I'll have you guys do something that will possibly convince me. You'll be first, Kamakiri."

"Ugh, what do you want me to do? Whatever it is, don't make me hug your dirty ass. Your costume's dirty as hell," I snark.

Inochi chuckles like a goof—annoyin' laugh. "Haven't gotten the time to wash it. Anyway, that's a good idea but that's not it. Togaru Kamakiri, also known as 'Jack Mantis', please give me a poem."

Might as well.

"Fine. This is a 'Poem For the Dumbass In Front of Me' by Togaru Kamakiri.

"Roses are red.

"Violets are blue.

"Quirkless is a bitch.

"He oughta be in a ditch."

"Absolutely moving!" Inochi exclaims, givin' me a thumbs up. God damnit, that wasn't the reaction I was lookin' for. Pony an' Shojo are stiflin' their laughs. Heh, guess I was funny. "Onto you, Yosetsu Awase, also known as 'Welder'. Right now, at this very second, tell me why you want to be a Pro Hero—no hesitation!"

"Thighs."

"...D-Duly noted." Okay, I can give him a shitty poem but he's surprised by Awase's answer? Come the fuck on.

Pony asks, "Did you get what you need now? Who are you gonna pick?!" Shojo is right besides 'er blushin'. Good God, 'er face is like the skin of a tomato. If she doesn't know that Awase has a crush on 'er now, then she's fuckin' denser than a black hole.

Inochi nods. "I already came up with an answer! It took a lot of mental deliberation with me, myself, and I. The four of us agreed that, for the sake of both parties…"

_SPRINT!_

This motherfucker!

"Get back here, Inochi! You can't escape from Horny, Your Best Friend!"

"That ain't your Hero Name, Horns! God damnit, that asshole!"

"Hell yeah! Sorry dude, but you messed up big time!"

"Let's go Awase! I'm gonna make him vote for us one way or another!"

("...You guys were a fake couple this whole time?")

* * *

**Juzo Honenuki**

_Thump thump!_

There's our drinks! "Thanks for being our pack mule, Manga." He grumbles and sits down, picking up the manga he was reading before we asked him to get us drinks. I ordered a soda while Kuroiro got some sparkling water. Manga brought some orange juice for himself. And Kagesuke? Well, he gets to drink blood. This puppy is dangerous.

"As I was saying, Honenuki, you should take your studies more seriously. Do you ever do your homework?" Kuroiro asks, and frankly, I haven't been listening to him. I tuned out after he said my name and the rest was just blah blah blahs. I was more focused on Kagesuke rolling around on the table. He's cuter than I am!

I shrug to whatever Kuroiro is saying, opening my can of soda and taking a nice long sip. "That's gonna be a 'no' for me, o' infernal one. I don't feel like doing my homework because it's a rehash of what we learned in class. I ace almost all of the tests anyway, including the written portion of our Final Exam. There's a reason why I entered the Hero Course through recommendations."

"Still, you're not living up to your fullest potential. You are squandering your intelligence—which is vastly superior to most surprisingly enough—and living a life of idle luxury and terrible comedy."

"Hey, that wasn't very punny of you!"

"Like I said, 'terrible comedy'."

In the back, Manga nods. "Yeah, I agree with Kuroiro. Not about the other stuff, just the 'You're bad at jokes' stuff. I'm a gag character, but _sheesh _, you need to work on your material."

I huff, dramatically crossing my arms like I'm a high school cheerleader in America. "At least I'm handsome. I got that going for me. And my brain too. Seriously Kuroiro, you don't have to worry about me. I might be your best bud—"

He interrupts, "I would not refer to you as such. More as: The man who refuses to leave me alone and drags me everywhere with him. Because of you, I was dragged away from Komori's company right under her nose."

"To be fair, you're anxious around girls, _especially _Komori. If anything, I did you a favor." Kuroiro frowns. He's mad that I took him away from his crush. Tokage would kill me if she finds out I ruined a good romance. "Either way, don't worry about me. I'm a big boy now; I can pee standing up. I can take care of myself and my studies. Glad to see you're concerned though."

Kuroiro drags his finger along the table. "Not 'concerned', more… How do you say it? Annoyed? Agitated? In your free time, you often bother everyone else with your oddity of a personality and strange way of looking at the world. At least you are not Bakugo, that fiendish devil."

Ugh, that guy… I didn't like him before and I hate him now. He riled us up back at the Sports Festival, somehow being the representative of our entire grade. Seriously? Who would put a nuclear warhead as our representative? Some are gonna say, "You're just jealous because you aren't as strong as him." That's not the point. Bakugo is an aggressive asshole who freaks out whenever his pride is challenged. Case point: Inochi. Him and Kendo did the impossible and defeated All Might in a fight. They have great synergy and are able to beat All Might at his own game. Bakugo and Midoriya also fought All Might, and they escaped through the gate. Why? They simply didn't have the right tools to defeat the Symbol of Peace, and their teamwork stinks more than actual poop.

When it comes to fighting, Inochi and Kendo are _ruthless _. They don't hold anything back. You'll be knocked out with one punch by Kendo, and Inochi won't hesitate to kick you while you're down. Midoriya's lucky that Inochi didn't use his katana, because he's really good at kenjutsu. Anyway, let me go back to my original point: Bakugo.

Here's him in a nutshell:

Problem: "Oh no, someone is doing something better at me!"

Solution: "Time to assault him and a No.1 Pro Hero because that makes sense!"

Like c'mon, I get that Class 1-A worships him and all, but not _everyone _is brainwashed to believe that Bakugo is a perfect Hero. Even All Might believes it… Well, they always say to never meet your Heroes. By defending Bakugo like that, he kinda justified him assaulting Inochi. He didn't reprimand him for his actions, at least not publicly.

This definitely opened our eyes a little bit.

"Jeez," I say, taking another sip of my soda. It was a bad idea to wear metal armor in summer. "That entire Bakugo situation was just 'yikes!' Personally, I'm a bit upset that Inochi didn't beat Midoriya because I thought he had him outmatched. It didn't matter in the end though. Bakugo attacked Inochi."

Manga comments, "Bakugo's definitely a bully. I know, because I've been around bullies for most of my life. I mean, Bakugo is just...shallow, y'know? There's a lot of things you can be fighting for, but he decides to fight for the idea of winning."

"Such pride in that explosive heart of his," Kuroiro states, sinisterly petting Kagesuke like an evil villain. "He has so much of an ego that he didn't even respect the other No.1 Pros. If the situation was escalated further, I would think he'd challenge one of them to an actual _duel _."

"Of course he would. But I don't wanna talk about Bakugo now. We can talk crap about his ugly behind later, through words or texts, we'll do it either way. Don't worry, we're good people," I snark, being sarcastic just like how Kamakiri is! He's sarcastic a lot, and he generally wants to kill everyone he sees. But everyone knows he won't actually do it, because he actually likes us. He's the tsun-thing from Manga's mangas.

"Heh," Kuroiro chuckles, drinking his sparkling water. Yup, that's the drink of dramatic, delusional guys all across the world. Just… Sparkling water.

Manga looks up. "Uhm, hey guys… There's someone here."

"Hmm?"

"Wha?"

"Arf!" Thank you for joining in, Kagesuke.

"Ah, so you noticed me!" an American exclaims. He's wearing a business suit, having his hands together like he's about to close a deal. If I know anything about guys in suits, they're probably up to no good. Better keep my guard up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you three are friends of Sanji Inochi, correct? His Hero Name is Armory?"

"No, his Hero Name is All Might—of course his Hero Name is Armory!" I answer, putting my soda down on the table. I glance at Manga and Kuroiro, using my eyes to tell them that I'll handle this guy. "Is there something you want, sir? Maybe an autograph?"

He shakes his head, putting his hand on his chest. "Oh no, not an autograph. You see, I am a school official of Heroes United in New York City, the best Heroics School in all of the United States. I was wondering if I could speak to him about a possible transfer from U.A. High."

Ugh, Heroes United?

...I'm doing everything I can to stop myself from laughing. It's really hard, and Kagesuke isn't helping me. He's biting Kuroiro's finger and it's really adorable. I never thought I would hate a cute puppy, but here we are. I am sitting here listening to this guy. "Can I ask why you're interested in him? I mean, he's legally Quirkless. I didn't think recruiters seeked out the Quirkless because they are 'the lowest in society'."

The recruiter frowns, briefly giving me a death stare before his mask comes back on. "A young man like you isn't aware of Armory's potential. At Heroes United, we are determined to bring out the full scope of his power for the good of the world." Eh? How does this guy know about Inochi's potential? I wouldn't think that anyone in our class would leak information since we're not that important in the business world, besides from Tokage but she wouldn't betray her friends. So maybe… If I had to guess, Mayor Yamamoto is involved somehow.

Manga whispers, "This guy seems like a jerk. Chase him off, Honenuki."

Kuroiro concurs, "Indeed. He doesn't care about Inochi. He only cares about his Quirk."

If my friends command…

"For public relations for your school, I mean?" I correct him. "I haven't done much research pertaining to American Hero Schools, but I _have _heard about Heroes United. Specifically, I heard about the scandal where you expelled a Quirkless student who defended himself after being assaulted by his classmate who used his Quirk illegally."

The recruiter grits his teeth, gripping his navy blue tie. "Excuse me, that student was a danger to himself and everyone around him! Our school had no history of discrimination against Quirkless individuals and we pride ourselves on treating everyone with respect!"

"Well, good. I'll be sure to let Inochi know about your offer, but I should also tell you something." Everyone around me quiets down, curious to what I'm about to say. Let's see just what kind of a man this recruiter is. "When he had his AP Levels measured, there was a bug. It displayed that he had a what? Around 1,200AP now, 12,500 for his Growth Potential? The numbers were shifted by a tens place. They were actually 200AP and 2,500AP respectively."

Kuroiro and Manga immediately notice my lie. But because they love me, they aren't going to call me out. Especially Kagesuke. He's the smartest one here. He can close the chasm of ignorance in the science world.

Manga adds on, "Yeah… Sorry about that. Hey, 2,500AP is still kinda impressive for a Hero! Just not a high-ranking one..."

"I agree. Inochi is a very strong man on his own. He doesn't need a strong Quirk to leave an impact on our world," Kuroiro says, giving Kagesuke a good head scratch.

One of the recruiter's eye twitches. Looks like my gamble paid off. When he mentioned Inochi's potential, the tests we did a while back came to mind. Looks like he knows about the results of our tests. That's just an example of me being smart. Anyway, the recruiter's skin is turning red. He's about to enter rage mode. "What? You're joking, aren't you? You're lying to me."

I shake my head, raising my hands. "I'm not lying! Really, I'm not! You know those machines aren't perfect! The city managed to buy a faulty one for us! But hey, at least you're an amazing man, right? You don't discriminate against the Quirkless, rock on! I'll drink to that, cheers!"

I take a swig of my soda.

"Hold on! If Armory is _this _weak, then Heroes United won't be interested in him whatsoever! We don't seek after students who won't be big names! He might as well be Quirkless for God's sake!"

"Woah, where did that come from? Look, I'm already gonna tell Inochi about your offer! I'm sure he'll take it! I—"

"Don't bother, I'm retracting the offer!"

"Hey, what's with the sudden change of heart? I thought you didn't judge people based on their Quirks, but on the content of their character—"

"Oh be quiet, you don't believe that! We all know that the men and women with the best Quirks will have the public eating out of their hands! If you don't have a good Quirk, then you might as well be trash! The Quirkless, they're worse than trash, just useless sacks of flesh who contribute nothing to our world! It'll be better if they were off dead so they won't bother the rest of us!"

"...Wow," Manga mutters.

"Fascinating!" Kuroiro exclaims, grinning.

"Pfft…" Oh no, it's coming back; it's coming back! I can feel it rising in my throat, ready to spill out like rainbow vomit! "Kehehehe! Oh my God, I can't believe that actually worked! You are an awful person! I can't believe how easy it was to manipulate you!"

"Eh?" The recruiter glares at me, processing what I said. His face goes from complete anger, to shock, then back to anger but comes back with a fury. "You… You were lying this entire time?! You son of a bitch, I'll—!"

Before I know it, he lunges at me. But right before his hands wrap around my handsome neck—better not leave any marks—an arm is pushed against his chest, stopping him in his tracks. We look at the new person, and it's a woman. She's really cute actually! This mysterious lady has braided light gray hair, with stunning blue eyes. She wears a regal blue and red dress with an insignia on her right shoulder. Wait, I recognize that. It's the same symbol that Monarch uses. With a smile, she says in a calm, but mature voice, "I think you should stop harassing these young men, sir."

The recruiter towers over the woman, raising a _very _menacing finger at her. "Who are you supposed to be, huh?! Mind your own business!"

"They _are _my business," she says, looking at the insignia on her shoulder. "Don't you recognize this symbol? It's the same one that Monarch proudly displays. She has taken it upon herself to ensure the safety of Armory and his classmates for the rest of their trip. They should enjoy I-Island, not be constantly bombarded with idiots like you."

Holy shit, I didn't think Monarch would go above and beyond for us! Manga and Kuroiro look just as shocked as I am!

"Who cares about her?! This involves strictly America! Britain shouldn't be involved in this! They won't get Armory, I swear!" he yells, spitting in her face.

"Goodness…" the lady says, wiping the spit off with a cloth. "It doesn't matter what you want, you bigoted pillock. Besides, we have no interest in stealing Armory from his friends. Look here." She raises her phone.

"What are you trying to say here? Your phone isn't even on!"

"Oh, I know. Too bad I recorded your tirade and sent it to Monarch. If you continue to harass them, we won't hesitate to release this video to the public. Heroes United will undergo another scandal and you will rightfully be burned at the stake."

"What?! I—"

"Say nothing else. Just leave." The recruiter's face scrunches up like an old man, instantly aging fifty years. He looks behind at us three bratty kids before walking off. He just got chased away by a guy without lips, yeehaw! My friends give each other smiles before we look at the lady who works for Monarch. She approaches us and does a Japanese bow. Sighing heavily, she rambles, "That was very intense! I can't believe I managed to act so calm under pressure! This never happened before!"

Aw, she's introverted. I glance at Kagesuke who's looking up at the miss. I say, "Thanks for helping us out either way. Did Monarch send you here?"

She shakes her head. "N-No, just the right place at the right time. I—Oh! I haven't introduced myself yet! My name is Eliza; I work as Monarch's servant. It's good to meet you three!"

I nod.

"Likewise, Miss Eliza," Kuroiro says.

"Mhm." Manga goes back to reading his manga.

"God, you have no idea how fast my heart was beating! Like ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum! It was really nerve-wracking, but—!" Her phone rings, "—Wah?! Excuse me, it's Monarch!"

She takes her call and turns the other way. "M-Miss Monarch—Huh? Uwah, please forgive me! I—! Hmm? I see, I understand! I'll…"

I wonder how many cute servants Monarch has… Did she only bring Eliza to I-Island? Ah, something like this will make Tokage's brain go wild with conspiracy theories.

_Bzzt!_

That's my phone. It's the class group chat. Manga and Kuroiro got the same notification as me.

Yanagi: "A couple of individuals tried to speak with Yui and I about Inochi"

Yanagi: "They wanted him to transfer to another school?"

Yanagi: "Please respond?"

Shishida: "The same happened to me"

Shishida: "I was the bigger man and walked away"

Kamakiri: "what the hell is up with yall? havent met any assholes like that"

Pony: ":o"

Pony: "language togaru!"

Rin: "that's strange"

Rin: "i haven't encountered anyone like that either, but it's probably because i was with lian"

Monoma: "Ohoho! I ran into the same problem, but this proves that Inochi is more popular than 1-A will ever be! Even internationally!"

Kamakiri: "broadway, the majority of the idiots in japan hate his ass"

Monoma: "Fame is still fame!"

I should jump in.

Me: "yo, just chased away a douchebag earlier"

Me: "also one of monarch's servants is here and she's really cute"

Tsuburaba: "send pics pls"

Kodai: "no perving airhead"

Tsuburaba: "hey!"

Yanagi: "Don't be perverted, Airhead"

Shiozaki: "Do not be lustful, Airhead"

Komori: "what they said airhead!"

Tsuburaba: "why is everyone ganging up on me?!"

Kamakiri: "cuz youre an airhead, airhead"

Awase: "^"

Tsuburaba: "oh shut up!"

Kuroiro chuckles. He's enjoying this conversation.

Kuroiro: "Let us return back to the subject at hand"

Bondo: "Uh huh! I'm so nervous about what's going on!"

Shoda: "I'm sure Inochi and Kendo can explain"

Shoda: "Once they see our chat"

Kaibara: "tokage too, they oughta know about this"

Kaibara: "though if i had to guess, it's prolly about his ap levels"

Kaibara: "i mean, honenuki said that one of monarch's servants is with them right?"

Kaibara: "and the other no.1 heroes seemed to have taken an interest with inochi"

Kabiara: "big names have their attention on inochi because of his potential"

Monoma: "I concur! Thanks to Bakugo, the respect for Class 1-A has been diminished! Inochi is more favorable than them!"

Manga says, "I'm just going to stay quiet and wait for Inochi to come on." That's probably a good idea.

Tetsutetsu: "BROS WHAT'S GOING ON?! I'M EATING A JUICY TURKEY LEG RIGHT NOW AND MY PHONE IS EXPLODING!"

Me: "caps much?"

Awase: "ease off the caps"

Rin: "we tell you every time you type…"

Tetsutetsu: "SORRY BROS TOO PUMPED ABOUT LIFE RN!"

Tetsutetsu: "SOMEONE ANSWER ME!"

Me: "the world is obsessed with inochi rn"

Kuroiro: "Basically, yes"

Tetsutetsu: "AWESOME! I'M GOING BACK TO EATING!"

Komori: "please clean your phone after you're done…"

Bondo: "I can imagine how dirty his screen is…"

"We should really make Tetsutetsu stop using caps…" I tell them, and they basically nod in agreement. Kagesuke too!

Tokage: "i was wondering why our gc blew up so much"

Tokage: "god damnit, sorry ibara, but i can explain everything just give me a sec"

Tokage: "i'm at the i-island academy rn"

We give her a second.

Tokage: "okay look: the tests we did way back was given to a bunch of people and somehow, the information spread across the globe that midoriya and inochi are uber-powerful"

Tokage: "because of this, other countries want them to transfer to their schools and have their own all might"

Tokage: "and every country is kinda split into their own factions as well, so it's an all-out war to see who can fetch them first"

Tokage: "damn, i hoped this wouldn't have happened tho"

Tokage: "anyway, keep your chins up, kings and queens"

Tokage: "don't take anyone's crap and stay tight, we're counting on you guys"

Everyone explodes in messages. Well then…

People are obsessed with heroism. Countries are fighting to have the best Heroes. To think that Inochi is wanted by the same guys who looked down on the Quirkless?

I feel sorry for him.

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"We've been waiting a hot minute for you guys!" Mom exclaims as me, Setsuna, and Sanji walk into the hotel. She's waiting for us with Grandpa, who's on his phone. The visit to the I-Island Academy took a lot longer than we thought thanks to some events that were completely out of our control. I wish I could punch them in the face…

Sanji laughs, doing his trademarked action of scratching the back of his head. "A lot of stuff happened, but Melissa gave us a nice tour of her school. She's genuinely a genius. Her inventions could change the world."

Setsuna remarks, "That's why you don't look down on the Quirkless. She's so much smarter than her classmates."

Mom smiles as a fellow scientist-slash-engineer herself. "Aw, I'm glad us support scientists are getting the credit we deserve. But seriously! You haven't told us why you guys took so long! Even Dad was getting worried."

Grandpa looks up from his phone. "She's not wrong. There's some crazy people out there, especially in events like these."

"Oh I know." My cheeks puff up. "The class group chat was blowing up earlier about how these recruiters were constantly irritating them. It even happened at the academy! Some girls were hounding Sanji about transferring to I-Island or some other school."

"Luckily, our cute tomboy rescued her goofy boyfriend. He's pretty much her property at this point, not gonna lie," Setsuna comments with a very annoying giggle. I should really keep track of how many times she teases us. It must be in the thousands at this point, my goodness…

Sanji just cracks a laugh; he just can't bring himself to frown at any one of Setsuna's jokes. "Well, don't know how to quite respond to that. Guess this was returning the favor for what happened earlier."

Mom tilts her head. "Wait, _what _happened earlier? You guys never told me this." Oh right, everyone was so focused on Lian that I completely forgot about the Jason guy.

I explain, "Basically, there was this asshole who tried to ask me out. Sanji stepped in and the guy backed off."

Grandpa snorts, rubbing his mouth. "He's lucky that Sanji didn't take his head off. Speaking of heads getting taken off, I suppose this is a good time to talk to you about your fight with Midoriya."

Oh right, _that _. Sanji was winning! But all of the sudden, he choked at the last moment and got a tree kicked into him. Everyday, I get more impressed with how much his body can take. He's really strong. I mean, that was obvious when we were at the beach. His chest is toned, but not bodybuilder-toned y'know? Perfectly toned… Yeah, I'm definitely a pervert…

We look at Sanji who looks a little more serious than usual. "Yeah yeah, I need to keep training. Still not the best, but I'm not the worst. But I figure you guys probably wanna talk about why I was distracted. I, uhm, well… It's a long story."

Jeez, that basically means he isn't comfortable sharing. It involves his Quirk, doesn't it? He doesn't feel comfortable talking about it, like back at David's lab. Maybe I should ask him when we're alone.

Grandpa nods, standing up. "That's fine. I'm getting too old to listen to long stories anyway. You should head back to your rooms. Your friends are already here dressing down for the night."

Mom adds, "Luckily, we haven't heard anyone dying yet! That's a win in my book!"

"Please don't jinx it, Mom… Someone could be dying as we speak," I tell her, then looking at Grandpa. "By the way, what happened to Grandmaster and Count? And Lian too, since he kinda...integrated himself into our group."

"Oh, they're staying at a different hotel than us. You'll probably see them again tomorrow, especially Lian." Frankly, Lian is exhausting. I like him, but he's so energetic that he sucks all of your strength out…

Setsuna quips, "Don't worry, darlings. It won't be the last we see of… What was his Hero Name again? Shangdi?"

Mom nods. "Yup, it's Shangdi. In Chinese mythology, it means 'Supreme Deity' or 'Supreme Emperor'. Just from the name alone, you can tell that he's really strong, even compared to the three No.1s we met with earlier—Toshi too! Man… For a brief moment, there was so much power within such a small space."

Sanji says, "It's almost unimaginable really… I—?" He turns his head to a man who's eavesdropping on our conversation. The guy looks familiar actually… Orange-brownish hair, and his nose is really pointy. Like holy crap, it's like a scythe! I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but that's the first thought that came to my head!

Setsuna immediately becomes uneasy, stepping in front of us. "Good evening, Mister Yotsubashi. I didn't expect you, the _CEO of Deternat _, to eavesdrop on our lovely little conversation."

Oh, you have gotta be kidding me? This is Rikiya Yotsubashi? The guy who brought our data? He's staying at this hotel too?! Grandpa and Mom turn to him. I see Grandpa putting Mom behind him like Yotsubashi is about to kill all of us with an eyeblink.

Yotsubashi gives us a kind smile like the one you'd see from a dad. "Good evening to you too, Miss Setsuna! And no need to be afraid, I'm just a harmless businessman who wants to better the world—you may even call me a philanthropist! As you know, I create clothing for those who do not conform to society's norms regarding appearance! An innocent, but much needed niche that had to be filled."

Setsuna mutters, "Innocent… Yeah right." She clears her throat, putting her heiress persona back on. "Well that's absolutely wonderful! Are the rest of your allies here too? Like Miss Kizuki and the others?"

From the mention of Kizuki's name, Sanji's body stiffens. He whispers to me, "Mister Yotsubashi is in league with Kizuki? Is it me, or is there a conspiracy going on?"

"If so, it'll explain why Setsuna and Grandpa are on edge," I reply, looking over at Grandpa. Slowly, Sanji and I walk over to him and Mom, joining together with them.

Yotsubashi flashes a quick smile and a fast glimmer of his seemingly pure white, innocent teeth. "Mhm, she's a trusted friend. And I see you're surrounded with many, _many _trusted friends yourself, Miss Setsuna. Say, Mister Inochi, may I ask you a question?"

Grandpa steps in, "You can ask me first, Yotsubashi. I'm his guardian, and I'd rather not see an article trashing my boy when I wake up tomorrow."

"Ah, I understand completely, Master Kendo! However, since you're kindly opening yourself up to a question… May I ask why The Count accidentally bumped into that poor barista just earlier today?"

That's a weird question… Did The Count really do that? I feel bad for him and the barista…

Grandpa replies, "What? He did that? Well, thanks for telling me?" He's...tapping his leg. Crap, I remember when Sanji told me that I tap my leg when I lie. Did I really inherit that from Grandpa? And why is he lying in the first place?

Yotsubashi frowns, nodding. "I see, forgive me for the misunderstanding. On the topic of The Count, I'm happy that these young, upcoming Heroes will be interning under some great role models."

Mom tells him, "I mean this respectfully, but can you get to the point, sir?"

"Of course! I am simply saying that I look forward to your children's development! Especially Mister Inochi's… When he's finally liberated—" Setsuna bites the inside of her cheek, "—he'll truly become one of a kind."

"Oh my, what is this?" Okichi Tokugawa joins the conversation. Why is he here too?! I get he's the son of some businessman, but seriously? Why is everyone suddenly appearing at his hotel?! Sanji, upon seeing Tokugawa, gives him a stare that can kill even me. I nudge him a little, and he shakes his glare out. "To have so many people gathered here at once? If I was an introvert, I'd be shaking in my boots, haha! Ah, jokes aside, it's a pleasure seeing my dear schoolmates and especially Setsuna."

"Okichi Tokugawa, you have gotten taller since I have met you! How's your father doing?" Yotsubashi asks him.

"That's puberty for you, Mister Yotsubashi. And my father is working. He's in a meeting right now, and I am simply enjoying my time at this lovely hotel. Anyhow…" Tokugawa turns to the rest of us, specifically Setsuna and Grandpa, then engaging in a conversation with Yotsubashi. Is he…? Is he helping us? He's taking the attention away from Sanji and putting it on himself. For once, being self-centered is actually helping!

Setsuna backs up and whispers, "For the first time, Okichi is being helpful. You guys felt that Yotsubashi was giving you the creeps, right?" We all nod. "At least I'm not going insane. Dad always told me to be careful around him, and his goons too. If Yotsubashi and Kizuki are here, then some of his other friends are here too."

"Amazing," Grandpa deadpans, "just what I wanted! A corporate squabble. This is why I don't go to the I-Expo. I can't stand businessmen in suits."

Mom groans. "Especially Gajin Nobuto. That guy is as crooked as he gets." Grandpa winces. Wait, is that guy apart of Yotsubashi's gang too?

Sanji smiles and says, "Luckily for me, I barely know anything about the business world."

"That's because you're so absent-minded that you might as well be an airhead, but that's Tsuburaba's nickname," I joke, playfully jabbing his side. He just gives me his cute smile.

I hear Tokugawa bringing his hands together with a loud _clap _. "It really was splendid to have a short yet entertaining conversation with you, Mister Yotsubashi, but—"

"Actually, forgive me for being so persistent, I really do have some things to say to the good people behind you. I—"

"I'd rather not have you bother them anymore, Rikiya." Mister Tokage appears with his resting asshole face like usual. "You should rest tonight. God knows we need sleep. Tomorrow's busier than today, most certainly."

Yotsubashi's eye twitches, but he's still maintaining his smile. "Why, of course, Fuyushiro… Everyone needs sleep, don't they? I hope you have a nice _sleep _yourself, my friend. It has really been a pleasure speaking to you all, and I hope I will see you again."

After saying his last words—really creepily in fact, like he's subtly threatening us—he walks away.

In unison, Tokugawa and Setsuna sigh. Grandpa looks relieved, and so does Mister Tokage. What's going on with these guys? Mom asks, "Is anyone going to explain what's up with Yotsubashi? You four seem to know something."

Mister Tokage explains, "Rikiya Yotsubashi is a very idealistic man, to cut the explanation short. Radical even. That would explain the uneasiness you feel in your chests. Unfortunately, some of his allies are staying here, so you'll probably encounter them at some point. For the sake of your sanity, just ignore them and walk away."

Grandpa grumbles; he doesn't sound like he's convinced. "Right… Anyway, we should tune in for the night. We don't need any more action than we already have."

Tokugawa nods. "I agree, my elder. From what Setsuna has told me, you did a lot today. You have my sympathy."

"What did you tell him, Setsuna?" Sanji asks, sounding a little hostile. Okay, if he decides to punch Tokugawa, then I need to hold him back. As much as I like seeing that rich face of his ruined, Sanji shouldn't be the one to ruin it.

Setsuna awkwardly giggles, taking off her face mask. "Just the basic stuff, like our friends being harassed and stuff. I thought he could help us out a little, and he did try to help, but nothing came out of it."

Mister Tokage sighs, looking at where Yotsubashi walked off to before turning to us. "It's a shame that your trip is filled with stress, not the joy that you had originally expected. What can you do, I suppose… Setsuna, I'm going to my room if you need me. Have a good night." He leaves.

After he leaves, Tokugawa says, "Mister Inochi—"

"I'm going to my room," Sanji immediately replies. Wow, that was surprisingly rude. Funny, but so not like him. I'm the rude one here!

"Same, I need to get out of my costume." I start to follow him—

—And Setsuna stops us. "Actually wait, there's been an error with the rooms. Because of it, you two are placed somewhere else."

Mom giggles. "Oh right, I almost forgot about that…"

Grandpa just looks confused. "When did this happen?"

Setsuna only gives us her mischievous smirk. "You'll see."

* * *

"..."

"..."

"Itsuka."

"Yeah?"

"I'm starting to think there wasn't an error."

"Thank you, captain obvious."

Here's what Setsuna said: _"Here's your new room, guys! Enjoy, have fun, sleep tight, and especially bathe in the luxury of being by yourselves! No one else is up here! Just you two alone! What paradise!" _Then she slammed the door and ran away.

Instead of being in Castor in Room 4603, Sanji and I are in 5101, just four-five levels where half of our class is at. And, I'm not sharing a room with a few of my friends. I'm just sharing a room with Sanji, and him alone. Setsuna planned this from the very beginning, didn't she? She saw a perfect opportunity to "mistakenly" put Sanji and I in one room and hope that something happens between us. God, at least the room is really nice. It's not much of a room but a small apartment.

Once we step inside, there's an open space with a few partitions that extend about three-quarters of the way to the ceiling. They separate the common area, the living room, and the kitchen. There's a door to our right that leads into the probably-perfect bathroom. And going into the living room, there's a door on the left. I'm pretty sure that's the bedroom. I'm also sure that's the _only _bedroom here. Luckily, there's a couch so Setsuna doesn't get what she wants: us sleeping in the same bed.

Our stuff is already brought up here, so Sanji and I needed to bring ourselves and ourselves only. They're laying on the kitchen counter. Glancing at Sanji, he looks around the room with a cute grin on his face. He's so happy that we get to sleep in absolute luxury; he's like a little puppy at the dog park. "Itsuka, there's a mini-fridge with all kinds of drinks in here! I can't even read some of these!"

Too bad he's completely ignoring the fact that Setsuna set this up. I say, "Shouldn't you be wondering about something else?"

Sanji points a finger-gun at me. "You're right: the bathroom. I bet the shower is better than ours! And it doesn't run out of hot water!"

"Not that! There's something way more important than the bathroom!"

"...The beds? I bet they're softer than the clouds themselves."

"No! I mean Setsuna! She moved our rooms so she could put us together in the same space! I bet she's cackling to our friends like some evil witch with a crooked nose! Is she trying to coerce us into winning her bets in the gambling ring Awase set up?"

He takes a second or two to just blink, quietly closing the mini-fridge. "You know it's impossible to understand the fabulous Setsuna Tokage. Besides, are you really that bothered about us staying in the same room?"

Thanks to those words, I'm blushing. I'm _really _not against the idea, but I'm mainly angry that Setsuna has the audacity to do this without our permission. However, there's the issue with our classmates… They're the definition of crazy. Because of them, they're cited as the creators of the word. "N-Not really, no… I'm worried about our friends. You know how they are."

He laughs, leaning against one of the partitions. "I do, and I'm sure they'll be fine. They're mature enough! Remember, we're Japanese! We clean up the stadium after a soccer game because that's who we are! You're so much like a doting mother."

"Hmph, I'm just saying, Sanji! It'll be pretty bad if we cause trouble in a foreign...country? I'm not sure if I-Island is a country, but you know what I'm saying! We are responsible for ourselves!"

"And they know that more than anyone. C'mon, instead of stressing out about them, let's just enjoy the small moments of peace we have. Especially since everything is a lot more chaotic than we imagined…" I'm starting to think about the harassment again, and the crap with Bakugo too; oh, _and _the stuff with Rikiya Yotsubashi. Our lives are constantly being bombarded left and right with things we didn't even know we had to deal with! Sanji, most of all, is in the thick of it.

So… Sanji makes a good point. I end up sighing, walking over to my bags and grabbing them. "Your words aren't gonna melt the stress away, but I'll try my best."

"That's why I'm here. C'mon, let's unpack our stuff." Sanji gets his bags, and we start unpacking. Maybe this is a good time to talk about...everything. I would've talked to him back at the I-Island Academy, but I was too focused on getting him away from Melissa's annoying schoolmates. They were jerks, honestly. Some of them were gossiping behind Melissa's back, insulting her because she's Quirkless. I was gonna give them a piece of my mind, but Sanji wouldn't let me. People are assholes to literal geniuses all because they weren't born with the right genetics—and really sweet guys like Sanji. Melissa and Sanji deserve everything nice.

_Zip!_

Oh crap, I forgot my hairbrush. "Dangit, I can't believe I forgot to pack my brush!"

Sanji unzips a side pocket of his bag and takes out a hairbrush. "Here. I had a feeling you might forget yours."

"Wow, I don't know if I should be thankful or insulted," I crack a little joke, catching the hairbrush after he tosses it to me.

"Heh. Anyway uhm, think this is a good time to talk?" he asks after pulling out a plain white shirt. "About y'know, pretty much everything that happened today? We have Midoriya, Bakugo, me becoming hotter than Todoroki—"

"Pfft, no offense, but it's impossible to literally be hotter than him. But yeah, this is a good time to talk. Setsuna isn't trashy enough to place bugs in here—at least that's what I hope." I'd say it's too much effort to plant bugs, but it's Setsuna. She would go the extra mile and then two more miles "just because".

"Yeah, anyway… A good start would be Midoriya. You must be thinking, 'Oh man, why did you fight him, Sanji? What did he do to you?'" he states, doing dramatic hand-motions to further his point.

"Well, you usually have a good reason for everything, so let's hear it."

"Okay, uh… You know how me and Midoriya are the only two who will have an AP Level of over 10,000. That makes us very influential in the world; everything that happened today is evidence to prove that claim. Yet… There's a fundamental difference between us. It's our beliefs. It's the 'why' in 'Why are we fighting?'"

"Really? You guys always had differences when it comes to heroism. You even had a small argument back when you were fighting Catharsis. Why did it come to a head now?"

"David's testing," he answers, "I won't discuss everything, but long story short, he was able to find that I have the rarest Quirk Type in existence—an Origin-type. It's a lot to explain which I won't do now, but to make it simple: Origin-types are guaranteed to be stronger than the average No.1 Hero."

I blink. "...What?"

Sanji stops unpacking and stares at me, his eyes darting around the room. "I just said I have an Origin-type."

"Yeah, I heard you. But what you said last… You are stronger than most of the _average No.1 Pro? _Like you aren't joking with me right? You can beat Monarch, Valjean, Odysseus, and All Might in a fight together?"

"Okay, I don't know about _that! _And I'm still Quirkless right now! We were barely able to beat All Might!" He shakes his hands. "Wait wait, we're getting off-topic!"

"Oh right, Midoriya has an Origin-type too! That explains how he could destroy a zero-pointer in one punch!"

"Yeah, he nailed it, moving on!" he exclaims, really making sure that we move on. Hehe, I was just playing around with him. "Look Itsuka, you said that we are responsible for ourselves, right? As much as I hate saying this, me and Midoriya… We're uh… How do I say this nicely…"

"You two are more special than us," I finish for him.

"Yeah! We're—" he stops himself, "—ahem, I am not going to finish that sentence because it sounds incredibly bad. But basically, yeah. We are more special than the average person, than the average Hero. Because of that, when I heard Midoriya telling everyone why he wanted to be a Pro Hero. It made me question everything about him."

"Why? He said that he wanted to be the strongest like All Might. He's his role model after all. Midoriya is his biggest fan."

"That's the point. Midoriya sounds more like an adoring fan than a Hero. Everything he does, it's all to become All Might. He's been given the chance to fulfil his fantasy. But—"

"Real life isn't a fantasy," I say, finally understanding his point. "You're saying that you fought Midoriya because he's too self-centered. That explains why he kept trying to punch you during the first half of the fight. His ideals leaked into his technique."

"Exactly. His thought process is, 'If I can't save this one person, then how can I call myself a Hero?' The act of saving validates his satisfaction to be a Hero."

"I got it. But I think you're influencing him, Sanji. I believe that, when he started to use his legs, he realized his mistakes and began to distance himself from All Might's legacy. You're making an impact on him."

"Good." He smiles. "I don't hate Midoriya, not at all. It's just that… that we aren't really compatible with each other. Still, there's this weird thought in my head that I can't seem to get out…"

"Like what? You can tell me."

"Well… One of the traits of an Origin-type Quirk is inheritance. You can either be born with an Origin-type, which is probably my condition."

"Either? There's another way to inherit Quirks other than being born into it? How is that possible?"

"That's the magic of Quirks, I suppose. Moving on, David confirmed that there are other ways of inheriting an Origin-type Quirk, which got me thinking… Midoriya uses his Quirk like he never used it before. Beginning of the year I mean. He broke his arm punching that zero-pointer, remember?"

"And his fight with Todoroki, yeah. I watched it online because y'know… You were busy fighting Suzuki." The mention makes him wince.

"Yeah… I'm casually putting that memory aside." Sanji does a hand motion as if he's literally putting something aside. "Back onto my point, All Might, who also has an Origin-type, is teaching Midoriya how to use his Quirk. We both know that they're pretty chummy together, like master and student."

Wait… I snap my fingers. "When Midoriya joined the dojo, you joked that Midoriya is All Might's secret son! You pointed out how similar they are that they could be related!"

Sanji nods. "Yeah. One similarity is just luck, two is a coincidence, but three is too much. There are too many things similar about them. So… There could be a possibility that Midoriya _inherited _his Quirk from All Might."

Oh God, the implications that this could have. "Holy shit… That would explain a lot, wouldn't it?"

"Not only that… Bakugo calls me 'Shitty Deku', because I'm a shitter version of him. But why would I be a crappier version? I'm taller than Midoriya, my hair is black and white _not _green, and I don't mutter all the time. Our appearance and mannerisms are different, our fighting styles are different, almost everything is different. Let's channel our inner Grandmaster here, our Sherlock Holmes."

I say the thing, "'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'" The quote's from Arthur Conan Doyle, the man who created the greatest detective alive.

"That's right. The reason why Bakugo calls me 'Shitty Deku' is because I'm Quirkless. No doubt about it," Sanji concludes with stern eyes.

I finalize his thoughts, "And so, Midoriya must have been Quirkless. But one day, he met All Might and inherited his Quirk, fulfilling his dream. The World's Greatest Villain is raising Tomura Shigaraki, and The World's Greatest Hero is raising Izuku Midoriya. How about that…"

"...Yup. If we're right, then we pretty much cracked the code regarding the secret we've been teased with. But…" Sanji winces, shutting his eyes and briefly clenching his fist. "Never mind, it's nothing."

He's bothered by the thought. I try my best to comfort him, "If you say so. Look at you, Mister Detective. There's actually a brain in your thick skull after all. Do you think you're actually right?" If Grandmaster was here, he would be so proud of Sanji.

Sanji shrugs. "Honestly, I hope not. The thought of Midoriya being Quirkless… It's weird. I have no idea how to react if this is actually the case. Either way, everything will be revealed to us in due time. Anything else you wanna talk about?"

I shake my head. "Nah, everything else will just be me complaining about how crappy today was." I glance at the bedroom door. "Although… There's a slight issue with, y'know, the sleeping arrangements. There's only one bed."

He nearly spits, trying his best to not laugh right at my face. "So? Are you making me sleep on the couch and not on the almost-guaranteed-to-be-softer-than-Ibara's-hair-bed? Am I a dog to you?"

I open my mouth—

"—Please don't answer that." I laugh, nodding my head at this dork. Really though, is he making me feel guilty? I mean, I wouldn't mind him sleeping in the same bed, but it'll be embarrassing…

I answer, "It'll be awkward and we'll be playing right into Setsuna's trap."

Sanji smirks. "Did you forget that you slept on my chest after Catharsis happened? You were so worried about me that you let yourself shamelessly sleep on me like a pillow."

Wait, how could I actually forget that?! Ugh, too much stuff has happened since then! My face starts to burn up! "Shut up! God, I'm starting to think you care more about sleeping on a nice bed than sleeping with me."

Okay, I could have worded that better.

This idiot stifles a laugh, trying his best to not react to my accidental innuendo. "At least you aren't Tetsutetsu. But really Itsuka, would it be the end of the world? If you say the word, I'll hold your hand or hug you no questions asked. Besides… You know how I am. I function on a few hours of sleep. The remaining time I have, I would go and train but I can't do that here obviously."

At least he isn't Tetsutetsu who randomly does push-ups without being prompted to. Gosh, there has to be a hidden motive hiding behind Sanji's words. "Yeah yeah, I get it. There's something else I'm not getting though. C'mon, you can tell me. Don't make me pull the words outta your throat."

"Well…" Sanji's cheeks grow a very faint blush. It's so faint that you need to strain your eyes to see it, but I see his blush as clear as day. He's making the kind of face that you would only see a few times in your entire life. "I don't like being alone. Back home, I could just train because it was something productive and I would occupy myself. It sounds a little selfish, but it would mean a lot to me if you did this. I mean, if you tell me to, I'll sleep on the couch, don't get me wrong. I don't wanna be pushy."

I… I never knew that. I never knew that he didn't like being alone. I can see why. He was alone for most of his life until we came into the picture. My God, when was the last time that Sanji pushed for _himself? _Maybe that's why he was blushing. Not because of the thought of us sleeping in the same bed, but from the embarrassment of confessing his aversion to loneliness. I have to do it. Besides, it's a win-win situation for the both of us.

I walk up to him and pat his head; his hair is really soft and fluffy—so cute. "You win, Sanji. Tonight, let's just watch movies until we pass out. Does that sound good?"

He gives me a beaming smile, showing his pearly white teeth. "Awesome! Thanks, Itsuka! I promise I won't bother you during the night! Lemme go and change out of my costume real quick!" Sanji takes his bags and duck into our bedroom, shutting the door. Behind it, I can hear him shouting, "Holy crap! This bed is just as soft as I imagined! It's great!"

You're lucky that I love you, Sanji.

_Bzzt!_

That's my phone. It's probably Mom.

Mom: "Heya sweetie!"

Yup, I'm right.

Mom: "So how's your new room?"

Me: "great, so uh"

Me: "me and sanji are sleeping in the same bed"

Mom: "Oh"

It takes a hot second for her to respond.

Mom: "My daughter is finally becoming a woman!"

Mom: "I'm gonna cry"

That's not the reaction I was expecting!

Me: "mom!"

Me: "we are not having sex!"

Mom: "It's a perfectly normal thing for your age!"

Mom: "Wait, do you two have protection?"

Me: "oh my god i'm going to block you"

Me: "we _are not _going to have sex"

Mom: "If you say so"

Mom: "I thought you'd make Sanji sleep on the couch"

Me: "i'm not that cruel"

Me: "he might look like a puppy but he's still sanji"

Mom: "True"

Mom: "Anyway gtg, love ya!"

I sigh.

Me: "ily 2"

Mom: "Mwah!"

_Bzzt!_

Oh, another text. It's from...Midoriya? Speak of the devil…

Midoriya: "Hey Kendo! Can I ask you something?"

Me: "it's about sanji, isn't it?"

Midoriya: "Yeah…"

Midoriya: "Did he tell you about what happened?"

Me: "naturally"

It takes a while for Midoriya to respond.

Midoriya: "I'm not here to defend myself or criticize his arguments, I was just curious about something. Inochi showed me how my technique is flawed so I've been analyzing how he fights."

Ah, I remember that Midoriya has notebooks filled with notes on different people. I guess he's onto Sanji.

Me: "for your notebook, right?"

Midoriya: "Yeah! My Hero Analysis for the Future! I drew Inochi's costume and the equipment he has, and took details about his improvisational fighting style. Right now, I'm at the part about his Quirk, and I wanted to check something with you"

Me: "you know that sanji doesn't talk about his quirk much"

Midoriya: "I totally know! It's just…"

Midoriya: "During our argument before we fought, you probably don't know about it, he said something weird"

Me: "how so?"

He takes a long time to respond again.

Midoriya: "He was talking about my dream and how I wanted to be All Might so badly"

Midoriya: "He said that he doesn't need his Quirk to figure out my dream"

...What?

Midoriya: "I don't think he meant to say it. He accidentally slipped up"

Midoriya: "What do you think it could mean?"

Sanji doesn't need his Quirk to figure out Midoriya's dream? It was definitely an accident that he spilled a few details about his Quirk. But something doesn't make sense. His appointment with David was an hour before his fight. He _couldn't _have figured out some of its mechanisms in an hour despite how smart he is.

Does… Does Sanji know what his Quirk is all this time? Has he been keeping it a secret ever since we met?

Either way, I shouldn't tell Midoriya. Not yet, at least.

Me: "don't worry too much about it, just skip the quirk section and move on"

Midoriya: "If you say so"

Midoriya: "I thought that I should bring it up to you because you know…"

Midoriya: "You two are partners"

Me: "yeah, thanks for telling me"

I put my phone down. I really need to get out of my Hero Costume. I grab some of my clothes and duck into the bathroom, changing into a comfortable t-shirt and more-than-comfortable shorts.

Okay, that's done. I put my Hero Costume in my bag and walk over to the bedroom, knocking on the door. "Sanji, you done changing?"

"Yeah!" he says, "I was just about to take a look in the nightstand and—"

He stops. I can hear the drawer closing shut. Whatever he saw, he didn't like it. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Setsuna planted it. I open the door and walk inside to see my partner having an existential crisis. "You okay? What was inside?"

"You don't wanna know. I'm afraid for Setsuna's safety if you saw it."

"Well, that makes me even more curious. C'mon, I'm a mature teenager, I can handle it." I approach the nightstand and open the drawer—luckily for me, Sanji doesn't stop me—?!

…

Sanji was right. I'm gonna kill Setsuna.

"Itsuka—"

"It's a condom, Sanji."

"I know what a condom is; you don't have to tell me."

"Setsuna literally put a condom in the freaking—!"

"Y'know what—!"

_Thump!_

Sanji closes the drawer and sits me down on the bed, then putting his butt next to mine. "How about we order some food and do a movie marathon like you said? That way, you can take your mind off of this!"

"Fine, but I'm gonna kill Setsuna at some point this week, and you won't be able to stop me."

"Only savages resort to violence so easily."

"That's ironic coming from you."

"Probably, yeah. Anyway, ready to conquer the night?"

"Hehe, you're such a dork, but yeah, I'm ready."

* * *

**Wahhh, it's two days late. I have an explanation. So on Saturday, my mouse decided that it wanted to die and I refuse to post a chapter on my phone because that would be hell. And yesterday, I was dealing with irl stuff so couldn't do it then. At least I can do it now! Also dang, formatting might be a bit screwy on this site. Sorry about that.**

**The next chapter is called: The Hidden Battle**

**Post-chapter business:**

**Sanji and David: Because of David's testing, we find out more about Sanji's Quirk and have some answers. This further reveals the similarities between him and Deku, with Deku being the ninth holder of One For All while Sanji is the tenth heir of Dreams. However, this is a similarity that *all* Origin-type Quirks have. Lian, who we now know also possess an Origin-type, will fall under that description of "the xxth heir of Astral". There is also an explanation of Quirk Passivity that has been teased ever since Honenuki's scene in the Final Exams. This is my reason as to why some people are pretty damn strong despite the fact that their Quirk is completely unrelated to strength. There is something more important established: the power scaling. Origin-type users are established to be the most powerful individuals in the world; though it's not always guaranteed that the strongest *will only* consist of Origin-type users. We have examples of powerful Pro Heroes without an Origin-type (like Odysseus) and with (like Lian). They are the measures of comparison when Sanji eventually begins to grow stronger throughout the story.**

**Because right now, he's starting to see phantoms. Take that as you will, but this is something that I had planned. Of course, if you read the manga, then you know that Deku can also see the past holders. Honestly, that was an unintentional similarity. Thanks Horikoshi for ruining my life.**

**Fight: Well, I wanted to give Deku a headstart on his development. He isn't surrounded by yesmen who keep praising him for his progress because Sanji pretty much goes off on him. He shows Deku why his technique is flawed and beats him up, but it becomes the catalyst to develop *Shoot Style* a couple of months than in canon. Here's why: He's being trained by Master Kendo, a martial artist, and Sanji pushes him off the cliff. Additionally, I also foreshadow him using 20% Full Cowling by making Deku use a 10% Atlanta Smash (which is not a canon Super Move, I made that myself). At this point of the story, Deku is stronger now than he was in canon.**

**Bakugo: This might cause some controversies, but I believe that this was in-character. As it stands, Bakugo doesn't really like Sanji that much. However, during his fight with Deku, Sanji talks about All Might *who is Bakugo's reason for becoming a Pro Hero*, and Sanji lowkey disses Bakugo. It's only natural that Bakugo would be utterly pissed at Sanji, going as far as to assault him out of anger in front of a crowd of almost 40. But with this incident, I also let Valjean criticize him because I do think, like Deku, Bakugo needs some criticism for once in his life.**

**Kamakiri and Honenuki: For Kamakiri's scene, just some needed fluff. (Quirkless is a bitch yo.) And for Honenuki, I wanted an example of 1-B getting harassed about Sanji instead of just going "yeah it happened" in a passing remark. Originally, I wanted to write a scene where Setsuna, Itsuka, and Sanji go around I-Island Academy with Melissa. However, I ended up cutting this scene out because this chapter was getting long as it is. So unfortunately, Itsuka explained what happened in a passing remark.**

**Speaking of Itsuka...**

**Itsuka's scenes: First scene is just the usual setting up for the big bad. Re-Destro knows that Master Kendo was spying on them and the gang is generally creeped out by him. In the next scene, Setsuna is exercising her godly power over us mortals. She forces Itsuka and Sanji together, hoping that they will sleep in the same bed, which does happen. It also develops more of Sanji's character believe it or not, because he expresses his distaste for being alone. Though, the highlight of this scene is Sanji piecing the puzzle together. He's smart enough to sit down with the information he has and draw a conclusion from it. And guess what? He's right! But he doesn't know that for sure, so he'll keep it at the back of his head. Just like how Itsuka will keep that Sanji knows about his Quirk all along at the back of her head.**

**The Chapter Itself: God damnit, my chapters are getting longer and longer. I have a reason: It's a big arc. I have to introduce a lot of new things and the characters have to digest just what the hell is going on. Hopefully, with the Fireworks Festival, the chapters will be shorter.**

**The Hidden Battle: But hey, it sounds like we're finally getting into the action next time. Finally.**


	46. The Hidden Battle

**Sanji Inochi**

I have a dream.

One moment, Itsuka was sleeping beside me exhausted after watching a ton of movies, and in the next, I felt a warmth overtaking my body. I'm not entering my Mindscape, it's a different feeling. So I must be dreaming.

But I can't dream. I _don't _dream.

For my entire life, I never once dreamed. It's terribly ironic especially when my Quirk revolves around exactly that: dreams. I can't say I'm unfamiliar with dreams because I know how they work. I know what they do.

They're the things that let you experience what nature considers to be impossible, then once you wake up, you will most likely forget your experience as if it never happened. They are the painting to a man's psyche, detailing their inner desires and hidden fears with their own mind as the Picasso.

So… What is my dream telling me?

I open my eyes.

There's a raging fire all around me, filling the midnight air with crimson red as if it was a scene from hell. There are destroyed buildings, scattered debris, and the barely visible bodies surrounding me like I killed them. I smell the faint scent of blood, I can even taste some of it in my mouth. My ears can only hear the fires, but just barely, I can hear the faint crying of sirens in the distance, grieving at what was lost because of this catastrophe. It's the picture of destruction; it's what movies would depict a national tragedy.

I'd say that I have this dream because of the ungodly amount of American action movies I watched with Itsuka, but I beg to differ. I can't exactly explain how, but this scene feels so different, too different to blame this dream on action movies.

I mean, I can't recognize this place. I'm standing in a city, but I can't tell _which _city, or even the country I'm in. I can be in Japan, South Korea, or even Brazil. Maybe my brain just couldn't find a location, or the damage was so severe that you can't even identify where you are.

C'mon Sanji, why are you having this dream? Why _now _? Is it because of David's tests? Maybe because my barrier in my Mindscape is cracked? What is my brain trying to tell me? Do I secretly enjoy seeing the world burn? Or maybe this is what the future will bring when Setsuna eventually takes over Japan and establishes a dictatorship? One is more plausible than the other, in my opinion.

I…

_Click… Clack… Click…_

Footsteps, they're behind me. They're slow, uneven. I can hear the dread within those steps, almost like a man who lost everything. I turn around and see a dark figure, slowly walking down the street with his body wobbling. He's hurt and dazed. I can't make out any specific details about him, but he's a little taller than me.

"Hey!" I call out to him. "Are you okay?! What happened here?!"

The man doesn't respond. He keeps walking through the destroyed street. Almost falling over himself, he gets back up and keeps walking as if that's the only thing he can do. I should go after him. No use trying to stay put.

I follow him, making sure to avoid the debris on the ground, but it's almost impossible to walk steadily. You can't even see the asphalt. Everything is covered with a layer of ash, then heaps of trash on top of that.

"Sir, are you listening to me?!" I shout, trying to get his attention again. He doesn't respond. I don't think he even realizes that I'm here, chasing after him like a lost kid trying to find his father. He continues to traverse down this path like it's self-inflicted torture to atone for his sins. And yet, just like him, I walk down this very same path.

The man's figure is slowly revealed before my eyes, becoming a bit more clearly with each step. The darkness that was draped around him is casted away, being replaced by a dim and blurry white light that envelops him completely. He stops just ten meters ahead of me, looking up at the destruction and fires that blaze around us. And again, I don't think he notices that I'm here.

With careful steps, I approach him. The light becomes blurrier as the gap between us is closed little by little by little. It's so blurry that I can't even recognize that it's a man standing before me; that he's even a person.

"—!" I try to speak, but nothing comes out. The words are lodged in my throat. I can only open my mouth and struggle to make a sound, but I'm literally speechless.

I'm right behind him now.

Dread and fear rises in my chest. I want to scream. I want to shout. There's a crushing feeling against my chest like someone is pressing a car against my lungs. I'm struggling to breathe—I can't breathe. My body is almost paralyzed—almost all of my muscles refuse to move. Yet my right arm—only my right arm—I can move that. I slowly raise my arm, reaching out for the white light—reaching for the man—while I suffocate.

"—Ah—"

A series of images flash before my eyes.

Smiles—

—I can hear distant voices—flashes of a home—

—a room—outside—the sun—blurry faces—then the smell of blood—

—there's a fire—the smell of ash—worry builds up—

—panic, heart racing—my heart is pounding!

I suffocate further—can't breathe—I can't breathe. I can only panic—my muscles don't work—my body is shutting down—I need to scream—I might die—I might die from suffocation—my heart is beating too fast—way too fast—I'll have a heart attack! My head is pounding—jackhammer to skull—make everything stop—it's too much—it's too much! I'm gonna die—it's inevitable—this is too much! It's—?!

_SLAP!_

"Snap out of it, Sanji!" That… hurts. What just happened? Oh God, I feel so hot. My heart is beating so fast that I could have a heart attack. Why am I shaking so much? God, why do I feel so scared? Ah right, Itsuka… She's awake… She slapped me out of whatever-that-was. "What the hell was that?! I woke up to you hyperventilating! You were shaking, and shivering, and _God _, I almost thought you were dying or something!"

A sense of disgust wells up in my stomach. For a brief moment, I feel like I want to vomit, but I push that feeling down. I wipe the sweat off my face, but there's too much to wipe. Holy crap, I really thought I _was _gonna die… In a quiet voice, I ask her, "C-Can you… Can you get a towel for me, please?"

"Of course. I'm getting you some water while I'm at it," Itsuka replies, getting out of bed and leaving the room. I blink just once, and before I know it, she's back with a towel and a glass of water. How did she get here so fast? Am I just perceiving time faster than normally? God, I don't know I don't know… I need something to get my heart to just _slow _down. Just _slow it down _for only a moment…

"Th-thanks," I stutter out before I dry the sweat off my face and arms, putting the towel on the ground afterwards. Itsuka sits down next to me, laying her back against the bed stand watching me with concerned eyes. We sit there in silence for seemingly an eternity, but it has only been about a minute. I drink the water she brought me—room temperature, not the worst thing in the world… My heart slows down a little; it's still beating fast though. I take a heavy gulp almost like I'm trying to swallow a plum.

"...Are you feeling better?" Itsuka asks, finally breaking the thick silence in the air.

"A-A little," I reply with another stutter. I sound like I'm back in middle school honestly. Back when I was weaker ."Thanks Itsuka… This is kinda awkward, isn't it? I'm sorry that I woke you up."

Ah… When was the last time when I felt this vulnerable?

I put my water back on the nightstand as Itsuka moves closer to me, making our shoulders touch. My body's cooling down. I don't feel like sweating my entire weight out anymore. Even then, my heart just can't stop racing. I have to make an effort to breathe. It's like I've been bashed on the head with the anxiety stick. Itsuka notices me heaving, and without hesitation, she takes my hand in hers, holding it tightly. I can feel how strong her grip is, but she's holding my hand so gently. Her hand is warm, soft…

"Sanji," she says in a comforting voice, just as comforting as her touch, "what happened? When you woke up, your eyes were glowing white again. Did you have some sort of nightmare?"

I sigh, gripping her hand in response. "Something like that." If my eyes were glowing white, then it has something to do with my Quirk. I predict that it has something to do with the crack in my Mindscape; that has to be the only answer.

"Do you wanna talk about it? It's just us. No one is listening," she offers, but I still feel uneasy. I… I don't know what to make of this. I don't know what to think or do. Should I even tell Itsuka? What will she say? How will she even respond to this? We were just having fun watching movies, and then, I woke her up from I-don't-know-what! Just thinking about the implications this could have, it's making my heart pound against my chest.

"I…" I begin, and already, I'm having trouble getting the words to come out of my throat. It feels like I need to pull them out with my hands in order to tell the truth. "I… God, I don't know if I can describe everything that's going on, Itsuka. I'm sorry, but I don't think I have it in me."

After saying that, I let go of her hand and sink into our bed, letting everything my body be covered by our blanket. Itsuka frowns, being upset that she isn't able to help me. I mean, look at her eyes. Why is she giving me that look? "Oh Sanji…"

I form a small, weak smile on my face. I'm still heavily breathing, but it's less noticable and apparent than earlier. "Why are you giving me those eyes?"

"I'm worried about you, you dummy," she answers, leaning over me. Her frown deepens from her eyes to her lips. She slides her hand under the blanket, putting it over my heart. She's startled from how fast my heart is beating. "God, I don't know who's gonna get a heart attack first. Me, for being so stressed out about you; or you, because your heart is beating like a hummingbird's wings."

"Wanna make a bet?" I joke, dryly laughing. That was a terrible joke and a terrible attempt to lighten the mood. The air is still thick with awkwardness and tension. "We should go back to bed. Well, _you _should go back to bed. I don't think I can go back to sleep after this."

"I wouldn't be able to either if that happened to me," she quietly responds, laying down with me and taking her hand off of my chest. Itsuka lays on her side, and I lay on mine. We face each other. If I move up just a little, our foreheads would be touching.

I know those eyes. She has so much to say to me. "What do you wanna say, Itsuka? I know you have more than a few words for me."

"Yeah, I do, but I'm not gonna yell at you. Who do you think I am? Bakugo? No, I'm just… I'm just really concerned. Not only you're keeping stuff about your Quirk to yourself, you're keeping this locked up too. It's not healthy to bottle things like this up. If you need someone to talk to, I will drop everything and lend a ear. I could be saving a cat from a tree and I'll still be at your side within the minute. That's a joke, but I really am serious…"

Hearing those words, my heart begins to slow down. I can feel the genuine kindness and concern from her voice. Each word, each syllable, everything is meant to comfort me. Not to yell, not to berate, not to scold, just to comfort me… Itsuka won't belittle me, won't insult me… She won't do any of that.

"I know," I find myself responding with my voice quieter than hers. "You're really sweet for saying that, but I'm fine. Well, I _will _be fine, don't worry. It's just a one-time thing, we'll forget about it soon enough."

"But that doesn't excuse the fact that you're not fine _now _. Sure, you'll be okay in the afternoon or maybe in the morning, but not now. Your heart is still rapidly beating, right? You still feel anxious, right? I know you're not fine."

Even if I try to lie, she'll see right through it. I don't have the courage to affirm her assumptions. God, she's absolutely right; I just can't find it within myself to say that she's right. With the hesitation in my voice, that's the answer she needs.

"Jeez… Lay on your back for me," she asks.

"Why?"

"Just do it. "

I do what she asks, laying on my back. Itsuka moves over and lays her head on top of my chest right over my heart, cuddling close to me. She sucks in a breath, hearing my beating heart drumming in my ribs, drumming like I'm about to enter a warzone. From the suddenness of her action, I anxiously exhale with chills running throughout my body, striking my skin. "I-Itsuka… You don't have to do this."

"Why is it different?"

"Huh?"

"You told me that, anytime I give the word, you will immediately hold my hand or give me a hug, no questions asked. You are so ready to give me support, but whenever you need support, you push me away. Why is it so different, Sanji?"

"It's because you shouldn't worry so much about me. You really shouldn't. Like I told you, it's a one-time thing. This will never happen again in the future."

"You don't know that. We're both hoping that this is just a 'one-time thing', but we can't know for sure."

"So is that why you're so adamant on doing this? You really shouldn't make yourself do this for me."

"I _want _to do this. Just as much you want to support me whenever I need a shoulder to lean on. We are partners, y'know? It's only fair if I reciprocate everything you do for me."

_I don't want to be a burden. _Those words choke up in my throat, kinda like tears welling in your eyes. "I really don't think you should do this. I'm giving you _my _word, and that's it."

Itsuka hugs my arm tighter. I can feel her soft breath against my chest, seeping through the fabric of my shirt and warming my chest. "Overruled. Besides, I can feel your heart slowing down. You need this, Sanji."

I can't deny that. I can feel my heart coming back down, beating at the rate it's meant to beat in. I can feel the uneasiness melting away, being replaced with a gentle warmth that's spreading throughout my body. I can feel my fingers and toes tingling with a pleasant sensation, like they're telling me to keep indulging myself. My body is yearning to let Itsuka continue to hold me, to let her comfort me as much as she wants.

I can feel a quiet heat in my heart; I can feel my cheeks growing warm with a faint blush.

Barely, above a whisper, I respond, "You know I won't sleep, right? Even if you say that you'll stay awake for me, you won't. You'll eventually fall back asleep."

"Then you could pull yourself away from me if you want. I won't be able to stop you," she says.

"You won't threaten that your Kendo strength will prevent me from escaping? That your grip is so strong that it rivals Olympians?"

"When I'm sleeping, I'm as strong as a cat after eating a big meal. If you really think what I'm doing is wrong, then you really can just pry me off of you and that's that. Like I said, I won't stop you."

"You really won't, huh?"

"Yup. I'll be at your mercy, Sanji. Just so you know, what I'm doing is right—at least to me. Even if I comfort you for only a second, it's worth it. It means that I can see your cute smile, because I know you'll be happy. That's all I want, Sanji. It's just you being happy."

"You won't scold me for not caring about myself? You won't do any of that?"

"Not tonight. If you refuse to care about yourself, then I'll make up for it by doing this."

"I see… You're really stubborn, Itsuka."

"So are you, but at least we have something in common."

"Heh, yeah…"

Slowly, Itsuka lifts her head up to stare at me. She's blushing; her blush is worse than mine. "Say, this was an argument, right? Ready to make true on our tradition?" Our tradition…? Oh, she means that. Guess my words are coming back to haunt me.

"Right, only for one second, just because you asked." Itsuka smiles, resting her head back onto my chest. I put my arms around her. One of them loops around her back while the other has my hand against her head. As soon as I hug her, as soon as I hold her close, the warmth that's flowing throughout my body becomes hotter, becoming a gentle fire. Instinctively, I don't pull my arms away. I fight against my instincts just a little, but I lost the battle before it began.

I _don't _want to pull my arms away.

I _want _to stay like this.

"Sanji," Itsuka mumbles, "you're hugging me a lot longer than 'one second'."

I glance at her. Her hair looks like silk honestly, and she smells amazing—mixture of beautiful, scented flowers. I reply, "Good night, Itsuka."

She lets out a small laugh. "Good night, Sanji."

Before I realize it, Itsuka falls asleep, just like I said she would. I can't tell how long she stayed awake until fatigue took over her. Now, I can pull her away. I can stop hugging her; I can stop this.

But…

She feels warm. This gentle heat that's flaring up in my chest, in my heart, in my face, everywhere…

I don't want it to end.

Even though my thoughts say, _I'll stop hugging her after a few minutes _.

A few minutes pass, and I say that again.

A few more minutes pass, and I say that again.

And again, and again, and again; continuing for the entire night.

* * *

"Ah, Baihu! You're up early."

"...Same to you?" Lian's sitting in the lobby with a book in his hands. The title is _The Emphasis on Quirks _by an author that I don't recognize; his name is American though. Lian knows Chinese, English, and Japanese; that's impressive. "You enjoying your read? What's it about?"

Lian looks at the cover and laughs, closing the book with his thumb still inside, resting on the page he stopped at. "Nothing much, frankly. It's the same social commentary swirl you often find in most books in this genre. You heard of Wahrmann before. Baihu?"

Oh right, Wahrmann. I know him because Suzuki used him as evidence that I'm a mentally ill man. Yeah, fun times. "Mhm, haven't read any of his books though. He's a philosopher right?"

He nods. "Look at you, being an intellectual! That's right though, Wahrmann is a philosopher around when All Might sensationalized the world. He was the one who 'introduced' the thought of Quirkism, which is summed up as 'Society pushes the best Quirks to the top while the terrible and villainous Quirks—and especially the Quirkless—drift towards the bottom of this draconic caste system.' Sauerism is a more of a...extremist version of this. Thank goodness he didn't take over Germany for long." Sauer… Right right, he's the guy who tried to take over Germany during the Origin of Quirks. He did actually, but his reign was cut short due to him being assassinated.

"Heh, I'm not much of an intellectual as you might think," I comment, sitting down next to him. "Though, I've definitely faced some 'backlash', to put it lightly, because I'm legally Quirkless and whatnot. Rin told you about it, right?"

Lian smiles and nods, looking straight ahead at the Greek cafe. They're actually open right now, though not many people are inside having a drink. "Of course. Rin admires your determination despite adversity, Baihu. Say, between you and me, did you become a man last night?"

"What?"

"A man," he repeats with a sultry smirk, "you slept in the same room as your little fire. Something exciting was bound to happen." Yup, something exciting like a panic attack—I actually researched what happened to me—and ended up cuddling with Itsuka for the rest of the night because she made me do it.

I give him a smile, which has a hint of sarcasm in it. Though, I can't deny that I'm feeling a little fire in my cheeks right now. "Don't be a pervert, Lian. Nothing happened between me and Itsuka. She's still sleeping in our room." Yup, simple as that. When it was early morning, I finally decided to get out of bed. Thankfully, I didn't wake her up.

"That's a shame. She's enamored with you. Your classmates enjoy your being here too. Finally, it seems the world is starting to favor you," he says, taking his thumb out of the book and putting one leg over the other.

"Yeah… Speaking about luck, can I ask you something? It's about your Quirk," I tell him. If there's a time to talk about Astral, it's now. I need to get some more information about Origin-type Quirks, and Lian has exactly that.

Lian's eyebrow perk up, and so does a golden smile that's almost as bright as the sun in overcast. "What about it? I explained a little about my Quirk to your class, but Astral has more aspects to it than you might think."

"I know," I say, taking a deep breath in, "you… you have an Origin-type Quirk."

As soon as I said it, Lian looks at me in slight disbelief. Then, just afterwards, he lets out a laugh, smacking his leg as his long, golden hair flutters around like the wings of a mockingbird. "I should've known, Baihu! That's the reason why you have the potential to be a real monster; it's because you have the rarest Quirk Type in the world. When you reach your prime, you'll be just as strong the Top Ten combined."

"I wouldn't exaggerate my strength that much…"

"I'm not exaggerating. Right now, I could challenge All Might to a fight and we'll be evenly matched. The reason why I'm not the No.1 Pro Hero in China is because my father hasn't retired yet, but once I come into the spotlight, I'll quickly scale the ranks and dominate the leaderboards. We are the ones that the world will push onto its mantle, but—"

"We shouldn't belittle those who are less fortunate. Everyone matters." Especially someone like Melissa. She's Quirkless, but she's the smartest student in I-Island Academy. Yet her accomplishments go largely ignored because she wasn't born right.

"Exactly. If the world didn't discriminate based on how many sparkles your Quirk creates, we would see geniuses sprout all over the land. Anyway, enough of this topic, you asked me a question, didn't you? How about I ask you one first? What generation are you?"

What generation am I? Oh, he must be talking about me being the tenth heir. "I'm the tenth. What about you? Are you the tenth too?"

Lian shakes his head. "No, the seventh. Your ancestors must have died young if you're the tenth."

...I don't know how to respond to that. "Okay, I'll just smile and nod."

He laughs a little, patting my shoulder. "Lighten up! It's actually somewhat fortunate. As generations go by, Origin-type Quirks typically become stronger through each iteration."

"I see… Astral must be a powerful Energy-type Quirk, since y'know, it's an Origin-type."

"It is. I'm able to emit energy attacks through any part of my body, being able to control nearly every aspect, like its concentration, size, shape, et cetera. Concentration is the most important part in my opinion. If I use my power at 100% and attack the right places, I could destroy a large part of I-Island." Ah, it's like All Might and Midoriya. If they use their Quirks at 100%, destruction is all but guaranteed.

"Can you channel Astral internally?" I ask. "Since Astral is also an Accumulation-type, then you might be able to channel the energy internally?.Like being able to move around easily, not being rooted to the ground."

"I can't, one of my brothers can but he's the only one. The best we can do is use our energy attacks to propel our body like how Bakugo uses his Explosions.

"Did you go through a Quirk Awakening and gain the ability to grow wings? If so, I have some questions."

Lian chuckles, scratching his cheek. "Ah, _did Rin tell you? _I'm joking of course. No… Well, you see, each man who inherits Astral has two key aspects. One determines their strength, and the other gives them a trait unique to only them. The strength-determining aspect is called 'Color', and the trait-determining aspect is called 'Quality'. Color existed ever since the first ancestor awakened to Astral, but Quality appeared ever since the fourth generation.

"Color is determined on… Well, the color of your attacks. I'm gold, my father's black, and my grandfather's azure. My brothers emit green, light blue, and purple. If you have every man who possessed Astral and lined them up, we would create a rainbow, darling! Hehe, I thought up that joke for a long time, but I'm finally able to use it on someone that isn't family! Back to the point, our Color determines the strength of our Astral. We kept a hierarchy of different Colors. I was the first one to be born with gold, but it was ultimately determined that I had the second strongest Color in the entire history of the Fei-Longs, with the strongest being white—the Color that my first ancestor had."

White, huh? Maybe that's why he holds me in high esteem. He knows that white, the Color in Astral, is stronger than him. And of course, my dominant color is white. "I understand. Is that why your Hero Name is 'Shangdi'? Your father's Hero Name is the same name as the Black Tortoise, and your grandfather's is the name as the Azure Dragon."

Lian nods. "That's right! How intuitive of you, Baihu! Color determines your Hero Name in our family. Because I was the first one born with gold, they gave me 'Shangdi'. Wasn't my first choice, but it's a nice name nonetheless. Because of my Color and my natural talents, I was easily determined to be the seventh heir. Though, my Quality had a massive impact too.

"Like I said before, Quality has appeared ever since the fourth generation. It's the trait that makes you _you _. Think of it as the 'quirk of a Quirk'. Remember when I told you that only one of my brothers can internally channel Astral? That's his Quality—Internal Channeling. My other brother has Energy Absorption, meaning he can absorb any energy he takes and recharges himself like a battery. As for me, my Quality is External Manifestation. Allow me to demonstrate."

He opens his right hand. From his palm, a small orb of golden energy comes alive. "Normally, whenever you discharge energy, the attack has to stem from your body. It cannot magically appear five meters away from you. However, External Manifestation ignores this rule."

Then, just a few meters in front of us, another golden orb appears out of thin air. "That is what External Manifestation allows me to do: manifest my energy attacks in the immediate space around me. The limit is two meters. However darling, if your imagination is big enough like mine is, this opens the door to a world of new techniques and abilities that were previously considered to be impossible."

Both of the orbs disappear. I guess he's able to dispel them whenever he wants. But holy crap, Astral is impressive. It's not like Hado's Quirk where her attacks are limited to spirals. Astral has a wide variety of different attacks that Lian could do, and with External Manifestation, he could easily beat many Top Ten Heroes, No.1 Heroes too even! What does this imply about Dreams though? Is there an equivalent of a Color and Quality? I'll think about this more later. I say, "Thank you for explaining, Lian. This gives me a better idea of how my Quirk could function."

"Ah, don't mention it, darling! Once you know more about your Quirk, and better yet, awaken to it. We ought to have a proper fight between you and I! I'm curious to see who will win." Oh, he actually does want to fight me. Thank goodness he doesn't want to fight me _now _when I'm still Quirkless.

"I'll be fine with that. You promise that you won't kill me, right? Your Quirk sounds incredibly dangerous," I ask.

"Quirks have a habit of being 'incredibly dangerous', Baihu. Anyhow, are you ready for what today will bring? Think you'll have another fight?"

"God, I hope not. I just want today to be fun. No one harassing me to join their club, no one pushing me against a wall, I just want to spend time with my friends."

"I'll help you. After all, I only came here to visit Lin." Ah! That reminds me of something!

Awkwardly, I scratch the back of my head. "About that… Why are you the only one here? I would think your siblings would tag along, right?"

Lian sighs, his face looking glum. "Well, Lin is the black sheep in our family. He wasn't born with Astral, which made him a natural outsider. Our brothers didn't know how they could help him, and our sisters didn't know how to either. I was the only one who reached a hand out to him. Our siblings don't hate him, they just don't know how to interact with Lin. The same goes for our mother, but our father… He's a rabbit hole that I won't get into."

"At least he seems happy now. You made the good choice of sending him to Japan. He's been apart of our class ever since the first day of school. In terms of class role, he's the mature man who isn't afraid to call you out, especially me," I tell him, which forms a smile on his face.

"Good. He deserves a family that will accept him. And hopefully, he'll find a woman and I'll be an uncle. I won't be afraid of spoiling my niece or nephew. I will literally give them the world, just watch!"

"Heh, I'd like to see that," I reply, leaning back against the couch. The world is pretty dang complicated alright. I feel like I got dropped into a volcano. Please God, just let me get through this trip without dying. If I have to fight Shigaraki, then I'll be really mad. I—

"There you are, Sanji!" Ah, that's Itsuka! She woke up already? "You weren't in bed when I woke up. I was kinda disappointed, honestly. I mean—"

Why did you say that, Itsuka? As soon as she said that, she sees Lian who's sitting right next to me. She quickly realizes her mistake, and I put my hand on my face. My cheeks are growing warm again. That's my little fire doing what she does best…

Lian smirks. "You two were sleeping in the same bed, I hear?"

"You heard nothing, Lian!" Itsuka snaps. Her hair is down and not tied up in a ponytail like usual; she's objectively adorable. "Just purge what I said out of your memory and move on!"

Lian stands up and bows. "I'll do what you ask, little fire. In fact, I have already forgotten what we were talking about! I am a very absent-minded man."

I raise my hand. "That's my thing."

"Ah, sorry about that, Baihu. Unfortunately darlings, I have somewhere to be. It's incredibly important, a matter of life and death even."

Itsuka crosses her arms. "Your point is…?"

Lian turns towards the elevator. Coincidentally, it opens, letting a few businessmen walk out. "I was actually stalling for time."

"You what—?!"

_SPRINT!_

"I have something to say to you, Lin!" Lian runs towards the elevator.

"You bastard, get back here! I don't care how strong you are, I'm gonna tape your mouth shut and throw you out a window!" Itsuka shouts, running after him.

And I'm left behind.

Well.

This seems like a good time to get some food. Oh crap, I didn't bring my wallet with me.

Dammit.

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"Is there a reason why you called me here?" I politely inquire, taking a gentle hold of my warm cup and sipping my espresso. The aroma is deliciously fragrant, and the taste matches the smell. Though, I can't say the same for the conversation I'm partaking in, especially with the man in front of me. "As much as I enjoy drinking an espresso in the morning, I do question why you brought me here, Valjean?"

Valjean sits at the other side of the table. He ordered a regular coffee. His hat is sitting in the middle of the table, reminding me of a scene from a movie taking place in the Wild West particularly when Valjean is wearing his Hero Costume with chains weighing down on him. His eyes lock onto mine, taking on a serious demeanor. "It's about Claude. Where is he, anyway? I also wanted to talk to him."

"Where's your daughter?" I return a question, making him scowl. If you encounter any parent with pride in their hearts, asking them about their child is a surefire way to rile their emotions. Master Kendo is a good example of this.

"She's with Victoria and Eliza, eating breakfast with them," he answers. I suppose Cosette has a lovely family of powerful Heroes. No one would dare harm her.

"You're fortunate that you have so many powerful Heroes defending her, including yourself," I comment. "As for Claude, he's dealing with something personal, but he told me he will be here. He never breaks his promises."

"Alright… Before we throw our drinks into each other's faces like civilized men, can I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not. Like civilized men, we're having a conversation without throwing our drinks into each other's faces."

"Haha," he dryly laughs and crosses his arms. "Anyway uhm, I wanted to ask you about Claude's time in Japan since he turned away from France and never looked back; to be honest with you, he had more than enough justification to do so."

"Of course." I put my drink down. "He's a lot happier in Japan. Even though he's a foreigner, he integrated himself into our culture quite well—you don't see that often. Despite his notoriety in the international world, he was registered as a Pro Hero in our Hero Public Safety Commission and has the same rights as every Hero. He loves Japan, and he enjoys being at my side solving crime and exterminating evil."

"That's great. He deserves a life like that after what happened to him. We're lucky that he didn't enact revenge against the rest of us. Thank God that he isn't a vengeful man. You don't know human potential until you've seen a good man on a vengeance."

"Oh, I'm inclined to agree. I arrested a few individuals who enacted revenge on others. Those were the more violent cases in my career. Not as violent as a deranged serial killer who was born sick in the head, but still violent nonetheless."

Valjean sighs, taking a quick sip of his coffee. "Yeah… Remind me, you're taking Armory as your future intern, right? I overheard a few things here and there; it pays to have good hearing."

"As expected from the No.1 Hero in France," I say, cheering to his name by drinking more of my espresso. "And yes, I am alongside Kendo and maybe Tokage. Claude is fond of our interns; he treats them like they're his kids. You should've seen our last internship. Then, we had Togaru Kamakiri and Manga Fukidashi—Sanji Inochi too, naturally—because no one would take them, and Setsuna Tokage tagged along. We had an...interesting week."

"Because of the Musutafu Suicide Spree? Remember, it made international news. Japan was already suffering from high suicide rates, but to make international news? It was _really _bad."

"Every country has its flaws, I'm afraid. That's one of them," I admit; you cannot just ignore the abnormally high suicide rate as much as we want.

He nods. "Like men. You can see where I'm going with this." I most definitely can. When Claude was framed for Jeanne d'Arc's assassination, the country of France called for his head. Thankfully, capital punishment was abolished; though, it didn't help that the average man wanted to lynch him. The Pro Heroes in France did everything they can to see Claude put behind bars for the rest of his life, especially Hugo Veilleux, who was known as "The Chains Hero: Valjean".

While Claude was a Sidekick to Jeanne, he was friends with Valjean to their connection to famous French novels. Claude said that they were good friends, almost like brothers. That made the "betrayal" worse. Valjean, who was angry more than anyone else, was the very one who arrested Claude. And he was one of the few Heroes who actually advocated for his death. However, when I came along and absolved him, the news was hush-hush about his release. France didn't want the public to know that they were wrong, but they also never apologized, especially Valjean.

"Yes, I can see," I say with my voice slightly trembling with emotion. I drink the rest of my espresso to drown my emotions out.

"Why did you absolve Claude anyway? Did you do it out of the good of your heart? In the name of justice?"

"Mhm. The real perpetrator was enjoying a good life at the time, so I had to be the one who'd ruin it. To let Claude be tortured in prison would go against everything I stand for. Having him come stay with me in Japan…" I smirk. "Well, it was a unexpected, but pleasant surprise."

Valjean laughs, having a sad smile on his face. "If he had stayed in France, he would've been turned away at every door. It'd seem he was the real Jean Valjean with a dash of Edmond Dantes. I like the old saying 'Life imitates art', but by God, I'm happy that life didn't imitate art in this case."

"Indeed, but we should actually have a conversation about what you want," I say, cutting to the immediate chase. It's obvious what Valjean wants. "You want to apologize to Claude. It takes a strong man to admit his mistakes."

"Yeah, it's the least I could do. Do you think he'll accept it?" Valjean asks, locking eyes with me. Eyes are the window to a man's soul, I hear. Judging from a man's eyes, you can see their genuine self; what I'm seeing now is a man who is sincerely apologetic for his past actions and words. Hugo Veilleux is an authentic man, and an even more authentic Pro Hero.

I sigh, putting my elbows on the table and interlocking my fingers together. "I don't know. Claude went through literal hell while he was in prison. He's still suffering from the long-term effects to this day."

"Ah, poor bastard. Well, I just wanted to ask to gauge whether or not he'll punch me in the face," he replies, and—

"—Should I punch you in the face, Hugo?" the man of the hour introduces himself, standing at our table as beautifully as ever. I exchange a quick glance—and smile—with Claude before Hugo laughs to himself, taking his hat and putting it on.

"Perfect timing, Claude. I was talking to your partner here about… Well, we were talking about you and your antics—I'm putting it bluntly," he says while Claude puts a hand on his hip.

He looks at me first. "My prince, did you tell Hugo about us? Have you been gossiping like one of those ladies getting their brains sucked out in a beauty parlor?" That's an oddly specific comparison, but incredibly fitting.

"Huh?" Valjean squeaks.

I shake my head. "Not yet, and those things don't suck out their brains, Claude… They'd be dead."

"I know that, but still! Who would willingly stick their head into those machines?! It's like burying your head in an anthill for 'skin treatment'! The only skin treatment you'll receive is having the same complexion as an overripe tomato!"

Valjean raises his hand, stopping us from bantering any further. There is a peculiar expression on his face, as if he realizes something shocking like he's stepping into uncharted territory. "You two are partners in ways more than one? Hehe, I won't lie to you Claude, but I had a sneaking suspicion."

Claude gasps, putting a hand over his heart. "Yes, but just so you know, I am offended that you said that, Hugo! Besides, I didn't know I prefered the other side of the fence until I met Shindeka." There is a slight blush on his face. The only time I see him blush is when we're alone. "Anyhow, let's not discuss this further. The elephant is out of the room, that's it."

"Request granted," Valjean says, tapping the table like he's physically removing the topic from the conversation. "Still, I'm glad that you showed up, Claude. For a second, I was worried that you wouldn't."

He stands up from the table, facing Claude directly. They're about the same height but Valjean is a little taller. I'm still sitting though, watching the two men. I don't need to be in this conversation. This is a conversation that they need to have by themselves—with a small audience curiously watching them. Valjean _is _the No.1 Hero in France after all. It's only natural that people's eyes would turn towards him.

Claude sighs, putting a hand against his head, his eyes turning downwards towards the immaculate wooden floor that almost sparkles in the sunlight. "I have to face my past at some point. In fact, with Shindeka, our current case involves nothing but facing the past. It has a few connections to what happened all those years ago."

"Damn, really? You have my sympathy then. I'd offer my help, but we oughta get this out of the way first." This raises a good question: Does Valjean know about All For One? The only way he could know is through the U.H.N., but they have it on a need-to-know basis. Anyhow, All For One is a threat located mainly in Asia. He rarely does anything himself outside of the continent. That's why he's well-connected.

Claude picks up his head, looking Valjean in the eye. He's not turning away from him, yet I can sense that some of the painful memories are returning. "Alright, I already know what you're aiming for. Let's hear it, Hugo."

Valjean nods, putting a hand over his chest. The other cafe-goers silently tune in like they're watching a drama show. To be fair, our lives would make for good TV. "I want to apologize to you, Claude. I'm even doing this in public where others can watch us, as you can clearly see, they are. I wanted to say that I'm sorry that, well you know, everything turned out to be complete and utter shit, and I was deep in that shit too. I—"

"—I think that's enough, mon ami," Claude interrupts him with a soft, but sadden smile. "You don't have to embarrass yourself further; I was never that kind of man and I never will be. Tell me… You're genuinely remorseful about what happened in the past?"

"Of course I am. I saw a lot of atrocities, but the biggest atrocity was what happened to you. I was apart of the reason why you have those scars on your body, and I was apart of the reason why your mind has scars too. An apology isn't enough to fix what happened, but I think taking small steps is better than taking large leaps."

"I agree with that sentiment," Claude says, glancing at me for a brief moment. "Tell me, Hugo, are you still drinking that coffee?" He points to Valjean's drink, which is about half-full.

"Uhm, I hope so because I paid for—"

_SPLASH!_

"—it… Why didn't I see that coming?" Valjean asks himself right after Claude threw his own coffee in his face. At least it wasn't scorching hot. Claude knew that and took the opportunity when it arrived. Personally, I wouldn't resort to such tactics, but I'm not the one who was constantly abused in prison for a crime he didn't commit. If anything, throwing coffee on Valjean's face was one of the more harmless things he could do.

Before Valjean grabs a towel, Claude does it first, handing it to him. "I agree that an apology isn't enough to mend the gap, but coffee can, don't you agree? Consider us even, Hugo. I've been meaning to do that for a while."

Valjean laughs, drying himself with the towel after his coffee washed his face. "Jesus Christ… I can only imagine, ha! Are we really square, Claude?"

"Oui, just like your head; just like your heart," he replies, deflecting some of the eyes of the people around us. They're whispering in confused voices. "On second thought, maybe we should've taken this in a private space… Oh well, I don't see any phones out. No one will believe that a random Frenchman threw coffee on _the _Valjean and laughed about it."

"I'm sure Valjean's quite satisfied with this," I finally rejoin the conversation, finishing my espresso and standing up.

"I sure do, don't get me wrong," Valjean says, putting the towel on his chair. Some of his hair is still wet with coffee, and I can smell it from where I'm standing. "I was expecting a right hook square in the jaw."

"Ah, I wouldn't do something so cliche. Punching is so barbaric. It's better if you kick someone, they wouldn't even see it coming!" Claude sarcastically comments, putting his elbow on my shoulder.

"I'm inclined to agree, but I'm not one who advocates for unnecessary violence," I add before Claude's phone buzzes in his pocket. Taking his elbow off of me, he takes out his phone and exclaims in shock.

"Ah right, I forgot! Shindeka, we have a meeting to go to! Master Kendo's at our hotel waiting for us! He just texted me to complain, saying that he'll 'drag our sorry asses' if we don't get there in the next thirty minutes." Oh, we've been caught up in the excitement that I actually lapsed on a meeting with Master Kendo. Him and Claude are investigating a possible threat regarding Rikiya Yotsubashi and his goons. They want my input. It's something to busy myself while I wait for Hakan to come back to me.

Valjean frowns, knowing that we have to leave. "I guess that's my cue to find out what scheme Victoria is conjuring up with my daughter. I'll talk to you later, Claude." I clear my throat. "You too, Grandmaster."

Claude nods, patting my back. "Of course. Small steps, right Hugo? Let's take small steps like a toddler learning how to walk."

"That's right. Just small steps," Valjean repeats.

I nod, being the first one to head to the exit. Claude follows me out the door, and we start to make our way back to our hotel. My partner opens his mouth to say something, but he's soon interrupted by hasty footsteps. It's Valjean again.

We turn around, seeing him standing on the sidewalk still damp from the incident earlier, but more apparent as the sunlight shines over him. "I almost forgot, you two… The new case you're working on, it's linked to Jeanne's assassination, correct? Do you need my help? I don't know much, but it sounds incredibly dangerous."

I shake my head. "It has the potential to be, yes, but we don't require your help. Not right now, at least. Don't worry, whenever we need a powerful friend, you'll be the first one we'll call on."

Claude nods. "Oui, the very first one. It pays to have friends in high places, especially No.1 Pro Heroes."

Valjean sighs, scratching his neck. "Lucky you. Knowing what's going on in Japan, it probably has to do with Shigaraki. You know that I'm the first one to jump on the opportunity of locking up a brat like him, but he obviously has a mentor. Do you think you can take down their entire scheme?"

I try to answer, but Claude stops me by putting a hand on my chest. With confidence, and with sincerity in his heart, he replies with an astounding voice, "Naturally, we're Pro Heroes after all. When our world inevitably cycles through its period of chaos and unrest shrouded in a seemingly unconquerable darkness, we are there to ignite just a small bauble of hope, uttering just two words—just two, but massive words—that sum up the entirety of human wisdom: Attendre et espérer."

Wait and hope.

* * *

"Let me restate the figureheads we're dealing with:

"Rikiya Yotsubashi, the CEO of Deternat, a lifestyle support company for mutants.

"Chitose Kizuki, the executive director of Shoowashya Publishing, a media outlet.

"Koku Hanabata, the leader of the Hearts and Mind political party.

"Gajin Nobuto, the CEO of Ronin, a Hero support company.

"Kabeya Rugami, the CEO of Bastion, another lifestyle support company.

"Hiro Takaiki, the director of Quirked Minds, a Japanese newspaper founded right around when the Meta Liberation Army was making rounds.

"And Geten, just a random white-haired man who looks like a woman."

Master Kendo nods. "Yup, that's all of 'em. Nobuto is who Hayami complains about the most. Apparently, his company bullies his opponents until they go out of business. It hasn't happened to her yet, but she's just waiting at this point."

Claude lays on our hotel bed with his fedora on his chest. "These suits are up to no good. Master Kendo eavesdropped on their conversation and they sounded quite villainous. They're suspicious of us too, since Yotsubashi found out that Master Kendo was there the entire time."

I glance at Master Kendo who sighs. "Yup, I got caught but after the fact. No doubt that those bastards are keeping a closer eye on us _and _on the kids. It seems like the Tokages and that Tokugawa kid know what's up with them."

"Wait, the Tokages know about this?" I ask. "Can we not just ask Setsuna Tokage about Yotsubashi and his gang of misfits?"

He shrugs. "I _would _, but she's probably forced to keep it a secret by her father. As much as she trusts us, I don't think she'll blabber. In her eyes, the less people who knows, the better. It's exactly like One For All, which considering we're on the topic, how's the thing with Aldemir going?"

"He hasn't responded yet. He told me that he has to handle business regarding the Order of Assassins, so it's completely understandable that I have to wait."

"Think this Mystic business is worth it? What if he's a dead end? Both literally and figuratively. Let's say he's still kicking. Why would he help us? He prolly feels guilty as hell for what happened in Busan."

"Maybe, but any information regarding the history of All For One-slash-One For All is valuable. Having an ally who could help will be even better. Hakan Aldemir stated that they, the U.H.N., don't have records of Japan in the Vigilante Era, and we know how many apocryphal stories there are during that age. Unless All Might has a notebook regarding the history of One For All…?"

Master Kendo shakes his head. "He can barely write his own name, so I really doubt it. Toshi, as strong as he is, is a total lughead. Anyway, I get your point. We're flying with our windshield covered in mud."

Claude adds, "And on top of that, our engine is on fire and one of our wings was clipped off. In terms of strength, we are outmatched one hundred to one. A man with thousands of Quirks is a disaster."

Master Kendo frowns, looking at me. "What got his pants in a twist? You guys met up with Valjean, right?"

"Well—"

"I'll answer, don't worry," my partner steps in, sitting up. "Hugo, well Valjean, apologized. It was an uncomfortable situation all around. Then you know, we have to talk about All For One and his antics, which involved my incarceration and everyone knows what happened after that. On top of that, we have whatever the corporate suits of Japan have organized which is undoubtedly villainous in nature."

I gesture to Claude. "Exactly that. I don't mean to drag the mood down, but the odds really are stacked against us. If we consider the strength of all Japanese Heroes, All For One is still stronger. If Yotsubashi's group is against him, then that's amazing. If not, then we're even more in trouble. That's why you came to us, right Master Kendo?"

"Yeah, I already hated Kizuki before with all that bullshit about my kids, about U.A., anything she could get her dirty blue hands on. But if these big wigs really are dangerous Villains, then we oughta see what we can do else we'll have a Villain coalition on our hands. If we get into a war with them, we'll experience some heavy losses," he replies.

"Agreed." I open my notebook. I took some notes about this earlier when Claude brought it up to me. I already theorized that Yotsubashi was apart of something shady, and this confirms the thought. In my notebook, I have the names that Master Kendo gave me with notes about each individual. Deternat is one of the most popular companies in lifestyle support, and I heard they're going into heroism. They're trying to expand their reach and it'll be easy. On the internet, there's conspiracy theories that Deternat is a front for something more sinister. Some said that Yotsubashi is trying to take over the Japanese government, or that he's a pawn for another country like the United States or China to take control of Japan's economy. All of them are equally far-fetched, but with this new information, I can safely cross off any foreign influence. With Yotsubashi's connections, especially like Koku Hanabata who's in the Japanese government, he can very well wage war against Japan.

But why? What for? He's rich. He has anything he could ever want! Satisfaction is at his fingertips, but considering he's a Villain, he's not satisfied. Thus, it has to be about our current world. He wants to "fix" society to an image he desires. That's his motive. Looking at Master Kendo, I conclude, "Judging from his status as a fairly rich man, that narrows down his motive. Yotsubashi wants to reform our current society."

Master Kendo snaps his fingers like genius struck him. "That's right! Fuyushiro Tokage mentioned that Yotsubashi is an idealistic man! A radical! Only radicals are insane enough to tear down the pillars that are keeping the house standing. God, that old fart gave me the creeps. And don't say anything, I know I'm an old fart too."

Claude says, "We're not that much younger than you, Master Kendo. Both Shindeka and I are in our 30's. Age aside, at least we know why Yotsubashi has followers, who then have more followers behind them. Mon Dieu, I wager they want to liberate us from the chains of society or whatever. Let them be gluttons on their own delusional ideals, I'd say. History has shown us drunkards drunk on their own ideals doing harm more times than doing good."

We, Master Kendo and I, both frown. It's best to let Claude sulk. He'll be fine by the afternoon. Though, Master Kendo is in thought. Something about Claude's words struck a chord in his brain. "Funny that you mention that… There was something off during my conversation with Yotsubashi last night. When he was talking about Sanji, he wanted to see him 'liberated' because he'll 'truly be one-of-a-kind'. It honestly sounds like Meta Liberation Army stuff."

It honestly does. They are obsessed with the liberation of Quirks, and in the context of Yotsubashi's comment, it was very well centered around Inochi's Quirk. I wouldn't be…

Wait.

Rikiya Yotsubashi… Chikara Yotsubashi, the grand leader of the Meta Liberation Army…

"...It's actually the Meta Liberation Army," I mutter.

Master Kendo's mouth drops. "Eh?"

Claude's mouth does the same thing. "Uh, speak louder?"

I speak up, "Rikiya Yotsubashi is leading the new Meta Liberation Army! His family name is literally the same as Destro's! On the internet, there are theories that Yotsubashi is more than he seems. But one of the most prominent theories is that he is a believer of the Meta Liberation Army! It's been documented that he donated to a fund that supported the soldiers of the original M.L.A. movement who weren't arrested! There's a whole rabbit hole to jump into; believe me, the theory itself was riddled with holes and wild assumptions, but some of the evidence was solid!

"Rikiya Yotsubashi is in command of the newest iteration of the Meta Liberation Army!"

"Fuck."

"Jesus Christ."

Master Kendo rubs his mouth, processing what I just said. "That makes sense, honestly. Fuyushiro was wary of Yotsubashi, and I didn't think anyone could do that to him. But _damn _, these people are trying to start _another _revolution?"

"It's probably on a smaller scale this time around," Claude says. "The first time, Destro focused on gathering allies around the world while also making their cause known, giving them a lot of attention. It backfired since each country was able to prepare for the attacks made by the M.L.A. and eventually imprison Destro."

I put my hands together. "Assuming the current M.L.A. isn't trying to have an international force, then they most certainly have a national force. They have key members in high positions in corporations, in the government, and surely in the heroism industry as well. God knows how many soldiers they have. Rikiya Yotsubashi must have been planning this for decades. They have a chance at overthrowing the Japanese government, I'd say."

"Think the Safety Commission knows about this? They might be understaffed, but they're not stupid," Master Kendo asks, but I shrug my shoulders.

"Most likely, but I'm not sure. That's information classified to high ranking members, and even then, we don't know if _those _members are apart of the M.L.A. or not. Now I see why the Tokages kept this a secret. They're sitting on a massive conspiracy which thankfully, they aren't apart of," I answer.

Claude suggests, "Then we oughta do some research, don't we? We should take a gander at the Quirk Registry List. Their Quirks should be listed there, so if we ever get into a fight with them, we won't be fighting blind."

"Good call. I'm going to keep my kids away from those pricks," Master Kendo promises, his eyes already scrolling through ideas in his head. "I'm not gonna confront Fuyushiro about this yet, 'cause we got ourselves into one serious situation. Ugh, dammit… I wanted to come here to enjoy a nice trip with my family, but nope! We have to deal with the second coming of the M.L.A.! God gave us the middle finger, fucking hell…"

"That's one way of putting it." Claude finally stands up, grabbing his laptop from his bag. "Now then, how about we be Heroes for once? Our kids are counting on us after all."

I nod. "For once, I would enjoy handling one problem at a time. I suppose there's no rest for the wicked."

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"Monoma dude, how could you?"

"How could I what?"

"You won the freaking contest! How the hell did you win?! Not only you kicked our asses in the vote, you kicked Kamakiri's and Pony's ass too!"

"Well, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but Kaibara and I are a cute couple, and an _actual _couple. To think that you would resort to faking a relationship… I taught my friends well."

Shojo huffs. "Oh, be quiet! I got the idea from a manga! Besides, you didn't even pick a good prize! You just took the biggest stuffed animal they had! And it's a dolphin! What would you do with that?!"

Monoma, who's holding his comically large dolphin that's just as tall as Manga, says, "Hang it on my wall as evidence of my conquest? Alongside my other trophies?"

Awase frowns, giving Monoma the biggest stink eye imaginable. It's so rancid that I can smell his eyes from where I'm sitting. "Dude, you're gonna regret this. This will be the first and only time you will _ever _get a one-up on me and Shojo. Especially Shojo, 'cuz she can make you cry until you run out of tears."

"I _can _do that! My Quirk is honestly terrifying and I should wield it responsibly," Shojo comments with a cute smile. "But I'm not afraid of torturing you! I'm not in the Hero Course after all! I'm just the support class! A mage! A priest! That means I can debuff you to hell and back! Just watch!"

"Yeah, just you watch, Monoma!" Awase cheers his adorable shorty on while Monoma looks very unimpressed. His dolphin even more so. I gotta say: I'm disappointed. From the fake relationship fiasco that went on yesterday, neither fake couple became a real couple! They were focused on Monoma's sudden entrance and his even more sudden victory! Togaru was fuming and so was my sweet little Pony; she rarely gets upset! Then we have the disaster duo: Awase and Shojo. Awase made so many comments about her thighs that it outnumbered the amount of times I tease Sanji and Itsuka. Shojo _has _to catch on to Awase's feelings, right? Ugh, who knows? She's so hooked up on mangas that she might be thinking, _Awase is just a shameless pervert! He doesn't actually have feelings for me! _Yes he does, you dense girl. Ugh, why am I even arguing inside my head?

"Setsuna, I see that you are enjoying the banter of our fellow classmates," Reiko says, joining me at the table! Why, I'm always happy to have a pretty girl like her to talk to. She has her face mask down.

"Trying to get in the shade like I am?" I ask as I spin myself around to face her. Behind Reiko, Tsuburaba is watching Tetsutetsu do a bunch of pull-ups at a game. From the looks of it, if he can do one hundred, he can win a prize—Tetsu is trying to do one thousand. Sounds like him, honestly. If you ask him to go on a walk, he'll run a marathon.

Anyway, that's enough about Real Steel. Reiko nods, having a soft smile on her lips. "As much as I like the sun, too much can and will be the death of me. Thank goodness though. We have not ran into those pesky recruiters yet."

"Aw, don't jinx it. They'll be hounding over us in a couple of hours; I'm willing to make a bet on that. But let's not talk about them! We're literally at I-Island, one of the most technologically advanced places on planet Earth! I-Expo is a place where Heroes like us can just hang out and chill! Throw in a few friendly fights here and there, and we got ourselves a vacation to remember!" I exclaim as beautifully as ever while Reiko sits there and listens to me ramble. Yeah, I ramble a lot, but my rambling is so charming that everyone naturally listens to me. I have that effect on people.

"This is already a vacation to remember, I'd wager. On the first day alone, we witnessed a tree being kicked into Inochi, the incident with Bakugo, being hounded by annoying recruiters, and this morning, apparently Itsuka and Inochi slept in the same bed? I heard that Lian yelled that in your tower?"

Oh right! That happened this morning! Haha, my dastardly scheme worked! I knew that there'd be the option of Sanji sleeping on the couch, but I hoped that they would sleep in the same bed! And according to Lian, they did! It's a shame that I wasn't able to put any cameras in their rooms because apparently, it was "incredibly illegal" and "so immoral that even the worst people in the world would judge you". Well I'm sorry, but I will literally destroy the world if it meant that I could see these two sharing a sweet kiss.

"Apprehended him? Not peacefully, because just like Monoma, she chopped him dead. Rin was horrified that someone killed his brother, but at least he got resurrected when Sanji mentioned breakfast."

"Rin's brother, to say the truth, terrifies me slightly. He's a powerful Hero certainly, but his personality is so vibrant that it drains my energy. I'm afraid that is the consequence of being an introvert."

"Luckily, you got me, an extrovert. I adopt every introvert I see, especially Sanji!" I say, crossing my arms and holding them close to my chest.

Reiko's head tilts a little to the left—my left—confused about what I just said. "Inochi is an introvert? Are you mistaken? He seems far from it."

"Oh, believe me, he's an introvert. When I first met him, he was a shy guy who wore a hood to hide himself from the crowd. He used to stutter whenever he spoke. Honestly, he did a full one-eighty ever since then," I explain. If only Sanji was with us now. He's in another group probably flirting with Itsuka.

"I see. He really changed that much? I'm pleased to see that you had a positive impact on him especially considering his status at the time," Reiko compliments me like the darling she is before glancing at Awase trying to steal the dolphin from Monoma. "Ignoring whatever Awase is doing, are you prepared for the gala tomorrow? I know that the entire class was invited to the Early Access Event, but only some of us are attending the gala itself, correct?"

I nod. "Yup and yup. I got a beautiful blue dress that compliments my jagged teeth perfectly. As for our companions, only a few of us are going to the gala. From off the top of my head, it's me, Sanji, Itsuka, Yui, and I think Momma Kendo is coming too—my dad's obviously attending the party. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jurota's bringing you, Rin, and Honenuki."

"That is correct as always, Setsuna. It's a shame that the entire class isn't attending, but I understand. Having all of us in one room will surely spell disaster and we would ruin the entire gala, spell its destruction and bring shame upon the legacy of U.A., and extension, Class 1-B." Reiko rambles a little. She's always been a formal, verbose woman. Sometimes, some of us need translating what she says into normal words, kinda like Yui Speak.

"Itsuka would have a heart attack if everyone was going to the gala. One: We wouldn't make it on time because _someone _—cough cough Awase cough cough—would somehow delay us by an hour. And two: She loves us, but she also hates us. Case point, look at Sanji. I know how—"

Reiko interrupts me, "I'd rather not have you go on a tirade about them again. I mean no harm, but you ramble about them a lot."

"I know I know! I hold them dear to my heart, Reiko. I am a romantic pure and true, sweetie. Love loves to love love, and so does the heart; beats beating to the beating beats."

"Most certainly," says her, who has her hands hanging from her wrists like a phantom haunting me, "if I may ask—"

"Of course you may, and may I answer?"

"Heh, yes you may. I would like to ask how you're so confident and jovial despite everything God has thrown at us. You were bullied for quite some time, you felt responsible for a woman's suicide, and now this? How do you do it?"

"Well, I mean…" That's a bit of a hard question to answer. "I just push through it, y'know? I allow myself to cry, but I don't allow my tears to become concrete or whatever. You just gotta push through because everyone is expecting you to. I'm a prodigy, so _of course _I gotta show what I'm made of. I'm just itching to show the world what I, Setsuna Tokage, got in store."

"You push through the mud onto dry land but do you ever wash the mud from your own boots?" Reiko asks. "Needless to say, to allow the mud to fester on your legs, they will harden and become the concrete you speak of."

"Of course I wash the mud or whatever answer you want out of me," I say with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm perfect as perfect can be. I mean, we've known each other for years, haven't we?"

Reiko corrects me, "About five months."

"Five long years."

"Months."

"Decades."

"Setsuna, no."

"Setsuna, yes."

"...I see." Reiko's small smile turns into a small frown. Yeah, I kinda made the topic change. That was intentional this time. For the other times I did that…? Uhm, that's just me being me. Like I said, I have a habit of rambling about random stuff that comes to my mind.

_Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!_

That's my phone, and it's Dad. I look at Reiko and she nods. I stand up and walk to somewhere private, taking the call. "Hey Dad, what's going on? Didn't see you this morning."

On the other end, I can hear distant voices of businessmen and women chatting. "I had an early meeting, but I found time to call you. Is everything well on your end? I don't hear any explosions nor any blood-curdling screams, so I'm assuming your classmates are behaving themselves."

"Just about yeah." I look at Awase, Monoma, and Shojo again. "I mean, do you count being assaulted by a large stuffed animal in the shape of a dolphin count as pure anarchy?"

"Violation of human rights while practicing animal cruelty in an odd manner. If it was anarchy, they'd be eating the dolphin alive while chanting 'Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood' but I digress. Did you encounter any pestering individuals that I should keep note about?" Ah, that's his way of making jokes.

"Not yet no. It's almost noon, so I'm guessing that they'll come out of the woodworks in a few hours from now. Is that why you came to call me? To check if we still have beating hearts?"

"Essentially, yes. Your classmates are incredibly chaotic and unpredictable. Even though you do not have a set schedule for this trip, that doesn't mean that your classmates will behave as proper adults. Giving freedom to teenagers can be a fickle thing. It's the line of separating the mature from the immature, and I raised you to be on the former."

"That you did, yeah. Thanks to you, I'm with my amazing friends trying their best to enjoy I-Expo. It's a lot better when you have people to enjoy it with, y'know? Instead of just being cooped up in a hotel room all day watching nothing but movies and ordering room service, I'm out here laughing and smiling."

"...Yes, that you are. I'm…" Dad clears his throat. "Sorry, my throat was getting dry. I'm satisfied with how the trip went overall, since you already made connections with other No.1 Heroes. Your future is getting brighter by the second."

"Imagine the people at the gala. Hopefully, it won't turn out like last time." Dad almost got assassinated, but at least Sanji saved his life.

Dad doesn't say anything for a few seconds. "Speaking about the gala, we'll have to do things differently this year."

"Hmm? Differently how? We just took a ride to the central tower like always." I actually know this already, but I'm just asking him so I don't look weird.

"Well, you have your companions who will also be attending the gala. I have to be at the central tower earlier alongside other prominent business heads. At the Gemini Hotels, you have to remain there until a limousine picks you up. Fortunately, Miss Kendo is acting as a chaperone and can lead you in my absence." That's right. Okichi told me that this year's gala is different from the rest. There's a lot more people, breaking the previous record. I don't know why exactly, but I-Expo wanted the business executives to be there earlier than everyone else. Yotsubashi is one of them. When he's gone, his friends too, me and Okichi can take a quick gander at his laptop and get what we want, head out, then go to the gala like nothing happened.

Humming, I respond, "Sounds like a plan. I'll tell everyone else if you don't tell them already. If our entire class was going, you would give them a long lecture on etiquette."

"Oh, I am already going to give them a long lecture. I will squash the small chance that your friends will embarrass themselves, and most importantly, embarrass myself, namely that Honenuki boy. Actually, I'm only lecturing him."

"I...don't blame you. Honenuki is a really smart guy, but he needs a good smack to the brain to get those maturity gears going."

"I'm glad we agree. Anyway, another meeting is starting up. I'll speak with you later, Setsuna."

"Love you."

"Mhm."

Dad ends the call. Okay, the only thing I have to worry about is tomorrow. Stealing data from the Meta Liberation Army itself. That can be a plot to an action movie honestly. The plan itself is simple. With the leaders of the M.L.A. at the party earlier, I can use the time between their departure and _my _departure to sneak into Yotsubashi's room. He won't bring his laptop to the party because who the heck would? So I can just plug in the stuff, get the stuff I need, then get out with the stuff. My Quirk makes things so much easier, and Okichi will be my lookout. His Quirk is actually useful because he can hear any potential threats. I'm starting to have high hopes for this operation. Ah, I didn't even give it a name yet!

How about this…

_Operation Reverse Liberation!_

That's a good name, right? Ah, I know that's a good name. Success is right at my fingertips, I just know it!

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

"Perfect! You look absolutely dashing, Inochi." Monoma uses his fingers to create a picture frame with me as the muse. It's a quite fitting comparison considering that the hotel is Greek-themed, and the word "muse" itself is from Greek mythology. That's something I learned on this trip along other things like hair gel and what a cufflink is. I'm not very keen on dressing up, especially for big events like the gala. There are so many ways to mess up that it's utterly terrifying; just make a mistake and it'll be _the _mistake.

"Y-Yeah, thanks for doing this, Monoma. I had a feeling you were good in suits considering you wear one for your costume," I say, adjusting my cuffs so they feel comfortable. Setsuna brought me this suit because she wanted me to look "so handsome that Itsuka will faint" and because Mister Tokage wants me to be the most presentable as I can. He thought last time—at the gala that almost got him killed—I looked "passable", which isn't good but at least it wasn't terrible. Gotta up my fashion game here, and I got the perfect friend to help me.

Monoma nods, flashing a smug smirk. "Of course! You'll be the envy of the party, yet I can't help but notice your stutter. Are you nervous, Inochi? You rarely get nervous."

"Well, I can easily mess something up!" I exclaim. "Mister Tokage is expecting me to not screw up! But there'll be all kinds of important people at the party! Including Heroes! Sure, I can just hang around everyone else, but y'know, I'm supposed to be someone special. There's no doubt that I'll be forced to talk to someone powerful."

"Ah, you'll be alright! You can just turn on your charm and wow them with your earnest honesty and desire to do good!" he assures me, but uhm…

"I don't think my 'charm' is like a light switch, but I get your point. Just act like myself and pray to God that I don't screw things up. Why aren't you going to the gala anyway? You'd enjoy something like this, especially since a lot of 1-Aers are coming too." My question makes Monoma scoff like 1-A doesn't deserve to be talked about. That's his arrogance in action alright.

Monoma crosses his arms, leaning against the wall with an even more smug smirk than before. "I, like you, have my limits. I don't want to spend my night talking with old men chatting about Quirks. Sure, they are a few amazing individuals coming to the party, but I personally think it isn't worth it, even when 1-A is also there. I won't be able to humiliate them because I'd be thrown out of the gala within the second."

"That's...true. So I'm guessing I'm gonna chat with old men about Quirks all night, huh? Well, people are obsessed over my Quirk, so it'll be the same old same old."

"In their defense, you're one-of-a-kind. Everyone wants to see what you can do, Inochi. Especially me! You'll probably be able to beat the Terror Trio of 1-A and ground them to dust!" he cheers with enthusiasm about killing my fellow schoolmates… Yay. I know he's joking, but I rather not challenge them for bragging rights. I mean, I'm probably gonna fight Bakugo anyway because _he's Bakugo _, but still…

"I'd rather not be praised so much for something that I haven't done yet, or if at all," I say, showing my discomfort, but I'm not too bothered by it. Being complimented too much, it doesn't sit right with me not one bit.

Monoma nods, obliging. He looks around my room, and Itsuka's too technically. "I'm glad to see that Tokage set you and Kendo up with a nice room."

"Oh, she set more than one thing up, that's for sure," I respond, referring to, uh, me and Itsuka sleeping in the same bed. At least yesterday, when I had my panic attack, she was there to comfort me. If she wasn't there, I wouldn't have asked for help; I would've just sat there drenched in sweat. Last night though…

_"Sanji, are you gonna have another panic attack again?"_

_"I won't! How many times do I have to say it? It's just a one-time thing. My first and last time, okay? Don't worry about me._

_"Ugh, you know it's impossible for me to _**_not_**_worry about you. No matter how many times you say 'Oh Itsuka, Itsuka! Don't worry about goofy little me! I'm right as rain,' you will always contribute to 50% of my stress."_

_"Alright, if we argue any more, we won't get anywhere. So how about this: how can I help? What do I have to do to lift some of that stress off your shoulders?"_

_"Really? Would you do anything for me?"_

_"...I'm scared of what 'anything' entails, but yeah. Anything that's both legal and moral. I'm not gonna rob a bank for you."_

_"Hehe, I would ask you to rob a jewelry store not a bank. Anyway, I got a good idea. How about you _—"

_Poke!_

Ah! Monoma just poked my forehead! "Inochi, you're staring off into space again. _And _, you're blushing. Whatever could you be blushing about? Did something happen between you and Kendo last night?"

What? I'm not blushing! My face feels a little warm, but that shouldn't be enough to make me blush, right? Y'know what, that's not important! "We didn't have sex, if that's what you're insuitating—"

"I didn't mention sex! Why was that the first thing that came to your mind, Inochi?" Monoma asks. His smirk still remains flashing across his lips, but his smugness has a target in mind: me, Sanji Inochi.

I frown. "Don't gaslight me, Monoma. Your mind is naturally perverted whenever me and Itsuka are brought up."

"Then why are you blushing? You don't blush when you flirt with your partner. Have you finally realized your feelings for her?"

There he goes again with the blush. I pretend that my phone rings, taking it out of my pocket. I turn on the camera and briefly look at myself. I—Oh, I _am _blushing. It's definitely noticeable. Well, that's something to take note of. I put my phone on the table, crossing my arms. "My… My feelings have been the same as always."

For some reason, I feel a small lump in my throat, almost like my body is reacting negatively to my statement. Monoma tilts his head slightly to the right—his left—looking disappointed in my answer. "Oh Inochi, Inochi… My dear friend, you're many things, you practice many values, but denial? That's unbecoming of a saint like you."

Dang, he's really pushing hard for this. I should usher Monoma away. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but I really don't wanna have this conversation. As much as I like feeling this warmth, I'd rather not be interrogated about my own feelings. "Speaking of saints, you should check on Setsuna and Ibara. I'm sure Setsuna is showing off her gorgeous dress to her. You can be there and tease them, because as you know, love is war."

"Love is indeed war, but I know that Setsuna isn't with Ibara right now. In fact, I haven't seen her. Want me to look for her?" he offers with a smile that says, _I know you want to get rid of me, so I'm politely giving you a way to do it._

"Ah, I wouldn't bother her, but you do whatever you want," I answer, and Monoma nods.

"In that case, I'll hang out in my room. If there was a contest of best dressed man, you'd get first place for sure," he says, walking towards the door and waving. "Be sure to praise us every chance you get and belittle those 1-A brats!"

"I'll only be doing one of those things," I tell him.

"Then who would praise us?" he jokes with me, walking out the door as confidently as ever. I think Monoma has enough praise. Before he leaves though, he says one thing, "Enjoy the party, Inochi. Let's hope no one tries to cause any trouble."

I reply, "Thanks Monoma."

I hear his footsteps trailing down the hall before they stop suddenly. "Ah, Kendo!" Itsuka's here?!

"What's with that outfit of yours? Who knew that a tomboy like you could actually look like a proper woman! My goodness, you might be—!"

"Shut up, Monoma!"

_CHOP!_

Oh my God, I heard her chop from here! She truly has the Kendo's fist! It could kill a man with one punch! A loud groan erupts from Monoma, but I'm pretty sure nothing's broken. "You're a sadist, you know that, Kendo? Anyhow, your partner's in your room waiting for you. I'm pretty sure he's listening to our conversation right now."

"Yeah, thanks for sprucing Sanji up. See you later, you blonde rat," Itsuka snaps before I hear her footsteps coming closer to the door! Okay, I need to make sure everything's in order! We, mostly Monoma, worked very hard on this outfit! My current attire is similar to what I wore during my first gala. I'm wearing a white tuxedo outlined in black, but the collar is a dull gold. Underneath my suit jacket is a black vest with a gold leaf pattern through most of the fabric. Then, I have an ordinary white dress shirt with a black tie with a gold leaf pattern as well. What else… Black and gold belt, black and gold dress shoes—pretty sure no one's gonna notice my socks—I got that black fabric thing in my chest pocket, I have black cufflinks which look cool, and what else…? Right, my hair. Monoma used gel to "tame" my hair. My hair is naturally fluffy, going all over the place "much like myself", so Monoma thought it was a good idea to gel my hair. It's slick, sweeping towards the back of my head in nice, even strands. Not a single one looks out of place or uneven; Monoma was very meticulous.

I think that's it. That's what I'm wearing for this gala.

I stand about ten meters from the door with my hands at my lap, waiting for Itsuka to come. Her footsteps get louder and louder, the sound reminiscent of heartbeats. As she approaches, the anxiety in my heart flares up. Why am I so nervous all of the sudden? It's just Itsuka! It's just her, so why is my heart racing? Not like before, goodness no, but the _good _kind of a racing heart, y'know? Like that…

"Sanji!" Itsuka exclaims on the other side of the door, "I'm coming in! I gotta say, Reiko is a blessing when it comes to fashion. She gave me so much jargon that I thought she was speaking another language—"

—Itsuka walks inside.

"—!" Was that my voice?!

Holy crap, Itsuka looks amazing! I knew she would look fantastic, but this beats my expectations and then some! Just from a single glance, my entire body goes up in flames from my head to my toes. My little fire creates a roaring bonfire in my cheeks. God, Yanagi made her gorgeous. The dress isn't making Itsuka beautiful, but the other way around. It's a sparkling jade dress that goes below the knees. Surprisingly enough, there isn't a slit for her legs so her movement is restricted—need to ask her about that. I'm not complaining though, God no. Everything about her dress is food for the eyes. There's a gold pattern of a dragon that goes diagonally down her dress, dazzling anyone who would dare even _glance _at his ferocious face. And uh, her dress clings tightly to her body, highlighting her curves and the things that make her a woman. I'm not a pervert—I'm not trying to be one anyway—but uhm, that's something I noticed; admittedly, it's the _first _thing I noticed. I'm really not a pervert, but ugh! Moving on! Matching her dress, she's wearing jade heels, shoes that I never thought she'd wear. Her red hair is swept back into a bun, but there's two equally-lengthed strands that fall in front of her ears. I can smell perfume too. Itsuka always smelled like flowers, but with this perfume… How can I describe it? Well, in a poetic sense, it reminds me of an open plain filled to the brim with nature's touch, a day after a rainstorm. That's how I'd describe it without actually naming the scent, which probably describes nothing but that's just how I feel!

This is my partner? God, what did I do to have someone like her? My heart's pounding just from _one _glimpse! Just one! Ah, my body is making me smile without my input! It's probably a really creepy smile that'll weird her out! As much as I want to keep looking at her, I don't think my heart can take this!

I'm turning around! Yup, that's right! Just turn around and compose myself! I can't go downstairs looking like this! Damnit, when did I get so flustered about this? The only time I was _this _flustered was when Sakuna Kazeha asked me and Itsuka graphic details about our relationship! Basically, it was sex, but that's obviously implied so I don't know why I thought that! I mean, Itsuka is a very—Nope, my thoughts are tainted now! What the hell, Sanji?! Why are you acting like this today?!

_Whack!_

I slammed my palm against my forehead. It did absolutely nothing! I'm still flustered! "Uhm, Sanji?" Itsuka says with worry in her voice. "Am I that hideous where, with one look I might add, you immediately turned around and slapped yourself?"

"What?! Who would call you 'hideous'?! Show me the bastard who insulted you!" I find myself saying, turning around to find that Itsuka's _really close to me _. Holy crap, I didn't hear her approaching me! Startled, I take a step back and finish, "You're not hideous at all! I'm just, uhm, I'm just very surprised that you genuinely look good for once! Wait, that came out horribly wrong! I meant that you look, jeez how do I put this in words, you really look like a, uh, yeah you look like…. God, what am I trying to say?"

"Gorgeous?" Itsuka suggests. "Stunning, the epitome of beauty, incarnation of Aphrodite, the descendant of Amaterasu, and other dramatic compliments that Kuroiro would come up with? Jeez Sanji, why are you acting like a dork just because I threw together makeup and a dress?"

"Well, uh, you just…" I look down at her, briefly admiring her ocean-colored eyes. "You look amazing, Itsuka. That's what I was trying to say. You look absolutely amazing."

There's the warmth again. It's a lot harsher than before, threatening to roast me alive. Despite the intense heat in me, this is a heat that somehow brings comfort. I have no idea why this heat emerged in me, nor do I know what this heat is exactly, but I know that I would gladly re-experience this a thousand times over. This is going to be a guilty pleasure of mine, isn't it?

Itsuka, having a big smile on her face, steps up and grabs my tie. "It's a little crooked," she says, but I know for sure that it isn't. Monoma was very particular with my tuxedo; he spotted all imperfections and made them perfections.

"Heh…" There's a deep blush in Itsuka's cheeks, and I can feel a deep blush in mine too. As Itsuka slowly corrects my "crooked" tie, I apologize, "Sorry for acting weird… You really took me off-guard. You're really using that Chinese blood in you, huh?"

"Of course. Chinese dresses are amazing." She finishes adjusting my tie, still maintaining a close distance to me. She brings a hand to the side of her face, holding it there with a pretty smile. "Y'know, I never thought I would see you so flustered. I don't like dressing up like this, but if it means seeing you like that, then it's already worth it."

"Ditto," I agree with my heart beats drumming louder in my ears. "I love your dress."

"—Ah?" Her eyes go a little wide, being oddly surprised with what I said. I love her dress. Is that such a shock to hear?

I add, "I really do. I never thought you would wear something that would restrict your mobility. Your dress is clinging tightly to your body, and you're wearing heels! I can't believe you're wearing heels of all things! I—!"

Itsuka takes the hand off of her face and presses her index finger against my lips. "Stop talking already! That's the reason why I don't like wearing these things! It doesn't mean I _can't _wear them, I prefer not to. Thankfully, my dress doesn't restrict my movement too much. I'm still able to kick your ass."

"At least I like your dress," I awkwardly comment.

She sighs and turns around, pacing like she just needs to move her legs. "At least you love it. Anyway, that's enough about me. You look fantastic, Sanji. You look nothing but handsome. Even though Monoma is a rat with a blonde wig, he did an amazing job."

Being awkward again, I scratch the back of my head. "You're gonna make me blush, Itsuka."

"Dummy, you're already blushing!" she exclaims before she laughs. "Now come on, everyone else is waiting in the lobby. I would've texted you, but I wanted to fetch you myself."

"Guess you'll be my date then." I walk up to Itsuka and take her hand. A brief flash of heat goes through my body as I feel the soft texture of her skin, then it fades away as fast as it came. I say, "Let's go."

We leave our room, locking it behind us. There's no one else in the halls except for us. My partner has a silly little grin on her face. "This reminds me of last night, Sanji."

"God, without context, that sounds suspicious," I remark, remembering when I daydreamed this exact thing when Monoma was still here. "Before you came up, Monoma thought we had sex last night."

"Why in the hell would he think that? Just because Setsuna planted a condom in the nightstand, it doesn't mean we'll do _that _of all things, ugh…" She shivers. Somehow, I feel weirdly offended that she's disgusted at the thought.

"Well, I kinda daydreamed in front of his face about our conversation. Apparently, I was blushing and he saw, so he pried and pried until I chased him away."

"Then I chopped him."

"Then you chopped him, yeah."

"Why were you blushing through?" she asks. "All we did was hold hands."

"You know what Shojo says about hand-holding!" I exclaim, using my free hand to do some crazy gestures. "It's lewd!"

"It's not lewd! Do you think two elementary school kids holding hands is lewd? Of course not! It's just an innocent act between two consenting people!"

I chuckle a little. "That's the joke, Itsuka. I can't believe that went over your head—"

_Squeeze!_

With her iron grip, she turns his innocent act into an act of torture! I let out a pained gasp, and Itsuka eases up. "Either way, we were just holding hands. I wanted to avoid another strange nightmare. Seeing you sweaty and panicked really made me worry. I never want to see you like that again."

It's crazy how fast she switches from angry to genuinely concerned. "Yeah, I know. As you noticed though, you had a peaceful sleep last night. You didn't have your goofy partner wake you up dead in the night in a cold sweat." Thank goodness that happened. I would feel so bad if I woke Itsuka up again because of me.

"I'm more happy that I didn't wake up to you hyperventilating and shaking. Anyway, I don't wanna talk about this anymore. It's depressing, and I'd rather talk about the party we're about to attend."

"I can't say I'm looking forward to it. Mister Tokage is counting on us to not, y'know, screw things up for him."

"To say the truth, I don't give a damn what he wants. He's an asshole and doesn't give Setsuna the freedom she needs to thrive."

I remind her, "We talked about this before, Itsuka."

"I promised that I won't be argumentative whenever I'm talking to him. However, I'm still gonna complain about him."

Sighing, I squeeze her hand tighter. "Figured. We should at least recognize that he's helping us regardless of his motives. Like how you're going to act mature at this party. You're not doing it for him, but you're doing it for yourself."

"Yeah, you're definitely right. I mean, I'm not gonna act immature and bratty to get back at him. I'm not that kind of girl and I don't wanna be. Still, do you think we'll get anything out of this party? Besides getting the insider's look on what the future will bring?"

I shrug. "No idea. Monoma said he isn't going 'cause he doesn't wanna talk to old men ranting about Quirks and stuff. Frankly, a lot of people will bother me about the things I haven't done yet. It's...exhausting honestly."

"I can imagine…" Itsuka mutters.

I turn my head towards the ceiling. As we walk, we pass by light after light. "For once, I want to have a conversation with someone that doesn't involve my Quirk. I don't want to hear 'Because of your potential, you'll be more powerful than 1-A!' or 'You're destined to be an amazing Hero! Plus Ultra!'. Everyone is so obsessed about my Quirk that their expectations are literally in the stars, and I'm standing here on the ground looking up at what I'm meant to be—no, what _everyone else _wants me to be.

"I don't like the constant attention that everyone's giving me—our teachers, our friends, and the people we're yet to meet. I don't wanna be a great Hero, because that in itself defeats the entire purpose of heroism. I just want to save those who need saving and defeat those who need defeating. But I'm conflicted, y'know? I _want _to know more about my Quirk, I _want _to use it; I _don't _want the constant attention, I _don't _want the high expectations. I'd say I can't have my cake and eat it too."

That's just me I guess. Me being selfish as always. I can't have both. No matter how much I can complain or whine, in the end, I can't have both. I don't like being praised, especially for things I haven't even done. I don't like being put on a mantle for my power that I haven't shown yet. I don't like the attention I'm getting for my supposed "potential". Although I have these feelings, I think deep down, deep within myself, I know that my feelings ultimately don't matter. I _will _be a Hero. If it came down to it, if I have to decide between sacrificing my effectiveness as a Pro Hero or my heart, it'll have to be my heart.

In a way, I'm a little bit of a hypocrite. I say all these things, but I turn around and impose the same expectations on Midoriya. The reason why is… Well, I want to help him be the best version of himself. Himself and no one else. He wants to be a great Hero, and with his Quirk, he'll be it. Whatever his Quirk is, it's the key to a fulfilling life that he wants. He wants to be the greatest Pro Hero, and I want to be a Pro Hero. That's the difference between us in the simplest way possible.

Despite that, I'm still a hypocrite. I think I'm a hypocrite about a lot of things; most of them, I haven't realized yet.

Itsuka and I stop at the elevator. I press the button and we wait. My beautiful date beside me exhales, taking in what I just said. "I can't say that I understand what you're going through, because I can't. You're a rabbit hole that I don't wanna jump into, but you're a hand that I'd gladly hold."

"Funny," I reply, looking down where we're holding each other's hands.

"Thanks, I'm a comedian." Itsuka giggles a really cute giggle. "Anyway you goof, I won't lie, I've been thinking about your Quirk a lot. But remember our talk before David tested you? You're still my Sanji. I'll support you no matter what happens, and I have multiple times. Like a lot. I need a hundred people to count how many times I had to support you. Seriously, you have so many issues that—"

"Okay! I get the point!" I exclaim. "You were exaggerating, right? That was hyperbolic?"

_Ding!_

The elevator door opens. Luckily, there's no one inside. Itsuka stares at me and smiles. "Let's get in the elevator."

"Itsuka—"

"In the elevator!" She drags me inside and presses the button for the ground floor.

"Please tell me you were joking—"

"If you were blushing when you saw me, just wait until you see Reiko's dress."

"Itsuka!" I yell, my voice echoing inside the elevator.

She laughs, gently leaning her head against my arm. "I'm joking, don't worry. You're not a burden; you'll never be one. Anyway…" She takes her head off. "Everyone is probably waiting for us."

Itsuka tries to let go of my hand, but I still hold on. "Yup."

"You know they're gonna tease us when they see us holding hands, right?"

"I know. Just…" _A little while longer _, but I can't get the words out of my mouth. "Actually yeah, you're right."

I let go of her hand. Itsuka frowns, but before she can say something, the elevator door opens to the lobby. We hear the idle chatter of a few recognizable voices and that's it. There's faint music playing in the intercoms, and it's honestly kinda creepy—it's like we're in the setting of a horror movie. We step out of the elevator and see everyone sitting down on the lobby couches: Hayami, Shishida, Yanagi, Honenuki, Rin, and Yui. No Setsuna, oddly enough.

Hayami's wearing an exotic blue and black dress with a matching flower in her hair. She has her hair down and curled. Shishida's wearing his nicest tuxedo, which is ordinary considering how tuxedos go. He's a simple man despite his background. Yanagi though, she surprised me. She's wearing a silver and black dress with her hips exposed, revealing that she has an hourglass figure. Her hair, much like Itsuka's, is tied into a bun, but it's lower on her head. I almost didn't recognize her. Honenuki's rocking a black and orange suit; it's the same color scheme as his Hero Costume. He has a comically red—and very out-of-place—bowtie that he probably wore just so he could be funny. We have Hiryu Rin, who has his hair down, looking like a Chinese prince. His tuxedo is black and gold with a red tie. I'm surprised that Lian isn't here to see him. Last but not least is our beautiful Yui Kodai. She's wearing a crimson dress with a yellow belt that goes around her waist.

Honenuki waves us down with his trademarked toothy smile—I wonder how his smile would look like _with _lips? "What's up, my handsome man and my beautiful woman? Nice hair, Inochi."

"Thanks. Monoma nearly used an entire container of hair gel, but he says it's worth it. Itsuka didn't recoil in disgust when she saw me, so it must be good," I reply, laughing at my own joke. Itsuka rolls her eyes and goes over to her mom.

"Kehehe! Anyway, I was tryna serenade everyone with my good looks and jokes! No one laughed. Not a single one. I thought I would get Kodai to laugh, but look at her!" Honenuki points at a stone-faced Yui. Her face is so expressionless that she could be an android sent from the future. "It's impossible to get her to laugh!"

I raise a finger. "Well, you need to know how your local Yui Kodai operates. In the latest update, there's an exploit you can use to make your Yui laugh. Allow me to demonstrate this game-breaking exploit."

I look at Yui, and she looks at me. (Rin comments, "Why are you treating Kodai like a video game? You don't even play them, Inochi.") With a deep breath, I quietly mutter the secret codeword to make Yui laugh, "Weiner."

"Heh." Yui smiles.

Honenuki's jaw drops. "What the hell is that?! What did you just do, Inochi?!"

I stand to attention, having my hands at my side like I'm about to speak at a press conference. "For many years—" ("Not really," corrects Itsuka,) "—I, Sanji Inochi with the help of Setsuna Tokage, researched day and night to see how we can make Yui Kodai laugh—" ("That's not true," again corrects Itsuka,) "—before we found out something instrumental to our endeavor: Yui Kodai has a childish sense of humor. Just the mention of _that _word is enough to make her laugh." ("Did you ever think that Yui laughs so you guys would stop bothering her?" again again Itsuka says.)

Putting his hands together, Honenuki gets on his knees like I am the second coming of Jesus Christ. ' _With the utterance of a single word, the Lord bestowed upon Man the knowledge to invoke laughter through the stoic Saint's lips.' _\- the Gospel of Sanji Inochi. "Thank you, Inochi. I will use this to my advantage."

Yui hums, "Mmm." _Okay._

Approaching Yui, Honenuki looks down at her with narrow eyes. "Weiner."

"Heh."

"Weiner, weiner."

"Heh, heh."

"Hmm… Weinerweinerweinerweinerweinerweinerweiner."

"Hehhehhehhehhehhehheh."

"Oh my God, it works!"

Itsuka scolds us, "Yui is not a toy, you guys!"

Shishida is aghast at what's going on. "What is this…?"

Yanagi doesn't look too pleased. "I agree with Itsuka's statement."

Hayami is trying her best to not burst out in laughter.

Before Rin says anything, Honenuki exclaims, "Hey Rin, you gotta try it out! Say it! C'mon, say it!"

Rin, who looks very uncomfortable, just looks at our childish Yui and goes, "Uhm okay? Wein...er?"

Yui doesn't laugh.

Honenuki snaps, "That's a pathetic weiner, Rin! Try harder!"

"What?! Did you even recognize what kind of implications you made—?!"

"I don't care! Your weiner was shit! I want a better weiner than that!"

"Fine! Weiner!"

Yui doesn't laugh.

"Louder, Rin! Like you really mean it! You want a strong weiner, right?! Louder!"

"WEINER!" shouts Rin enthusiastically. Well, I guess he really likes weiners.

"Heh," Yui laughs.

Itsuka loudly groans, burying her face in her hands. "You guys will be the death of me!" She looks at Hayami. "And don't you dare laugh, Mom! You have a terrible sense of humor too!"

Hayami clears her throat, shaking her head. "I do not! I am a very mature woman! After all, I gave birth to a very mature daughter! We're just lucky that no one else is here! I mean that literally. No one else besides us is here."

"Wait, what?" I stop her right there. "Not even the workers? Or the other businessmen? Where did everyone go?"

She explains, "For the businessmen, where do you think? They're probably at the gala or doing some business deals or whatever, I'm not a corporate stooge. For the workers… Well, Ishtar texted me earlier. In the past, the hotel would pretty much be empty on the night of the gala. So, the owners of the hotel have a mandatory company party that everyone has to go to a few streets down.

"She asked me if you guys could, y'know, not destroy the building, it'll be amazing. I even told her that I could ask some of our trusted, adult friends to help watch everyone that's staying here. She said yes. Lian, Grandmaster, and The Count are coming as we speak."

Itsuka says, "So they literally left a class of high school students alone. How does this even happen?!"

"In their defense, they probably never anticipated us until the last minute," Rin suggests, his voice kinda shaky after embarrassing himself earlier. I feel bad for him. Only a shameless man could yell that with such heart, but Rin is not a shameless man. He feels shame just like any other man.

Anyway, I'm a little disappointed that Master Kendo isn't down here to see his loved ones off. He's probably watching the rest of the class. Eh, it's not like this is the last time we'll be seeing him. We'll be back.

"Speaking of anticipation, where in the world is Setsuna?" Yanagi asks, looking around for her. "I have not seen her ever since she got dressed for the gala. Is she alright? She would most certainly enjoy whatever the banter was earlier."

Hayami answers, "Ah, she told me she has to do something with Okichi. Don't worry, they're not gonna do anything immoral. And no Sanji, you can't chase them down and kill Okichi."

"Damn," I reply. Everyone gives me a look of… Well, it's basically, _What the hell, Sanji?! _"Either way, she'd be down here when our ride arrives. Mister Tokage is sending a car for us, right? Just so we're clear."

She nods. "Yup. Until then, we can just sit around and wait."

And I guess we wait.

* * *

Oh my God, it's been an hour.

Honenuki, who looks ready to choke himself to death with his own collar, complains, "I am going to run to the gala myself if that guy doesn't come here in the next five minutes! Who's with me?!" No one is with him. "Just me? Alright!"

Hayami sighs. She already took her heels off because they were getting uncomfortable for her. "That asshole better not have left us behind on purpose. God, the gala's started fifteen minutes ago! Hey Sanji!"

"I'm Sanji," I reply.

"Can you call Setsuna and see what's up?" she asks.

"Of course." I pat my pocket. My phone isn't there! I left it in my room! "Hey Itsuka, can you call Setsuna? I left my phone in our room."

Itsuka gives me a dirty look. "It took you an hour to realize that?! How much of an airhead can you be?! You really are gonna be the death of me, Sanji… Go ahead and get your phone. I'll call our lizard and see what the hell's going on."

"Thanks! You're the best!" I say, running to the elevator. Thankfully, it's still on the ground level. I get inside, press Floor 51, and wait.

I actually don't have anything to think about. I mean, I'm worried about Setsuna. Okichi better not be a serial killer. Actually, I hope he is because I have a good excuse to use my katana on him. Wait, that sounds bad! I want Setsuna to live! She's my best friend and I'll be crushed if she dies at the hands of that guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth!

_Ding!_

I'm here. I find my room and unlock the door, going inside. And I find my phone! It's sitting on the table right where I left it. Why did I leave it here again? Oh right, my conversation with Monoma. I wanted to check if I was blushing or not, so I used my phone. I just never picked it back up.

I…

Chills go down my spine.

The window.

I need to look out the window.

With my phone in hand, I approach the window that looks into the center island, moving the curtains away. I-Island is beautiful, but there's a weird feeling in my chest. I can't admire the beauty, I can only look at the central tower where the gala's taking place in.

"The central tower…" I mutter. "Something's happening."

I touch the window and see my reflection. I blink, then I see one of my ancestor's phantoms looking at me, taking the place of my reflection. It's the one with the golden glow. He warns me, _"You sense it, don't you? The impending danger? Take care of yourself, dreamer. Fight, your life depends on it."_

He disappears.

I-Island is getting attacked. I _feel _it. I _feel _the danger in the air.

"This is an announcement from I-Island's security system!"

"—!"

"We have received a report where an explosive device was located somewhere within the I-Island complex!"

A bomb?!

"For the safety of all citizens, I-Island Security Bots will be dispatched! If you are able, please find shelter and remain inside until the threat is handled! Thank you for your understanding! The threat will end as soon as possible!"

I need to call Itsuka! I—?! No service?! What the hell?! What the hell is going on?!

_PHSSSSSH!_

Above me?!

That sound… That sounds just like when Todoroki creates ice!

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"Look at us, Shindeka. We're in the cool kids club. We were asked to watch over Class 1-B like the trendy adults we are! How do you feel about that?" Claude asks.

"We're babysitters, Claude. That's all we are: babysitters. The only trends we're setting is law and order. Frankly, I do not know why Miss Kendo asked for your help. You're just as chaotic as the kids we're supposed to watch."

"That's hurtful. It's the truth, but still hurtful! I'm practically your husband, and that's what you say about me?"

"I've known you for years. If anything, if I _don't _know that about you, then I have a serious problem that needs addressing."

"Well, Lian Fei-Long is coming too! How do you feel about that handsome devil?"

"He gives off more of a chaotic energy than you do. I honestly don't understand why Miss Kendo would bring two sources of pure chaos to watch her kids. I assume she expects us three to be proper role models for these future Heroes. I'm sorry to say that she'll be very disappointed in us."

"I'll make sure that she won't be disappointed in us. I can be a great role model for those kids! In fact, I'll be such a great role model that they call me their uncle! That's right! Uncle Claude! I like the sound of that, don't you think?"

"...I hate it. You'll spoil those kids too much."

"Really, Uncle Shindeka?"

"Yes, and don't call me that."

"What's wrong, _Cool _Uncle Shindeka?"

"No."

"What about Dad? Papa Shindeka!"

"Oh my God, please stop. I will—"

"—Ahhhh!" A man's screaming. Claude and I immediately tense up, looking towards the source of the scream. It's not a prank. When you truly believe you are about to die, there is a sense of horror in your chest. And when you scream, you display that horror in the most audible way possible. That's why it is impossible to replicate a scream. Thankfully, this is not a blood-curdling scream. If it was that, then the man would be on his last breaths.

"Claude!" I exclaim, but he's already running towards the source. I didn't even have to tell him. The scream came from a nearby alley between two towering buildings. Claude, being the faster one here, arrives at the entrance of the alley first, and I arrive just shortly after. Within a glance, the alleyway shrouded in an abundant amount of darkness—too much to be created naturally. This is the Villain's Quirk. Every inch of the alleyway is pure black, almost like the abyss. And I'm sure that the abyss is staring back.

I barely see a masked figure with a black cloak enveloping their entire body. The cloak reflects the moonlight just slightly where I can see them. That's the Villain. They're hovering over a bleeding man wearing a suit, who's leaning against the wall clutching his side. Claude is about to charge in, but I stop him. Stepping into this alleyway would mean death. Quickly, I pull out my revolver and aim towards the Villain's head.

_Cock!_

"—?!"

_BANG!_

I cocked the revolver and the Villain turned their head towards me, but it was too late. I pulled the trigger. As I fired, the burst of light dispelled the surrounding darkness—that's the Quirk's weakness. The bullet connects with the Villain's skull, their head snapping back before their body falls into their own darkness. Then, the alleyway comes back to life. The darkness is gone.

Claude runs up to the bleeding man. The bleeding man shouts, "Stop! Don't come any closer!" But Claude's already there. Damnit, he must know about the Villain. The Villain targeted him specifically. I run up to them and—?!

"Hakan Aldemir?!" Why is he here?! Who would try and kill this man?! "What in the world happened to you?!"

Hakan looks up to me, managing to crack a grin. "Of course you'd be the one to rescue me, Grandmaster. But fuck, you really should've have come here. You just fell into her trap."

Claude yells, "What the hell do you mean?! Whose trap?!"

"Mine," the Villain says. Her voice is modified through a voice modulator, but I can tell that she sounds like a woman.

All around us, the abyss is slowly creeping to take our lives. The entire world is darkening right before our eyes. Looking at Claude, I shout, "Take out your phone, Claude. Light's the only way to counter her Quirk!"

Claude takes out his phone and turns on the flashlight. He waves it around, scaring off the creeping shadows that nearly swallowed us whole. I don't have evidence for this line of thought, but my intuition is telling me that if we step into the shadows, we would be instantly killed. There would be no ceremony, no parade. It will just be a cold, callous death.

Claude shines the flashlight around the alleyway, trying to locate the Villain. He points it at the end where—!

_WHOOOM!_

_CLANG!_

"Shit!" Claude swears just after the Villain through a dagger! His hand is cut, and due to the impact of the dagger flying as fast as a bullet, he drops his phone. The screen is shattered but the phone isn't wholly destroyed; the flashlight is still on. The light illuminates the end of the hallway where the Villain stands, her shadow taking up the majority of the cone of light behind her striking the wall. She wields two glimmering daggers, and under her hood, she's glaring with the dangerous intent to kill.

Seeing her now, dread begins to poison my blood. Briefly, I have hallucinations of death before I shake them away. We're surrounded by darkness completely defenseless, but she's not attacking. She can kill us right now, but she isn't.

Using this time, I hoist Hakan's arm over my shoulder, lifting him up. The Villain stabbed his side. He's bleeding, but it isn't too terrible. He'll live given the proper medical treatment. The three of us stare back at the threat, who simply cocks her head tauntingly. "I'm impressed, Grandmaster." She knows my name. "You were able to deduce my Quirk's weakness. Let me guess: when you fired, you noticed my Shadows scattering away from the light created from the discharge? How observant."

Her Japanese is almost perfect, but she has a slight accent. She's a foreigner. I reply, "That's correct. Given how this alleyway is nearly shrouded in darkness, I figure light is your weakness considering how thematic that is. And, you haven't killed us yet. Is there something you want?"

She nods. "Hakan Aldemir. I'm willing to let you and The Count live if you drop the garbage where he stands. You can't win this fight, Grandmaster. It's impossible."

Then why is she letting us live? Why is she offering us this deal? Wouldn't it be easier to kill Claude and I but not Hakan? It would be incredibly easy to do that given her Quirk. I don't believe it's impossible to defeat her, because she believes that it's not impossible. She knows that she can be defeated. If she knows who Claude and I are, then she knows what our Quirks are. Aftershadow is Claude's Quirk, but mine?

My Quirk is a trade secret. There are only two people who know my Quirk: Claude and Gran Torino.

Thus, the Villain doesn't know what my Quirk is, and she doesn't want to take any chances. For all she knows, I can kill her instantly with a single glance. That is how unpredictable Quirks are. They can nearly do almost anything. And mine…

Well, given the right circumstances and a dash of luck, I'll be able to defeat her. The chances of that happening though is about one out of one million.

Claude glances at me, and I smile. With the hand that's holding my revolver, I carelessly wave it around in her general direction. I answer, "Whatever business you have with Hakan Aldemir, you'd have to wait until my business with him has finished. You see, I made an offer to him and I still haven't received an answer. On an unrelated note, you shattered Claude's _phone _, which was rude of you."

At the emphasis of "phone", both Hakan and Claude realize that I still have my phone with me. It's in my coat pocket, and Hakan is at the perfect angle to discreetly take it. Without prompting, he does exactly that. He takes the time to distract the Villain himself actually, "I won't lie, that was a little rude. I'm lucky that I screamed. Your Master wasn't the best teacher, was he?"

The Villain growls. "Don't you dare mention him, you filth! I will get what I want even if it means tearing every strand of muscle off your bones! Unfortunately for you, you just doomed both of your rescuers to a sad and pathetic death!"

The shadows rush forward! I shout, "Hakan!"

He pulls out my phone with his bloody hand. But then, right before our eyes, my phone slip out of his bloodied fingers. "Fuck!"

Claude exclaims, "Shindeka!"

Time seems to slow, then. That phone was our only way to live. Without the light, we're doomed. I don't have enough time to aim my revolver at the Villain. Even then, she could easily throw a dagger into my chest by the time I pulled the trigger.

Ah, dammit all.

I was hoping that I wouldn't have to use my Quirk. That's the only way we can live. Well, if I overuse my Quirk—which is incredibly easy—it's the only way Claude can live. From the moment we set foot in the alleyway, our fate was sealed.

I inhale a short breath. I—?!

"—Begone!"

Who—?!

_GOLDEN ASTRAL FIVE: GOD'S HAND - PALM OF THE EMPEROR!_

From the entrance of the alleyway, a golden, fiery hand rushes through the space, crackling with more energy than I can comprehend. The light produced from the attack forces the shadows to vanish, and the power cracks the walls of the two buildings that surround this coffin of ours. Claude sees the hand coming forth. He grabs Hakan and I, pushing us against the wall, narrowly avoiding the roaring energy attack.

_BAM!_

The attack collides against the back wall of the alleyway, destroying the wall completely. A shockwave comes after the impact, almost taking me off of my feet. But we're saved. The energy attack came from an Energy-type Quirk of a golden color. I could feel the afterglow of the power still vibrating in the air. And the voice… It could belong to one man.

"Ah, just in the nick of time, darlings!" Lian Fei-Long. He runs up to us fearlessly. His body has a slight golden glow to it.

Just down the alleyway, the sound of someone landing is just barely audible. I look up and see the Villain still standing after Lian's attack, glaring at him in particular. "Lian Fei-Long. I didn't expect you to appear. Oh well, I'll be taking my leave."

Lian clenches his teeth. "Not so fast, darling—!"

— _SCOURGING SHADOWS!_

Again, but with ferocity, a scourge of shadows rush to our position. They sound like rampaging, rabid animals aiming to tear us from limb to limb. Lian shouts, "To me!" The three of us launch to our feet, surrounding Lian, nearly hugging him even.

"—Come!" Lian throws out his arms, manifesting a golden dome that surrounds all four of us inside, keeping the shadows out from maiming us whole. Then, pushing his hands forward, the dome expands outwards like an electric net!

_GOLDEN ASTRAL ONE: DIVINE SHIELD - DRAGON'S DEFENSE!_

From the Super Move, the shadows die off from the golden light, purging the alleyway from the Villain's Quirk. The golden shield dissipates with its energy faintly crackling in the air. The walls between us are slightly cracked from Lian's attacks. They must've been at low-power. Any higher and he would've killed us by having two buildings fall right on top of us.

Breathing heavily, Hakan smiles, bowing his head. "I never thought we'd get our sorry asses saved by Shangdi of all men. After this, I'm thanking God for the luck He has given me, my Lord…."

Lian nods, frantically looking around to see if the Villain's still here. "I'll sign autographs later, my good man. We should flee before the Villain has any second thoughts!"

"Agreed, let's go!" I yell, and the four of us dash out of the alleyway. A few curious bystanders and passerbys glance at us, and some of them are even asking what happened. I'd apologize for the property damage, but we have no inkling of clue whether or not the Villain is watching us from afar.

We make it onto the main road, straight towards the Gemini Hotels in the distance. We're almost there. We'll make it within a few minutes. Hakan asks, "Where the hell are we going again?"

Claude answers, "The Gemini Hotels! We have some kids to babysit!"

"And you're bringing me to them?! You realize that she doesn't care about teenagers, right?! If they're in the way, she'll kill them all the same!" he pleads.

Lian laughs at his pleading, assuring him, "You have me with you! That darling wouldn't dare to do anything when I'm around! She's fully aware of the power I wield! If she knows better, then she'll stay her distance."

"That's what you think, and she's not a darling! She killed thousands of people!"

"I'm sorry, it's a habit! I call everyone 'darling' whether they like it or not!"

I shout, "Is this really a good time to be arguing?! God, how is your wound, holding up, Hakan? We'll deal with it once we're at the hotel."

"I'll live if she doesn't show up again," he says.

Claude asks, "Who was she anyway?! You know an awful lot about her!"

Hakan cringes, gritting his teeth. "She's—!"

"This is an announcement from I-Island's security system!"

What the—?!

"We have received a report where an explosive device was located somewhere within the I-Island complex!

"For the safety of all citizens, I-Island Security Bots will be dispatched! If you are able, please find shelter and remain inside until the threat is handled! Thank you for your understanding! The threat will end as soon as possible!"

Claude asks again, "Okay! Is that the lady's fault?! Mon Dieu, what the hell is going on?! I thought this would be a pleasant vacation!"

Hakan shakes his head. "I don't have a single damn clue! I don't have the answer to everything, you know!"

Lian winces. "Dammit, I'm coming, Lin!"

We arrive at the entrance of Gemini Hotels. We hear the clamoring of people behind us and the sounds of I-Island security bots. There aren't any around here. We see light in the lobby, and a group of men and women dressed up for an extravagant party.

It's them.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

Castor Room 5815, the last room of this floor.

It's Rikiya Yotsubashi's room, also known as Re-Destro. Of course he brought one of the best rooms in the hotel. Anyway, this is _Operation Reverse Liberation! _Just gotta find his laptop and plug in T.R.I.P. and get the data. That's it! That's all I need to do! God, this is the first operation that makes me nervous. After all, I'm directly conspiring against a massive Villain group and not my friends. There's a big difference from someone as cute as Yui to someone who probably killed more people than I can count.

I mean, to be fair, Yui killed millions using her cuteness alone. That's not relevant, but that's something that I had to say.

Right now, my two eyes and hands are floating towards Re-Destro's room. I'm sitting right next to Okichi on the same floor. The only reason why I'm on the floor where the crime takes place is because of my limit. Gemini Hotels is a big place and that's a bad thing. My segmented pieces can only go so far before they stop functioning altogether. That's why I have to be on Floor 58 to ensure my pieces won't suddenly stop working, because I don't get a warning. It just happens and I have to either: regenerate my lost limbs or move closer and reactivate them. The former drains my energy and the latter isn't good because…

"Okichi, how's the five drunks?" I ask.

"Drunk," he responds. How helpful. "I cannot believe these buffoons would actually _drink _when they could be attending a perfectly good party! They're gouging themselves on beer the common people would drink. If they could afford to stay in such a luxurious room, then they have the capability of purchasing high-quality craft from the local brewery."

"Is that seriously what you're pissed about? The quality of their beer? Look, sometimes men need something to get them drunk. They don't care about the taste," I say.

Okichi huffs. "Alcoholics are alcoholics, I understand. But I know three perfectly good breweries that are famous for their work in I-Island! If they cannot enjoy a good beverage, then they ought to enjoy nothing but peddled garbage that the lower class drink." There he goes again. I'm a child who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but I don't flaunt that around! Ugh, that's not the point of this operation though!

He moves around grumpy at our conversation. Well, I can't see him _move _exactly since I'm blind and handless, but I feel him brush against my dress. God, I need to finish this before Dad's ride gets here, and do it before one of the dunkards comes out of their room. This is one of the unexpected variables that I figured would pop up. These guys don't wanna go to a party, so they decided to ditch it and get drunk instead. I respect that kind of attitude, but really? Now? They're just making my life harder than it should be.

Anyway, I'm at the door. I wiggle the handle and it's locked—kinda hoping that it _was _locked because if it wasn't, I'd be more concerned than overjoyed. Besides, despite the fancy electronic lock on the door, the security on this door is actually low. The door is not installed properly where the latch bolt is exposed through a thin gap between the strike plate and the door frame. I can use the old credit card trick to slide between the bolt and the frame, do some magic, and _boom _, open sesame.

_CLICK!_

And it worked. It opened as easy as that. I slide my parts inside and close the door behind me, leaving it open a crack just in case I need to make a quick getaway. Okichi lets out a satisfied hum when I unlocked the door. "After this, I'm sending a complaint to the hotel about the poor security. The locks may look intimidating, but a child could break in."

"I swear, if we need to break into someone's room again _and _the security is like Tartarus, I'm blaming you," I quietly retort, my eyes searching for Re-Destro's laptop. I'm in the living room space—kinda smaller than the living room at home actually. Ah, this is no time to compare! If I was a radical idealist aiming for Quirk liberation, where would I have my laptop?

Hmm, aha! There's the gold! His computer bag is on the couch! I tell Okichi, "Spotted the computer bag. The laptop's probably inside, so I'm going in."

"Okay, the drunkards are still drunk. They've gotten quieter ever since you entered the room, but they're still chatting about inane things," he informs.

I unzip Re-Destro's computer bag and take his laptop out. It's nothing too spectacular, but good enough to do his job. I open it up to a picture of his "most valued" employees standing together for a group photo. There's a white banner overhead that says, "THANK YOU MR. YOTSUBASHI!" I wonder if any of them are apart of the M.L.A.? Eh, I'll find out soon enough. I plug T.R.I.P. into one of the USB slots and the screen turns black. A box appears in the middle of the screen with a few options, but the one I want is the second one: "Data Extraction".

On the other end of T.R.I.P., I plug in a flash drive and hit the second option. It tells me I have five minutes until I can safely remove the devices. Alright, now all I need to do is wait. Thank God for this thing. It can bypass the password and any security measures built into the laptop. Apparently, Okichi got it from one of his cybersecurity friends. Anywho, Okichi asks, "Is everything sorted?"

"Yup, we need to wait five minutes before everything is extracted. Hopefully, it's five minutes. Last year, my laptop had an update. It told me it'd finish in three hours. After twenty-four hours, it still said three hours. Here's hoping it's actually five minutes."

"I know the pain. Anyhow, you were worried for nothing, my Setsuna. You were so stressed about fighting the M.L.A. when we could conduct mischievous actions while they are away enjoying fine wine and idle conversation. In actuality, our operation was as simple as this."

"Haha, you proved me wrong, congrats," I deadpan. "But you gotta understand that my concerns were valid. These are dangerous people. One misstep and we're toast. Speaking of toast, we're not saying anything about this to my dad."

"Naturally. He'd be furious. Not only did you risk your life fighting Catharsis, you risked it again fighting the Meta Liberation Army; however, you purposely went behind his back despite his orders. Are you entering your rebellious phase, Setsuna?"

"Shut up, I'm not. I just…" I exhale. "I just think this is the right choice. My friends would do the same if they were in my shoes. Though, they'd go against him no matter what. They don't like my dad, especially Itsuka." Don't think I ignored every single time Itsuka antagonized my dad. She really hates him.

"Well, your father doesn't let anyone inside that grand castle of his," Okichi says. "The only person he trusts is himself. He doesn't trust the Hero Public Safety Commission, he doesn't trust the government, he doesn't trust Pro Heroes. Why did he push you towards heroism?"

"That's simple," I reply, angling my head downwards. "He wants me to be a Hero because I could further benefit our company. I'll eventually take over it someday, so everything he's doing is just preparation."

"Like I said, Fuyushiro Tokage doesn't let anyone inside his grand castle. Not even his daughter; not even his wife. On the outside looking in, you could say he doesn't love you or your mother." What the hell is this guy saying?!

"He loves us!" I exclaim, louder than I wanted it to be. I shrink, going into a whisper, "Dad loves us. You're totally wrong about that."

"Maybe, maybe not. I see you two in the same room many times, and not once did I ever hear a 'I love you' come from his lips. I don't see small gestures of affection coming from his hands, neither to you or your mother. When you were hurting, did he ever comfort you? My father, despite having such a busy schedule ever since I could remember, always ensured that I was happy any chance he could get."

He… He never did that when I was growing up. Mom was the only one who comforted me whenever I was crying. I'm sure that Dad had freetime to check up on his daughter, but he locked himself in his study doing who-knows-what. I mean, Mom always told me he's just a distant man in general. I'm sure he loves me. Why else would he have me? I know he had a Quirk Marriage with Mom, but she told me she loves him. I'm sure he feels the same way, I'm sure!

"You know, you're starting to piss me off, Okichi. You're supposed to be my arranged fiance and all, but I wanna punch you in the face. My dad, he's a better man than you think. He isn't a crappy Villain like how the M.L.A. are."

"I hope I'm proven wrong, but I am not expecting much. Your father is as cold as fathers can get. I—"

_Bzzt!_

The extraction is done. "It's done," I say, ignoring what Okichi said. I unplug T.R.I.P and the flash drive from Re-Destro's laptop, putting it back in his computer bag. There, _Operation Reverse Liberation _is complete. I leave the room, shutting the door behind me. It should be locked hopefully.

With my body whole again, I give Okichi back his gift from his buddies, put my credit card and flash drive in my pocket—thank God that this dress has pockets in the first place—and that's it. Operation done. It's anti-climatic, but I'd prefer this ending over anything else. No all-out fight, no blood, no tears, just that.

Me and Okichi stand up. He doesn't come up with any remarks. He can tell that I'm _just a little _mad that he insulted Dad so carelessly like that. It's bad enough that Itsuka does it, but him? I don't really like him in the first place. Sighing, I tell him, "Let's head down to the lobby. Everyone's waiting for us."

_Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!_

"First, I need to take this phone call." I take my phone out and it's Itsuka. I answer it, "What's going on, my beautiful tomboy?"

"Where the hell are you?!" she shouts. "We've been waiting an hour for our ride to get here! The gala's starting!"

"Is it eight o'clock already?!"

"Did you seriously forget?! What were you doing with Tokugawa anyway?! You better have a good excuse or Sanji will kill him!"

"We had to take care of something regarding a friend of ours! I thought it wouldn't take much time at all, but apparently an hour went by! Sorry Itsuka, I'll try and come down as soon as possible, okay?"

"You better! Honenuki is about to choke himself with his collar."

"You should let him."

"I'm tempted to."

I hang up. Okichi sighs. "Our driver is incompetent. It's eight and he hasn't arrived? The gala's getting started right about now! I suppose we'll be fashionably late."

"Uh huh, yeah," I reply, crossing my arms. "I'm the only fashionable one here. Anyway, enough talking. We gotta get going."

"Of course. After you, Setsuna—?!"

_Click, clack…_

Footsteps in front of us, just around the corner. Okichi stops, his eyes going wide. He didn't hear this guy?!

Appearing from the corner, a beautiful man with short white hair faces us. He's wearing a dark-colored parka with a fur-lined hood. In his hands, he's holding a water bottle. Though, if I had to say which white-haired beauty is more handsome—him or Sanji—I'd say Sanji, but that isn't important right now. If he's able to make Okichi, who has a super hearing Quirk, surprised, then he's more than suspicious. Staring at us, he suddenly forms a smile. "Setsuna Tokage and Okichi Tokugawa. It's a coincidence that we're able to meet."

He knows our names. I can feel the fear coming off of Okichi's body. Stammering, he replies, "Y-Yes… May I… May I ask your name, sir?"

"Geten. Though, in English, my name would be Apocrypha. It means—"

I answer him, "A story of unknown author or origin…"

Geten nods, taking a step forward. "That's right… I'll confess something: I used to be lost without direction until I found my purpose. This parka is simply a manifestation of that purpose. It gives me the strength I need; it's rushing through my blood as we speak. It's the courage that allows me to fight for what I believe is right."

_BURST!_

Behind us! A door just suddenly burst open! Okichi shouts, "It's a trap, Setsuna! The drunkards were deceiving us! Get out of here!"

"Dammit!" Which way do I go?! Geten must have a powerful Quirk if he's covering one exit! The stairwell is right behind him just around the corner! But behind me, there's another stairwell at the end of the hall! Considering that five M.L.A. soldiers are sprinting towards us, they're probably just grunts! I could use their numbers against them! That means I have a better chance with them than with Geten!

I step back and—?!

_CHARGE!_

Okichi's going the other direction?! What the hell is he doing?! "Get out of my way, you Meta Liberation Army scum!" He makes it past Geten, but—!

"—Be quiet, you stupid brat!"

_TOSS!_

The water bottle?!

_PHSSSSSH!_

Ice?! The water bottle exploded into ice! That end of the hallway is covered with it, just like Todoroki's Quirk! Geten can't create ice, but he has the ability to manipulate the ice around him! Even changing the temperature too! Oh crap, Okichi's trapped! I can't worry about him! I need to get out of here with the skin on my back!

I need to run! That's all I need to do! Just run!

I turn on my feet, running away from Geten and down the hall. Five guys in suits start running towards me, shouting obscenities and swears. If I split apart now, I'd unfortunately be naked since this dress isn't made up of my organic cells like my Hero Costume is. As much as I like living, I'd rather not run away naked!

How am I going to get past them then?! They're members of the M.L.A., so they're trained with their Quirks! Each of them basically have the same training as Pro Heroes! If I do manage to run away, I'd be leading them downstairs until I either go to Floor 47, where I can get help from my friends. But that's _if _I don't get caught, and _if _these guys won't capture my friends too. Maybe the best way to get out of this situation is to let myself be captured.

My friends will inevitably be involved in this situation. Geten used his Quirk, so everyone in Castor heard him. They'll rescue me and Okichi, right? Ah, wait… Why would the M.L.A. give us up? They won't just return us to our friends without something in it for them. That's why my friends need a bargaining chip.

The flash drive. It has all of the information from Re-Destro's laptop. I can detach one of my hands and fly it downstairs until it goes out of my range. But to ensure that the henchmen won't just chase after my hand, I need to distract them. I—?!

— _POP! POP! POP!_

The lights. For a brief second, each of the lights got brighter before they explode, shattering over my head. That must be one of the Quirks of the men: Illuminate. He can control the amount of lumen in a light source. Because of Illuminate, I nearly fall over from being partially blinded and being hit with the fragments that came with each tiny explosion. This actually works in my favor. Because the lights are shattered, the hallway is darker! It'll be harder to notice my hand flying away!

With my left hand, I dig into my pocket and grab the flash drive, clutching it tightly. With my right, I take out my phone. The screen turns on. As soon as it does, the screen gets brighter and brighter on its own. That's exactly what I wanted.

_THROW!_

I hurl my phone over to the five men like a grenade, because that's exactly what it is. Illuminate can't help but use his Quirk because he has no idea what I'm gonna do with my phone. It's better if he destroys it.

Knowing that, the best thing to do is let them have my phone!

_POP!_

My screen explodes, sounding like a balloon popping. My phone, acting like a flashbang, blinds them. They'll recover pretty soon, but this gives me the opportunity to detach my left hand. It dashes past the group without any of them being aware of its presence. I manage to past them myself, but when they recover—

_GRAB!_

_YANK!_

One of them grabbed my hair and yanked me onto the ground. I roll over onto my belly, tucking my left arm underneath me. I can't let them see that my left hand is gone, or else they'll start looking for the flash drive.

"Geten!" says one of the men, "we got her!"

Another soldier presses his foot against my back, making sure I stay there. Snarling, he presses down, inducing a gasp from me. What a creep, I bet he likes doing this to girls. "Stay down, you brat. This is what you deserve for acting against us."

The other three men surround me as Geten approaches. He warns, "Be careful. She can use her Quirk to split her body into small fragments. When that happens, it'll be nearly impossible to catch her. Now, bring her onto her feet."

The man who has his foot on me does exactly that. He grabs my right arm and pins it against my back. I make sure to hide my left arm inside my pocket. One of the men, he's leaning against the wall, comments, "Check her left arm. She's hiding something."

"No need," Geten tells him, leaning forward and staring down at me. "She's trying to hide the fact that she detached her left hand. You didn't think I saw that? When you used your phone as a distraction, your hand flew down the hall. As we speak, it's going downstairs, isn't it?"

I stay silent. But fuck, he got me.

"Should we look for it, Geten?" a soldier asks, different from the last three who spoke.

"We—"

"This is an announcement from I-Island's security system!"

What…? Why is there an announcement now?

"We have received a report where an explosive device was located somewhere within the I-Island complex!

"—?!"

"For the safety of all citizens, I-Island Security Bots will be dispatched! If you are able, please find shelter and remain inside until the threat is handled! Thank you for your understanding! The threat will end as soon as possible!"

Geten puts a hand over his face, starting to laugh like an _actual _evil villain. Did the Meta Liberation Army did this? Are they trying to take over I-Island?! "Hahahaha!" laughs Geten. His soldiers are just as amused as he is. From his parka, he takes out a walkie-talkie, turning it on. "Re-Destro, your predictions were right. They really did happen."

On the other end, I hear Rikiya Yotsubashi's voice. "That's why I had you stay back, Geten."

* * *

**The Start of The Hidden Battle**

"I knew that the daughter of Fuyushiro Tokage was conspiring something against our good cause. She was planning our very downfall, Geten. All for what? To uphold the flawed nature of the world we live in? Disgusting, utterly repulsive. If she was my daughter, I don't know how I would undo her brainwashing," Rikiya Yotubashi—Re-Destro—says over the walkie-talkie, standing on a rooftop looking ahead at the Gemini Hotels. Beside him are a few of his closest allies, his comrades fighting for the same righteous cause he believed in.

On the other end, Geten replies, "I agree, Re-Destro… Setsuna Tokage really attempted to ruin our cause. I… I have to tell you that she managed to take the flashdrive and hid it somewhere within Castor. If we don't get to it first, then our cause could actually—!"

"Don't fret, my boy," assures Re-Destro, "we'll find the flash drive in due time. Just focus on restraining Okichi Tokugawa and Setsuna Tokage, especially Setsuna. She is a slippery little lizard, so do not let her out of your sight. After we're done with her and her classmates, we can move onto our other plans."

"I will. I am sworn to carry out your commands. Let us be liberated," Geten says before cutting away. Re-Destro sighs, his arms hanging by his side. There's an exasperated look on his face as if he never wanted this in the first place. To have Setsuna act against _him _? On such an opportune night for the Meta Liberation Army? She was just a thorn in his side.

And there came more thorns, just running towards the hotel. Four men are running to the entrance. Gajin Nobuto—Vainglory—watches them with binoculars in his hands. Informing the rest of his allies, he says, "We have more men to worry about. Grandmaster, The Count, some random man, are joining. But most worryingly, Shangdi is apart of the group. The ones who're going to the gala, they haven't left yet. Fuyushiro didn't send a car to pick them up, did he?"

Hiro Takaiki—Indignation—scoffs. "Of course he didn't. He knew just like us that Wolfram would attack I-Island."

Kabeya Rugami—Stalwart—simply stares ahead. "Re-Destro, I don't want to doubt your actions, but why are we doing this? We could put the fear of God into those two kids without having anyone else involved. Why are we going so far?"

Before Re-Destro could answer, Koku Hanabata—Trumpet—answers for him, "It's simple, Stalwart! It's not enough to make Setsuna and Okichi fear us. We must spread the fear to the rest of their naive and ignorant brats! Because some day, our cause will wage a fantastic war against Japan and their Heroes! They'll be on the front lines fighting us! It's certain that we will be fighting them! That's why we need to sow the seed of doubt and fear within their still-growing minds! We need to destroy their confidence so we can defeat them as if they were ants!"

Kizuki Chitose—Curious—nods with a laugh, sitting on the ledge of the rooftop. "If only I could publish this story myself, but too bad this will be kept a secret. No one will know about this punishment. To say the truth, I'm looking forward to this more than what comes after! Tonight is really an opportune night for all of us! Right under I-Island's noses, we will punish the future Heroes of Japan _and _take whatever we want for ourselves while they deal with Wolfram. That's all the news will talk about as well! Just Wolfram and nothing else! It's perfect!"

"Perfect, just like each and every one of us," Re-Destro says, turning to his allies who share the same heart. "Our powers are perfect and so are our ideals. Body and mind, both flawless and firm. We will prove such to these kids. So what if they have Shangdi by their side? He's nothing compared to the might of the Meta Liberation Army. While the ignorant, brainwashed kids are panicking over Wolfram's attack, we will emerge! It is impossible to convert their brainwashed minds to our cause, so instead we'll destroy their minds! From the first moment they stepped into U.A., they are no longer children! And we will teach them the harsh reality of the world! Our strength is our ideals, and our ideals are our strength!

"We will crush their spirits within the hour, and after that, we will use this attack to our advantage! By my order as the Grand Commander, we will descend upon the Gemini Hotels and poison the future generation!

"If they wish to show us 'Plus Ultra', then we will demonstrate how one truly goes beyond their limits."

In the Gemini Hotels, all of the businessmen and women left for the gala, but that isn't true. Not all of them left. This was proven so when six soldiers of the Meta Liberation Army foiled _Operation Reverse Liberation _and captured Okichi Tokugawa and Setsuna Tokage. They knew that they would act against them.

To punish them for their transgressions, and to make them fear the Meta Liberation Army; they would punish the entirety of Class 1-B. It's unfortunate that Fuyushiro Tokage never intended for them to go to the gala because he believed that they would be safe, only for 1-B to fall right into the clutches of an organization equally dangerous.

In Castor, on Floor 46 and 47, there are ten soldiers, five on each floor. These are the same floors where about one-half of 1-B are staying in. Re-Destro placed them there on the chance that Setsuna would act against them, and now that she has, he orders the ten soldiers to capture them.

If they capture one-half of 1-B, then the other half will naturally fall into place. What can they do? Would they really risk attacking when their friends are held hostage?

So as we speak, these soldiers are rushing to capture them.

There are 16 M.L.A. soldiers within the hotel. If the plan goes awry, there are 109 other soldiers that Re-Destro can call upon when he desires, so 125 soldiers total against 28.

Setsuna's only hope is the flash drive. Her left hand went too far from her body, so within Castor, the key to winning this battle is in there.

It really is unfortunate that the M.L.A. had to do this. If Setsuna had simply listened to her father's words, none of this would have happened. And now, a battle has begun.

* * *

**Locations**

Lobby: Hayami Kendo, Itsuka Kendo, Juzo Honenuki, Jurota Shishida, Reiko Yanagi, Hiryu Rin, Yui Kodai, Shindeka Oji, Claude LeNoir, Lian Fei-Long, Hakan Aldemir

Castor, Floor 46: Togaru Kamakiri, Neito Monoma, Manga Fukidashi, Sasaki Kendo, five M.L.A. soldiers

Castor, Floor 47: Yosetsu Awase, Kosei Tsuburaba, Sen Kaibara, Shihai Kuroiro, five M.L.A. soldiers

Castor, Floor 51: Sanji Inochi

Castor, Floor 58: Setsuna Tokage (Captured), Okichi Tokugawa (Captured), Geten, five M.L.A. soldiers

Pollux, Floor 46: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Ibara Shiozaki, Kinoko Komori, Pony Tsunotori, Shojo Fukidashi

Pollux, Floor 47: Kojiro Bondo, Nirengeki Shoda

Waiting: Re-Destro, Curious, Vainglory, Indignation, Trumpet, Stalwart, 109 . soldiers

* * *

**Wow, I am really late with this chapter. Well uh, at least I managed to post it I guess! Haha, I am a terrible procastinator. (Or a good one? Who knows.**

**The next chapter is called: Liberation**

* * *

**Sanji's Dream: Oh boy, what did he dream about? Who was the mysterious guy? Was it him? Was it someone else? Or was it Frank the Mall Security Guy? Who knows! But at least Itsuka was there to help him after he woke up and had a panic attack. It's a heartwarming scene and it's finally more development (my god, how much development can these guys get?) between the both of them. Sanji begins to blush and finds out he has a new fetish: cuddling. I'm just happy that I'm finally showing a scene where Sanji is the vulnerable one here instead of Itsuka or someone else. It's refreshing to have him show some weakness for once.**

**With Lian: Ah, this is just a scene that helps explain Astral a little bit more, and give you some more insight into Origin-type Quirks in general.**

**Grandmaster: I wanted the first scene to flesh out The Count's character more, especially with Valjean who inevitably has some history with him. Here, I did my best to have Claude reasonably forgive Valjean for everything that happened. Both parties recognize that an apology won't fix what happened, but they know that small steps will bridge the gap between them. And onto the next scene, it's basically the scene where the three stooges find out that the MLA is a thing again. Because of that, they'll actually have information that will be helpful to the upcoming battle.**

**Setsuna's First Scene: Well, I can't really say anything about this one. It's just a set up for the next set of scenes. I didn't have anything planned for Day 2 of the I-Island trip. Really, everything happened on Day 1 and 3. Day 2 was just a break where everyone can just relax and not worry about being killed.**

**Sanji's Next Scenes: Oh yeah, it was fun writing Sanji being the flustered one for once. He's starting to blush whenever he's around Itsuka, especially when he sees him in that dress. Like the first scene, it's a much needed fluff without the comforting after the panic attack thing, yeah... That was a little angsty. But if you think that's angsty, you haven't seen anything yet. Anyway, I wanted Sanji to "fall" for Itsuka here. He doesn't realize that he's falling for her (or he already fell) but you, the audience, perfectly know that. However, he isn't allowed any time to think about it because next thing you know, he's talking to the first heir of Dreams, and then the attack happens.**

**Grandmaster's Attack: I don't want to say anything for this scene. You just have to wonder who the mysterious Villain is who attacked Hakan.**

**The Hidden Battle: And this is the main fight of the arc, the Hidden Battle. It's Class 1-B versus MLA. The MLA wants to punish 1-B and make them weak before the inevitable War Arc that's currently happening in the manga right now. However, things will not go as planned for them. The MLA are arrogant, completely underestimating what 1-B have in store. I hope you'll enjoy the many, many fight scenes that will happen in the next few chapters because my god, some of them will be exciting to write.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry that this post-chapter thing was short and rushed. I am actually rushing to type this and get this chapter posted ASAP. See you whenever!**


	47. Liberation

**Sasaki Kendo**

"Master Kendo, the fuck's happenin'?!"

"What's going on?!"

"There's no service! I can't call Shojo!"

"Calm down! There's plenty of capable Heroes in I-Island!" I assure these dolts. I can't blame them for panicking though. I-Island has the same security as Tartarus of all freaking places. Right now, we have _multiple _No.1 Heroes attending the I-Expo. If anything, security is at its _highest _. So if there's a threat within I-Island, then it's a threat capable of defeating a No.1 Pro Hero. I don't think we're in danger ourselves. Dammit all… Before I-Island cut off the service, Hayami told me that they were still waiting in the lobby for their ride. I'm glad that Fuyushiro Tokage was an asshole and didn't send a car to pick 'em up. I'd be worried sick otherwise.

Togaru Kamakiri—the son of Executioner Wasp, heard about him—yells, "I fuckin' called it! I knew I-Island would get attacked!"

Manga Fukidashi shouts, "Is this a good time to brag about your bet with Shishida?! They cut off our phones! I gotta get to Shojo 'cause she's probably crying her eyes out right now!"

"They're fine!" Neito Monoma says—at least he's helping me out a little. "Look, I-Island said that they found an explosive device within the complex, correct? They are aware of its existence, but not the exact location. That's why they put the entire island on lockdown just to be safe. Considering that many important people are in the central tower, I'd wager that's where the conflict's at. _Not here _. We're perfectly safe!"

"Listen to the rugrat here, he's right! We're not that far away from everyone else. Hopefully, everyone who _was _going to the gala is still in the lobby. We'll just meet up with them, get your friends in Pollux, and figure out a game plan," I tell them. Kamakiri nods, being a moody guy, crossing his arms and all. Fukidashi reluctantly agrees; he's trembling slightly from fear.

But Monoma? He looks irritated. He comments, "Call it intuition, but those 1-A brats are involved in this somehow. They could be fighting Villains as we speak." Wow, Itsuka wasn't kidding when she said that Monoma's obsessed with 1-A. God, I hope Midoriya and the others are making through this. He might be at the gala already, Toshi too.

Kamakiri retorts, "Who the hell cares? After this, there'll be a hellstorm. Newspapers all over the world are gonna go, 'How the shit did I-Island get attacked?' Fuckin' hell, everywhere we go, there's trouble. Can't even go into an arcade without some crazy bastard tryna blow it up to pieces."

"That's a Hero's life for you," I say. "There's no rest for the wicked. Even if you're an old man like me, the Commission can pull any retired Hero out of retirement if something big happens. If that happens, then you know shit hit the fan."

"More like crap hit the jet engine…" Fukidashi mutters. Speaking louder, he asks, "Can we head over to Pollux first? Sorry, but I'm just—?!"

_PHSSSSH!_

That was an unsettling sound. Reminds me whenever that Todoroki kid is using ice. What the fuck is going on up there? Judging from how faint the sound is, I'd say shit's happening near the top of the hotel. Kamakiri gives Monoma a stink eye, crossing his arms. "We ain't in danger, you say. We're perfectly safe, you say. Well, what the fuck d'ya call that? Are some circus performers gonna put on a play for us while the entire island reenacts the Titanic or some fuckin' crap like that, Broadway?!"

Heh, Broadway. Not a bad nickname, but really, something bad is going on. Shit, don't tell me that some Villains are in the hotel with us. Before Monoma gives his friend a witty comeback, I raise my hand, drawing silence in the room. "Quiet, would ya? If that sound wasn't from a replay of Todoroki's fight with Midoriya, then we're in some hot shit right now. Let's head upstairs and get the rest of your friends."

"Right, I'm with you," Fukidashi says.

"Roger. If we findin' a Villain or some bastard like that, I ain't gonna wait for my Provisionals to cut 'im up," Kamakiri promises, and that's a relief; hesitation will get you killed.

Monoma pats Kamakiri's chest before patting my shoulder; he's probably collecting Quirks. "You're our escort, Master Kendo."

"Let's go. Stay close behind me and if you even _think _about danger, let me know 'cause your instincts won't lie. Most of the time at least," I tell them, looking towards the door. Before I lead the kids outta here, I hear footsteps upstairs on the floor above me. Five sets of them. Fuck, what did we get ourselves into? Dammit all, we won't be able to reach the rest of the boys before the unknown intruders arrive. Unless we literally break through the ceiling that is, but only one of us here is capable of doing that. Unfortunately for us, he isn't a quick-thinker. By the time I tell him to open a hole in the ceiling, the assholes would've already broken through the door. If we try and chase after them, the corridor in the hotel is narrow and we'll be in a pickle, especially since me and Kamakiri are close-ranged fighters and Fukidashi's attacks take up the entire damn width of the hallway. We won't be able to rescue them before the bastards arrive.

"You guys hear that?" Fukidashi asks, looking up at the ceiling.

Monoma mumbles, "Master Kendo, we should—?!"

_BURST!_

Yup, the assholes arrived at the room above us. The door sounded like it got torn off its hinges. Shit, that isn't good.

"Woah, who the hell are you—?!"

"—Shut up!"

"Arf arf arf!"

"Shut your fucking dog up too"

Monoma yells, "Master Kendo, they're in danger! We need to—!"

—Five more sets of footsteps. They're on this floor, and they're coming right for us.

I yell at him, and at the other two boys as well, "I understand, dammit! We got our own issues to deal with! More of 'em are coming this way!" This is a shitty situation. We got ten goons against what? Eight? Nine if you include the dog? They're more organized than we are. I could take on five guys on my own, but that's depending on their Quirks. If any of them has a Hardening-type or any other pain-in-the-ass Quirk Types, then it'll be incredibly difficult for me to do my job. I don't have any weapons with me, just my fists.

Kamakiri pulls out a thick blade out from the palm of his right hand, and Monoma's prepared to kick ass. Fukidashi hangs back. His Quirk is too destructive for enclosed areas like this. The footsteps get closer and closer, then before we know it—

—_ BURST!_

"Fuck me."

"Show me your hands!"

We can't do shit. The first guy that comes in decked out in military armor brandishing a military-grade assault rifle. He also has a shotgun slinged around his back, and a pistol at his side. You'd call his armor an EOD suit, which is meant to protect from explosives. Yet I can tell that whatever he's wearing doesn't only protect from explosives, it protects against nearly _everything _. He's a walking Juggernaut. Mere fists and kicks won't do shit against something like that.

Kamakiri is about to charge in, but he sees the Juggernaut and stops. He swears under his breath, retracting the blade from his palm. Three men and a woman run inside right after the Juggernaut, and the four of us immediately see the terrible place we're in. If we try to pull anything, we'll be shot by the Juggernaut within the second. Dammit, we're gonna get taken hostage. I need to look at the other four to determine their Quirks if possible. The woman, who has really damn messy hair, has hard scales like a dragon; the orange-haired man has his hand on the Juggernaut with a faint purple glow coming from his hand—must be a support Quirk; the skinny guy has a hand on his mouth ready to blow something fierce—Emitter-type; and the last one, the bastard with jagged teeth, he's glaring at us with his jade-colored eyes, glancing at the Juggernaut every now and then—his Quirk involves his eyes.

In summary: Mutant, in the form of a dragon; Emitter, a support Quirk; Emitter, something to do with breathing; and Transformation, something to do with eyes. What about the Juggernaut? Who the hell knows? Guns are used by people who have weak Quirks, or they're outright Quirkless. If Juggernaut has a Quirk, then we can bet that it helps him with firearms.

The Juggernaut yells, "Are you deaf?! Show me your hands!"

Fukidashi asks, "Master Kendo, are we—?"

—I raise my hands. "Fine. I'd ask you to take off that armor of yours, but you have the machine gun here. If I had to guess…" These people are apart of the Meta Liberation Army.

"My fuckin' God…" Kamakiri mutters, raising his hands as well.

"We surrender," Monoma says, following after us.

"...You guys win," Fukidashi follows up, being the last one to raise his hands.

That's how we lost the fight before it even began. We were already put at a disadvantage from a surprise attack. We _would _have a damn good chance at defeating these pricks if it wasn't for the Juggernaut. The only one here who could beat his ass is Fukidashi, but he would also tear down the hotel. If, y'know, he doesn't get riddled with holes first. Bullets are faster than Onomatopoeias.

Dragon snarks, "Thought you're a pretty strong Hero huh, Master Kendo? You could prolly kick our asses right now if ya wanted to, right? C'mon c'mon, where's your fighting spirit? Never pegged you as a spineless coward."

"Do you really have to taunt him so much?" Glowing Hand asks, taking his hand off of the Juggernaut. "We're here to do one thing."

Crazy Eyes affirms, "That's right. You four could probably guess what's happening right now, can you? We're taking you hostage. Well, that's a harsh way of saying it. More like an 'unplanned vacation'."

Kamakiri snaps, "Fuck off, assholes. Are you the bastards attackin' I-Island right now?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, we're just taking advantage of the opportunity laid out for us." You gotta be shitting me, the M.L.A. aren't attacking I-Island? There are two threats we hafta worry about? Dammit all…

Juggernaut, with his barrel still pointing at us, tells everyone, "Enough talk. Get them outta this room. If they try anything, you know what to do."

The Breath guy nods, walking behind us—specifically me—and barks, "You heard him. Let's go." Dragon and Crazy Eyes wait outside the door. I try and take a step forward, but the asshole pushes me. "You're too slow."

Yup, Villains are usually assholes. At least they aren't treating the kids like this…yet. With my hands still raised in the air, I leave the room with the kids right behind me. Dragon (she has a tail) and Crazy Eyes are in the front; Glowing Hand, Juggernaut, and Breath are in the back. Without further ado, Juggernaut says, "Start walking. I'll tell you when to stop."

And we do. We walk in a tight group. Beside me, Monoma moves up and whispers, "I figured out the Quirk for the skinny man. His breath creates a fog. I—"

"Stop whispering back there!" Dragon yells. "You want me to cut your tongue out for you, you blonde rat?"

"Instead of cutting tongues, we can cut a deal after you tell me who you're working for?" Monoma asks, that idiot!

Dragon stops and snarls, "You asked for it, kid." She turns around and raises her hand—

—I step in front of Monoma, and she stops. A flash of fear runs through her eyes before she turns away, scoffing. She mutters, "Tch, not even worth it." We continue to walk without any more issues, because I give Monoma a glare that could kill him. If he doesn't wise up, he'll get hurt.

But as I thought. They're afraid of me. We know that there are two things preventing me from kicking their asses right now: the kids and the Juggernaut. I'm the biggest threat they have at the moment. That must be the reason why they brought the Juggernaut down to apprehend me. They know I wouldn't be able to do anything against him.

I hear Crazy Eyes whispering something to Dragon, but I can't make out the conversation exactly. I glance behind me to check on Kamakiri and Fukidashi. They're doing okay. Kamakiri looks like he's about to kill a man while Fukidashi is on the verge of tears. Poor guy.

Monoma doesn't seem like talking now. He must be planning something in his head. Wish I know what he's planning so I could say it's stupid because trying _anything _will get our asses shot.

After a minute, Juggernaut says, "Stop. We're waiting here." I look around and we're stopped at a stairwell. Ah, so that's how it is, huh? We're regrouping with the guys who took the rest of the kids hostage upstairs. Makes sense.

Fukidashi whispers, "Are we…?"

Kamakiri answers for him, "Yup. We're 'bout to get some new friends."

"Damn," Monoma mutters, "we really aren't in a good place."

We wait for a little bit, about thirty seconds until I hear a voice.

"Y'hear me, you aren't gonna get away with this, y'know! I don't know why you wanna take _us _hostage of all guys, but you're not gonna win!" That's Yosetsu Awase's voice.

_Click clack click clack click_

Nine sets of feet.

Coming down the stairs, guess who they are? Yosetsu Awase, Kosei Tsuburaba, Shihai Kuroiro, Sen Kaibara, and five more goons. Oh right, Kuroiro is holding Kagesuke in his arms. Three of them are men and rest are women. Two of them have Mutant-type Quirks, one man and one woman. The man has curved blades sticking out of his arms, kinda like Kamakiri's Quirk, but with sickles. And the woman, she has quill-like spikes coming out of her skin. The other three, I can't tell at the moment. There's an orange-haired man, his bodybuilder friend, and a chick who has jagged teeth. They're on-guard ready to strike, so they either have Transformation or Emitter.

The boys see me and the rest of us suckers, immediately slouching down in defeat. Yeah, must suck seeing someone like me being held hostage, huh? Kaibara says, "Master Kendo… What—"

Sickle says, "Be quiet." He ushers the kids, making them merge with our group. Now we're outnumbered from ten to eight—nine including the dog. Four of them—Sickle, Dragon, Crazy Eyes, and Orange Hair—are at the front, another four—Juggernaut, Breath, Glowing Hand, Quills—are at the back, and the last two—Jagged Teeth and Bodybuilder—are covering the stairs.

Awase stands next to me while Monoma and Kaibara are chatting just behind us. Kuroiro is talking with Fukidashi, and Tsuburaba and Kamakiri are just silent—they're probably cursing under their breaths. We're not moving, so there must be something else going on. I speak up, "Who else are we waiting for?"

Juggernaut, in the back, snaps, "You'll see soon. Now hush up."

"Who the hell is coming?" Awase mutters under his breath, glancing at me. "Master Kendo, who the fuck are these guys? I thought you could take 'em on."

"Normally yeah," I whisper back—none of the other goons can hear us luckily. To them, we're just staring ahead waiting for our next guest to arrive. "But did ya see the Juggernaut in the back? He has an assault rifle and can mow us down within the second, not to mention the suit he's wearing. I need my Quirk to even bruise him, and even then, I'd need to store up a lot of force for that too. The only one here who has a decent chance at knocking him over is Fukidashi, or Kamakiri piercing his armor. Either way, they aren't gonna fight."

"Damn… Why are we even in this shitty situation in the first place? I hope everyone else is okay. I don't hear any screaming at least…"

"Yeah, that's usually a good sign. Hayami is still with the party-goers in the lobby, Setsuna is M.I.A., the other half of the kids are in Pollux, and we're here. Anyway, were you able to determine the Quirks of your assholes? Juggernaut's unknown, Dragon's Quirk is obvious, one guy can breath out fog, Glowing Hand can support someone via touch, and Crazy Eyes could do something with his eyes."

Awase glances around with his eyes, not turning his head. Good, he's not making it obvious. "The chick with Quills can shoot 'em out of her skin like darts, Sickle Arms is a dude with Sickle Arms, the lady with jagged teeth has a really nasty Jaw like a shark's, the guy with orange hair can Ignite anything he touches—if you look in our room, some of our shit got torched—and the big dude has some crazy version of Muscle Augmentation."

Great. They're M.L.A. bastards, so they're pretty skilled with their Quirks. Each of them have the fighting capacity of a Pro Hero. At least we know what they can do. Shit though, the Muscle Augmentation guy will be a dick to handle… Guys with those types of Quirks are pure physical strength and they take a lot of fucking hits to bring down.

I reply to the kid, "Thanks for telling me. When we get outta this shitty situation, we have some insight on what our guys have to offer. Luckily for us, Lian is _supposed _to drop by and watch you guys, but since y'know, we're being held at gunpoint, he might be in the lobby."

"Least we have him. Fuck, I really hope the guys in Pollux are okay." Awase curses under his breath, probably worried about his crush.

"Yeah, hopefully."

"Yeah…" He grits his teeth, looking around at the goons before looking up front, Dragon and Ignite. He yells, "Hey! Can we get this shit over with?! Who are we waiting for, dammit?!"

Dragon snaps, "Shut the hell up! You'll see when they get here, brat! Now shut up before I tear your tongue out, would ya?!"

"What fuckin' bullshit. You guys are fuckin' assholes," Kamakiri mutters, but because I can _hear _him, he isn't muttering; the other guys can hear him too.

Juggernaut shouts, "No talking! We have orders to take you alive, but I ain't afraid of putting a bullet in your kneecap!"

Kaibara, who's actually muttering, definitely cusses him off. It's so bad that Monoma has a visible reaction to what he said. Fukidashi is leaning against a wall with his head down, not focusing on what's going on. He looks like he's just spacing out; his morale must be pretty damn low. Kuroiro and Kagesuke, I'm surprised that Kagesuke isn't barking his head off right now; he's well-trained especially for a puppy.

Awase shoots me a glare that says, _Fuck these guys. Fuck 'em. They oughta go to hell and burn there for all I care. _

God, at least these kids aren't crying out of their minds. Looks like everything that happened to them simply hardened their shells. Sure, they're not 1-A who fought Shigaraki and the rest of his gang, they dealt with something worse: being vilified by the public. That killed more people than Villains ever will. Still, having experience _does _help when you're being led to the slaughter by some liberation-obsessed maniacs. They're remaining calm despite this being their first _real _Villain attack. If these guys were in U.S.J. instead of 1-A, they would do just fine in terms of mental spirit.

And so, we wait 'round for our mystery guest to arrive. Considering that we're such a large group with no particular leader, that probably means the leader is coming down to grace us with their presence. Give me a break. It's gonna be one of the guys I saw on the first day here; if so, who will it be?

Maybe, just maybe it's—

Tsuburaba steps behind me, towards the stairs where Jaws and the Muscle Augmentation guy are at. Then, before I know it, he—?!

_DASH!_

What the hell is he doing?!

"Outta my way—!" he shouts, charging towards the both of them! Before Muscle and Jaws could react, Tsuburaba puffs out a platform in front of him, jumping on it and leaping over the two of them, landing on the, well, landing between the two sets of stairs. The idiot is trying to escape! But why is he going upstairs?! It would be better to go down!

"Fucking brat, I'll eat you hole!" Jaws yells, charging after him and—!

_CRASH!_

She runs into an invisible wall; Tsuburaba created an invisible wall separating them. I can't imagine that it's very strong considering it's literally Solid Air, but it should be enough for him to make his escape. And so he does. He's running upstairs. Awase shouts, "Keep running, Airhead! Don't let those fuckers get you!"

Muscle snarls at Awase, "Shut the fuck up, kid! I'm gettin' his ass, don't you worry one bit! That little jackass will—!"

"—Don't," Juggernaut interrupts him, "he'll run into _them _pretty soon."

"Who is this motherfucker?" I ask as everyone has their attention turned to us. "I swear to God, if you hurt him—!"

"—Shit!" Tsuburaba's voice rings out above us. "Who are you—?!"

_KICK!_

The sound of a foot slamming into something hard is heard, and we see Tsuburaba falling downstairs, his back crashing against a wall right in front of our eyes. Three sets of footsteps follow after. One of them is wearing boots, the other flats, and the last one is wearing dress shoes.

"Where do you think you're going, Kosei Tsuburaba?" a man says with a voice filled with an icy malice. There's nothing but contempt and resentment in his voice. All he needs is a reason to hurt someone; he'll do it without hesitation. His voice is enough to send chills down my spine. If his effect on people is _this _pronounced on _me _, then imagine the kids…

Jaws brush off her clothes, lowering her head in respect. Muscle does the same thing. All of the goons are lowering their heads, each and every one of them. Everyone is silent, not making a sound until we see the man of the hour…

Geten, the white-haired pretty boy. Instead of wearing a suit, he's wearing a thick parka. Behind him, there are two people waiting on the stairs… Their hands are encased in ice… They're… What the fuck? Setsuna Tokage and Okichi Tokugawa?! They were captured by Geten?! That's why they weren't in the lobby with Hayami and the others!

"...Tokage?" Awase mutters.

"What is she doing here…? With Tokugawa even…?" Fukidashi mutters too.

That isn't the point though. Right now, Geten is cornering Tsuburaba against the wall. The kid's nervous, his eyes are darting back and forth—a clear telltale sign of fear. Yet he's not collapsing on his knees from fright, he's doing his damn best to stand up to the pretty boy. Just as Tsuburaba is about to utter a sound, Geten's right hand snaps forward with an icicle in his grasp, having the tip _just _barely pressing against Tsuburaba's neck. "That was a rhetorical question; I didn't give you the right to speak."

Man, last time I saw Geten, he was nervous. He stuttered whenever he spoke, but now? He has the charisma of a general. Seems like fighting for the M.L.A. gives him the reason to be confident and proud. Good thing that means he's emotional. But so are these kids. Fighting emotions with emotions will scorch one of 'em, and here, if Tsuburaba doesn't play his cards right, he'll be the one getting burned.

Tsuburaba is looking at me afraid that he might die. He asks, _Master Kendo… Can you do anything? Anything at all?! Save me here!_

I shake my head. _I'll do what I can. Don't try to escape. If you do, you'll have an icicle in your stomach._

Awase tries to say something, but I grab his arm. He bites his tongue in response, sweating bullets as we watch Tsuburaba shivering with the tip of the icicle pressed against his neck, almost breaking the skin.

Geten eases up just a little bit, raising the icicle so it touches Tsuburaba's chin, making him lift his head up. "So you can hold your tongue. I'm surprised none of your other sheeple is speaking up for you. It wasn't my intention to capture most of the men in your class, but I thought at least one of them would curse me out." He looks at me specifically. "Like you, Master Kendo. Do you recognize me?"

I snark, "Is that a rhetorical question or do I have a right to speak? I'm just a wittle sheeple hopping over the fence."

He frowns, grinding his teeth. "Don't mock me. I could kill this brat in front of you right now. You'll regret ever saying a word as you watch his blood drip down the stairs right towards your feet."

Tokage is shaking her head at me, mouthing, _What the heck are you doing?!_

"Are you sure about that, Geten?" I say, louder so everyone in the audience can hear. "If you kill that boy, he'll be the catalyst for the next war against your disgusting group! In order to prevent that, you would need to kill _everyone _in this hotel, but how would you cover this up? It's impossible. So 'cause of that, you're gonna keep us alive to get what you want."

Geten's frown gets harsher, but he knows my words are the truth. He retracts the icicle from Tsuburaba's neck, letting him finally breathe again. "Fine, Master Kendo… You win this time."

Tsuburaba sighs in relief. "Thank God—!"

_KICK!_

And the asshole kicks Tsuburaba down the stairs. Muscle Augmentation catches him and throws him back into the group, and Awase lifts him up, shouting whispers into his ear. Geten walks down afterwards with Setsuna and Tokugawa behind him. Waving his hand, the M.L.A. soldiers lift up their heads. Geten looks around, visibly confused. "Militia, where are my five soldiers? I'd thought they would be here by now."

Juggernaut—guess his codename is Militia—replies, "They haven't come down yet. I thought they were with you, sir."

"Through the walkie-talkie, I reported that they went down to Floor 51 through the elevator. Me and these two brats took the stairs. They shouldn't take this long to capture him."

Militia goes silent for a second. Even though he's wearing a bulky suit with an even bulkier mask, he looks at me specifically. "...I agree, sir. It's strange."

Geten huffs. "Alright then. You two brats," he's talking to Setsuna and Tokugawa, "don't move a muscle." He walks up to Militia and they start to talk quietly.

The "two brats" approach me awkwardly since y'know, their hands are ice cubes. I look at them and quietly yell, "How the hell did you two get involved in this?"

Setsuna answers, "Long story, can't tell you now, but Geten captured me and Okichi in Floor 58. He had five other guys with him, but as you heard, he went to Floor 51."

"Why Floor 51?" I ask.

Tokugawa says, "That's where Mister Inochi is at." What? Sanji is in Floor 51?! Why is he there?! "Upstairs, I acted like I was hiding information; Geten noticed and 'forced' it out of me. I told him that your student is in Floor 51, right in his room."

"And you gave it to him?! You sent five soldiers to Sanji's room?! What the fuck were you thinking?!" I find myself shouting, still in whispers though.

Setsuna sighs. "Master Kendo, these guys want to make an example outta us. They want to _punish _us. Pollux probably aren't captured like us, so they can bargain for our release hopefully."

"And how are you gonna do that? The rest of us don't have anything worth bargaining for."

Tokugawa corrects me, "On the contrary, we do. We have a flash drive somewhere that acts as our McGuffin, and most importantly, we also have hope."

I bite, "Hope for what?"

Suddenly, Geten commands his soldiers for something. Dragon, Crazy Eyes, Quills, and Sickle Arms are chosen. He asks 'em, "Head to Floor 51 immediately and support your fellow comrades there. When you're done, go down to the lobby. We'll meet you there."

Tokugawa has a shit-eating grin on his face. "Hope that Mister Inochi is stronger than these scum."

* * *

**Sanji Inochi**

The impending danger is here. I-Island is being attacked by unknown Villains. Cell phone service is down, which sucks because I can't call Itsuka. Dammit all, _think _. My phantom, he said that I will need to fight for my life soon. That should make itself very apparent soon. Judging from the sound from earlier, someone with an Ice Quirk is here. Hayami said that _no one _should be here other than us, but with that noise, that's evidence that _someone _is here, and that _someone _doesn't care about the laws. You can use Quirks in I-Island but only in the designated places, and this isn't one of them.

Thus, that's a Villain.

I need to head down to the lobby, but now? I don't think I'd be able to. It's the most logical choice to take the elevator down there while there's still power, yet the hairs on the back of my neck are tingling. I can slowly feel myself going into fight mode. Everything in my body is screaming, _Prepare yourself! Something is coming!_

And personally, I think it's a bad idea to not listen to your instincts.

Right now, I have to assume that the Ice Quirk has friends with them. If 1-B really is getting attacked, then they need more than one person to capture us all unless they're as strong as Lian.

"So…" I mutter, "I need to get ready for whoever's coming."

My support gear should be in the bedroom in a duffle bag. I run inside, and just for a brief moment, the memory of me and Itsuka flash in my mind. Ah great, now I'm getting anxious. I _really _hope she's okay while this is going on. But for now, I need to worry about my own well-being—though, it's difficult trying to focus on myself when she's still lingering in my head.

Okay uh, bright side, my stuff is where I left it. Itsuka's gear is here too, but it isn't much. She only has her corset and her equipment belt. Anyhow, I put my duffle bag onto the bed, taking everything out. My gear is much more extensive: armor plates, my two bracers, and my weapons: katana, wakizashi, and a tanto all in their respective sheathes—well for the tanto, it's more of a box than a sheathe. I oughta—?!

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Sir, if you haven't heard already, I-Island is being attacked! We're assigned to move everyone to an area for their safety!" a man yells. Crap, they're here already?! I don't have time to put on everything I need! Well, then it's time to improvise. My katana should be enough here. My room is pretty spacious, but I need to keep in mind of the obstacles that could get in my way.

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Sir, are you in there?!" the man yells again.

"Yeah yeah! Don't worry, I'm breathing just fine! I'll be there in a second!" I shout, grabbing my katana and making my way out of the bedroom—I'm leaving the door open just in case. And it just occurred to me that I shouldn't open the door brandishing a weapon. Right… I toss my katana on the couch in the living room space. It shouldn't be visible from the doorway; the sheathe is the same color as the couch.

Okay, after I open this door, I should expect a fight. But if the Villains are trying to put up this charade, then I might have a better chance at victory.

With a deep breath, I unlock the door and open it. On the other side, five men in suits are there. Each of them look pretty rugged honestly, even for businessmen. The man in front is a silver-haired man with slick hair. Behind him are two guys: one has frizzy green hair like a bush, and the other has blonde hair. Then behind them are the last two: an average-looking black-haired man standing next to a man with blocky knuckles.

The silver-haired man smiles when he sees me, bowing in respect. "I'm afraid we don't have much time to explain, but we've been assigned to escort all of the guests down to the lobby. We need you to come with us."

I awkwardly scratch the back of my head, giving them a carefree smile. "Of course, of course! I understand completely, but can I bring some of my stuff? I was just about to head down there myself, but I wanted to pack my things first before you guys arrived."

The silver-haired man looks behind him, getting nods and shoulder shrugs from his entourage. He turns to me and sighs in defeat. "Alright, go ahead. We'll follow you inside if you don't mind."

"Not at all! Come in, I won't take too long, I promise!" I say, taking a step backwards deeper into my room. This is going great. I would've been defeated instantly if they decided to capture me right then and there—or kill me outright. They really are trying to keep up this game of theirs, huh? I'm lucky.

All five of them step inside, looking around while I head into the living room space. I go behind the far end of the couch because my backpack is there. I zip my backpack up like I'm packing my belongings, but y'know, I'm not. To my right, there's a clear coffee table. I could probably kick that easily. "So uh, as I pack, can you give me a quick rundown of what's going on? I tried to call my friends earlier but I-Island knocked the cell towers down."

Silver Hair replies, "That's what happens during emergencies, I'm afraid. Situations like these are incredibly rare; you could count them with one hand. Anyway, I haven't answered your question. Well uhm, there are reports that armed men took over the gala in the Central Tower." Good God…

"...Really? Damn," I mutter under my breath. Okay Sanji, the men are naturally dispersing themselves out. The silver-haired man is the closest to me; the green-haired guy is in the kitchen, just gotta head forward then right; Blocky Knuckles and blonde hair are to my left; I have no idea where the black-haired man is, he just disappeared.

I stand up with my backpack at my feet, staring at Silver Hair still being aware where everyone else is at right now. He says, "Yeah, like I said, you can count these situations with one hand. After this, you can only imagine the bad press I-Island will get." Silver Hair takes a good look at me before glancing around, then his eyes land on the couch. He points to my katana, "What is that?"

"Oh that?" I say, my voice gets filled with anxiety. "Well uhm, how do I put this… That's my katana. I'm a Hero Student, but not a responsible one admittedly. You see, I'm not staying here by myself. I'm sharing this with one of my classmates, and uh, I was trying to impress her last night with some of my sword tricks."

"...You were trying to impress a girl?" Okay, he's giving me a very disappointed look.

"Please don't look at me like that. I don't wanna be reminded that I'm literal walking garbage," I reply.

Blocky Knuckles laughs, crossing his arms—his arms are actually logs. "Not gonna lie, that was the last thing I was expecting. Who knew Sanji Inochi let his dick choose for him?"

I innocently smile, staring at him. "You know who I am?"

The room goes silent. Five eerie seconds past as we look at each other, remaining in our locations still as a statue. If someone walked in on this very moment, they would think we are mimes or something. Then, to break that silence, the black-haired man runs out of the bedroom, and we turn our attention to him. "Guys, the kid has his stuff laid out on the bed! One of his swords is missing!"

Me and Silver Hair look at my katana. Looks like I've been caught in a lie.

_KICK!_

I kick the coffee table over; it flies off of the ground crashing right into Silver Hair, making him focus on the object instead of me. To my left, Blocky Knuckles charge forward yelling, "You bastard!"

I grab my backpack off the ground. "Here, catch this!"

_TOSS!_

And I toss it right at him. While he's distracted, in a single motion, I jump onto the couch, grab my katana, and leap off it like a child jumping off of the furniture. By the time I'm done with that, it's also the same time when Blocky Knuckles hurl my backpack away. Sorry to say, but I'm right above him!

"You—?!

—_ LEAP!_

I smash my feet against his head, using it as a springboard to leap forward right at the Blondie! I pull my katana back behind me, ready to free the blade from its prison. Blondie grits his teeth, but he doesn't assume a stance or anything. I don't think he's particularly skilled at fighting in close combat!

Either way, I'm sorry about this.

_WHACK!_

"Gah—!" I brought down my katana onto his head in a flash, my blade becoming a blur to an outsider's perspective. Though, I didn't take it out of the sheathe; that was just a feint. I'm not gonna cut these guys unless I have to, so blunt force trauma will make do for now!

Blondie staggers a little from the whack on the head, but he's mostly stable for the most part. He steps forward off-balanced, also over-extending his right leg, then throwing a slow right hook towards me. I spin on my leg to dodge his slow punch, giving him a spinning hook kick into his face, and a loud _smack _rings throughout the room. He collapses against a wall briefly knocked-out. I was right, he isn't good at fighting!

_STOMP!_

"Yaaah!" Behind me—!

—_ SWEEP!_

Just barely, I ducked under Blocky Knuckle's right hook and sweep his legs, taking them right from under him! He falls hard onto the tiled floor, nearly cracking the ground from how heavy he is. In front of me, Silver Hair is charging forward along with Green Hair a few seconds after, but Black Hair is staying behind—he must have a ranged Quirk.

As I step over Blocky Knuckles as fast as possible, Silver Hair says, "You should've made this easy on yourself!" He extends his arm with a metal sheen covering the entirety of his hands. Ah, that must be his Quirk! His Quirk is Blade Palms! Behind him, Green Hair's skin is turning into tree bark; everything except his face! His Quirk is Tree Bark then, a Hardening-type! Blade Palms will arrive first, then Tree Bark a few seconds after!

_THRUST!_

_DEFLECT!_

Blade Palms thrusted his right hand forward and I deflect his arm upwards out of harm's way. In the same motion, I spin around him and simultaneously strike the back of his left leg with a loud _whack _, causing him to fall down on one knee.

Tree Bark charges forward like a walking tank. The only way I can hurt him effectively is aiming for his head, and he knows that! He has his body bent down and arms up just like how a boxer would, protecting his face from any frontal attacks! "—Hrrah!" There's no way for me to counter the momentum he's gaining, or no easy way to attack his head. So I'll just leave him for later!

_JUMP!_

Because Tree Bark has his body bent down and low, I can just jump over him and roll off of his back. His momentum is carrying him forward, acting against him here. With four of the Villains behind me, there's only one left! And that's Black Hair, who's standing right outside the bedroom door.

He glares at me and brings his head back. Before I know it—?!

_SPIT SPIT SPIT!_

Okay what the heck?! He can spit out projectiles using his saliva?! He spit out three saliva bullets at me, and one of them grazed my cheek, leaving me with a small cut. Okay, these projectiles have the same consistency as metal!

I unsheathe my katana just as Spitball is about to spit out another volley of attacks!

_SPIT SPIT SPIT!_

_PING PING PING!_

I deflect his projectiles while at the same time, closing the distance between me and him. Each spitball rings a _ping _and a _ding _like in movies, being deflected off into the walls of the hotel room snapping pieces off and leaving dents—let's hope I don't have to pay for the damages later. Spitball sees me heading right for him, increasing the intensity of his spitballs. They were larger before, but now since he's desperate, they're getting smaller.

_SPIT SPIT SPIT!_

_DING DING DING!_

Through the barrage, I keep deflecting the spitballs away. A few of them make it past me and graze me, cutting holes in my suit and into my skin, but I'm still alive and well! And soon enough, I'm right about to meet Spitball himself! He grimaces, stepping back to create more distance between us! I jump forward and—?!

_WHOOM _—

—_ SHATTER!_

The lights?! I'm blinded! Before I knew it, the lights in the room got brighter before they shattered completely! All of them just shattered! That's someone's Quirk alright! It must be Blondie's! He can Illuminate any light source, I guess!

I fall to my knees, trying to shake out the bright spots in my vision. But as I do that, Spitball uses this opportunity to knock my katana and sheath out of my hands, grabbing me by the shoulders and tossing me into the bedroom… And uh, that's where the rest of my support gear is at. Y'know, the support gear that has my backup weapons if/when I get disarmed.

I hear Blade Palms yelling, "Lumen, why did you shatter all of the lights here?! You're useless now!"

Lumen, I guess that's Illuminate, replies, "Don't blame me! That little punk kicked me in the head! I can barely concentrate as it is!"

Spitball yells at them, "He's in his bedroom! Get over here before I get overwhelmed!"

_SPIT!_

Of course he spits after that! I roll backwards, letting the spitball _thud _against the ground. I get onto my feet; the back of my legs hit the bed where my support gear is displayed just for me. Well, good thing I dumped everything out before they got here.

I take a stance, glaring down Spitball who's ready to give me a good one in the head. Within the second, the other four Villains meet up with him with Lumen in the back, being the worser one for wear. They crowd around the doorway ready to rush inside. I'm not in the best place since my bedroom is a tighter space, but because I have my gear with me, I think I have a better chance.

Tree Bark nearly trips himself on my katana, kicking it aside out of my view. He crashes his fists together, saying, "Why don't you give up, kid? Last chance. Don't make us break one of your teeth outta your pretty little face."

I shake my head. The Villains change positions. Lumen and Spitball are in the back; Blade Palms, Blocky Knuckles, and Tree Bark are in the front.

Blade Palms tells me, "It's five against one; five Quirks against a Quirkless."

I smirk, reaching behind me to grab my tanto that's sheathed inside its box. It's made out of wood. I let out a dramatic sigh, channeling my inner pride. "To be honest with you... I like those odds."

Blocky Knuckles frowns, cocking his arms like he's reloading them. "Get the little prick—!"

—_ BAM!_

I threw the box right into his head, connecting perfectly with a _crack _radiating throughout the room! I threw it so hard that blood flies out!

At the same time, Blade Palms charges inside the room first with Tree Bark following after him. Blade Palms does an upwards cut—dodged—downwards slash—dodged—straight thrust—dodged! I jump onto the bed after his third attack, flipping backwards onto the other side grabbing my chestplate.

Blade Palms jump onto the bed and—

_YANK!_

With one hand, I yank the sheets right from under him, causing Blade Palms to fall backwards onto the ground across from me. Unfortunately though, I also yanked my support gear all over the floor on _my _side. I need to be careful where I step! If I slip once, that's game over.

Tree Bark, after nearly having Blade Palms fall on top of him, decides to go around the bed instead of going over it. I step over some of my fallen support gear right as he takes a right jab at me!

_JAB!_

_BLOCK!_

I use my breastplate as a shield; well, more like a buckler! I deflect his punch off to the side, countering with my own attack!

_KICK!_

I do a front kick, slamming my feet into Tree Bark's chin. The sound of my shoe crashing against his flesh is like a gun going off. It causes him to take a step backwards, staggering off-balanced, but that's not enough to take him down!

_PUNCH!_

He does a downwards jab into my stomach, but once again, I use my breastplate and slam his arm down, deflecting his attack again. With this opening, I shove the edge of my breastplate right into his neck! It's protected by his Quirk, but still! I'm shoving something _metal _against his neck with every ounce of strength I have!

_WHAM!_

This time, it does some damage to Tree Bark. He starts severely coughing, putting one hand to his throat. I kick him back into the dresser where our TV is on top of. That's him out of commission for a while!

_SPIT!_

Crap—!

—_ BLOCK!_

Blocked it! Spitball isn't gonna hit me that easily—?!

_CATCH!_

But that definitely can! That was incredibly close! Just as I put my breastplate away, Blade Palms emerge right in front of me with his left hand aiming towards my right eye. My body moved on its own, grabbing Blade Palms's left hand by the wrist, just centimeters away from my eye. If I reacted too slowly, then I just lost an eye.

"Shit," Blade Palms swears under his breath. He's more than surprised that I was able to catch his wrist like that. Honestly, I'm a little surprised too. My reaction time has gotten faster. "What kind of a Quirkless are you?"

"No idea, but you shouldn't have underestimated me," I say right before I toss his left arm to the side. I drop my breastplate, then in the next second—

_BAM!_

I drive my fist into Blade Palms's nose. I break it, letting his nose gush out blood. Grabbing him by the collar, I move him towards Tree Bark's direction and kick him over to him. Now they can recover together. Finally, Blocky Knuckles starts to run in, joining the fight again. "Don't forget about me, you bastard—!"

—_ PUNCH!_

_WHIFF _— _!_

Obvious punch. I can just step off to the side. Blocky Knuckles tries to punch me again right in the stomach, but I dodge that too. His punches look devastating if they hit, so I oughta keep dodging.

_WHIFF WHIFF!_

So I dodged a couple more times, and I see something I can exploit: his red tie. It's flying about. Just after his last punch, I extend my left arm forward and grab him by the tie!

_PULL!_

_PUNCH!_

Right after I pulled him closer, thus leaving him off-balanced, I give him a punch in the jaw. I stomp the ground, standing tall as I throw punch after punch after punch into his face, letting my arms become blurs as I endlessly batter his skull. He tries to raise his arms up to guard against me, but I simply go around them, eventually breaking his guard altogether. After punching about ten times, I finish up by giving him an uppercut into his chin. With a groan, Blocky Knuckles stumbles back and slips on my wakizashi, falling onto the ground in front of Blade Palms and Tree Bark.

Three close-quarters Villains are currently defeated. They might get back up again, but for now, I have to deal with Lumen and Spitball. Both of them are staring at me with wide eyes as if they realized they bitten off more than they can chew.

Lumen says, "Well fuck."

Spitball replies, "Don't worry, we'll get rid—" With my wakizashi on the ground, I kick it up like a soccer ball, "—of this kid and—" I spin around and kick the end of the hilt, "—capture him—?!"

—_ BAM!_

Just like how Deku kicked a tree into me, I spun around and kicked my wakizashi right into Spitball's head. Like with me throwing my tanto into Blocky Knuckle's head, there's a _crack _that rings out, but it's _much _more visceral-sounding than before. He shouldn't have talked so much.

_THUD!_

And Spitball falls on the ground.

I walk out of my room with Lumen being the last one standing. All of the lights are shattered, so we are practically walking in darkness with the city lights outside the windows acting as the only light source. Off of the ground, I pick up my sheathe for my katana. Spitball, with his dwindling strength, grabs my ankle.

_WHACK!_

And I strike him across the head with the sheathe.

Lumen, nearly tripping over my fallen katana, picks it up and waves it around like a child with a stick. "Hey, you're gonna regret this, y'know! When the others get to you, you're gonna regret ever deciding to become a Hero!"

"I won't regret anything," I say, stepping forward with the city lights illuminating me in brief flashes.

"Grrr, dammit all! Take this!" Lumen shouts before running at me with my own sword. He pulls it back and thrusts forward, and I react accordingly.

_CLICK!_

"—?!" By "react accordingly", I angle my sheathe perfectly where he slides it right back inside with a very satisfying _click _. Before he says something, I knee him in the stomach, causing him to fall down onto his knees ironically enough. "B-Bastard…"

I don't say anything else. I bring my katana back and strike him across the cheek. Lumen falls flat on the ground groaning in pain. He's conscious, but he'll be staying there for a while.

_Click clack click…_

Ah dammit, the fight isn't over. I turn around and see Blade Palms walking out. Behind him, Tree Bark and Blocky Knuckles follow him. They look terrible, but they have anger welling up in their eyes. I ask them, "Do you guys still wanna fight?"

Blade Palms nods. "We have orders, Sanji Inochi. Our orders were to capture you and take you to the lobby. For our glorious leaders, we'll continue to fight until our bodies refuse to."

"Even if you sacrifice your lives for your...leaders?" I ask again. Whoever these guys are associated with, they mean big business.

"Especially that," he answers, brandishing his Quirk again. Tree Bark readies himself, and Blocky Knuckles crack his, well, knuckles.

I sigh. Man, now I'm starting to feel bad for beating everyone up so badly, but this is the only choice. They won't relent. "Alright then, gimme your best shot."

Blocky Knuckles roar like a wild animal, charging forward like a berserker. With his anger though, his attacks are stronger, yet more predictable. He's telegraphing a wide right hook with the capability of breaking every bone in my face. However—

_DUCK!_

I duck underneath his arm and swipe at his right leg, knocking him down. Spinning back around, I follow up by slamming the sheathe onto the top of his head.

_THWACK!_

"Geh—" Blocky Knuckles falls down flat.

Tree Bark is up next. He runs forward with heavy stomps, shaking the room and probably the entire floor too. However, I have a better reach than him. His punches are slow because of all of that weight that's added on because of his Quirk. I can strike faster than he can punch.

_WHACK!_

So before he even attacks me, I strike him across the face. He's stunned just for a brief second, then I follow up with another attack on the head. His body gets lower, and then once again, I strike him one more time.

_THUD!_

Tree Bark's Quirk deactivates and he lies there with bruises all over his face. There's blood on the end of my sheathe now.

Finally, it's Blade Palms's turn. Like the rest of his friends, he runs forward right at me. His attacks are fast and swift, but I can dodge them nonetheless. When I caught his wrist earlier, it proves that I'm faster than him. So—

_DODGE!_

He lunged forward trying to stab me in the chest; I stepped out of the way. He does a wide swipe at the air and I duck underneath the arc. Spinning my sheathed katana around my arms, I counterattack by swinging it upwards right into his chin with a _smack _following afterwards. Blade Arms is taken off of the ground and goes soaring into the air a couple of meters up. Afterwards, he falls back down with a _thud _, moaning in defeat.

"You...won't win…" he says, but he's putting his lip service into reality. Blade Palms is trying to get up, so I just have to hit him again.

_CRASH!_

My sheathe crashes against the skull, and he goes down for good. Lumen manages to find the strength to stand up, and he just watches me utterly defeat three of his allies right in front of his eyes.

He asks me, "...What are you?"

Lumen backs up, and I step forward. He's backing up towards the door. I reply, "I'm no one, really. I mean, you knew I would fight for my life. You had the intention of harming me, so it's only fair that I give the pain right back."

"But you're Quirkless! Sure you have a Quirk, but you're just fighting Quirkless! How can you beat all of us without a Quirk?!" he exclaims.

"Honestly, you guys rely on your Quirks too much. That's your fatal flaw," I say.

Lumen's back hits the door. He gasps and looks behind him, realizing that he's trapped. "Well, I don't care! I'm a liberator! I fight for a world where we can use our Quirks without restriction! You would've been perfect for us! You would have joined our cause!"

...This sounds like the Meta Liberation Army. Oh my God, are they making a comeback? "I don't want any part of this. You're a Villain and I'm a Hero, and there's only one way this could end!"

He grits his teeth. "So be it! Gaaah—!"

Lumen charges forward, but again, I'm faster.

Before he knows it, I'm right in front of him. I jump into the air and send my right foot into his chest. He flies back into the door—

_SHATTER!_

—and takes it off its hinges.

* * *

**Itsuka Kendo**

"Can someone explain to me why Grandmaster, Count, and Lian just brought in a bleeding guy while all this crap is going on?!" Honenuki yells, and honestly, I'm tempted to rip his jaw out of his mouth if he keeps talking! How in the hell am I supposed to know this?! One moment, I-Island has a bomb somewhere in the complex, and in the next, the adults here came in with a random guy who's bleeding!

Mom and Yui are dealing with the bleeding guy while I'm just here trying to wrap my head around whatever's going on! God, the one time I need Sanji and he's up in our room! I need to go get him at some point, my goodness!

Reiko asks me, "Itsuka, are you okay? You look incredibly stressed. Your hair is turning gray even as we speak."

I put my hand out, patting her on the head. "Don't worry Reiko, I'm just peachy. The entire island might be erupting in chaos, but at least you're still sane." I'm glad that the people going to the gala are reasonable, not chaotic people whatsoever. Yui's Yui, Shishida's a respectable gentleman, Yanagi's her calm self, Rin is always dependable, and Mom's reliable whenever you need her to be. But Honenuki? Him? Yeah, he's crazy.

That's why Rin and Shishida are talking to him in an attempt to calm his ass down. Lian too. Grandmaster and Count are talking to each other, so I oughta ask them what's going on. God knows that all of us need an explanation right now. Reiko tells me, "I'll be over with your mother and Yui to see if there is anything I could do."

"Thanks Reiko, I'll go talk to my mentors," I say, watching her walk over to the three of them. From the bits and pieces of conversation I heard from them, the bleeding man is named Hakan, and he works for the United Hero Nations. Makes sense, because he's well-groomed and has a nice suit. He probably specializes in the Middle East considering his name. Anyhow, I approach Grandmaster and Count who are having a conversation to themselves. They stop when I walk up to them, instantly turning their heads to me. "So uh, can you guys explain what's going on?"

The Count shrugs his shoulders, glancing outside. "Your guess is as good as ours, ma cherie. Unless Shindeka can wow us with his amazing deductions, the least we can say that is Hakan, the man who we brought in, got attacked by a Villain."

Grandmaster shakes his head, holding the head of his wooden cane. "Mhm, and there is a high possibility that his assailant is not involved with the VIllains who are attacking I-Island. Really, she took advantage of the chaos as if she knew I-Island would be attacked in the first place."

From across the lobby, Lian adds, "There must have been a large conspiracy to attack I-Island then. Word gets around in the Villain world, so it'd make sense that some Villains would attend the I-Expo just to take advantage of the situation." Behind him, Honenuki seems to be calmed down, but he's just pacing back and forth. Anyway, Lian continues, "Moving on though, we should address something more pressing, my darlings… The sound from earlier."

"What sound?" I ask. "The only sounds I heard came from Honenuki."

Grandmaster says, "You mean the barely audible sound? Whatever it was? I apologize, but I couldn't make out what exactly that sound was, but judging from what I _did _hear, it sounded like a Quirk activation."

Lian nods. "Ice, to be specific, darling. Someone in this building has an Ice Quirk, and judging from the sound, they're on the top floor. Since this hotel is split into two buildings… I'd say they are in Castor."

Rin jumps into the conversation, "There's another person here? I thought it was just us. All of the suits should be at the gala, and all of the hotel workers are somewhere having a mandatory staff party."

Oh crap, please don't tell me we're right in the middle of a Villain attack. I imagined what-ifs about our, Class 1-B, first Villain attack as a whole, and this wasn't one of them. God, I somewhat expected that 1-A would drag us into their bad luck, but apparently, we did that all by ourselves.

Grandmaster exhales, grimacing. "From your brother's words, it's proven that there is _someone _unexpected here. And considering the fact that Villains are attempting to use this attack in their favor…"

Hakan stands up with his nice business suit all bloodied up. Mom tries to stop him, but he shakes his head and gets up all on his own. "It means we jumped out of one frying pan and right into another. Look, standing 'round and chatting hypotheticals won't get us out of this situation with the skin on our backs and our pearly white teeth still in our mouths. We need to take immediate action and react accordingly with the information we know, no matter how slim that is."

As soon as he stands up, everyone has their eyes turned towards him. Damn, he has the aura of a natural-born leader. For a guy we just met, he's surprisingly capable. Shishida asks, "Before that, who might you be, sir?"

Honenuki nods. "Yeah, no offense, but we just met you. It's hard for me to follow the words of a stranger who came in here bleeding all over this perfectly nice carpet."

Hakan smiles, laughing at that joke. "I understand, kid. My name is Hakan Aldemir, a U.H.N. official in the International Villains Affairs bloc, and my speciality is in the Middle East. I'm in charge of spearheading operations that involve apprehending Villains on an international scale. Really, something like this is something I deal with often. After all, we have Heroes from Japan, China, and France standing in this room right now."

"So what should we do?" I ask him, crossing my arms. "We're separated. Half of our class is in Castor, including Sanji who's up in Floor 51, and the other half is in Pollux. Everyone is probably confused as hell. Also, two of us are nowhere to be found, so that's great!"

He sighs, taking a second to think to himself. "Well, we oughta—?!"

_BANG BANG BANG!_

Someone is banging on the doors; crap, I almost got a heart attack! We turn to whoever's banging on the doors, and—?! It's Ishtar! Why is she here?! She's yelling, "Help! Help!" Before I can move, The Count runs over and opens the door, letting Ishtar nearly fall inside out-of-breath. He quickly closes the door, bringing her into the group.

Hakan mutters, "First, we need to have an unexpected guest…"

Mom exclaims, "What are you doing here, Ishtar?! I thought you were at that party?!" ("Who would name their daughter after a goddess?" Hakan off-handedly comments.)

Ishtar takes a couple of heavy breaths before looking up, absolutely shaking in fear. She looks so afraid, almost like she saw the face of death right in front of her eyes. "Oh God, I was just—God, I was—haah, I ran and I ran—I came here and—!"

"Take some deep breaths, miss! Just some deep breaths!" The Count says, having his hand on her back to comfort her. Ishtar hurriedly nods, putting in an extra effort just to breathe right. I honestly feel bad for her. I mean, she flirted with Sanji, but still, she doesn't deserve to be scared outta her mind.

Slowly, she's able to calm herself down. She explains, "God… Before the announcement came on, I had to leave the party because I forgot something here. Then, the announcement came on, so I didn't know where to go—here or the party. But there was a Villain who was chasing after me! They were in control of Shadows or something of the sort, and I ran away as fast as I could here! I don't know how long I ran, but I'm blessed that the Villain didn't take my life."

Grandmaster raises an eyebrow at Ishtar's statement like he noticed something peculiar. "A Villain who can control Shadows, you say? It must be the same one who attacked Hakan."

Nodding, Lian agrees, "Has to be. There are other people with Quirks involving shadows, but two in one place? That's the definition of statistically improbable!"

Reiko raises her hand, speaking up, "Excuse my interruption, but there are more Villains here? The same one who attacked Mister Hakan and Miss Ishtar?"

"Unfortunately yes. We were attacked by the same Villain when we rescued Hakan from her evil clutches. In fact, Lian saved our lives right in the nick of time," Count says, tipping his fedora to Lian, who tips his imaginary fedora right back.

I move closer to Grandmaster, having my eyes on Ishtar. She's looking at the ground with her hands on her knees, breathing softly, but heavily still. Man, I really do feel bad for her… This must be the first time she had to run for her life. Though, there's something weird about this… Whispering, I ask Grandmaster, "Hey, if Ishtar said she ran for God-knows-how-long, shouldn't she be, y'know, sweating a lot? She doesn't look all that sweaty."

Grandmaster laughs under his breath, shaking his head. "Don't worry, Battle Fist. The night is fairly cold, so she wouldn't be _too _sweaty even when running for her life."

"That's not how it works—"

"—Ah, let's not talk about this more. Miss Ishtar is stressed out of her mind, so we ought to not give her more things to stress about, should we?" Grandmaster asks, but he isn't asking me. He's telling me to drop this. Alright fine, I'll drop this.

"Alright, you're the Hero here. If what you said is true, then it's true," I reply with a few grumbles in my voice. Damn, why is Grandmaster so pushy all of the sudden? Aggressive even?

Hakan clears his throat, refocusing the real issue here. "Alright alright, we should be on the same page. From what Miss Kendo said, you guys are separated all over the place, and the status regarding a couple of civilians are unknown. We identified that there is a possible threat on the top floor in Castor with an Ice Quirk, and there is a possible threat with a woman who has a Shadow Quirk. The latter, we don't have to worry about since they probably ran off. The former is a threat we should focus on first."

Grandmaster says, "And I recommend that we shouldn't invade Castor with all of our might. There are too many unknowns at play here. We are not even sure if the Ice Quirk is the only threat we have in the building. Considering that Ishtar is the only one who interrupted us, no one from Castor or Pollux is coming downstairs. We can either assume that they are staying put until told otherwise, or they are being attacked.

"I'm certain that most if not all heard the sound from earlier, so everyone in this building knows that there is a threat."

Mom presses a hand against her head, trying her best to process everything. "So what do we do exactly? If we consider Castor is a no-go zone, we'd be condemning everyone inside to fend for themselves, including my _dad _. We can't rule out that there's Villains in Pollux too. There is so much that we don't know."

Lian throws in his two cents, "I understand, darling, but I agree with Grandmaster. I might be a powerful Hero, but I will create more collateral damage than justifiable damage. Anyhow, we need to assume that our Villains planned this attack on you darlings. The sound from earlier is proof of that; no virtuous person would use an Ice Quirk in a hotel. Thus, this begs the question: What is the purpose of the attack? Wouldn't it make more sense to send all of your forces at once? Attacking and felling everyone here in a single swoop? Why aren't we fighting for our lives right now?"

Honenuki answers, "Because they don't wanna kill us. Our deaths aren't their primary objective." His answer seems to draw smiles from the adults here. "I mean hell, if they planned this, then they knew we would be separated in three groups. That's _perfect _for 'em to kill us while we're split up and confused. So their objective is something else."

"They might want to capture you guys alive, honestly…" Mom suggests. "I mean, how can you cover up the deaths of an entire class of Hero Students? Sorry if that sounds dark, but that's the reality of it. These guys want to _hurt _you, but also wanna keep you _alive _, so capturing you is the best option to ensure both. That means the guy in Castor, he's making his way downstairs as we speak. Then… Oh God, then it means everyone in Castor is gonna get held up at gunpoint, or Quirk-point in this case!"

Okay, I think it's time for me to have a say in this conversation. "What the hell… Grandpa and everyone in Castor are gonna get captured by these assholes? Shit, I don't think we can fight them here without any major damage! We should send someone to Pollux to explain to them what's going on! Wait shit, Sanji is in Castor right now! What about him?!"

Grandmaster taps the ground with his cane, responding, "Don't worry! I think this might work in our favor! If what Mister Honenuki says is true, that they knew that we would be separated in three groups, then they didn't anticipate your partner going up to Floor 51! They would only go down to Floors 46 and 47!"

I find myself saying, "Then I'm gonna get him myself. We need him here safe and sound. You say that he's not in danger right? But I don't think that's true. He's in danger as we speak, and each passing second we stand around and talk gameplans, he could be fighting for his life right now."

Hakan laughs; I have no idea why he's laughing in the first place. "You have a lot of spunk, don't you, Miss Kendo? Anyway, I think everyone here has some good ideas." He looks at The Count. "Hey Count."

"Mhm?"

"Head up to Pollux and tell the kids there what's going on."

"Of course. Let's hope they aren't doing anything that they will regret," Count says with a sigh.

Before he can leave, Mom asks, "How can we communicate with each other without any service?"

Ishtar raises her head. "Wait, I know a way!" She runs into a staff room and unlocks the door. After some _banging _and _crashing _, she comes out with a tray of eight walkie-talkies sitting on chargers. "We have these walkie-talkies in case of emergencies! We always have them charged, so please, take them! All of them should be set to a channel."

She puts it down on a table. The Count grabs one, and I do too. We check if we're on the right channel, and we are. I'm going after Sanji and dragging him back down here. If our assumptions are correct, which there are a lot of them, then the Villains are going to select floors in Castor to capture everyone there. They thought Sanji would be here in the lobby, but he's in Castor too, so they would go right past him. This doesn't rule out that there could be Villains in Pollux though. It's just that we haven't heard anything that indicates that.

The silence we hear could either mean the absence of Villains or the presence of very-skilled Villains.

Yui, who's finally speaking for once, asks me, "Are you really going upstairs, Itsuka?" Heh, if she's asking me that, then she must be really worried… Aw, I would gush about it, but I'm currently stressed out of my mind.

I hold my walkie-talkie in my hand, nodding. "Of course I am. I'm taking the elevator up there, so if everything goes well, we'll be back here within a few minutes."

Mom hesitates to say something, but she says it anyway, "I'm not against you going, but I'm surprised that the Heroes, and the one official, here aren't trying to stop you. You'll be walking right into enemy territory if we're right."

Hakan states, "Your mother is right; honestly though, call it an ulterior motive, but I want to see Sanji Inochi here. Besides, if the Villains thoroughly planned this, then he's a wrench in their cogwheels. At the same time, he's a wrench in _ours _too. We don't know what he'll do, and because of that, it could backfire on us greatly. So yeah, I'm giving you my approval. But there are other adults here who need to have their say."

Lian nods. "She has mine, darlings. She's more than capable of fending for herself! I personally do not want to be on the receiving end of her punches! Though, in the event she gets captured, she can report the situation in Castor with that walkie-talkie of hers."

Grandmaster sighs, but he nods too. "I'm not personally supporting sending her there by herself, but desperate times call for desperate actions. Having Inochi here would be a tremendous help. It's a shame that we will be leaving everyone in Castor behind, including your father, Miss Kendo."

Mom bats her hand with a smile. "I'm happy that he's there, honestly. If he's captured along with the guys in Castor, he'll be the anchor that keeps them from doing something stupid. Don't worry about me, 'kay? I was raised by Heroes, I married a Hero, and I'm helping my kids become Heroes."

Grandmaster frowns for some reason. Why is he frowning like that? And why does Mom's smile look so sad?

The Count starts walking towards the elevator that goes up to Pollux. There's two of them and he's taking the right. "I'm going to Pollux now. I'll keep you up to date over the walkie-talkie."

With that said, I start heading towards the elevator that goes up to Castor. To have perfect symmetry, there's also two elevators for Castor, and I'm taking the right also. "And I'm going to Castor. See you guys on the other side, and please, be safe. Keep us updated if something happens."

"Good luck, Kendo," Rin tells me.

"Please be safe. Your safety is my utmost concern," Reiko says.

"Mhm, go get Sanji back." That's Yui.

"If you believe you are in imminent danger, please retreat." And that's Shishida.

I give them my brightest smile, stepping inside the empty elevator—thank God—and give them a peace sign. "Don't worry guys, I'll be your fist! And most importantly, I'll be the fist to the assholes who thought attacking Class 1-B was a good idea."

I hit the button for Floor 51 and the doors close on me; afterwards, I start going up. Luckily, the elevators are fast and don't take an hour just to reach the top floor. I look down at my walkie-talkie, turning it on. I hold down the transmitting button and say, "Testing testing, you guys can hear me, right?"

On the other end, I hear Grandmaster's voice. "You're loud and clear, Battle Fist. Tell us when you arrive on Floor 51, over."

"Roger," I say. Oh right, I need to say _that _word. "Uhh, over."

Thank goodness my dress comes with pockets. I'm jealous that Sanji gets bigger pockets than me. I mean what the hell, why do I have to sacrifice pockets for fashion? Ugh, y'know what, I need to worry about Sanji's well-being and not my pockets. I put my walkie-talkie inside. It might be sticking out like a sore thumb, but it's better than carrying it around. Speaking about dresses…

_RIP!_

Sorry Reiko. I know you love my dress, but I need to rip it. It restricts my legs a little too much for comfort. If I need to run, then I can't have myself tripping. There we go… My legs feel a little drafty, but that's better than getting captured, or worse, because of something silly like this dress. Ugh, this entire situation is messed up…

God, you better be okay, Sanji. If I were you, you would be heading down to the lobby after hearing the announcement. But considering you weren't there, you must still be here. I _hope _you're here, because if not, then I'm gonna worry so much that I'll get gray hairs… In hindsight, it might be stupid of me that I'm going by myself to rescue you. That's a textbook example of letting my emotions get in the way of doing what's logical, and everyone just let me do it! But dammit all…

_"I don't like being alone."_

_"It's because you shouldn't worry so much about me. You really shouldn't."_

You make it easy for me to love you. It's cheesy—I know—the girl is running after the guy with only her heart as the compass; still though, I decided that if you don't care about yourself, I'll just care for you as much as two people.

Whoever the assholes are, whoever they belong to, we'll defeat them all the same, right? If we fight Shigaraki's mentor; hell, even if we fight someone from the Order of Assassins, we'll just beat them down together! That's what Heroes do. We fight to keep the peace and we fight to keep lives.

It aches my heart knowing that Grandpa and everyone else in Castor are going through a tough time, and it aches even more at the thought that chaos will break out within the second. If we can just keep everything in control, then maybe, just maybe, we might get through this attack without having a scratch on our skin.

_DING!_

And here I am, Floor 51. I transmit, "I'm at Floor 51. Going to get Sanji, over."

"Godspeed," Grandmaster replies.

The elevator doors open and—?!

Four people are already here! Three of them have Mutation Quirks from the looks of it. One lady has attributes like a Dragon, one man has Sickle Arms, and the other woman has Quills growing out of her skin. The last guy… I can't tell. His Quirk is a mystery. Okay, looks like there are Villains in Castor. That's confirmed. None of them look remotely related to ice, so they aren't the only ones here.

As soon as I see them, they turn around and look at me. Sickle Arms is the closest to me just about fifteen meters away, then Quills, Dragons, and finally, the Mystery Man. They aren't immediately hostile, although Dragon is giving me a glare that can cut through stone. I step out of the elevator with a smile and wave, hurriedly walking towards Sickle Arms. "Oh hey, I didn't know there was anyone else in the building right now! I was just trying to find a friend!"

Sickle Arms's eyes go a bit wide, but they go back to normal soon enough. "Y-Yeah, but did you hear the announcement? I don't think someone as young as you should be up here right now." He glances behind him, and Dragon jerks her head to the side as if she's signaling that he should just end me. Unfortunately, he seems a bit indecisive.

I can use this to my advantage. I close the gap between us so that we stand a few meters away. I can easily step forward and give him a sucker punch. I'm not gonna play fair when our lives are at stake here. I reply, "Of course, but you gotta understand! My friend's in his room and he's a complete idiot! I need to check if he's alright and not doing anything stupid!" I am terrible at acting. Jeez, can't believe I'm gonna admit that Monoma is better than me at something.

He turns his head away from me, looking ahead where our room should be at. "Seriously, you shouldn't be worried about your boyfriend. He should be fine—Guh?!"

—_ JUMBO FIST!_

_WHOOSH!_

Gotcha. It's a dirty move, but I just punched that guy into next week. Right as he was turning his head back around to look at me, he didn't see me; he saw my flying fist aiming right at his stupid face. At the last second, I enlarged my hand for the maximum power, and instantly, he flew backwards all the way down the hall towards Mystery Man before landing with a hard _thud _, rolling on the carpet probably getting rug burns all across his back. From my punch alone, I generate wind pressure that shakes the entire hallway, even the lights flicker a bit. It even pushes Dragon and Quills back a meter or two! I'm on my way to creating All Might-like punches!

"What the hell?!" Dragon shouts, lowering her arms after shielding herself away from my wind pressure. "Dammit, she knows who we are! Get her!"

Quills nods, raising her arms. Aw crap, she has a ranged Quirk! She can shoot those quills out of her body!

_ZZPT ZZPT ZZPT!_

Not only that, they're fast! She's honestly like a porcupine with how many quills are on her skin!

_ROLL!_

I roll off to the side, dodging the first barrage of quills coming my way. Quills stands her ground, not letting up for a single second. There has to be a limit to how many quills she can shoot out of her skin, but that's a limit I don't wanna test out right now, 'cause Dragon is using this opportunity to run towards me while Quills have me occupied. Mystery Man is staring at me but he isn't doing anything special just yet. He must have a ranged Quirk too!

One problem at a time though!

_ZZPT ZZPT ZZPT!_

_DASH!_

I'm not as fast as Sanji, but I can still dodge these quills coming after me! I race three meters ahead with Quills about ten meters away while Dragon is just about to catch up to her. A few quills manage to nick me a little; the pain is small but sharp. As much as I wanna say that small quills won't take me down, they totally can. If I lose my momentum for just a second, I'll get riddled with them. There's no way that I can keep avoiding these quills. Sanji most definitely can—he might be able to deflect them with his katana even—but not me. I'm not as agile as him.

So I need to do something that's a little more my style! I'm currently making my way down to Room 5101, which is my room. Though right now, I'm standing right beside Room 5110. And fortunately for me, there's a door.

—_ TEAR!_

Yeah, that's more like my style alright: brute strength. Using my pure strength alone, I tear the door right off of its hinges; I didn't even need to enlarge my hands to do that! Right afterwards, I charge forward straight on ahead using this door as a shield! I hear Quills yelling, "—Dammit all!"

_Thudthudthudthudthud!_

Her quills hit the door, but they don't penetrate through the wood. They're not strong enough to penetrate a thick, solid door! With my left, I tightly grip onto the door handle to act as a, well, handle to hold my shield up, speeding up my charge towards them. The _thuds _I hear get louder and louder as I approach them, but unfortunately, I also hear something else coming!

"—I got the brat! Don't worry!" Dragon says. I can hear her approaching me. Damn, I can't see her, but she definitely sounds like a wild animal judging from her stomps! Knowing stuff about dragons, they should be pretty agile, right? Since they can fly and stuff? If so, then I know what's about to happen next! She shouts, "Give it up already, kid—!"

—_ POUNCE!_

"Geh—?!" Yup, she pounced right onto the door! She's holding onto the edges of the door with her hands and feet. Because of the added weight, I naturally find myself holding the door upwards while she's latching herself right onto my shield! What a jerk! Dragon pokes her head over the top of the door with a jagged grin. The skin on her face is covered in dark-colored scales just like a dragon. I think I can even see a tail wagging! She has a tail?!

At the very least, Quills isn't firing her Quirk anymore! Why would see when her ally is right in her line of fire? Still, I traded one problem for another. I have _her _to worry about.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of your boyfriend!" she taunts me. Her smile gets incredibly more sinister as she pushes her weight against the door more, slinging her arm around to—!

—_ CLAW!_

"Woah—!"

_DUCK!_

Almost got me! She has a longer reach than I thought! I was able to keep my head down just barely so her claws sweep right over me. These guys really are trying to hurt me, huh? They aren't holding back, so neither should I! I shout, "Get off of me, would ya—!"

—I push myself up, drawing the power from my legs all the way up to my arms. I raise the door almost to the ceiling, and like a cat, Dragon still latches herself onto the edges. Then like a sledgehammer, I lean forward and drop the weight—!

_SLAM!_

"Gah, ahh—!" My opponent let out an annoying wail after I slammed her onto the ground. The impact creates a small gust of wind that floods the hallway, leaving a dent in the floor from how hard I dropped her. I press the door against her body, which isn't the most _pleasant _thing in the world—for her I mean. You see, on the other side of the door, there are quills sticking out. They are double-sided, meaning they have points on both ends.

As a result, I'm making Dragon a pincushion for these quills. I can hear each one popping into her body right through her suit. And with each one, her whines get louder. I can hear her cursing me through pained breaths, but I'm not focused on her anymore. For right now, she won't be an immediate problem to deal with. I still have Quills and Mystery Man to deal with, and the latter haven't made a move yet! Which, by the way, is really bothering me!

I jump over Dragon, still holding onto the door handle with my left hand. Quills barks, "Are you kidding me?! Why are you so much of a problem?!" She raises her hands again, ready to spit out more of those annoying quills.

As she does that, I open up my defense, having my shield at my side. Normally, one would probably think that this is a stupid idea because I don't have any way of reaching her. That's wrong. I have a way of attacking from a distance. Never thought I would be able to produce ranged attacks with just only punches, but that's the beauty of strengthening yourself!

Just before Quills can react, I clench my right fist and enlarge it! Screaming at the top of my lungs, I step forward, extending my right leg, and do a mighty uppercut! This is my—!

—_ GALE UPPERCUT!_

_WHOOSH!_

"What the—Ahh!"

"Another gust of wind?!"

Yeah, it's another gust of wind, but there's something different than the time I punched Sickle Arms. Then, the wind pressure was naturally generated because of how strong I am. It's totally unrefined and uncontrolled. With Gale Uppercut, I'm making use of the fact that I _can _create wind pressure. Because of it, I uppercut so hard that my arm is practically tearing through the air, creating a "blade" of wind that's centered near the ground, violently rushing forward towards anything I want. Though, I'm not doing a full uppercut. I stop in the middle to aim in the direction I want. If I do a full uppercut, then the wind pressure would be directed at the ceiling, and that's kinda useless at this very moment.

Now, with my "blade" of wind, it flies forward right at Quills. It rips through the floor, tearing holes in the carpet and even shattering the lights attached to the walls. Quills doesn't fire any of her quills, only being launched back because of the wind, landing right on her useless behind. Making use of this opportunity, I shrink my right hand and drop my shield—it lands with a _thud _with a few quills falling off—and charge forward right at her!

When she tries to stand right back up, I'm already there. "Sorry 'bout this—!"

—_ BAM!_

My fist slams into her temple. She falls down with her head smacking against the carpet first, definitely receiving a nasty concussion. I'm pretty sure she's out cold, so let's hope she keeps it that way. And now, it's just Mystery Man!

We face each other about ten meters away. Besides me, I'm at Room 5106. Almost there. His eyes are a striking green, almost like they're emeralds in his eyes, like actual emeralds. Smirking, he says, "You're Itsuka Kendo, right? How about you stop for me?"

"I—?!"

His eyes turn red like rubies, and all of the sudden, I can't move. I'm frozen in place; my muscles are refusing to work. Every part of my body shut down as if Medusa herself froze me right in place. This sucks, but I'm still breathing. I can still breathe, that function hasn't shut down, thank God. I know Mystery Man's Quirk now. It's Stoplight. With his eyes, whenever they turn red, they can probably shut down motor functions. How long though? No idea, so I have to assume it's for as long as he can keep his eyes open.

Crap though, I didn't think he has a Quirk like that! "Sorry kid. You're in the way of our liberation. I wish I could undo that brainwashing you got in ya." What the hell is he talking about?! "Hey Ryu, your turn."

Ryu, that's Dragon. As soon as he says her name, I can hear her footsteps rampaging towards me. In the next second, I—!

_KICK!_

"—Guh?!"

_CRASH!_

Ryu kicks me in the side, launching me right against the door of Room 5106. She has quills sticking out from her chest, and 'cause of it, she looks really damn pissed at me. I'd be too, honestly. At least she snapped me out of Stoplight's Quirk. I can move again. Luckily, the door doesn't break after I slammed into it, but it's probably hanging on by a single screw. Though, I have a more pressing issue to deal with: Stoplight. If I move back into the hallway, I'd just be stopped again by him.

So think, Itsuka! His Quirk, how does it work? It must be Transformation, since he can transform his eyes from green to red. It's pretty much like that game: Red Light Green Light. Whenever the stoplight is red, you stop. However, it doesn't seem to work on Ryu, only me. She was able to kick me while I was frozen. Maybe to activate the effects of his Quirk, I need to make eye contact with him. Might be just for a single second or even less than that, but I'll get frozen all the same.

To prevent that, I can't even _look _at him. I can consciously do that, but I can't trust my subconscious. Out of instinct, I will naturally gravitate my eyes towards him because my body is stupid. In order to counter this, then I'll just have to shut my eyes and fight blind.

With my back pressed against the door, I shut my eyes, tuning my ears to Ryu's breaths. I need to rely on deductive reasoning and my senses to anticipate Ryu's moves. Given her Quirk, she fights erratically just like how a dragon would. She'll do wide attacks with the tools she got. Maybe she'll even use her tail, I dunno. Still, I won't be able to rely on my eyes for the next part of the fight. She yells, "Why are you closing your eyes for—?!"

—_ CLAW!_

_DODGE _—!

I dodged her first attack, managing to step back into the hallway instead of being pinned against a door. She tried to claw upwards with her right hand. Instead of tearing me to ribbons, she instead put some scratches into the door—at least, that's what it sounds like. Jeez, she's just a human-sized cat, honestly. My body isn't stopped in place, meaning Stoplight's Quirk isn't affecting me. Good, looks like that worked out! Stoplight says, "The girl's closing her eyes to stop herself from being affected by my Quirk!"

"The brat's smarter than she looks! Thought she was just the average knucklehead tomboy!" she says, and I gotta say, I'm fairly insulted. Is it that obvious that I look like a tomboy to everyone else? I mean, you can see the muscle on my arms, but really? Ugh, I can't worry about that right now! Ryu asks, "Let's see if you're any good at fighting blind!"

Stepping back, I reply, "Let's see if you're ready to get your ass kicked." I raise my arms, putting up a high guard. I hear Ryu huffing under her breath, stepping forward with her left foot. Judging from the sound, she will need to take another step to reach me. Let's eliminate the possible options: she isn't gonna jab at me. Her claws aren't made for taking jabs at people. She could uppercut me, but she already did that before. She might go around to take a wide swing at my head, yet with my guard, I can block it with one arm and use my other to knock her lights out. The best option to hurt me is by attacking my body. It's completely exposed because a high guard protects your head, not your body.

_STEP!_

She takes another step with her right. I don't think she can kick well in her position, so the only option for her is to take a wide swipe at me with her right claw, aimed at my lower body. She exclaims, "You have buncha openings, little brat—!"

—_ SWIPE!_

_WHIFF _—!

Sorry Ryu, but this little brat knew you would do that! I moved off to the side, narrowly avoiding the wide swipe. Her claws only injured the air much to her dismay. Now I'm on her right. Her leg is extended and her right arm is in no position to attack me immediately. This is my chance! "Hyaah—!"

_BAM!_

Boom! Uppercut! My fist satisfyingly crashes into her chin, knocking her head upwards. Her moans are a mixture of pain and surprise that I was able to not only dodge her attack while blind, but also land a counterattack while still being blind. "—You stupid bitch!"

She's gonna swipe at me with her other hand now, isn't she? Here we go again!

_CLAW!_

_WEAVE!_

This time, I weaved right under her left arm, dodging her second attack just like the first. I pull my left arm back and slam it right into her side!

_WHAM!_

"—Fwuh, ah—?!" Her body recoils from my punch, which is said to have the hitting force of an eighteen-wheeler—thanks Setsuna. I follow up with an immediate right hook into her jaw, but unfortunately after that, she's still standing! She isn't going down just yet! Dammit, she's tougher than I thought.

Ryu spits on the ground, gasping for air after getting hit with three of my punches. "Haah—! Y'know what—? I'm not gonna stop for shit—! Take this, dammit—!"

_SCRATCH!_

She's dragging her feet back so hard that it tears through the carpet and into the floor. It sounds like it's her right foot. That's it, she's gonna kick the hell outta me, isn't she? Well then, come on—!

"Yaaaah—!"

"—Hrrraah!"

_CLASH!_

I stepped forward just as she started to kick. I block it perfectly, pushing my left forearm against her shin. Moving up closer, I do a quick jab into her throat, and almost immediately, she begins to gasp painfully. Gripping onto her suit, I lift her up in the air and slam her on the ground again!

_SLAM!_

Her back was damaged earlier when I used the door the first time around! By targeting her back again, there's no way she would wanna get back up after this! Though, I can both ensure her defeat while also taking care of Stoplight with one move—killing two birds with one stone, I'd say.

While she's laying down in pain, I grab her tail and swing her around. Then, right towards the general direction where Stoplight is, I just let her go.

_TOSS _— _!_

—_ BAM _!

"Guh—?!" Yup, judging from the sounds of that, looks like I got him. Man, that was honestly lucky. Stoplight is a terrible teammate. He was just standing there watching Ryu getting beat up by me. He could've done something, but because he was so focused about his Quirk, he also limited himself in terms of fighting capabilities.

I open my eyes and look ahead. I see Ryu practically dead with Stoplight under her, groaning in pain. Behind me, Quills is groaning on the floor. She's conscious, but I don't think she wants to get back up after what I did to her. Alright, fight's over! You better be okay, Sanji!

I run down the hallway, approaching Ryu and Stoplight, but just before that, I get proven wrong. The fight is not over, because Sickle Arms is just getting up. Dammit, he's standing right besides Room 5101! Wiping the blood from his mouth, he glares at me, making sure I can see just how sharp his blade arms are. "You're not...getting past me. I'll—!"

—_ SHATTER!_

_WABAM _— _!_

All of the sudden, the door of Room 5101 just broke off of its hinges. The door crushes Sickle Arms—not literally crushing him, but y'know what I mean—underneath both from the weight of the door and from the weight of a blonde-haired guy laying on top of it. The blondie slides off the door, crawling away from the room while Sickle Arms is just defeated altogether. And out comes the room is the man of the hour, Sanji Inochi. He's holding his sheathed katana in his right hand, and uhm, the end of his sheath has a lot of blood on it. There's even some blood on his pristine white suit too… My God, he fought against some guys of his own, didn't he?

He sees me and smiles brightly as ever. "Hey uh—" Sanji sees the blondie still trying to escape, "—Just a second." Without any mercy, he walks over to him and gives him a hard whack on the head. Now, the fight is really over. "H-Hey Itsuka, sorry that, uh, you had to see that."

I shake my head. "You lughead, it's fine. I'm not bothered by it. We have to do these kinds of things to survive, y'know? It's not our fault that they value killing us more than they value their own well-being." As I say that, I step over Ryu and Stoplight, walking up to Sanji so that we stand face-to-face.

He nods, awkwardly rubbing his mouth. He's definitely uncomfortable, but I don't know what he's uncomfortable about. Sanji isn't the kind of guy who gets remorseful after a fight—he's like me: if someone deserves to get punched in the face, then we won't feel sorry for punching them. "Itsuka," he says, "what the hell is going on? I-Island is getting attacked, and as you can see, the hotel is under attack too. Even that, I think I know who's attacking us too."

"Really? I—Wait, one thing at a time! I need to report this to Grandmaster! He's at the lobby with everyone else!" I tell him, taking out my walkie-talkie and turning it back on.

"Itsuka Kendo, are you there? Repeat, are you there?" Grandmaster whispers over the speaker. Why is he whispering? Either way, I should whisper back.

I transmit, "I'm here. Sorry 'bout that, but I encountered four Villains on Floor 51. Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine and I defeated all of 'em. Sanji's right here next to me, give me an update."

Grandmaster lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… There has been a major update. The leaders of the attack have appeared themselves in the lobby, and not only that, their soldiers brought your friends—and grandfather—from Castor into the lobby as well. They want the rest of you in the lobby as well. As we speak, Claude is escorting your friends in Pollux down to the lobby. Then, we'll see what they want." God… The leaders are here? Plural? Who could they be?

Sanji grabs my hand and moves the walkie-talkie closer towards him. "Grandmaster, it's Sanji. We need Ibara Shiozaki over to Floor 51 in Castor immediately, please tell The Count that! If they have the audacity to capture _our _friends and family, then we'll bring their soldiers right to them!"

"Claude," Grandmaster addresses him, "did you hear that?"

"Oui," The Count says on his end. "I'm sending Miss Shiozaki there as we speak. There shouldn't be any threats, correct? Please tell me there aren't any more of those bastards waiting to wrap a noose around our necks…"

I reply, "Shouldn't be. Sanji's right though. We have those bastards laying on the floor around us. Anyway, Sanji says that he knows who's attacking us."

Sanji nods. "Yeah, I think… I think these guys are trying to bring back the Meta Liberation Army." The what?! The Meta Liberation Army?! Those guys are nutjobs! Sure, I understand that they want to ease up on Quirk laws, but to literally siege countries and threaten lives? That's absolutely inexcusable. These guys are radicals and won't hesitate to become martyrs for their cause! They don't believe in God because they think that they themselves are gods!

Grandmaster and Count go silent for a second. Finally, Grandmaster informs us, "You're right, Inochi, but you're wrong on one part. They aren't trying to bring back the Meta Liberation Army; it has already been brought back."

"What…?" he mutters.

"What are you saying…?" I ask.

"The second advent of the M.L.A. has already poisoned our institutions. They have soldiers within every aspect of Japan: government, corporations, medicine, and most importantly, heroism. We are dealing with one of the largest Villain groups in Japan—maybe in the entire world. And the leader of them all is Rikiya Yotsubashi, the son of Destro."

* * *

**Shindeka Oji**

"Everyone is here," I tell them, just standing across from the lobby with eyes that seem to gaze at our very souls, searching for a weakness to exploit and crush. On the other side of the lobby, there stands the Meta Liberation Army and their leaders: Rikiya Yotsubashi, Chitose Kizuki, Koku Hanabata, Gajin Nobuto, Kabeya Rugami, Hiro Takaiki, and Geten. They have six soldiers with them, and most importantly, they have hostages with them. Their hostages include: Togaru Kamakiri, Neito Monoma, Yosetsu Awase, Kosei Tsuburaba, Shihai Kuroiro, Sen Kaibara, Manga Fukidashi, Setsuna Tokage, Okichi Tokugawa, Kagesuke, and Sasaki Kendo. Normally, I'd say that the hostages would be able to overpower their captors, but one of them is wearing military-grade armor with an assault rifle in his hands. With that gun alone, he could kill every single hostage in a second. In fact, he could kill everyone in the lobby within five seconds if he wanted to.

What about on our side? We have: Myself, Claude, Lian Fei-Long, Hakan Aldemir, Ishtar, Hayami Kendo, Jurota Shishida, Hiryu Rin, Reiko Yanagi, Yui Kodai, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Kinoko Komori, Pony Tsunotori, Shojo Fukidashi, Kojiro Bondo, Shoda Nirengeki. We also have Sanji Inochi, Itsuka Kendo, and Ibara Shiozaki, but they are not currently here right now. Likewise, the M.L.A. is missing nine of their soldiers.

Hakan stands beside me with his arms crossed. He's doing well despite the fact that he was stabbed earlier by our Shadow Villain. For this negotiation—or whatever this is—we both will be the spokespersons for our side. After all, because the M.L.A. have hostages, we are at their mercy. Yet they are not aware that we have a few cards of our own.

For the Meta Liberation Army, Yotsubashi and Kizuki will be their mouthpieces. I hear worried and anxious whispers behind me, then Miss Kendo's voice shushing them, telling the kids that they have to be quiet. We made it explicitly clear that they should not _under any circumstances _speak during this. They could jeopardize the negotiations—or again, whatever the hell this is.

Rikiya Yotsubashi puts his hands together with a smile, as if he's an innocent businessman who is working for the common good. Yes, that is a farce. That is the biggest farce in history, I'd say. "This is not everyone," he says, "you are missing three. Where are Ibara Shiozaki, Itsuka Kendo, and Sanji Inochi?"

"Itsuka Kendo and Ibara Shiozaki went to find Sanji Inochi. We can communicate with them using this walkie-talkie—" I show them the walkie-talkie that Ishtar gave us, "—I'm sure you heard me in the back whispering on my walkie-talkie. That was me trying to receive a response from them, but I received nothing but silence. For now, unless we wish to wait all night, we will have to make do without their presence."

Hakan nods, adding to what I said, "So let's cut to the chase: what do you want? As we all can see, you have some of our own as hostages. If you haven't realized already, I'm quite an important man in the United Hero Nations. I'm sure I could pull some strings around to get whatever you want—once we get service again."

Kizuki laughs, cocking her head to the side and leaning forward like a curious journalist. "We're not interested in anything physical per se. We're more interested in something else. We—Actually, I'm getting far too ahead of myself! Yotsubashi, we need to introduce ourselves, don't we?"

Yotsubashi nods. He puts a hand over his heart. "That we do." He steps forward, his eyes scanning us. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young Heroes and Heroes alike. Some of you, we've met already. My name is Rikiya Yotsubashi, the CEO of Deternat. Though, as you may have gathered already, I'm what you refer to as a 'Villain'. Such an awful name, associated with us. Never would I even imagine that we would be called mere 'Villains' just because we fight for a cause that you, the Heroes, disagree with.

"In our eyes, you are the villains in our story. You stand in the way of our grand liberation for a world where we will not bend the knee to mere words on a paper regarding our Quirks! A world with free Quirks—no, our _Meta Abilities _, that is a world worth fighting for. And yet, you so-called Pro Heroes are brainwashed to believe in the flawed society we live in, parading around the streets like wolves but in actuality, you are just mere sheeps puppeted by your imperfect heroism.

"But we are just, for we are the new Meta Liberation Army. I will say again, my name is Rikiya Yotsubashi, the son of Chikara Yotsubashi. I am the Grand Commander, Re-Destro! My Top Executives, why don't you come out and introduce yourselves individually?"

Kizuki is first. "Of course. Amazing words, Re-Destro! If only I was able to capture the looks on our foes' faces! To interview them while they're filled with emotion would be a dream come true, but I'm afraid that'll remain a dream! Ah, before I digress even more, I am Chitose Kizuki; Curious."

Koku Hanabata. "I suppose I will follow after. Welcome young ones to this grand festivities of liberation. I am Koku Hanabata, the leader of the Hearts and Mind Party. I'm sure most of you ill-educated children didn't know I, nor my party, existed until right now. As for my codename, I am Trumpet. Rugami, you're next."

Kabeya Rugami. "Fine. I am Kabeya Rugami; codename: Stalwart. I don't believe any of you kids know me, but I am the CEO of Bastion, a lifestyle support company just like Deternat. I don't have much to say, frankly. Though, I'd say that for the rest of tonight, you'll see hell. Nobuto, your turn."

Gajin Nobuto. "Very well. I am the CEO of a support company called Ronin. Actually, it would make more sense to say that after I said my name, I apologize. I am Gajin Nobuto, and my codename is Vainglory. I can see the pride and arrogance in each of your eyes; the epitome of youth. Don't be too insulted, you're just like the other kids your age. You believe you can take on the world, but you don't realize that the world will kick you on the ground until every single bone in your body is broken. Takaiki, I'm finished."

Hiro Takaiki. "Alright, I'll make my introduction brief. Look brats, I won't repeat myself. My name is Hiro Takaiki, the current owner of Quirked Minds. Codename: Indignation. You might have read some articles published by my outlet, especially about your precious Sanji Inochi. You should be glad that we didn't run him through the mud harder, but damn, after this, you haven't seen anything yet. _If _you still wanna be Heroes after this, anyway. Geten, you wanna talk?"

Geten sighs, nodding. "I suppose so. I rather not say my real name, but refer to me as 'Geten' or 'Apocrypha'. I'm not involved in Japan like my other comrades, yet believe me that I have a heart hardened by fire. Our world that we envision, it will be the world where your Meta Ability will determine your ranking in society; a world where the strongest will naturally prevail. And I believe that you? You brats and scum? You deserve to live at the bottom."

Hakan snarks, "Charmed."

Claude comments, "That's my line."

Re-Destro takes a closer glance at my face, seeing that I'm not too particularly surprised at this revelation. "Grandmaster, you don't look surprised by our grand reveal. I can't say the same for the kids behind you, but you? Unless you're amazing at poker, you must have already found out our secret, haven't you?"

I nod. "Of course. I knew that you were a crooked man, but I didn't find out _how _exactly. Until this trip that is. With the information I possessed, I was able to come to the conclusion that you were leading the second charge of the Meta Liberation Army. Though, I never anticipated that you would attack Class 1-B.

"Why? During the U.S.J. Incident, the League of Villains aimed to kill Class 1-A. _That _was more than obvious, evidenced by Eraserhead's injuries and Thirteen's near-death. Yet here, you took the time to capture the men of 1-B, so you clearly are not trying to kill these kids. So I ask again: what is your game?"

"What do you think? You are a detective, are you not? A master at deductive reasoning?" Re-Destro asks me, challenging me to answer his question. Well, I suppose I bite. Let's see, they do not want anything physical like money or some sort of fancy technology, so it has to be something abstract. They're using the attack on I-Island to launch their own attack on this hotel, signaling that they do not want this incident to be public. To launch a hidden attack to fulfill an abstract motive, we have to look at their background. The M.L.A. want to dismantle society to create their own world, so how would this attack fulfill that wish?

These children are the backbone of society because they are the future generation of Pro Heroes. Thus, if the M.L.A. attacks them, then they are hurting society as a result. Yet they do not wish to kill them. That means they, the Meta Liberation Army, wants to break their spirit. They want to destroy their morale. They want to get rid of Class 1-B to fulfill a couple of purposes. One: they wish to remove a possible nuisance in the near future once they finally lay siege to society; two: through this attack, the Commission will be demoralized hearing that an entire class of students was traumatized because of the M.L.A., and thus weakening the Heroes as a whole.

That is what they want.

I answer him, "You wish to break these kids, do you not? Break their spirits, their souls? You are unable to kill them outright, so whatever you have planned would suffice instead. Through the implications this has, I would imagine that death is a preferable alternative to what's about to happen next."

Re-Destro nods. "Correct on both, Grandmaster. Normally, this wouldn't have happened if Setsuna Tokage didn't do what she did; I'll let her explain it herself in a few moments. Really, if she wasn't so impulsive and zealous, all of you would have gone through the night without any worries… Well, that's mostly a lie because there _is _an attack going on as we speak, but you wouldn't have to deal with us.

"Unfortunately, you _are _dealing with our grand cause. Your lives are guaranteed, yet your innocent minds won't be. I would apologize, but you volunteered for this war yourselves. From the moment you first step foot in U.A., you become a soldier. Now, it's time to experience life as a soldier during wartime."

Hakan frowns. "Cruelty doesn't seem to have any borders, huh? I've seen the implications you're making firsthand. The Middle East is a mess that's in desperate need of cleaning, y'know. We're swapping one sicko with another with another with another on a constant basis, especially the Order of Assassins. I thought you Japanese had notions of civility and honorful war, but nope, seems like we'll re-enact the Nanjing Massacre, just without the bodies."

The Nanjing Massacre… You wouldn't be able to call the event a "battle" during World War Two. That event is the epitome of cruelty in its highest form. Just remembering what occurred in the battle sends shivers down my spine. We progressed since then, yet there are still some who would gladly turn into monsters. That's what these Villains are.

Behind me, I hear Kinoko Komori whispering, "What's the Nanjing Massacre?"

Miss Kendo replies, "You don't wanna know, and you won't get to find out what it is. We'll get through this, promise."

Lian speaks up, "The past is in the past, and I rather not repeat certain events from history, if I say so myself, darlings. Curious, wasn't it? Give me a pretty little smile from your darling face so I could knock your teeth out and tell you that your plans will never come to fruition. Like hell it will."

Curious laughs. "Of course it will, Shangdi! Even you can't stop this. We have your young ones as hostages, and whenever you misbehave, we'll simply hurt them until you stop. If you think our numbers are weak, we have another one hundred soldiers waiting for our word. Sorry to say, but your actions are very limited when we have them."

"So what's the point of this talk, then? This isn't a negotiation, is it?" Hakan asks.

Re-Destro shakes his head. "No, just to inform you of what's to come. Like what Curious said, we have one hundred soldiers waiting on standby. It's impossible to fight against this. Really, we are asking for your surrender. This is the peaceful way of going about it, but of course, we have the non-peaceful method if you wish to go down that route."

Lian steps forward, ready to fight. Hakan tries to hold him back, but Lian pushes him aside. "Then do it, dammit! You wish to show us hell, that's nothing compared to the hell I'm ready to unleash upon you fools! I'll make sure that your iteration of the Meta Liberation Army will be nothing but a footnote in textbooks!"

Just before Re-Destro could reply, Tokage suddenly runs in front with a panicked look on her face. "Hold on! Look guys, there's a flash drive with all of the information from Re-Destro's laptop! I—?!"

_BAM!_

"Setsuna!"

"Don't hurt her, you asshole!"

"Stupid jerk!"

The armored soldier ran up and struck her across the head with the butt of his rifle, causing her to fall down. I'm barely able to maintain a composed posture at the sight of it, but Lian? It takes Hakan, Claude, and I to hold him back from activating his Quirk. Re-Destro orders, "If Setsuna tries something like that again, don't be afraid of putting a bullet in her."

Tokage, through pained groans, still continues, "With that, we'll expose the M.L.A. and take them down—!"

Re-Destro apologizes, "Well, I warned her. Go ahead—!"

"—WAIT!" I yell at the top of my lungs, stopping everyone from escalating this any further! Out of my pocket, I pull out the flash drive that Tokage mentioned! A series of gasps erupt from the M.L.A., and the soldiers look at each other wondering how did I acquire it. Tokage lets out a relieved sigh, seeing the flash drive in hand. "Unfortunately, I have something to confess! Setsuna Tokage wasn't the only one guilty of instigating this event. As you can see, I have the flash drive in hand. My dear, this is the flash drive you spoke of, correct? Confirm it so."

It can't. It won't. Everything I said is a lie. I only found out Tokage's place in this incident once it was mentioned, and the existence of a flash drive through her own words. With this information in hand, I could leverage this to my advantage, and I have. This is our leverage. This flash drive is just something I always carry around with me. As a Hero who needs information on a daily basis, having a spare flash drive comes in handy more times than one would think. For example, this is a great instance where I can use this!

Tokage nods with a smile. "Yup, that's the stupid thing alright. Okichi, wanna confirm it too?"

Okichi Tokugawa nods as well. "Yes. Grandmaster, that is the flash drive that contains the information taken from Re-Destro's laptop."

I tuck it back in my coat. "So it's confirmed. Alongside Setsuna Tokage and Okichi Tokugawa, we—The Count and I—retrieved the flash drive."

"That's a lie," Curious accuses. "We were watching you from the start, Grandmaster. You couldn't have possibly fetched it because you were in the lobby the whole time. You never left once. The real flash drive is somewhere in Castor."

"That's correct, yet…" I look behind me, specifically at Claude. "The Count left the lobby, didn't he? Do you have proof that he didn't go to Castor and didn't retrieve the drive? What's stopping me from saying that he did and gave the drive to me for safe-keeping? Unless you have access to the cameras, which I doubt since the security room is in the lobby we are standing in as we speak, it's impossible for you to prove otherwise. I apologize, Curious, but the flash drive you speak about and the one I possess are one and the same."

Re-Destro visibly gets angrier, but he still maintains his innocent demeanor. He motions for Geten and asks, "Geten, when you captured Setsuna and Okichi, what did the flash drive look like? Was it the same one as Grandmaster has?"

Geten looks down at the ground. "I-I'm sorry, but it was too dark for me to make out the exact design. For all we know, Grandmaster is telling the truth."

He scoffs, putting his hands together and glaring at me with incredibly violent eyes. "Grandmaster, you are lying through your teeth. That drive is nothing but trash."

"Yet, can you prove that?" I ask him. "I can give this flash drive to Shangdi and have him escape the hotel; you know he can. We'll die as a result, yet so will the Meta Liberation Army. Will you risk that, Re-Destro?"

He doesn't say anything.

Curious picks up where he left off, "Well then, this turned into a negotiation, hasn't it? We both have what the other wants. What do you want? Do you want these adorable men back? And us to leave? That is a tall order, even with that drive."

They realize that their leverage on us is weakening, so they are trying to hold onto their hostages. Without them, they lose. By attempting to belittle the importance of the drive, they are hoping to start a battle. Unfortunately, that is a battle they cannot win.

Hakan says, "I would like that, but you people are difficult. What if we have something to spice up the pot a little?"

"What do you mean—?!"

_DING!_

"Right on time," he mutters with a smirk.

That was the _ding _of an elevator. We watch as the elevator doors open, revealing our missing persons: Sanji Inochi, Itsuka Kendo, and Ibara Shiozaki. Behind them, there are nine captured M.L.A. soldiers wrapped in vines that Shiozaki created using her Quirk. They look beaten to hell and back.

Inochi walks into the lobby first with his sheathed katana in hand, which is stained with blood. "Sorry that we're late. The M.L.A. soldiers refused to be captured, so I had to hit them a couple more times."

Kendo, Itsuka Kendo, nods. She gives us a small wave. "You would think that they would give up, but nope."

Last, but not least, is Ibara Shiozaki. She's carrying the nine soldiers with her Quirk, placing them in front of Hakan, Claude, Lian, and I. "You sinners deserve Hell. We were eavesdropping on the entire exchange through the walkie-talkie. I'm not one to condone violence, but your disgusting soldiers deserve their pain."

The three of them stand behind us, and we stand behind the M.L.A.'s captured soldiers. I start, "Five of your loyal soldiers. Five, I say again. Five soldiers who have the same fighting power as the average Hero. Five against one Sanji Inochi, who is legally Quirkless. There are only a few cuts on his body, yet as you see here, your men have countless bruises! They were humiliated by him!

"Four of your loyal soldiers. Four, if I may repeat. Four soldiers who have the same fighting power as the average Hero. Four against one Itsuka Kendo, the daughter of Master Kendo. Can you see a scratch on her body? No, you cannot! Just like Inochi's fight with your men, she humiliated her batch with only a few punches!

"Nine of your soldiers are equal to two of our own! Nine is an odd number, so how about we round down to four? Four soldiers is equal to one student. There are twenty-two students belonging to this very room, correct? Four times twenty-one is equal to eighty-eight. Hold your applause, there's more! We have Heroes such as myself, The Count, Shangdi, and Master Kendo! The Count and I are ten soldiers each, so twenty. Master Kendo can handle fifty, and Shangdi can take on one hundred men by himself—maybe one thousand. We also have the aid of Hayami Kendo, Hakan Aldemir, and Ishtar. So in total, we have the fighting power of about 260 of your soldiers! You said that you have over one hundred soldiers lying in wait, correct? Well then, we are double that and more!"

Re-Destro immediately replies, "What are you trying to say—?"

"This is our terms of agreement!" I announce, "We will exchange our hostages for yours in the condition they were brought in!"

Curious asks, "What about the flash drive?"

"I will not hand it over. You will have to pry it from my hands first," I say. From my words, everyone on my end gives me a shocked look. Yes, this means we will fight them, but I know we will win. If we let the Meta Liberation Army go, they will be left with ruined pride from the nine soldiers that my two interns defeated. However, if we fight them with all of the force they have _and win _, not only will they receive damage to their morale, Class 1-B will receive experience fighting actual Villains!

In essence, this is a testing ground for what's about to come in the future! We _will _fight the M.L.A. at some point, so to prepare them, this is the best way of going about it!

Hakan whispers to me, "What are you doing?! Do you really want these kids to fight them?! Is that what you went on about before?!"

"Of course," I reply, "we have a gifted bunch this year, Hakan. This is the strength of Class 1-B. We will be able to defeat them, I'm sure of it. Even then, I am sure that they want revenge for what the M.L.A. already did to them."

Re-Destro says, "What you're proposing is: We will exchange hostages, but not the flash drive? The only way to get it is through a fight, our glorious movement against first-years. From what you said earlier, you truly think that your children will be able to defeat us? Honestly laughable."

"We're with them, aren't we, darlings?" Lian reminds them. "It's not far-off in the realm of possibility. In fact, it's right in the ballpark."

I clear my throat, bringing everyone's focus back towards me. "Nevertheless, you have two options, Meta Liberation Army. I _am _willing to give you the flash drive if you so demand, but you will have to leave and never bother us for the duration of the trip—the coward's way out, in my opinion…"

Behind me, the others walk up and stand side-by-side with us. We form an impenetrable wall that they cannot simply breach. With the look of anger across our eyes, we await to see the Meta Liberation Army's answer. And I, Shindeka Oji, finish, "Or, you can take my first offer and engage in a battle—Villains versus Pro Heroes.

"What is your answer?"

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage**

"So we're actually fighting them?"

"Yup, we're actually fighting them."

"Kuku, now Class 1-A won't be the only ones who encountered Villains!"

"Why is _that _the only thing you think about, Monoma?! We're literally fighting the Meta Liberation Army!"

"I had a feeling those guys were still around… Guess they just wanted to have _freedom _, right? Right guys? Guys…?"

"...Shut up, Honenuki."

"Order in the court, order in the court!" I shout, waving my imaginary gavel because holy crap, that worked out better than I could ever have imagined! When Okichi told Geten about Sanji's location, I was ready to kill him until he explained it to me. I have to give it to him. If he didn't take that gamble, we probably would end up at a very different ending than the one we have planned. "Look guys, after what happened, we need to shut up and come together. We were given 45 minutes to prepare, so we need to make the most of it. That's why we need to listen to the adults in the room so we can come up with the best plan of action."

Itsuka speaks up, "First, you should explain why you got us into this mess in the first place. You too, Grandmaster, since you're involved in it too."

I correct her, "Actually he isn't. Only me and Okichi were involved in this miss. Grandmaster was totally lying." Grandmaster nods, confirming what I said. "Long story short, back at the Hero Course Tutoring program, Curious and Re-Destro were there watching the fights. I found out that they were apart of the M.L.A., Okichi did too and proposed a plan to take them down, I joined him. It involved sneaking into Re-Destro's room while he was at the gala and taking some information off of his laptop. Obviously, that failed since they knew somehow, and that set off the chain of events that have us standing where we are tonight. So uh, you guys got the fight you were looking for."

Hayami comments, "Not really no. I'd prefer that Grandmaster wouldn't, y'know, send my kids off to war without my permission! But yeah no, I'm totally fine! We're only fighting over one hundred M.L.A. soldiers including their wackjob leaders! It's a piece of cake! They got this in the bag!"

I can hear The Count whispering to Itsuka, "Your mother is scary when she gets sarcastic…" Itsuka nods, and I kinda agree, not gonna lie.

Grandmaster sighs, lowering his head in a bit of an apologetic manner. "I understand, but I genuinely believe that we can defeat the Meta Liberation Army here. If we deal a blow to them now, we'll be beneficial to us in the future. What Re-Destro said is true. Your children signed up for this war, and they need to be amply prepared. This is the best way to prepare them. I promised that I would teach your kids, and this is how I will do just that.

"We also need to find and retain the real flash drive as well. The M.L.A. is surely suspecting that what we have is a fake, so even if we give them the flash drive, they will find out that it was fake. Then, a fight would be unavoidable."

Hayami huffs, walking off to the side. Master Kendo chases after her, being a good dad and all. Hakan Aldemir, the official from the U.H.N., is currently talking gameplans with Lian. Ishtar is sitting by herself because she got dragged into this mess somehow. Hakan, after finishing up his conversation with Lian, addresses the entire party, "Like that Setsuna says, we have less than 45 minutes to come up with a viable plan. We will be fighting against over one hundred Villains where each of them have the same strength as a Pro Hero. All of you, to the last, will fight."

Awase says, "Gimme a how and I'll do it."

Tetsutetsu knocks his knuckles together. "Hell yeah! I'm ready to give these punks a taste of Real Steel!"

Togaru crosses his arms and nods. "What they said. I ain't gonna ease up on these fuckers."

Sanji tells them, "Calm yourselves for just a moment, guys. I wanna fight them as much as you—believe me, look at the blood on my sheath to find out how badly I beat them—but these guys are serious. They will not give up unless you bring the pain. They're more than willing to become martyrs for liberation, keep that in mind."

Shojo decides to say, "I really really can't believe this is happening! I mean, holy crap, I didn't expect to get threatened by Villains! I feel like I'm gonna pass out from anxiety, ugggggh…" Manga walks over and gives his sister a few pats on the back. Even Kagesuke is brushing against her leg, what a good boy.

I look towards Hakan, asking him, "As the man with the plan, what do you think we should do? We obviously can't hold both Castor and Pollux with our numbers. We need to divide and conquer, honestly."

He nods, agreeing with me. "To tell ya the truth, those bastards might be looking to sneak into Castor to possibly find the flash drive. But like what you said, we need to divide and conquer. They will act according to how we will act. That way, we can manipulate them. I propose that we create a few groups.

"Alpha: They will stay in the hotel, mainly Pollux, defending it from any M.L.A. goons and their leaders.

"Bravo: They will focus on getting the flash drive in Castor before the M.L.A. does."

I suggest, "We should expand on that, if you think my opinion holds any water. For example, these guys will be worried about Lian, right? How about we send him off to the back of the hotel and have him wait there? Naturally, the M.L.A. will build up a force to apprehend just him because they _know _he's the biggest threat."

Lian gives me a look saying that he agrees. "The darling's right. If I'm by myself, I won't have to worry about any collateral damage. It will just be me and my many, many opponents."

Grandmaster chimes, "And if I may propose, we should take advantage of our false flash drive. With this, we could pretend to escape, but in actuality, we would draw out a number of soldiers away from the hotel itself."

Honenuki puts in his thoughts, "I mean, if we're talking about reducing numbers, I'm pretty sure some soldiers would be staying in Castor. We should make sure that they stay in Castor after Bravo completes their objective instead of leading them right into Pollux."

Monoma says, "We oughta make use of the rooms within the hotels as well! Hallways and tight-enclosed spaces are too dangerous for my taste. We place ourselves in open areas and lay traps for them, taking them out in large numbers."

Itsuka replies to him, "I agree with Monoma. Sure, I might be a bit better for tight environments, but some of you guys aren't!"

Sanji, with his infinite wisdom and pretty boy face, comes in, "We know that nine soldiers are in a terrible shape. Thankfully though, ee and Itsuka were able to adapt to their Quirks, which leads me to my point, we should share what we know about their Quirks."

The Count exclaims, "Oh yes, I almost forgot! You see… Me, Shindeka, and Master Kendo also found out about the Army's existence just the other day! We identified the Top Executives and accessed the Quirk Registry List of Japan! We know their Quirks!"

Master Kendo nods. Hayami seems to look happier, I think. She still looks upset, but not so upset that she's refusing to cooperate. Anyway, Master Kendo says, "That's right, we know their Quirks. They're stronger than the average schmuck, but with this information, we can come up with counters to 'em."

Hayami tells us, "You don't have the time to change into your Hero Costumes, so get what you need and that's it. Hell, I'll even MacGyver some support gear up if you need me to. And please, don't ask me what 'MacGyver' is if you don't know the reference."

Ishtar suddenly stands up. I think she realizes how she can help. "Hold on a second! There's a parking garage under here, and in there, there's a staff elevator that the M.L.A. probably don't know about, and I have the keys to it. You can sneak into Castor without them knowing."

Oh, I think I should ask this too! "Before we say anything else, we need a good name for this operation. Sure, we're not trying to push two people together or trying to prevent someone from dropping out of U.A., but we are doing something more important than that, defeating Villains. Maybe something like _Operation Hero Force Army _?"

Hakan tells me, "In the sake of time, let's go with that. I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you kids argue about the name because we got bigger fish to fry. Anyway, with your considerations in mind, let's do something with _Operation Hero Force Army, _shall we?

"Alpha: Everyone will be stationed in certain places, defending Pollux from the Meta Liberation Army. Make some traps, do whatever you can to have the upper hand. These guys aren't playing fair, so neither should you.

"Bravo: Through the staff elevator, everyone here will be involved in retrieving the flash drive in Castor before the M.L.A. does, and after that, we should find a way of making sure these guys stay in Castor.

"Charlie: This group will be trying to 'escape' with the fake flash drive, being a distraction to lure away a few soldiers. Expect that you will encounter a Top Executive here, or maybe the Grand Commander himself. They won't let you escape without a fight.

"Delta: It's Shangdi. He's by himself doing what he does best: fighting. Let's hope the M.L.A. give him a lot of bodies.

"Echo: This is a personal request actually. Since Ishtar is the only civilian here, I'll be accompanying her alongside Grandmaster, The Count, and Master Kendo. I won't answer any questions you have for me, sorry about that.

"This goes without saying, but each group will have a 'leader' or 'leaders' that will have a walkie-talkie. We only have eight of 'em, which is not enough for everyone. Also, some of you will probably be assigned to two groups, doing double duty. Does everyone understand?"

We nod. I won't ask about Echo; Hakan is smart enough to know what he's doing. At least, that's what I hope. Still, the Pro Heroes for a single civilian? Kinda suspicious.

Anyhow, I walk over to Itsuka and Sanji, giving them a pat on the back. "Hey you two, ready to fight the good fight? C'mon, I know you guys are already! I am! My head might be pounding, but I'm ready!"

Sanji doesn't give me a laugh, he just frowns. "I'm ready, but you should seriously get some ice."

Itsuka points at him. "What he said. After this, I need a vacation from this vacation. Preferably, without you trying to take down a massive Villain group capable of taking down Japan."

"Eh, can't promise anything, sweetheart." I smile, giving her a thumbs-up. "Anyway, let's go cheer everyone up! We need to have the right minds to handle this kind of threat! C'mon Class Rep, do your job!"

"Jeez, fine…" Itsuka replies with a groan. "Hey guys, let's do a roll call! We should do it just so we know that everyone is here!" And everyone lets her.

"Thanks. First is, well, me. I'm obviously here."

"Awase, still got your headband?"

"Yeah, and stop calling me that, dammit!"

"I know Sanji's here."

"I should be, hehe."

"Kaibara, you here?"

"Yup. Ready to take on the M.L.A., just a normal year for us high schoolers."

"Kamakiri?"

"Alive an' well, kinda. Ready to dice up these bastards like tomatoes."

"Kuroiro and Kagesuke, you two still being dramatic?"

"Arf!"

"Kagesuke is here, yes. And so am I, a member of the abyss."

"Yui, I know she's here."

"Mhm."

"Kinoko, think you can grow your mushrooms?"

"Of course! Very mush!"

"Ibara, I know you're here too."

"That I am. I am more than prepared to deliver God's wrath on these fiends."

"Shishida, your glasses still intact?"

"Fortunately, yes. If they do break, I will still be able to see, do not fret."

"Hey Shoda, still kicking?"

"Yeah… I honestly have trouble processing this."

"Pony, ready to kick butt?"

"And then some! Gonna kick a lotta butt today if my name isn't Pony Tsunotori!"

"Tsuburaba, I heard that you tried to spring an escape attempt."

"...Not my brightest moment, but I would've gotten away if it wasn't for that white-haired pretty boy! I can't believe we have to deal with another one." ("A-Another one?" Sanji mutters.)

"...Tetsutetsu. Please don't scream."

"I'm not gonna scream, Kendo! I'm just pumped up and ready to punch stuff! I'm more than ready to fight some Villaisn!"

"Setsuna's here, obviously."

"Yes, that's my name. Please clap for me." (No one claps for me.)

"Fukidashi twins."

"Anxious, but alive! That's what I always say…"

"Yeah, let's hope Shojo doesn't pass out. I'm serious, she might pass out."

"Honenuki."

"Yo, ready to liberate these guys from life." (Shoda exclaims, "We're not killing them!")

"Bondo, it's hard to miss you."

"...I dunno why I'm th-this tall…"

"Oh boy, here's Monoma."

"That's me! Don't worry, we are more than capable of—"

"—Yeah shut up."

"Reiko, you're still stunning as always."

"Thank you, but I'm afraid I will dirty this dress soon."

"And Rin."

"Right here. Ready when you are."

"And onto everyone else. Mom, Grandpa?"

"Right here, sweetheart."

"Mhm. Guess I'm finally fighting again."

"Grandmaster and Count."

"Oui, je m'appelle Count."

"I'm here as well, if that wasn't obvious before."

"Lian."

"I am here, little fire."

"Hakan and Ishtar."

"Fufu, I'm actually apart of the group."

"Naturally, you stumbled into this mess at the worst possible time."

"Kendo, what about me?"

"What about you, Tokugawa?"

"...Never mind."

"That's it. That's everyone. We have everyone here. So let's get started."

Sorry Dad. You're probably incredibly angry that this is happening—well, if you knew that this was happening in the first place. First, I went behind your back and fought Catharsis; now here, I went behind your back and challenged the Meta Liberation Army. I hope you can forgive me after this, but I do believe that this is the right way of going about things. This has to be.

We, your army of stars, are fighting against these guys. And we will win, don't worry. Because if not, like I said, this would be an awkward ending.

* * *

**Operation Hero Force Army**

Alpha:

Team Lizardry: Setsuna Tokage (Leader), Okichi Tokugawa, Juzo Honenuki, Togaru Kamakiri

Team Phantom Thief: Neito Monoma (Leader), Shojo Fukidashi, Sen Kaibara, Kosei Tsuburaba

Team Hayami: Hayami Kendo (Leader), Kinoko Komori, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Bravo:

Team Armory: Sanji Inochi (Leader), Hiryu Rin

Team Maria: Ibara Shiozaki (Leader), Manga Fukidashi, Shihai Kuroiro, Yosetsu Awase, Pony Tsunotori

Charlie:

Team Battle Fist: Itsuka Kendo (Leader), Yui Kodai, Shoda Nirengeki, Kojiro Bondo, Jurota Shishida, Reiko Yanagi

Delta:

Team Shangdi: Lian "Shangdi" Fei-Long (Leader)

Echo:

Team Hakan: Hakan Aldemir (Leader), Shindeka "Grandmaster" Oji, Claude "The Count" LeNoir, Sasaki "Master Kendo" Kendo, Ishtar Mikhail

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry for not posting a chapter last week. Last Saturday, I went on a family trip. And today, the chapter is late because it's kinda a national holiday. I had real life things. At least I posted the chapter!**

**Post-chapter Stuff:**

**The Structure of the Chapter: Just so you have an insight on how I build my chapters, I have this here. You see, my chapters are getting really long lately and because of that, I'm getting a little burnt out. And that's because of the structure of the chapter. Here, I designate two points: beginning and end. For example, in this chapter, the beginning is the capture of Castor and the end is Operation Hero Force Army. In-between, I have to move the plot to reach that point. Thus, Master Kendo will narrate the capture of Castor, Sanji will narrate his fight, Itsuka will narrate the lobby coming to terms with the attack and her fight, Grandmaster narrating the negotiations, and Setsuna being the narrator to end the chapter. There aren't much internal thoughts because the chapter is fairly fast. Even though there is only "five" scenes, each scene is *long*, made up of beats. For example, Master Kendo's scene has: Recognizing the threat, being captured, Geten's appearance. For Grandmaster, he has: Revealing MLA's intentions, lying about the flash drive, Star Duo's appearance, counteroffer. Each "beat" needs to be developed to a point where I'm satisfied and move on. And frankly, that's a little draining. For this arc, all of my chapters are 20k words long. Well, more than 20k words, more like 24k-26k, with this chapter being 23k. I publish this (I try to at least) on a bi-weekly basis, so that's almost (or it *is*) 50k words a month. If you don't know already, 50k words is what most people would consider the length of a novel. Basically, I'm publishing a novel every month.**

**You can ask, "How the fuck do you write so much?" My answer is...! Well, I have a mental plan of the story. The plan has major beats yet I'm not planning every little detail (I do have plans to have some funny scenes/cool action if I can lead into it). Originally, for Itsuka's fight scene, I wanted her to punch someone's head against a wall, creating a crater. However, I didn't have a way to "lead" into that, so I just didn't do it. For me, it's really easy for me to write knowing what I need to write instead of improvising everything (but believe me, you'd be shocked at how much of this fic is just improv). I can just let my fingers type and type. I'm also used to long projects despite being 17 (my birthday was last month wooo). I have experience in world-building and creating characters which translates quite nicely here. Really though, my biggest weakness is procrastination. Youtube is a fucking killer, I gotta say. Sometimes, you just need to sit down and freaking write. You just need to sit down, tell yourself "You're gonna write today", and actually do it. That's what I did when making this chapter. I just told myself "Hey Gushy, go fuck yourself" and wrote.**

**Anyway, that's how I try and write. Poggers.**

**Back onto the story, I'll just cover what I think it's important. The first being: Sanji and Itsuka's fight. So what's up with them fighting? Well, they fought MLA soldiers and won with barely a scratch on them. Yet there's a clear difference in their fights... Sanji had to keep knocking his guys down while Itsuka more or less gave them a few punches and they're down. That's the difference between them. Sanji is weaker, but out of the two fights, he came out in a better shape than Itsuka. Itsuka is stronger and was able to one-shot Sickle Arms, yet she got kicked by Ryu. You also get to see just how far the MLA is willing to complete their objective because the dudes with Sanji just wouldn't stay down.**

**The next is Grandmaster's scene, which I liked more than I thought I would. Of course, it's him coming in clutch with the negotiations. The implications that the MLA made was pretty scary, but with Setsuna's help, he was able to step in and gain leverage for his side. You have to admit that these characters are really smart. Okichi helped everyone by gambling that Sanji would be able to defeat 5 soldiers, and that Setsuna threw away the flash drive knowing that it could be used as leverage against the MLA. And Grandmaster recognized that he had an opportunity and took it. Though, he's also the one who wanted to fight the MLA. You can say that it's pretty stupid, because it kinda is, but it's the best way of giving 1-B the experience they need for the future. (Because us manga readers know that they need it.)**

**Anyway, I'm just gonna talk about the next chapter. Hero Force Army will have a bunch of fight scenes in it, and judging from the teams, you can see who's going to do what. Expect that something happens in each of the five groups, and I hope you'll be satisfied.**


	48. Hero Force Army

**Beginning - Location: Behind the Gemini Hotels Near Mercer Beach**

"_Hey Shangdi, remember that you'll be by yourself here. It's guaranteed that you'll complete your objective with barely any scratches on that golden body of yours, even with being outnumbered about fifty to one. But there's a problem in our hands. We—"_

"—_We need to attract a few specific individuals, don't we, darling?" _Lian replied, finishing what Hakan was about to say. "_The Top Executives are the bulk of their fighting force. If we find a circus of those ruffians, then there'll surely be a ringleader. You're proposing that we're rigging who we'll meet, yes?"_

With a smile, Hakan nodded. "_That's right. I already picked out a location for you. You'll be waiting at the back of the hotel near Mercer Beach. Geten has an Ice Manipulation Quirk, and from what the lizard girl said, he's able to control the temperature of water. He can't ignore an infinite water supply just begging to be used."_

Lian let out a small laugh, his eyes wandering towards his brother and the rest of the people he swore to protect. "_It'll guarantee that Geten—that pretty boy—will come out and fight me. But what about Re-Destro? He's the Grand Commander for a reason, darling."_

"_I know, and stop calling me that," _Hakan replied with a frown, "_I'm not gonna say that he's an idiot, at least when it comes to battle theory. He'll know that you're a distraction, so he'll focus his attention elsewhere."_

"_In that case, it's just a simple matter of taking down these pesky little soldiers and hurrying to fight Re-Destro."_

"_Took the words outta my mouth. You're our biggest asset here, Shangdi. Without you, then damn, our odds wouldn't look so great."_

"_Why thank you. It means a lot from a stooge of the U.H.N. Anyway, since we have my location figured out already, let's talk about your team for a second, Aldemir. Why do you have three Pro Heroes with you and that Ishtar lady?"_

"_Well, what can I say? I like being protected…" _

A vein bulged from Lian's head. He exhaled, trying to calm himself down before he did anything he'd regret.

Then, he inhales, transferring his mind back to the present.

"He's just...sitting there..."  
"Is he meditating?"

"What do you think he's doing?"

"Don't be swayed by what he's doing. It's just a ploy to intimidate you. Shangdi might be a powerful Hero, but each of you are well-trained and well-organized. Our numbers are in our favor," Stalwart says, standing side-by-side with Geten alongside 40 Meta Liberation Army soldiers behind them. Compared to the average Japanese citizen, they're trained to use their Quirks. Some can say that each is capable of beating the average Japanese Hero. Even more so, they have two of their commanders with them. They have a stubborn woman that can be mistaken as an immovable object, and they have a man who's an unstoppable force.

They have 42 soldiers against one man.

Against one man who's currently sitting there, menacingly. Lian Fei-Long, Shangdi, sits on the asphalt in a typical position you would see a monk in. He isn't wearing much, just black sweatpants and that's it. His eyes are closed shut and his posture is relaxed, somehow being at peace despite the reckoning that's about to be reckoned. His body is completely still; the only thing that's moving is his long, flowing golden hair drifting in the wind.

It's only a few hours before midnight. The moon's standing right above their heads shining its spotlight on the stage. You can almost see the bits of dust hovering in the air, reflecting the moonlight.

Much like how the Spanish Civil War was just a "dress rehearsal" for World War II, this battle serves the exact same purpose; this will be a testing ground to measure the strength of Class 1-B against the strength of the Meta Liberation Army. One can argue that Class 1-B doesn't make up the whole of heroism, and they would be correct. They have barely any practical experience in their bones. The only weapon they possessed is their minds, and in that mind manufactured theories from their time in class. Yet against the Meta Liberation Army? Who has both practical and theoretical experience?

Class 1-B would lose if they didn't have the might of Lian, or the brains of Grandmaster, or any of the other Pro Heroes there.

Is this truly a snapshot for what's about to come? A loss for heroism?

Only the promised future holds the truth. What's certain is this: when cherry blossoms bloom, Class 1-B—alongside the strength of Class 1-A—will find themselves at the forefront of a new day.

Standing there as a witness to the testament of villainy, heroism watches and watches as it all comes crumbling down.

So maybe this battle _does_ in fact foreshadow future events. Izuku Midoriya may be fighting against Wolfram, a man seduced by power, yet Wolfram pales in comparison to an organization who allured thousands with ideology.

The only question is: Where does Sanji Inochi stand?

Lian Fei-Long opens his eyes, acknowledging the soldiers in front of them, each poised to strike yet none are courageous enough to follow through. They dare not to go against the command of the Top Executives. They look towards Geten. He raises his hand, doing a circle motion with his finger. Upon his order, they do exactly that: surround Lian and cut off any chances to escape. Although, it's naive to think that Lian has any intentions of escaping. It's almost insulting to think that Lian would flee; that would go against everything he stands for. Well, he isn't exactly standing right now. That's why he stands up from his sitting position, stretching his arms and legs casually, creating a juxtaposition compared to the serious faces the soldiers are wearing. t. Addressing the commanders of this group, he throws out his arms and bows in an exaggerated fashion. "Geten and Stalwart, you darlings only brought 40 soldiers with you? I'm flattered. I never knew you valued me so much. It makes a man blush, and let me fill you in on a little secret: I'm positively glowing."

He sighs, remembering that he has to report this to the others. Taking out his walkie-talkie, he says, "Darlings, this is Delta. For your information, I'm facing 40 soldiers and two of their commanders. The pretty boy's here and so is the pretty woman who is not Curious. Wish me luck!" He puts it inside his sweatpants, facing the two commanders. _You were right, Aldemir. Despite my feelings about the United Hero Nations, you're actually competent at your job. _

Stalwart narrows her eyes at Lian. She's one of the smartest Top Executives, a master at battle theory. She can deduce a man's weakness just from a glance alone. However, as much as she's trying to analyze Lian, she finds nothing. He's seemingly a man without weakness. "Reporting our numbers to the others? I suspected that you purposely divided your forces so we could divide ours.

Lian nods, confirming what she said. "Mhm. It's only natural that we try and divy you up, you beautifully disgusting soldiers. After all, you have the numbers. In a straightforward battle, we would lose."

"That's surprising considering you're one of the most powerful Heroes in the world, Shangdi. Moving on though… Tell me something, the group trying to escape right now… Do they actually have the flash drive or are they bluffing?" she asks, and Lian shrugs.

"You'll have to wait until one of your own finds out," he answers, but curiously enough, Stalwart smirks. That's a smirk of someone who knows they're about to win; that's a smirk of someone enjoying another's ignorance. Sighing, Lian scratches his neck, keeping a note of it for later. He looks over at Geten and gives him a wide smile. "Anyhow, I'm glad to see this pretty little darling here. How are you—?"

"Don't call me that," Geten spits, his voice being sharp and curt, "I thought with the amount of academically gifted students in your care, you wouldn't pick the only place where I have a natural advantage. Is it me, or is their stupidity is starting to reach levels of absurdity? They say that our cause—"

"Oh _darling!"_ Lian exclaims, intentionally riling up Geten more than he reasonably should. "Our cause this, our cause that, you're like a broken record stuck on repeat. We know what kind of people you are. My young, aspiring Heroes are smarter than what you take them for, both in the books and on the street."

"Really?" Geten asks. "That's two bold claims you're making. I wonder what you think about us, Shangdi. A Chinese man telling a Japanese man what they think, how arrogant."

Lian puts a hand on his hip, pacing back and forth looking around at everyone here. "Wow darling, I like to think I'm honorary Japanese, first of all. And second of all, this cause of yours is riddled with hypocrisy. I read your _Meta Liberation War_ written by the first Grand Commander. Chikara Yotsubashi proclaims that free Quirk use is a basic human right, and to fight for that right, he becomes a terrorist—"

"He _wasn't_ a terrorist, you dog!" Geten shouts daggers into Lian. Immediately, the rest of the soldiers are put on edge, glaring at Lian for slandering their founder. To think that Chikara Yotsubashi, their glorious Grand Commander fighting for liberation, is a terrorist? That's far from the truth. It's far from _their_ truth. "He was fighting for liberation against the restrictive regimes of governments all around the world! He believed that no one should be held in chains just for the Meta Ability they were born with! He was a fighter for true freedom!"

"That's right! We're fighting to be free!"

"We don't need fuckers like you around!"

"You Hero scum are the real villains here!"

"Hero piece of shit!"

"We aren't meant to be slaves to the system!"

Hearing the harsh words coming from the soldiers, Lian blows air out of his mouth, clearly annoyed by this. "Haha, I understand darlings, but his book is philosophical garbage. After all, a man's philosophy is a window into his character, so am I calling your precious leader 'garbage?' Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. He proclaims himself a victim of government oppression, and clearly, you all believe that you're victims too. Chikara believes that the entirety of a person's worth is their Quirk, so if the government restricts that, then naturally they're oppressing the people. I—"

"—What's your point here?" Stalwart asks. "They _are_ oppressing the natural rights of the people. We were given Meta Abilities for a reason, and for the stooges sitting at the top to say 'Go to hell' for what?! Just so they can give that right to their brainwashed idiots who do everything they say without question?! The same idiots who propagate the same propaganda to create more of the useful idiots to uphold a failed society?! Pro Heroes are just tools used by the government because they know they're weak! They built a house of cards that's ready to topple at any moment!"

"Fuck Heroes!"

"They're upholding a society that's bound to fail!"

"They're creating their own freaking Villains!"

"Why should we have to listen to a Chinese schmuck about this?!"

"Yeah, they have no right to criticize us. China has it worse!"

Lian puts a hand on his neck. This conversation is getting more hostile by the second. "Ah, the hypocrisy, the hypocrisy… Telling the world that they're the victims, then in their terrorist attacks, they create victims. They ignited fires so the people can hear their voices, yet all anyone could hear was the fire—"

—The dragon tattoo on Lian's body begins to glow with the same shimmer as the shining sun: golden and fierce. "He was obsessed with the concept of 'Meta Ability', seduced by the possibility of strength. He had the word inked in each and every page. From his words, he was inspired by Sauer's ideals and sought after a world where your Meta Ability and your Meta Ability only will determine your place in the world—that's Quirk supremacy. You are not fighting for freedom, you are not fighting against oppression, and you are not victims. Your founder is just a man who was upset that he wasn't the oppressor. Your entire movement is built on deceit and hypocrisy, saying that you fight for freedom while you fight to take away just that to the whims of the strong—"

_WHOOSH!_

A gust of wind rushes throughout the battlefield from the activation of Lian's Quirk—Astral—prompting yelps and swears from the soldiers around him. He has his right hand extended to the side practically beaming with pure, concentrated power. With his piercing gaze, he sets his eyes upon Geten and Stalwart.

"—A world where the strong preys upon the weak is a world I'm willing to incite destruction in—"

_GOLDEN ASTRAL FIVE: SHINING LIMBS - REED-CUTTING BLADE!_

With 5% of his power, Lian slashes the air with his right arm, emitting a sweeping ten meter long golden blade that charges forward faster than the average man can think. No, that isn't true. It's faster than the average Hero can think, something so fast that only the Top Hundred of Heroes could even have a chance to react. The power of his attack seems to tear through the air, creating an ominous and callous sound that rattles the ears of the soldiers witnessing this rather simple display of power. Not only will Geten and Stalwart are caught in its range, but so are a few of their soldiers.

"—Stalwart!" Geten shouts for his ally, stepping back with a tsunami of ice already encroaching on the battlefield all the way from Mercer Beach. However, Lian's attack will attack them first.

Stalwart replies, "—Right—!"

_FWOOM!_

Stalwart activates her Quirk, throwing her arms out and emitting a blue barrier in a hexagonal pattern composed of ten "plates". The barrier spans the length of Lian's Reed-Cutting Blade, enlarging itself to take the impact of the rushing attack.

_WA-CRACK!_

The energy attack collides with the barrier with a _crack _that almost sounds like the world is tearing by the seams. Plate after plate, it shatters like feeble glass. Stalwart underestimated just how strong Lian's attack was, but luck is on her side. The attack didn't push through the barrier, so everyone behind the line is safe—for now that is. Lian smirks, seeing Stalwart's Quirk in action—Bulwark. He taunts, "There's your Quirk, darling! A Barrier-type in action, absolutely breathtaking!"

Bulwark is a Psionic Barrier-type Quirk, meaning the barrier that Stalwart creates is telekinetic in nature. Unlike other Psionic Barrier-type Quirks, Bulwark creates "Bulwark Plates", which are the blue hexagons as described before. They aren't a single shield restricted to a certain shape, like a dome, but rather "jigsaw pieces" that can come together and form a suitable wall for each occasion. With each plate, she can control the area of the plate; she can even move her Bulwark Plates around the battlefield using telekinesis within a twenty meter radius. Any more than that and the Bulwark Plate will disappear. Due to Stalwart's training—after all, she's a Top Executive in the Meta Liberation Army—her Bulwark Plates can be as hard as striking graphene—the strongest material on Earth; although, she can't maintain this level of hardness for very long. She can have up to fifty Bulwark Plates at one time. However, her greatest limit is her mind. Her mind can only take so much before it will be strained.

_I have to give my respect to the pretty lady. Out of all of the Barrier Quirks I face, hers have the possibility to withstand my stronger attacks. If only she wasn't a Villain, I might just fall in love with her_, Lian thinks to himself, smirking as Stalwart's Bulwark Plates fly around the battlefield in unpredictable motions.

Behind Lian, Geten's tsunami of ice reaches the field, casting a large shadow over everyone. Lian turns his head slightly to the side, then frowning, completely unimpressed with his attempt. A sphere no larger than a tennis ball—a "Bauble"—of golden energy externally manifests behind Lian's head about 7% of his total power, and within an instant, it launches itself in the form of a long golden bolt that collides with the tsunami with an ice-shattering _crash_, both literally and figuratively. All of Geten's ice shatters and is wholly destroyed, and all that's left is an icy mist that escapes from the collision, spreading throughout the field like fog, limiting the vision of everyone inside.

The sounds of ice clouds the rest of the other sounds. At first, the sounds are in front of Lian, then they're right beside him, above him, behind, and before he knows it, he hears ice forming in every single direction.

—_PSSSSH!_

_PSSSSH_—!

—_PSSSSH_—!

Around his body, ten Baubles manifest themselves at 5% power each, ready to be fired at a moment's notice. They revolve around him almost like a large halo around his body. This is an example of his Quality of Astral—the quirk of his Quirk—External Manifestation. He can discharge energy attacks from his body, but with External Manifestation, he isn't limited to only his body, but has an additional two meters in radius around him. His physical body is the "primary energy emitter", and with External Manifestation, anything created in a two meter radius is a "secondary energy emitter"; this would be his Baubles. The attacks made by his Baubles are weaker compared to attacks emitted by his body. With his Baubles, he can move them around within his range, but as soon as he activates them, he no longer has control. And now, Lian is simply waiting for a reason to trigger them.

And just after that thought, as soon as the icy mist starts to dissipate back into the cold, night air, the problem makes itself readily apparent: Geten has his ice approaching Lian from all angles. Just like before, it's akin to a tsunami strong enough to take down a building. The Baubles stop revolving behind Lian's back, instead expanding outwards into a dome that covers Lian and Lian alone. Then—!

—_GOLDEN ASTRAL FIVE: DIVINE SHIELD - DRAGON'S DEFENSE!_

The same move he used to clear out the Shadow Villain's Quirk, the dome rapidly expands outwards, clearing out Geten's wave of ice all around Lian. The asphalt beneath everyone's feet cracks, and even the ground itself begins to break and tear apart. With his body angled towards Geten's direction, from the soles of his feet—!

_LAUNCH!_

Lian launches himself forward and takes chunks out of the asphalt, propelling himself using his Quirk while his dome is expanding. No one on the outside can see him charging forward; all they can see is his dome growing and growing. One would think that Lian will run into his own attack, yet they'd be wrong. Lian knows the duration of each of his attacks by heart, even accounting for how much of his total power he used. When Dragon's Defense dissipates, it'll be just before he collides into it. By then, it'd be almost impossible to react because he'll be mere moments away from reaching Geten.

That's what he's counting on.

"Oh darling—!" he says in a laughing voice with his right arm held back. His dome disappears just before he runs into it, and Geten is standing right on the other side.

Geten stammers, "—H-How did you—?!"

—_GOLDEN ASTRAL FIVE: GOLDEN HAND_—

"—Wave!" Thrusting his right palm forward, he aims his strike right in the center of Geten's chest. Wave differs from Palm of the Emperor, where the latter emits a hand-shaped energy attack from a range. With Wave, Lian discharges energy right before the moment of impact with his palm strike, letting Astral _power_ his palm strike instead of being the attack itself.

Cruising through the air—

_WA-CRACK!_

_WHOOSH!_

—His palm strike hits a Bulwark Plate encompassing a large area, creating a crack right down the middle but not shattering it. Just barely, Stalwart protected Geten. Any moment too late, Geten would have his ribs broken. Lian grits his teeth, a little disappointed that his attack didn't hit its mark. _Well then, that pretty little lady can react fast enough to block my attack? To protect her pretty little partner? Let's experiment whether or not she has the strength to do such a thing!_

From the wind and energy generated from Wave, it momentarily staggers everyone around Lian, including Geten and Stalwart if they aren't already staggered enough by his Super Move. Before anyone can react, Lian spins around and lifts his left leg up, his feet pointed downwards like a blade—

—_GOLDEN ASTRAL TEN: SHINING LIMBS - GILDED SCYTHE!_

Lian does a downwards kick right onto the cracked Bulwark Plate protecting Geten. The plate isn't at its toughest point since a 5% attack cracked it, so with a more powerful strike like Gilded Scythe at 10%, Lian easily cleaves through the plate and shatters it whole. The momentum drags his leg downwards with the front of his foot crashing into the ground first. From the arc of his kick however, a golden crescent is emitted from his left leg.

_FWOOM!_

"Geh—uh—?!" Geten lets out a pained moan, his body being launched back at least twenty meters. He stops himself by placing an ice wall behind him, panting heavily with his parka split open revealing a heavy shirt underneath. Gilded Scythe, much like Reed-Cutting Blade, emits an energy attack in the shape of the arc of his physical actions.

Stalwart shouts, "Geten—Ah?!"

—_SLAM!_

_THUD_—!

Lian doesn't give Stalwart any time to think; he attempts to slam his palm into the side of Stalwart's head, but like before, she protects her own head by forming a Bulwark Plate there. Any blow that she takes from Lian, it'd mean her defeat right then and there. Her Quirk might be the epitome of durability and defense, but her physical body is anything but that. Yelling at the top of her lungs, she exclaims, "—Why don't you back off—?!"

_PUSH!_

Controlling a Bulwark Plate right in front of her, she telekinetically controls it and slams the plate right into Lian's chest, forcing him back. Her eyes frantically glance around to the frightened soldiers around her who're standing around terrified at Lian's strength. "Why are you just standing there?! Kill him!"

"R-Right! C'mon, we need to show our strength!"

"Your commands are absolute!"

"You never should've challenged us!"

_Seems like the small fries are finally joining the game now. I almost feel sorry for them,_ Lian thinks just as he breaks the Bulwark Plate pushing him back by just simply punching it a few times. He takes a few steps back and finds himself being the target of 40 soldiers, all with their own unique Quirks.

Some of their Quirks are close-ranged, some are ranged, some are Mutations, some are Emitters, and so on. To try and deduce each and every Quirk would take forever. There's no time to figure out each and every Quirk, let alone having enough clues to do so at first glance. However, these are just grunts in the Meta Liberation Army. Compared to him, they're ants.

That's why, from the very beginning, they never stood a chance.

—_KRRRRR!_

—_CHH! —CHH!_

_FWWSH—! FWWSH—!_

The area gets adorned with golden light and the sounds of battle. The arrogant soldiers belonging to the Meta Liberation Army get flung into the air, get pushed back, get embedded into the asphalt, and everything else Lian puts them through. He can simultaneously fire bolt-like attacks from his Baubles and fight elegantly with martial arts, kicking a soldier in the chest in one move and firing a bolt into a soldier in another.

Even then, he's holding himself back. His Quirk causes too much collateral damage. He'd prefer to end this fight with a single move but that would result in destroying a large part of the area. Yet here, he already destroyed it. In just a few minutes, you wouldn't be able to recognize that this place is a backlot. All across the lot, there are tears that rip the ground apart like a literal god descended from heaven.

But yet, despite the overwhelming odds, the Meta Liberation Army are too stubborn to admit defeat. Stalwart is constantly shielding her soldiers from harm, flying her Bulwark Plates all over the battlefield; it's amazing how she's even able to keep up with the sheer volume of attacks and react to them accordingly. She lifts her ranged fighters into the sky, making them ride on top of her plates. They fly around circling Lian like vultures, firing a myriad of projectiles after projectiles with a constantly changing flight path to make themselves unpredictable. They force Lian to constantly be on the move, propelling himself into the air with them and achieving pseudo-flight. He fires back at the ranged attackers with Astral, vibrating the air with each emission and discharge.

However, Lian isn't hit once in this chaos.

That's when Geten makes his mark. From the sidelines, he's been resting after getting struck by Gilded Scythe. With his Ice Manipulation Quirk in hand, he storms forth and gathers ice from Mercer Beach, his eyes having the same light as a roaring fire. "—Shangdi—!"

Using the ice, just like how Stalwart elevated her soldiers using Bulwark Plates, Geten lifts himself in the air, standing on a floating platform of ice while a massive, absolutely gigantic sea of ice behind him about the same size of a city-wide block. Despite the sheer size of the thing, it's chaotic and unshaped as if it's a personification of Geten's rage.

—_CRACK!_

_CRACK_—_!_

—_CRACK_—_!_

The ice even finds its way underground, breaking through the soil, through the asphalt, and emerging as ice spikes from below. Because of his actions, Stalwart sends her plates to everyone still on the ground, which are mainly close-combat fighters, and sends them away as Geten creates his magnum opus right before everyone's eyes.

Everyone stops and witnesses his creation, in awe of what he built. The gargantuan sea of ice is no longer a chaotic swirl of inelegant ice, but rather an art piece deserving to be put on display. It's about the same size of one of the twins in the Gemini Hotels—the size of a 60-floor building. But what is the creation exactly? Before, that was Geten's uncontrolled anger towards Lian. Now… His creation still embodies anger, yet it's controlled—driven for a single purpose and a single purpose only, like a determined apex predator aiming to catch its prey.

And that… And his creation, standing right in front of Lian's eyes, is a dragon. This dragon is Geten's—

_LIBERATION OF OKAMI!_

It's almost mocking, honestly. Lian has a dragon tattoo on his body, and here's Geten, creating an ice dragon the size of a building. Still soaring through the air, he claps, impressed with Geten's fine degree of control over his Quirk. "Darling, you finally joined the fight. I was dying to see what you could really do with an infinite supply of water."

Despite Lian's cheery voice, there's worry dwelling in his chest. _That's a big hassle to take down. I'll definitely be able to destroy Geten's dragon before it can do any harm, but what happens afterwards? I'll have to deal with him and everyone else at the same time; it'll be more chaotic than before. I'm trying my best to reserve my strength before I'm forced to chase down Re-Destro and a couple of other problems. In any case, the faster I defeat these ill-sighted goons, the better._

Geten smiles underneath his hood with his beast behind him, ready to strike. "That was your biggest mistake, even if it was intentional. You underestimated just how skilled I am with my Meta Ability. We in the Meta Liberation Army strive to attain this level, and allow me to demonstrate exactly why we will take down Japan by its foundations."

Pointing forward, the dragon charges at Lian, opening its mouth like it's actually alive. The rest of the soldiers, including Stalwart, can only stare and watch as the dragon comes for Lian; this image seems like it's been ripped out from a myth where the grand warrior is slaying the evil dragon.

Lian, the grand warrior, smiles. There's no doubt in his muscles, no anxiety in his bones. The only thing he has is courage and certainty that he'll destroy Geten's beast right here in front of the other soldiers' eyes.

—_RRRRRRR!_

_LAUNCH_—_!_

Lian dashes towards the dragon before pulling his body back. Just about five seconds before the dragon reaches him, he thrusts his arms forward. His entire body glows and lights up with an indomitable spirit. Seemingly levitating in the air, he stands himself upright, his eyes focused against his enemy, charging a powerful attack.

_What a foul beast, made from ice mimicking life. I should be insulted that you dirtied the image of a ferocious dragon, using it as a symbol of your liberation, Geten. A dragon the size of a building, a dragon with the might of an army, and a dragon who isn't nearly as arrogant as you are._

"—Golden Astral Fifty—"

_Liberation, liberation… You Villains are all the same. Fighting for a righteous cause and using it as an excuse to tear down society as a whole. How despicable. To tell you the truth, I wasn't born with this wisdom. I was created just to be the strongest Pro Hero; my birth was constructed with ulterior motives other than to enrich this world._

"—Enlightened Domain—"

_In a way, I'm slightly envious of you. Re-Destro is clearly your mentor who influenced your body and mind. I was taught the ways of the world with books written thousands of years ago in a different world so I could be wise, but how? I'd be a scholar of old, not a scholar of the present. But once I stepped foot into the reality, that's when I taught myself where the wind blows. If I was created—created like a marionette doll—to be a Pro Hero, then dammit all, I'd rather be a marionette with a sharp mind than go without._

_You say you want liberation, then I'll kindly show you exactly that. I'll give you liberation from your arrogance, liberation from your evils, and better yet, liberation from your own wickedness!_

_Before the gods, before Buddha, I stand_—_!_

"—Twin Dragons—!"

—_RRRRRRRR!_

_FWRRRRR_—_!_

—_CRASH_—_!_

Twin golden dragons emerge from Lian's body, quickly growing to match the size of Geten's own disastrous monster. They swirl around each other like a spiral, shaking the air, the earth, all aspects of the world around them with a roar. Everyone watches as the three beasts—two born from spirit and one born from ice—collide in the air with indescribable sounds that none have witnessed before.

The sight of such a massive collision and the shockwaves that come with forces everyone back except for Lian, who's perfectly used to the shockwaves that accompany his Quirk. He watches as his own creations who, just like him, were created out for his love for heroism and the world.

So of course…

So of course his dragons triumph over Geten's. In the battle of pure virtue clashing against arrogance disguised as righteousness? It's only natural that Lian would win. It isn't even a close battle. Compared to the beast, Lian is an ant who doesn't have the spirit of a giant, but rather the spirit of a planet itself.

Geten gasps, shocked that one of his most powerful Super Moves were destroyed so easily using just 50% of Lian's total power. And with the look on Lian's face, he doesn't seem too exhausted by the fact either. For the entire fight, he never went above 10% except in this moment. "You—?!"

"Hush now, darling. You made me use 50% of my Quirk to destroy that dragon of yours into a fine mist. Any less and I would have ice shards flying all over the place, and that's a little too messy for my taste." He frowns. "I'm sorry about all of this, but you're in the way of my brother's journey. You're in the way of his friends' journey. And that…"

"That is unacceptable."

When his battle is over, he would defeat all 40 soldiers alongside their commanders, Stalwart and Geten, without going over 25% of his total power.

* * *

**Setsuna Tokage - Location: Entrance**

"Here they are, Lizardry. This is honestly somewhat exhilarating. To think that a class of Hero Students, plus a few Japanese Pro Heroes, a powerful Chinese Hero, and an official from the United Hero Nations would team up to battle against the second coming of the Meta Liberation Army. This is just as exciting as a movie, if I am frank."

"No, you aren't frank, you're Okichi Tokugawa," I reply, being my beautiful, snarky self. I know it's a terrible joke, but I too have my flaws. Sometimes my jokes don't stick, and y'know what? That's perfectly fine. Anyway, I need to report this to Hakan and the others. Taking out my kinda-bulky walkie-talkie, I speak into it, "Hey hey my beautiful people, this is your queen, Lizardry. Our friends are approaching the entrance to the hotel as we speak. The commanders present are Curious, Indignation, and Trumpet. From eyeballing their soldiers, I'd say there's 65."

Three commanders in charge of 65 soldiers. Hoo boy, this will be a rough battle for sure, especially since it's just the two of us. Honenuki and Togaru are nowhere to be seen, they deserted us—ah that's a lie, hehe. They're in their positions ready to strike when the time comes. Me and Okichi are just the M.L.A.'s welcoming party. In fact, Team Lizardry is the welcoming party. Team Hayami is their appetizer and Team Phantom Thief is their main course. We're taking them out bit by bit by bit. A full-on battle is stupid. There's only a few people who're powerhouses, like Lian. Fighting 125 soldiers—me and Okichi spied on them earlier using our Quirks and got their exact numbers—alongside seven commanders, including Re-Destro, would be hard even for him.

Almost immediately, Aldemir responds, "Roger that, Lizardry. Is everything ready on your end? You're not in contact with Jack Mantis and Mudman."

I nod, but he can't see that so I don't know why I even nodded in the first place. "Yup and yup. Don't worry, they know when it's showtime. I planned this myself, Mister Aldemir. You're just witnessing my genius."

"...Uh huh. Don't get too cocky. You know when you need to retreat. Is everyone else on Alpha hearing this?" he asks.

Momma Kendo speaks up, "Loud and clear. Everything's ready for us."

Then Monoma chimes in, "Mhm. We are prepared to face our enemies, Mister Aldemir! But I'm worried though. We don't know the location of Vainglory and Re-Destro along with twenty soldiers." Yeah, just earlier, Lian told us that he's fighting forty soldiers, Stalwart, and Geten. I honestly expected that Re-Destro would show up and be a part of the main fighting voice. Since he's not… I'm worried.

I ask Aldemir, "Hey Aldemir, did Battle Fist report her numbers yet?"

He sighs. "Not yet. She's gone silent ever since she went out. Don't worry about her though. Focus on your mission and everything will fall into place."

"Got it. Lizardry signing off. See you guys on the other side," I say, turning off my walkie-talkie and giving it to Okichi. Dammit Itsuka, you better give us a report soon. We need you almost as much as Sanji needs you; we all know how much you two deserve each other. Your romance can't end here!

_Operation Hero Force Army_, as much as I wanna say that it's a masterpiece, was kinda rushed. The deal we made gave us a 45-minute grace period, and we spent most of the time planning and setting up. Out of my friends, I'm the only one who's actually wearing my Hero Costume. I _can_ fight without it, but uh, I'd be fighting naked and I don't wanna do that. I draw the line at fighting nude. I'm not Mirio Togata.

Okichi clears his throat, letting me know that I should focus on the immediate issue of Villains-who-wanna-liberate-us-from-living. The Meta Liberation Army stops a fair bit away. At the entrance of the Gemini Hotels, there's a roundabout for some reason. In the center is a beautiful flower garden. My team moved some metal barricades and blocked off the roundabout, pretty much making a perimeter and marking our territory. Don't worry, these barricades are inscribed with Nordic runes that can freeze any outside forces. They totally aren't just normal metal barricades that will do jack all, and only guys who're afraid of metal barricades will get stopped by them.

Stepping up just a little bit, I give the commanders up front a nice little wave. They're actually kinda far away so I need to speak louder. "Looks like you brought a party to this shindig! I'm impressed that you have such numbers to take back a small little flash drive!"

Trumpet, being the guy to speak to, steps up to the barricade in front of him with his hands behind his back like he's prepared to give a speech. "You children who don't know the ways of this world, we gave you a chance to surrender yourselves peacefully and now you forced our hand! Worry not, my good men and women, we shall liberate you of your naivete and ignorance by introducing our wisdom to your still-growing minds! With our numbers, we will lay siege to your precious hotel and retrieve what is rightfully ours. _If_ what is ours is in your possession that is, or in the arms of a certain few of you are fleeing away draped in cloaks."

I shrug. Koku Hanabata has a penchant for dramatic flair. No wonder he's a politician. He can sing sweet words into your ear with a dagger behind his back. I don't think there's a virtuous heart in him at all. "Who knows? We could have decoys, Trumpet. In this world filled with more information than there are ants, it's not a bad idea to carry flash drives around. Who's to say that there aren't at least five flash drives in our possession right now including the one you want? That's something you need to find out, my good sir."

I glance at Okichi, who's listening into the conversations on their end. He shakes his head. Just like we expected. They're communicating without words, signals, nor gestures. All of them, soldiers and commanders alike, are staring at us with dangerous intent, almost like they're about to reenact the Salem Witch Trials.

Our glorious little conniving politician frowns at my comments, clearly displeased at how difficult I am. "Well then, we'll find out one way or another, won't we, Setsuna Tokage? Us followers of the Meta Liberation Army will defeat you in the name of our inspiring commander, weakening the foundations of Hero Society until we collapse it altogether. Tell me, what kind of traps have you laid out for us? You're surely not the only two we will be fighting against."

Okichi nods. "Your intuition is correct, Trumpet. You have the same kind of deductive reasoning as the average person; congratulations, you figured out what most people would've with just a single glance. I applaud you and your efforts. Your mission is complete, you might as well go home and live out the rest of your days as an imbecile who thinks himself as an intellectual."

I won't lie, sometimes Okichi comes up with the most pretentious, but oddly fitting insults.

Anyway, I should address Trumpet's concern for traps, because he's right. We made a bunch of traps. "Unless you can force an answer out of us, we won't be telling you about our traps. Like for example, the metal barricades in front of you are specifically made to electrocute you when you touch them."

Trumpet laughs. "Really?"

"Yup. They'll also force you to spit out your credit card number," I sarcastically say. "Like we need more money than we already have, heh. But really, I dare you to pass the barrier. Who knows what will happen? Maybe you'll be crushed by Buddha's palm from above?"

Before Trumpet can reply, Indignation shoves him out of the way, his teeth seething with anger. The soldiers react the same way. They are trying their best to not let anger overcome them. Even Curious is affected by it. Indignation reprimands us, "Stop acting like such a brat, little girl! Someone oughta put you in your place, and that's us! There's no way in hell that a class of inexperienced kids brainwashed from birth will _ever_ come close to the Meta Liberation Army! Our Meta Abilities put you in the dust!"

Indignation turns towards his soldiers and yells, "Come on! Give 'em no quarter! They can't do anything to hurt us!"

"Don't act too rash, Indignation—!" Too bad Trumpet and Curious can't stop their impulsive friend, because already, their soldiers are running at the barricade and going over them, charging into the roundabout. Some soldiers, about three of them, are able to fly. One of them is flying with some sort of air-based Quirk, one is a Flying Squirrel, and there's a cloud of Mist coming at me. Well then, those are some interesting Quirks.

Especially Indignation. Do you wanna know why Okichi heard no communication between the soldiers? Why did everyone look angry when he was angry? That was his Quirk! His Quirk is Hivemind! He can telepathically connect all of his allies' minds, making them share a single mind as a collective, and Indignation is the king! They can telepathically share information with one another. But also, everyone feels the same emotions. Though, the effect varies on the person. Henchmen don't have a dramatic effect on the Hivemind, but strong-willed individuals like Curious and Trumpet can; of course, the one who has the biggest effect on them all is Indignation himself. The only way to break the Hivemind is to break the man who has the Quirk. On the Quirk Registry List of Japan, they say that his telepathy limit is kinda small, but that isn't true. He increased that limit, and we have no idea where his limits are.

My oh my, how can we ever fight this off? We got soldiers with amazing Quirks coming at us being led by commanders with even more amazing Quirks! We don't have the experience fighting Villains; all we have is our books. I'm totally not being sarcastic right now!

Because I get a little reminder of what Honenuki said. "_Here's the thing, Tokage… These guys at the Meta Liberation Army? They might boast that each soldier has the same fighting capacity as a single Hero, but that's worthless. We're at U.A., both of us are Recommendations Students. Even though we barely have a lick of experience, we're already as strong as ten Heroes each. These guys have average Quirks, but we're above average. Heck, one can even say that we're gifted._

"_So, how about we prove that to 'em?"_

Thanks Honenuki. You'll definitely do that. You might be a goofy guy who makes terrible jokes, completely incapable of reading the room, and can be incredibly random at times, but you're dependable when we need you the most.

Because, we anticipated that they would blindly charge into the roundabout. That's where your trap is, Mudman. That's where it is! Your—!

_MUD WHIRLPOOL!_

From the very moment the first soldier steps foot onto our trap, that's when it activates. Immediately, the roundabout loses its solidity, revealing that it was affected by Softening the entire time! But the soldiers can't stop themselves. They're running right at us, and none of them can stop before they fall into the mud. That's how fifteen Meta Liberation Army soldiers fall to our trap. The rest of them are far away enough where they stop before they fall inside with the rest of their buddies, but they can only watch in horror as they get sucked into the middle.

"What is this?!"

"The ground looked solid before! What's going on?!"  
"It's one of the fucking brats' Quirks!"

"They're coming towards the middle though!"  
"What the hell is this…?!"

Hehe, this Mud Whirlpool has a gaping hole right in the center. I mean, it's a _whirlpool_ after all. The whirlpool is sucking every poor man and woman inside, dragging them to the middle against their will. "Setsuna Tokage!" you might ask, "how can this trap work?" Simple, really. This Super Move is solely Honenuki.

Softening allows Honenuki to soften anything he touches, right? Except for living beings of course. He has a limit though: his range. He can't soften anything beyond fifty meters in all directions, which includes depth. However, he can control how much gets softened and how much remains solid. With Mud Whirlpool, he manipulates this perfectly. On the outer edge of the roundabout, he told me that he softened the ground down to about twenty meters deep. However, as you get closer and closer to the center, the depth increases from twenty to twenty-five, to thirty, to thirty-five, and so on, until we reach the deepest part: the center. Normally, you'd need some sort of outside force to drag people to the eye of the storm, but the hotel already gives us this.

Because about fifty meters below us is the parking lot in the basement levels. Meaning, Honenuki literally made a sinkhole that's gonna drag everyone down to the basement. Too bad that I'm not gonna stink around to see that because the guys flying towards us won't stop flying just because their friends are getting dragged into the depths of Hell. I tap Okichi's shoulder, gesturing that we should get the heck outta here. He nods and says, "Right! I'd rather not be stuck outside!"

I hear Curious yelling, "You soldiers apprehend those kids! Don't worry, we'll find a way around the sinkhole!" Yup, these three guys will be hot on our tail! Let's hope Honenuki and Togaru will be able to handle their gift when they arrive! But for now, we gotta worry about not getting our butts whooped by these guys!

Me and Okichi run back inside the hotel. There, now we're in our safe haven! I yell at Okichi, "Go lower the gate!"

What Ishtar told us earlier… "_The Gemini Hotels naturally come with security. Who wouldn't have security measures especially with a hotel filled with wealthy businessmen? There's a security office in the lobby, and in there, you can manually lower the gate. It's strong and can resist against the average threat, but I don't think it'll stop the Meta Liberation Army. It'll buy you some time, though."_

Okichi nods, immediately running towards the security room. A smarter idea was to stay inside and already have the gate down, but I just wanted to taunt the M.L.A. a little bit. They're already a bit demoralized, so might as well demoralize them more. In all seriousness, confronting them is a good idea. We could confirm their numbers, their Quirks, and stuff like that. And we'd buy a little more time for the others by having a small conversation with them.

I anticipated that there might be a few soldiers who can fly, and unfortunately, I was right. Just from the fact that two of the flying soldiers, whose Quirks don't innately allow them to fly, they trained enough where they're able to achieve flight. It's crazy thinking how much training these guys got, and they're only civilians back in Japan…

Ah! No time to think about that right now! They're flying towards the entrance, and Okichi hasn't closed the gate yet! "Uhm, they're coming at us pretty fast, Okichi! When are you gonna close the gate?!"

"In just a few moments!" he replies back who-knows-where! I don't think he'll close the gate in time before they bust in. In that case, I might just have to fight! Do I want to? Not really, but it's not like we have a say in the matter!

A few seconds pass and the gate isn't down yet. The three musketeers fly beyond the Mud Whirlpool and before I know it—!

_CRASH!_

What the hell?! They just crashed through the door! Literally! Flying Squirrel literally just crashed through the glass door! Well specifically, she used her feet to shatter the glass, but I'm surprised she was strong enough to do it! And to come out of it unscathed as well! Flying Squirrel drops down on the ground with Mist and Air Manipulation behind them; two girls—Flying Squirrel and Mist—and one guy—Air Manipulation.

Flying Squirrel, which should come to no surprise, has animal mutations just like a flying squirrel. She's actually a bit busty too; I know a _few_ guys who have fetishes for both of those combined. "Setsuna Tokage, I—?"

_RrrRrrRrr!_

That's the gate. Of course Okichi closed it just after these three guys came in. The security gate is a lot more durable than one might expect. It's steel bars packed pretty closely together. You'd need something really strong to break through or have something to melt it. I hear Okichi running back to me, and I immediately snap, "We got some soldiers here! Stay back, Okichi! I can handle them by myself!"

Air Manipulation laughs like I told a funny joke. Sorry, I crack jokes a lot but that isn't one of them. He steps in front of Flying Squirrel, putting a hand on his chest like a pretentious jerk. "You think you can really beat all three of us on your—?!"

—_LIZARDRY MACHINE GUN PUNCH!_

"Guh—ah—!"

_THUD!_

"Yes. Yes I can." That was my beautiful Super Move called Lizardry Machine Gun Punch. It's not "punching", but close to it. With my right arm, I split it into fifty different parts and barrage Air Manipulation with each of them rapidly, bringing my pieces back and slamming them into his face over and over and over. You have no idea just how fast I'm hitting him. It's actually comparable to the speed of _bullets_ of all things. On their own though, it doesn't hurt that much. However, getting hit repeatedly with them with the same force as bullets? Yeah, it's practically an instant knockout. Within just a second, I "punched" him at least a few hundred times.

As Air Manipulation falls completely flat on his back, my right arm reforms itself. It's a little sore from punching him a few hundred times, but it's not like I'm gonna cry about it. Since I created this Super Move, it's only natural that I train using it, and I gotta say, I'm pretty used to it by now.

Mist and Flying Squirrel look down at their fallen friend before glancing at me in shock. I give them a cute wave. Instead of giving a wave back, they charge at me. Mist yells, "You're gonna pay for that—!"

_WHISH!_

Mist pulls her left hand back and tries to punch me, but she dissipates her body into Mist. I can feel a rush of cold air behind me, so she's right there. The other lady, Flying Squirrel, is about to claw my face off. I can knock out two birds with one stone.

_SPLIT!_

I split myself up, flying behind Flying Squirrel and reforming myself. I give her a good ol' elbow in the back, causing her to jerk forward and—!

_BAM!_

—She gets hit by her own friend. Flying Squirrel is staggered, so I crouch down and sweep the legs, knocking her butt on the floor. Mist sees me, I hop back, she jumps forward, I hop back more.

"You scared?" Mist asks.

"The only thing I'm scared of is fighting naked, and I'm not naked now, am I?" I snark, stepping forward preparing to pull another one of my Lizardry Machine Gun Punches—!

_WHIFF!_

And I miss. I knew that. My punch was obvious and telegraphed. There was no way that Mist wouldn't see it coming. Like before, her body turns into mist and I feel cold air beside me. That's what I anticipated. She used her Quirk to gain a better position, but is it really though? I predicted that would happen. While she's off the ground, she has her right hand back ready to punch me. Poor thing. "—Take this!"

—She sends her fist forward.

I lift up my right leg—

_LIZARDRY MACHINE GUN KICK!_

"Fwuh—?! Ah—"

_THUD!_

Sorry, but I'm faster. Lizardy Machine Gun Kick is pretty much the same thing as Machine Gun Punch, except for y'know, kicks instead of punches. Just like Air Manipulation, my "kicks" nail Mist in the head. She falls down right beside him, practically on the verge of unconsciousness. Again, it's really hard to stay conscious when you're getting hit a few hundred times in the head.

"Guh… You brat…" What is up with these guys calling us "brats" all the time?! If anything, I'm the only brat here. I wouldn't call Sanji that whatsoever; he's the exact opposite of that. Anyway, Flying Squirrel stands up, wiping her lips. "I'll make you—"

"There's someone behind you," I tell her.

"Huh—?!"

—_BONK!_

Okichi snuck behind her and whacked her over the head with a fire extinguisher. She falls down flat on her face. To Okichi, I say, "Y'know I could've handled her myself. I'm training to be a Hero after all, and I didn't need saving."

He sighs, throwing his fire extinguisher on the ground. "I know, but we need to hurry to Monoma and the others. The M.L.A. are getting past our trap as we speak. Let's encase these three in glue before we leave."

From his pocket, he pulls out a Bondo Grenade. Hehe, a Bondo Grenade… Hayami made a whole lot of these. She's a master support scientist. "_I figured you guys need some way of restraining the soldiers as fast as possible. I'd use that sweetheart, Shiozaki, to cut some of her hair to make it into rope, but it's night. She won't be able to regrow her hair back. That's why I brought Bondo over. His Quirk is perfect for this. I call my newest invention 'Bondo Grenades!' These wonderful things are filled with his Cedemine. If you throw it hard enough, it'll burst open and spread his Cedemine over anyone you throw it at. Without Bondo, we would have a lot of trouble trying to restrain these guys."_

I smile. "Go ahead, Okichi."

"If my sweetheart demands," he says, smiling back. He throws the Bondo Grenade onto the three soldiers as hard as he can.

_POP!_

_SPLURGE!_

And they're now glued to the floor. If the M.L.A. wants to recover them, they'd need to spend a lot of time trying to unglue their soldiers, and time is kinda precious here. They'll be forced to leave them behind and chase after us. That's three soldiers down, sixty-two left. Well, if you count the fifteen in the Mud Whirlpool, we have forty-seven left.

Alright, now that's done, we take off. Me and Okichi head towards the stairs, running up to where Team Monoma is at. The next trap lies there. As we run upstairs, I take out my walkie-talkie and report our developments, "Lizardry here! We confirmed that the soldiers are under a Hivemind by Indignation. Luckily, our trap worked! Me and Okichi did have to fight three soldiers who flew right above it, but I made quick work of them. If Jack Mantis and Mudman do their jobs, we'll only have to deal with forty-seven soldiers and the three commanders. We're counting on them to pull their weight!"

C'mon you two, you guys better do your job!

* * *

**Togaru Kamakiri - Location: Basement Parking Lot**

"Bony."

"Yo."

"Think this'll actually work?"

"Of course it will," he says, starin' up at the ceilin' like there are stars splattered on it. Least his mind ain't in the stars like Inochi. Now _that_ guy? Fuckin' hell, if ya catch him all relaxed an' stuff, it makes it very easy to mess with him. Though last time, Awase did that an' he almost got punched in the face. Anyway, we have better things to worry 'bout. Like for example, stabbin' the asses of the Meta Liberation Army.

We read 'bout 'em in Hero History, an' goddamn, these guys were lunatics. Just 'cause the government limited Quirk use 'round the world, they thought it was a reason to launch Villain attacks. A lot of innocent people, who didn't do jack shit to 'em, were killed in the process. Anyone with a mind could tell ya that free Quirk use is a slippery slope. An' yeah, I know that's some kind of fallacy or some shit, but really, c'mon? Free Quirk use will fuckin' let the assholes, who have strong Quirks, kick the weak in the balls an' make 'em submit. We already have a lil' bit of that right now. So if a "basic human right" allows jackasses to stomp on the less fortunate more easily, then how is that a fuckin' human right? C'mon, tell me, you assholes. You're only fightin' to dominate the rest of us poor bastards. You ain't fightin' for freedom at all. You're just like the rest of 'em.

"Heh," I chuckle somethin' outta my mouth. That was really fuckin' weird, I ain't doin' that again. I sound like Inochi, fuck. "Y'know, this was the last thing I was expectin', Honenuki."

"Oh my God," he exclaims like he found the cure to cancer.

"What?" I ask, ready to stab him in the gut.

Honenuki points at me. "You said my last name! You didn't give me a demeaning nickname this time! Heck yeah! I knew you actually liked me!"

"I'll gut you."

"Guess I'm just _bugging_ you, eh? Eh? Kehehe!" Honenuki laughs his goddamn annoyin' laugh. What the fuck is it anyway? It's like a woodpecker peckin' a chalkboard or somethin', damn… "Not gonna lie, with those threats of violence, you remind me a little bit of Bakugo."

I scoff. "Don't fuckin' compare me to 'im. Bakugo, that asshole, is only tryna be a Hero 'cuz he wanna win. Sure, I ain't gonna judge him _just_ for that, but he fuckin' pushed Quirkless up against a wall 'cuz he n'Fists beat All Might, not 'im n'Midoriya. If ya ask me, if he was willin' to pull that kind of stunt in front of what? Four No.1 Pros? Imagine what he'll do if he's more pissed off an' without any eyes watchin' 'im?"

"I hear ya," he replies, goin' back to starin' up at the ceilin'. We're just waitin' for those bastards to fall through the damned trap. "I'm not gonna rant about Bakugo though. We have bigger fish to fry. Besides, I gotta say, you've changed a lot, Kamakiri. One day, you wanted to drop out of U.A. because you thought everyone was against you. Now look at you, fighting against the M.L.A. ready to stab some baddies. How do you feel?"

"Like you should stop yammerin', honestly," I answer, but damn, kinda crazy how a few months with these idiots changed me. These guys are a lot more acceptin' towards a kid of a Villain, but more importantly, an asshole. "Don't remind me 'bout that though, else I'll really gut ya. 'Specially 'bout Horns. Aw fuck, hope she's doin' okay in Vines's team. Quirkless n'Scales better do their job right else I'm killin' 'em first before these bastards do."

"How barbaric, Kamakiri!" he cackles again. Next time he does that, I'm gonna rip his stupid teeth out. "You're so protective over your crush, kehehe."

...My face gets a lil' hot. "Fuck off. I am _not_ havin' this talk with a perverted creep like you are, Bony! I remember how you went on an' on 'bout Yuki-onna an' her nice body!"

He defends 'imself, "Look Kamakiri, she's No.6 on the 'Most Beautiful Female Heroes' for a reason! She's not only beautiful, but also has a body that has perfect geometric curves! Literally geometry tells us that she's a very attractive woman, and that's an objective fact."

"Ugh, I feel like we can categorize you an' Headbands an' Airhead an' prolly Spinny in a basket of 'pathetic perverts', but at least one of y'all ain't single. You ain't that one. You're gonna be single for the rest of your life."

"Not planning on it. I rather not die a hopeless virgin," he admits before lettin' out a hopeless sigh, bein' the hopeless pervert, an' bein' a hopeless moron who can't tell left from right. "And I rather not die here. The Meta Liberation Army is filled with guys who wanna do terrible things to us. They keep claiming that we're brainwashed or whatever, but they're kinda projecting, don't you think?"

He sounds a lil' serious, so I prolly should take this serious too. "We can think 'bout a hundred reasons why we should hate 'em, but the most important of 'em all is, they wanna kill us. Simple as that. I hate 'em 'cuz they wanna take the piss outta us, beat us down while we're on our knees, an' more crap like that. You don't need to be a genius to hate people like that. No need to dive deep into asshats like them."

_FWOOP!_

Just 'bout a fair bit away, a hole opens up. We hear yellin' from a ton of different people, exclaimin' 'bout how there's a random hole in the ground an' it's suckin' everyone in like a whirlpool. Looks like the trap worked, thank God. Setsuna n'Okichi better get their asses to safety; don't know why they decided to talk to the M.L.A. personally, that was stupid. Honenuki yells, "Right now, the only one's diving deep is them! C'mon, let's be their welcoming party! You got your Bondo Grenades ready?"

"Yeah, still got all five on me! Let's go kick some ass!" We run up. Some of the softened shit drips down like water from a leaky faucet, but if the water had the same consistency of mud an' tasted like literal shit. The yellin' gets a lot louder as a few assholes drop down 'bout, uh, rough estimate 'ere… Thirty meters? Yeah, I'd say thirty meters give or take. Luckily enough, these guys are lucky. They're fallin' down right on the softened pile of shit, cushionin' their fall.

Though, not everyone wants to fall down the same.

Some of 'em, who're tryin' to escape the whirlpool, ended up falling in weird angles where they ain't gonna fall directly onto the pile of mud. As a result of that dumbassery—

_CRASH!_

Yeah, 'bout three of these idiots fell on top of some really nice cars, completely ruinin' the tops of 'em. Don't think cars are a good cushion, but y'know what, not my business. If they wanna crash on top of some rich people's cars, they can. For us though, it means they ain't gonna be a problem.

One by one, these assholes drop like flies. Fifteen of 'em drop in total before no one else comes down for a few seconds. That's everyone, prolly. I tell Honenuki, "Think that's all of 'em. Re-solidify the thing so no one else comes down 'ere." This trap was meant to be a surprise, but if we keep it open for too long, then someone would just drop in an' surprise us with a counterattack. Can't have that 'round. We still gotta head up to Momma Kendo an' the others.

"Got it. Solidifying the Mud Whirlpool," he tells me, placin' one of his hands on a pillar before the trap re-solidifies right back up, sealin' the hole in the ceiling. Frankly, I'm surprised that the hole didn't just stay there. We're pretty damn lucky that's the case. Smirkin' at me, Honenuki says, "Let's hurry up before they can recover. I'm gonna get the guys who fell on the cars, you get the main group."

"Roger. Make sure you spit on one of 'em for me." I walk up to the fallen soldiers who are grovelin' on the ground like lil' cockroaches. They're still covered in that weird mud made from Softenin'.

"Where are we…?"

"Fuck, we should've known that there was a trap…"

"These stupid kids…"

These fuckers. There're eleven soldiers on the ground in front of me. Four guys are on top of cars—one soldier came in at the very end and joined the other three idiots—so Honenuki's handlin' those asshats. I got five Bondo Grenades that Momma Kendo made for me. I'd say I can capture 'bout five of 'em in one blast if I toss the thing in the right place.

Takin' one out, I smirk. "Sorry assholes, this is as far as you fuckers can go."

_TOSS—POP!_

—_SPLURGE!_

With one well-placed grenade, five soldiers are glued together like it's one massive get-along shirt. An' well, one of their buddies is also the concrete—and the softened mud—they're layin' on right now. Concrete is a cold friend, I gotta say. They holler insults an' curses at me, but I just don't give a damn. I heard all of 'em before, an' frankly, I said a lot worse. These chumps are just grunts.

One asshole starts to stand up. "Dammit, we can't let these kids trap us! We—!"

"—Sit down an' shut the hell up."

_TOSS—POP!_

—_SPLURGE!_

I cover four soldiers with my second grenade; they're just as drenched in Cemedine like the other five. There's no way that these assholes can escape. All they can do is struggle an' throw 'round some swears 'ere n'there, cursin' me off like they're a bunch of immature middle schoolers who didn't get what they want. Why is that the only thing they can do? Cussin' us out like that. An' this is comin' from me of all guys!

_STEP!_

"Kamakiri, to your left!"

—_PUNCH!_

_DUCK_—_!_

"Fuckin' hell, guess I wasn't fast enough, eh?!"

I smile just a lil', steppin' back after I just ducked under one of the soldier's punches. This guy, his body is covered in tree bark. There's another goon behind 'im too, whose arms have sickles stickin' out of 'em. Hey, I know those two assholes! They were apart of the original gang who captured us! Inochi beat up Tree Bark pretty badly, an' Kendo punched the fuck outta the other guy, Sickle Arms. Guess they wanna raid the Gemini Hotels. Unfortunately for 'em, they ain't at the top of their game. Even with what lil' light we have, I can still recognize the bruises on their faces.

Tree Bark crashes his fists together like he tryna intimidate me or somethin'. "We won't let you two outta here in one piece."

Sickle Arms nod. He thrusts his arms out forward, an' his blades grow a bit larger in size. "You and your lipless friend of yours."

I hear Honenuki groanin' behind me. Glancin' behind my back, a couple of soldiers manage to stand up from their car-beds. Honenuki asks, "Think you can take care of them yourself, Kamakiri? I got a couple of soldiers for me to deal with. Shouldn't take too long."

"Tch, who d'ya think I am? Just 'cuz I ain't Quirkless or Fists, doesn't mean I'm weak as shit. I can take care of these assholes before you take care of yours," I tell 'im. From my boastin', Tree Bark an' Sickle Arms don't take too kindly to it. They think I'm just a bratty lil' arrogant shit; it's written all over their faces—just like their bruises. How 'bout I give 'em a few more? Paint 'em black n'blue?

Sickle Arms scoffs at me, clearly tired of my arrogance. Heh, that's like a pot callin' the kettle black. "I wouldn't underestimate us, kid—!"

—He lunges forward an' takes a wide swipe at me with those sickles of his.

_DUCK!_

I duck underneath his swipe—too fuckin' obvious honestly—an' grow a hook outta my right arm. Steppin' a lil' bit forward, I latch the hook onto his ankle an' take the bastard down right on his ass. His back hits the ground first with a pretty nasty _thud_; too bad I didn't break his back or anything, that would've been satisfyin' as hell.

"Hold up, you damned bug!" Tree Bark yells at me, an' frankly, I don't take too kindly to bein' called a "bug"! This asshole runs up with his feet nearly shakin' the entire parking lot from how heavy this ugly bastard is, pullin' his right fist back like he's 'bout to send a good right hook into my jaw.

These bastards keep telegraphin' their attacks. Not only that, they ain't as fast as me. As soon as Tree Bark gets just a lil' close to me, I'm already behind this fucker. I say, "Too slow, twig. You ain't hot shit."

I dig my hook into the bark of this bastard's Quirk, usin' my other arm to grab his collar. Right after that, I toss his ass right over me!

—_THROW!_

_THUD_—_!_

I toss Tree Bark over my shoulder, lettin' his dumb ass crash into a pillar head-first with a loud _smack_, a small _crack_, an' a big "Fuck you" from me. I feel sorry for 'im; he prolly has a ton of head injuries right 'bout now. It's the only way to land a good hit in if I don't wanna cut into his Hardenin'-shit. If I do that, then I'd prolly cut 'im up real good, but then I might kill 'im, which ain't a good idea in the slightest. If I kill 'im, then all bets are off. Gotta be careful with my Quirk.

"Rrraaah—!" Oh, Sickle Arms is chargin' at me. He made it obvious. He's bent real low to the ground, prolly tryin' to take out my knee or somethin'.

Out from my other arm, my left, I grow a long an' slick blade. From the range of our blades, I'm hittin' his ass first. His Quirk ain't that long; he needs to be real up close in order to do any solid damage. So basically, outta the two of us, I have the superior Quirk.

_SLASH!_

_WHISH!_

I tried slashin' upwards, cuttin' deep into the concrete an' flingin' it right into his face, but he just dodges to my right. Well damn, that sucks. Sickle Arms shouts, "You're not getting past me!"

"Shut up, would ya?!"

_CLING!_

_CLASH!_

_BAM!_

We have a small lil' exchange of blows, but none of us deal any real damage to the other. After he dodged, he tried to cut my stomach open, but I use my hook to redirect his shitty sickle elsewhere. Didn't stop him from turnin' 'round an' aimin' for my face instead, so I had to duck underneath that shit. With my left arm, I kept wailin' on his arms, forcin' him to keep defendin' 'imself or else he'll get cut up like a butcher with a carcass. To take some revenge, he dragged his right arm into an upwards slash. I backed away in time, but now we're back to where we were before.

Fuckin' great. I need to take this asshole down. Can't waste my time foolin' 'round while the others are prolly fightin' the rest of the Army.

Takin' the initiative, Sickle Arms rushes forward with his right arm back, plannin' to slice me open again like before. I retract the hook comin' out of my right, an' instead of that, I grow tiny "teeth" outta my forearm. Right as the bastard approaches me, he takes a nice slash, yet unfortunately for that bastard—!

_CATCH!_

My forearm catches his blade. His eyes go wide from how shocked he is. Man, if this bastard's shocked that someone could catch his sickles like that, then I can't imagine how shocked he'd be when I do shit like this!

_SWORD BREAKER_—_!_

—_SHATTER!_

"Guh—?! —Gah!" Using my forearm as leverage, I shatter his right Sickle Arm like it's made of paper. Not kiddin', I broke his mutation like it's fuckin' nothing. That's another Super Move I came up with. Ya see, in Europe, 'round the Renaissance, there was this parrying dagger that had teeth made for catching swords. Now, that shit wasn't sturdy enough to actually _break_ swords, but I can. Razor Sharp makes my blades strong as shit. It's prolly tougher than most metal, and Sickle Arms? His sickles are made of metal.

As soon as I break his right sickle, he falls to the ground clutchin' his right arm, moanin' an' screamin' in pain from how much it hurts. Yeah, figured he'd do that. When you have a Mutant-type Quirk, your mutations are basically another limb. Havin' that injured in any way would make you feel as much pain just like havin' your arm cut by a knife or somethin'. What I did was the equivalent of breakin' an arm. It'll prolly grow back.

Even if it doesn't, can't say I feel bad 'bout it. These fuckers value hurtin' us more than they value their own lives, so fuck 'em. They get whatever they deserve.

That's one asshole down, another to go. I turn 'round an' face Tree Bark, who's still recoverin' from getting thrown into a pillar. I gotta thank Inochi for that. From all of the blows he dealt to that son of a bitch's head, it makes mine pack a better punch than before. Though, Tree Bark shakes his head outta it, raisin' his fists. "...Ugh, you little bastards are so annoying."

"I can say the same 'bout you," I reply. Beatin' Tree Bark should be easy. I can cut through his bark like butter, but the hard part is makin' sure I ain't killin' 'im—well, not dealin' any serious injuries anyway.

I got an idea how to deal with 'im.

Me n'Tree Bark size each other up like a couple of dogs. He has his arms raised, takin' a typical position like a boxer. Here's the thing though. That defense is pretty good in a fist fight, but when your opponent has a Quirk that can create blades? I can cut right through that shit, but I ain't gonna cut anythin' 'ere.

Retractin' the Sword Breaker from my forearm, I grow the head of an axe outta the end of my arm. Razor Sharp ain't limited to just creating swords, y'know. From how versatile it is, I can make spearheads, spikes, shit like that. To take Tree Bark on, I need somethin' just for 'im—an axe. Gotta cut 'im down somehow.

Tree Bark, decidin' that he ain't gonna wait 'round for me to move—'cuz he already saw that I'm makin' an axe just for 'im—runs forward with his arms still up. Just to make sure that he ain't gonna try anythin' stupid, I meet 'im in the middle, pullin' my right arm back. That's a feint, unfortunately for this bastard. He thinks that I'm gonna split his Quirk wide open—that's true—but that's later.

_SKID!_

He stops in his tracks, bracin' 'imself for my axe. But it doesn't come. I move to the side, turnin' myself an' liftin' my left leg up!

_SLAM!_

I drive my left leg down onto the gap 'tween his arms an' his chest, forcin' his arms down. 'Cuz of that, I break his guard. He's in a terrible position to do shit. He can't grab my leg 'cuz it's kinda impossible, so the only thing he can do is move. If he can even react to what I'm doin', anyway. I'm the fastest guy in the class for a reason.

"—What the?!" he exclaims right as when my foot hits the ground. Right after that, I spin 'round, an' this time, I'm usin' the axe.

_BAM!_

My axe slams into Tree Bark's chest, diggin' into the flesh of his Hardenin' Quirk. Normally, Hardenin' Quirks transform your skin. Tetsutetsu's an example of that, 'cuz his skin turns into steel. But for this bastard, his skin _grows_ a layer of bark 'stead of his skin transforming into the bark itself. It's perfectly fine for me to chop 'im up 'cuz I can control how deep I can go. Otherwise, I'd basically be cuttin' into his flesh. Mister Kan makes it a big deal that I need to control how I use my Quirk; he's right. I mean, I'm not the kind of asshole who's gonna argue with him. If I mess up, then I'mma mess up really fuckin' bad. Least I'm not fuckin' Bakugo, who uses his Quirk willy-nilly.

Anyway, I got better shit to focus on, like Tree Bark. He grunts, grittin' his teeth as I force 'im back into a pillar where he was just restin' against before. The blade of my axe digs further into his bark—just a few more centimeters before I reach human flesh.

Tree Bark tries to struggle against me, but I ain't budgin'. He fuckin' knows that I can kill 'im right here if I wanted to. He says, "Ugh, you brats… One of these days, you're gonna regret—"

"Don't fuckin' care."

_HEADBUTT!_

"Geh—" Tree Bark groans right after I headbutt his ugly head. Takin' my axe out, I throw 'im again right next to his buddy, Sickle Arms; poor bastard's still mumblin' in pain after what I did. Before Tree Bark can recover, I take out my third Bondo Grenade an' toss it towards 'em.

—_POP!_

_SPLURGE_—_!_

An' with that, the last two bastards are glued together. They ain't comin' out of that any time soon. I had the pleasure of gettin' stuck by Cemedine myself, an' it was fuckin' terrible. Remind me to never make Bondo angry, 'cuz I swear to God, I'mma get my ass glued to the ceilin' until I die.

Lookin' back at where Honenuki was at, he's just wrappin' up his side of things. His four are glued together an' they ain't escapin'. Wipin' his hands like he actually got 'em dirty—smug bastard—he turns to me an' gives me a thumbs-up. "Fifteen down, Kamakiri! Glad to see that you're able to take care of two measly soldiers."

"Wasn't too hard. Inochi already softened 'em up," I say, but then I smirk. "Told ya ass that I'd beat my two before you did. Ya owe me some money."

Honenuki throws his hands up. "Woah, hold on! We didn't bet anything! Just bragging rights or whatever! We didn't sign anything!"

"Oh shut up, don't turn into a pretentious lawyer that I wanna cut open. C'mon, enough talkin', let's head up to the rest of the idiots. Hopefully, the M.L.A. didn't ruin our plans." I start runnin' towards the stairs with Honenuki behind me. Ugh, everyone's a slow runner compared to me.

"They won't! They're underestimating us too much for that!" he exclaims before I hear his ass cacklin' like some kind of evil villain—he's failin' in that front; he sounds like a dyin' bird that's chokin' on mucus. "With the trap that Kendo's mom set up? With Komori in the center? They don't stand a chance against us."

"Hopefully, you ain't lyin'. If ya are, then I'm killin' ya."

"Thank you. I always wanted to be killed by a friend, not an enemy."

"Shut the hell up."

* * *

**Kinoko Komori - Location: Hallway of Floor 17**

Hehe, I bet you never saw this coming, did you? Stupid M.L.A.! Why did they have to ruin this perfectly good night that could've been spent singing and dancing until the sun swims up into the skies like a star in the sea? Well, I can't see us _ever_ losing to them! I might be incredibly stupid, incredibly self-centered, and incredibly selfish, but most importantly of all, I'm incredibly stubborn as all heck! I'm not gonna sit down and accept defeat! Gunning for gold, that's what I'm shooting for!

Us 1-Bers, or whatever the heck everyone else calls us—pretty much on the lines of "good-for-nothing tryhards who'll amount to jack squat!"—are destined to be at the top of the leaderboards! We're gonna give it every ounce of shrooms we have to make it work! Yes, very mush!

Which is why I am here! Not to rip off All Might's catchphrase or anything, hehe. I might be a lotta things, but I'm not a plagiarist! I am one hundred percent original! The only thing that isn't original is the genes that I got from my mom and dad! Even then, my genes are scrambled just like eggs with a side of steamy hot rice! Man, this reminds me that I need to come up with something catchy when I take down some stinkcap-stinking Villains! Still! Still, I gotta focus! Gotta focus, that's right, gotta focus! Can't lose my thought train, else it'll go choo-choo right outta my empty head and I dunno where I'd end up! Probably in Luxembourg, _wherever_ that is!

Everyone's counting on me to bring the beatdown on these jerks! Give 'em a wild haymaker just like how Itsuka does it! I'm standing right outside the arcade for this reason! Not to beat these guys up, because I'm just a frail girl who loves mushrooms way too much, but to use my passion against these them and turn this place into a shroomtastic wonderland! I mean, who wouldn't like that? (Yeah, Kamakiri wouldn't. He wouldn't like that at all, that bitter shroomhead!)

If only I didn't have to wear this clunky and really unattractive gas mask, hmph. It's all black and gray and plain, it just sucks! It doesn't match my outfit at all, like an unattractive shroom in a field that has plenty of pretty and precious flowers all bundled and bunched and beautiful! But of course, I need this stupid tacky thing! Useful, but it's a completely sour eye candy. I can't believe I didn't think about this earlier!

"_Hey Komori, I heard about your Quirk from Setsuna and my two little knuckleheads. You can grow mushrooms 'cause your body emits spores right? But you can't control 'em? That means you'll be affected by your own Quirk when you activate it, so I found a quick solution! This gas mask right here. If you're asking where I got it, I brought along some equipment that's supposed to be made for the Police Force; I wanted to work on their commission while I'm here. Luckily enough, or unluckily enough, we have a way to test my beautiful masterpieces. Hehe, this guy is a lucky bastard to be worn by an even more beautiful masterpiece." _

Thank you, Momma Kendo! You're one of the coolest moms out there! Because of you, you make _Operation Hero Force Army_ be a complete success! But I gotta do my part! And this time, I'm able to remember it!

Setsuna and Tokugawa—ugh, don't like him—are the welcoming party down at the lobby! Honenuki set up a really cool trap for them to fall into down in the basement levels! Him and Kamakiri are gonna throw some Bondo Grenades at 'em and that's that! After the four of them are done, they're heading up to meet with Monoma.

Honenuki's trap will make them rethink their entry into Pollux. They don't wanna waste time trying to figure out how all of them can get in at once, so they're gonna split up their forces into little bits! That's what Setsuna says at least! It means I'm not gonna face the entire army right in this hallway! Just a small chunk of it! I really hope that's the case 'cause if not, I'm screwed just like whenever I'm taking a test I didn't study for!

Hnng, calm down Kinoko, you're better than this! You're more than better than this! After you take care of these guys, you can go up to Monoma and take down the rest of the M.L.A. there! After that, everyone else will take care of their end of the plan and we can go home and take a break, because _God_, we need a vacation from this vacation! Maybe we can best 1-A because we're not less than 'em! Okay look, I _do_ envy 1-A and their many opportunities to defeat Villains, but these guys are in a community of lunacy! I'm ready to regret my envy! But dammit all, with our opportunity in hand, they're gonna see our unity and ingenuity!

"How many stairs are there?! God! Why didn't we take the elevator?!"  
"Not all of us can fit inside, you idiot!"

"Stop complaining! If you think _this_ is bad, then you won't be able to take these kids down!"

"I hope the others are finding their way through that stupid trap."  
"They are. When we finally meet where the rest of the brats are stationed, they'll be our reinforcements."

They're here! They're split up exactly like what Setsuna said, that prophet! They're ready to make a profit out of our suffering! I can hear them coming up the stairs like buncha ransacking rats! Oh crap oh crap, that's a lot of footsteps! Okay, it's showtime, Kinoko! You can do this! They're that ratty old, worn-out, no-good, stinky shirt that's been hiding in your dresser than you should probably throw out because it's literally growing mold!

"This is it! Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've been waiting for!" I exclaim to myself. I mutter _obviously_. I might be dumb, but I'm not dumb enough to scream and lose the element of surprise!

_Thumpthumpthumpthump!_

They're here! They're on my floor, Floor 17! Man, my heart is beating like a drum going a mile a minute and won't quit it! I just hope they like the gift I left on the stairs! A wonder-shroom straight from my dreams! And I can hear their voices now!

"What the hell is this?!"  
"The stairs are covered in mushrooms!"

"This has to be a Quirk! It's written all over it!"  
"Wait, doesn't this mean that someone is here?"

"So these kids really have traps laid out for us." Oh shrooms, that's Curious's voice! "First, we had the whirlpool, and now we have whatever this is. This is probably a warning, _or_ a calling sign that we have our next enemy to face. Is that right, Kinoko Komori?"

Oh shrooms—yes, I'm saying that again! Curious knows my name! I mean, I kinda figured she would, but I didn't think she would call me out directly! Alright, I've been rehearsing for this! I take my gas mask off—it's really easy actually 'cause once you put it on, the strands automatically secure it to your face; I love technology! Taking a deep breath in, I make my introduction, "That's me! I'm the mushroom gal of 1-B, Kinoko Komori! Why don't you guys come on out and show your faces?"

I don't hear a response, just some gruntled voices grumbling from some grunts. Slowly, carefully like they're trying to sneak downstairs to grab a midnight snack, they step into the hallway right in front of me. Holy shrooms, they look a lot scarier than I thought! They surely put on their scowls tonight, dang! Honestly, it's like I'm being challenged by a music studio to see who's a better singer! And Curious is the one challenging me! To that, I gotta say "Nope! Not happening! Not in shroom hell, not in shroom heaven!"

Speaking of Curious, a few of her backup singers move out of the way to reveal her standing right in the middle of the pack! Dang, she has a pretty black dress on. Her curves are impressive, but this is not the time to be envious of other women, especially Villains! Leaning forward slightly, she holds her chin in-between her thumb and pointer finger, giving me an evil smirk straight out of a movie. "You look cute today, Kinoko Komori. I'm shocked that your master plan involves you alone against all of us."

All of them? That reminds me that I should count! There's the guy with scary eyebrows, scary mouth, okay that guy is just scary everything, that blue-haired girl looks kinda emo, oh my shrooms, there are so many people here! And none of them look like Generic Henchman #21 or Generic Woman #3! Actually wait, the man on the far right looks pretty generic, I take that back. He's Generic Henchman #1. "Uhhh… That's five…"

Curious raises an eyebrow. "Are you really mumbling to yourself? Did you realize how stupid an idea this was, leaving you alone like this? My my, this has been an interesting development!"

I shake my head. "Oh don't choke on that bitter shroom you have in your mouth, I'm trying to count, dangit! But because you interrupted me, I lost where I was at! Was it seven? Seventeen? I don't know, maybe seven hundred?"

"We don't have seven hundred—! That isn't the point. In any case—"

"—One, two, three, four, five…"

Curious shouts, "Stop counting!"

I shout back, "Don't yell at me, you toxic blue shroomhead! I need to count how many are in my audience right now! I can prove to you that I can count! I'm not stupid! Gimme some time, you slime!"

She goes quiet for a little bit, glancing at her henchmen—and henchwomen—who just give her weird looks and shrugs. Inhaling pretty shrooming hard, she says, "Who do you think I am? I won't give you time to count our numbers."

Shroomcrap, guess I'm not gonna count how many soldiers there are! I know that there are at least ten! At most, maybe thirty? Twenty-five? Aw shroom, it might be twenty-seven-point-five for all I know! Either way, it's time to duke it out! Putting my gas mask back on, I give them a pearly white smile! They…! Right, they can't even see my smile because I have a mask on! "Shroomheck, alright, you snappy sour shrooms! I just wanted to know how many people I'll be performing for tonight! But fine, have it your way!" I clap my hands, "Prepare to be serenaded by the future idol who can rhyme on a dime, the mad madonna who has a mystique musicality made in maddening madness! That's right, it's me, a future Idol Hero in the works, Shemage!"

One of the henchmen says, "She...cage?" What the shroom?! Where did he get _that_ from?!

"No, you dorky dolt! Don't drop your head in the dirt!" I point at the empty shroomhead who has nothing but spores inside his skull! "Mage! M-A-G-E, put it together what do you get? 'Mage', that's the word! Like 'Merlin, the sage' just so we're on the same page! If not, then I'll be enraged!"

Curious scrunches up her face like she ate something sour. "Enough with the rhymes and alliterations! I'm reclaiming my time, so how about I take back the flow of this conversation? I would ask you a lot of questions, letting them shred your seemingly confident visage apart, but I'm on a time constraint."

Digging into her pocket, she suddenly throws out a ton of marbles?! Oh shroom, that's her Quirk! It's named "Landmine"; she can make anything she touches explode! She can even detonate her bombs at will! Her Quirk is really dangerous! I can't let her touch me, because she can make actual people go ka-boom like suicide bombers!

I can do this though! What I lack in agility, physical strength, dexterity, endurance—! Wow, I am terrible at everything! My Quirk is literally the only thing going for me! I'm not strong, but I'm nimble! Like jack-be-nimble jack-be-quick! Seeing Curious's marbles flying at me, little tiny bombs absolutely be smitten with me so they wanna blow me into smithereens, I start leaping back like a leopard, spreading my spores around the hallway! Unfortunately, this hallway isn't as humid as I wanted it to be. The ventilation system is on, and that stupid, unhelpful stuff is constantly taking out humidity from the air—that's, like, the purpose of the shrooming system! I hate you!

_BOOM BOOM BOOM!_

The marbles explode, but I'm not dead! Those marbles blew up while I was just a little bit away from them! Some of my spores definitely got destroyed, but I can still make more of them! I have to! Because from the moment they stepped into my domain, they lost!

"_Kinoko, my cute and adorable mushroom gal, you're one of our strongest fighters. I genuinely mean that; take my word for it, 'cause y'know, I'm the prodigal genius of 1-B after all_—_and the queen too, but that's kinda unrelated. Look, your Quirk is amazing. I watched what you did to Present Mic, and as much as it pains me to say this, you need to do the same to the Meta Liberation Army. Discriminate against nobody. They'll find their own way to get rid of the mushrooms lodged in their throats; that's their problem, not ours. _

"_I'm so morally corrupt that I believe fair fights are outdated. Because lemme tell you something, if you ever get into a fair fight with someone, then your plan is awful. A coin shouldn't decide if you live or die."_

I jump back and back and back! Curious gestures to some of her henchmen and women, only getting five of them to catch me. That's such a stinking insult, smelly as the smelliest shroom!

She thinks that I'm not good enough to have the rest of her underlings to fight me? Aw shrooms, I'm not as intimidating as Kamakiri, I guess. Oh well! To be an idol, you have to be lovable, not scary!

Too bad they're gonna see my scary side! As the six bumbling buffoons make their way closer to me, I throw my small arms up in the air! "Horse mushrooms, orange milkcap, and velvet shank! Ox tongue, shaggy inkcap, and lawyer's wig! Come out and bring your biting buddies! Come cover the carpets and cover the coveted walls! Make this place magnificent and shroomtastic!"

_MUSHROOM!_

In a blink of an eye, the mushrooms gods heard my ballad and sprouts mushrooms all over the place! Walls, ceilings, the carpet, everywhere! Right under the soldiers' feet, over their heads, right beside them, everywhere! Everywhere? Yes, that's right! Everywhere! I'm not discriminating against anything! Everything in my sight is getting the sweet, bitter, and sour touch of my mushrooms! These are my babies and they will cherish and hold them whether they like it or not! And I hear my adoring fans absolutely admiring my artwork!

"God, what the hell?! I didn't expect her to grow this many mushrooms!"

"Wait, it's growing on my arm!"

"Fuck, my legs! They're on my legs!"

That's not what I wanted to hear! I wanted to hear "Oh Shemage, you're such a beautiful woman! Just as pretty as the world's greatest shroom!" or "Hey hey, please cover me with your mushrooms! I need it!", or even "I will lay down and become fertilizer just for you, Shemage!". I want something like that! Not some cranky soldiers being angry while amply being shroomed! I handsome men, not ugly bastards!

Curious turns around and sees her men and women stepping on my beautiful shrooms, being stopped in their place. Their bodies become the hosts to my children! It's a scene straight out of a horror movie and I'm the antagonist! Actually wait, that sounds horrible! Absolutely deplorable! I'm not the bad guy here, I'm the protagonist—I'm unstoppable and adorable! They're the villains!

And that's why I gotta do it! I haven't stopped spreading my spores just for a single second! I yell, "Sorry Meta Liberation Army, but you're not the star of this show! I am! You're poisonous just like a death cap!"

Curious replies, "Don't make such bold accusations like that, Kinoko Komori! The only poisonous thing about me is my drive to catch a good story! And right now, it's impossible to fight a story about this, isn't it? So how about—Hak?!"

She shouldn't have talked so much. From blabbering on and on about herself relentlessly, she swallowed my delicious spores carelessly. I kinda pity her, not gonna lie. She seems too zealous 'bout her work that she lost her sense of danger!

As soon as Curious starts choking on my shrooms—they're lodged inside her throat and lungs, she falls to her knees, clutching her throat. One by one, her soldiers begin to follow her lead, making the hallway erupt in an orchestra of nothing but hacks and coughs! Everyone is down! Some of them are bawling from having their airway obstructed, crying from what I constructed! Others have their head down, and a certain few are trying to curse at me with what little air they have left! Shroomtastic! Shroomificient! I only had to jump backwards and that's it! The fight is over!

I stop producing my spores, facing my adoring crowd of Villains who're on their hands and knees like loyal followers at a cult! Giggling oh-so-sweet to myself, I take off my gas mask and throw it to the side. I don't need that junk anymore! I say, "That's the last note!" Is that a good catchphrase to end a fight? That sounds like a good catchphrase to end the fight. Well, is it? It could use some fine-tuning and stuff like that!

"Ghrk—! Hak—!" Curious coughs and chokes.

"Hak—! Hak—!" so are the soldiers behind her.

I step right in front of Curious, facing the rest of the soldiers. This is a good time to count them! "One...two...three...four…" And the rest of them… "Twenty-six! Twenty-six total! Twenty-five goons and one journalist singing their tunes! What did you think about my catchphrase? Is it catchy? Will my future fans put that on t-shirts? Maybe have it tattooed on their arms? C'mon, give it to me rough! I can take it!"

Curious glances up at me. "Grk—! Hakhakhak—!"

"Oh right, I kinda forgot you kinda have my sweet shrooms lodged in your throat and lungs! I won't lie, I'm a little jealous! But c'mon Curious, you're a writer, aren't you?. You can make catchy, click-baity, headlines that grab the eyes of anyone who reads it, right? Think 'That's the last note!' is catchy enough? I, Shemage, need to work on my future image!"

Mustering the rest of the strength she has, she lifts herself just off of the ground and raises her right arm. What is she trying to pull here? "What are you—?!"

—She grabs my belt. Everyone on Alpha has some wonderfully-crafted Bondo Grenades made by Momma Kendo. Curious touches one of them.

Oh shrooms.

I jump back before she can pull any other tricks! I grab the infected, tainted Bondo Grenade from my belt and—!

_BOOM!_

_SPLURGE!_

"—Ah! It's hot—!" Oh shrooms! Oh shrooms and mushroom gods above! It's too hot! Stupid stupid Curious! Stupid stupid stupid stupid! The grenade exploded in my hand! I'm covered in Cemedine! 'Cause it exploded, it made Bondo's glue so-so-so-so hot! It's burning my skin! Not my face! I need it! I'm too cute to get scarred!

_THUD!_

"Nnnn—! Why is it burning so much?!" I hate it I hate it! Why isn't it cooling down?! Why is it still so freaking hot! I'm practically screaming here! I can't even roll on the floor! I'm stuck to it! My back's glued to the carpet; I can't get out!

"Hak—! Hrrrk—!"

_SPIT!_

Something soft falls on the ground. It's a bunch of small, bloody mushrooms. "Goodness, that was incredibly unpleasant, Kinoko Komori. You are a scary little woman, aren't you? I wonder what's going on inside that cute mind of yours, but that needs to wait, doesn't it?"

_Click! Clack! Click!_

She's getting closer… "This _would_ make a great headline if I was able to publish a story about this. 'Young, aspiring Idol Hero falls from her own arrogance and stupidity — A Timeless Tale by Chitose Kizuki'. Now, you're glued by your own creation. Actually no, you're too dumb to create something like this. It's that woman, isn't it? Hayami Kendo? Where is she now?"

"Right here, Curious."

_BANG!_

"Curious—!" A random henchman jumps up and extends his hand forward. He creates an itty bitty barrier from his hand that blocks the bullet. Wow, that was going straight for her head…

I barely get to see my saviors. The glue is finally cool enough where I'm not burning anymore… "What in the shrooms took you two so long…?"

I hear iron fists smacking together. "We ran into Team Lizardry on the way here, sorry 'bout that, Komori! Don't ya worry though, 'cuz me and Momma Kendo will knock the brains outta these bastards! No one hurts my friends! It makes me absolutely pissed! I'm furious right now, can'tcha tell?!"

Momma Kendo sighs. "And my gorgeous inventions took a little longer than expected. I'm really sorry, sweetheart, but don't worry, we'll take care of the rest from here."

* * *

**Hayami Kendo**

"So how are we doing this, Curious?" I ask this rotten bitch. My poor baby, Kinoko, is glued to the ground because of her. She looks like she's in pain. I wager that because of Curious's Quirk, Landmine, it heated up Bondo's Cemedine. It cooled down at this point, thank God. Dammit all, I really took too long with my contraption for Aldemir's plan, if it ever happens. Just gotta focus on this. Kinoko won't be able to continue fighting until she gets that glue off of her, but when will we find the time to do that?

I look over at my strong, hard man—innuendo not intended, goodness no—who's ready to punch some faces in; maybe he'll break some noses too. Can't believe I have my own team. God, I'm supposed to be a support scientist, not an actual Pro Hero, but what can you do? In times like these, everyone has to fight no matter who they are. And that's why I have a gun. It's one of two pistols I'm testing out for the Police Force back in Musutafu—Sanji's testing out the other one. Don't worry, I have rubber bullets. It'll just hurt a lot instead of killing someone.

Curious wipes the blood and saliva from her lips; she must've hacked Kinoko's mushrooms out of her mouth. Must've been painful—good. The man who blocked my shot—twenty left by the way—lowers his hands and drops his barrier. Looks like Bastion isn't the only one with a Barrier-type Quirk. This man, let's call him "Shield Hands" for brevity, can emit barriers from the palms of his hands just about the diameter of three meters. He has mushrooms growing all over his nice gray suit, but that's it. Curious, glaring at Tetsutetsu and I, takes out a single marble from her pocket. Well, on second thought, it's the size of a baseball. I don't know how I messed _that_ up; guess I'm getting too old.

"Hayami Kendo," says Curious with a smug oh-so-ready-to-be-shot-at, "you must be really desperate to use support scientists as able-bodied fighters. I told Vainglory that your company would be a nuisance that needs to be snipped early, and here you are, ready to give me the evidence to my argument. I'm ready to compile a portfolio just for you, Hayami Kendo."

I snark, "Chitose Kizuki, do you like using full names a lot, Chitose Kizuki? Sorry, I couldn't hear what you said from the vile sounds your little plastic soldiers are making." I still hear her soldiers trying to hack Kinoko's mushrooms out of their throats. Some might do it earlier, some might do it later, either way, the numbers will be stacked against us. And as I say that, a short-haired man with red hair comes to Curious's side.

Tetsutetsu asks him, "Hey redhead, don'tcha give me that glare! I'mma punch that look outta your eyes, just ya watch!"

"Quiet tinhead," Redhead snaps, "I was right to hold my breath. Your stupid broad had a gas mask on. That basically tells us, 'Don't breathe in her Quirk.' Too bad most of us here didn't get the memo."

Ah, that's actually really important information. Indignation's Quirk, Hivemind, isn't in effect. They must be out-of-range—least, that's the most probable explanation. If one person knew not to breathe in Kinoko's Quirk, then the rest of them would know to do that. But since he's the exception, it means they aren't sharing a single mind.

Kinoko, who's still glued to the ground and very much conscious—that poor thing—exclaims, "If I wasn't glued, I'd totally shroom you to shroomhell and back!" As much as I wanna see that, I don't expect her to be a good help. Her spores will more or less get stuck on the glue.

Curious tightly grips her baseball-sized contraption. "Such empty, hollow threats. Hush now, Kinoko Komori. A juicer person of interest has caught my eye! I wonder if you know how to fight, Miss Kendo!"

Just before Curious acts, I yell, "Tetsutetsu!"

"Right!" He charges in with his right hand pulled back, his body clad with hardened, gray steel, raging towards the three of them. There's ten meters between us and the insane idiots, but he won't get there before Curious throws whatever she's holding. He's not fast enough to cross ten meters, let alone trying to make sure he doesn't trip over Kinoko's mushrooms. The environment is as much as an advantage _and_ a disadvantage—that goes both ways.

With my pistol raised, I'm aimed towards Curious. She, with quite an irritating smile on her blue face, hurls her contraption towards Tetsutetsu. He slows down as the ball reaches him, and it opens up to reveal at least fifty tiny little balls the size of my fingernail. Well shit, that's what that is.

_CURIOUS SPLITTER GRENADE!_

Right in front of Tetsutetsu, each and every ball explodes. They're not massive explosions; they wouldn't kill a beetle, but each explosion produces smoke and quick flashes of light that can definitely disorientate someone. Tetsutetsu stops in his tracks, pulling his arms up to guard himself from the little _pops_. A cloud of smoke separates him from Curious and her gang. He yelps, "What the—?!"

_BANG!_

I shoot right in front of Tetsutetsu—nineteen left. Out from the smoke, Curious leaps towards the side with a frown on her face, just a meter away from my boy. Called it. She used her device as a distraction to bridge the gap between her and Tetsutetsu. I'm not a Hero, but I'm also not an idiot. I shout at Tetsutetsu, "Don't let Curious touch you! Her Quirk can affect people too!"

Tetsutetsu nods, stepping towards Curious with his right fist back again. "Yeah, thanks, Momma Kendo! C'mon Curious, eat some steel—?!"

—_BELLOW!_

A wave of fire separates Curious and Tetsutetsu, preventing him from giving her a well-deserved knock on the head. However, as soon as the fire disappears, the sprinkler system turns on. Well, at least we know that it works. Though, it's raining down more than enough water to make us uncomfortable. That fire didn't come from nowhere; it came from the Redhead. He coughs up a small breath of fire, swearing under his breath as his clothes get soaked. His Quirk is Fire Breath. He can breathe fire, simple as that.

Shield Hands says, "You're at a disadvantage, Hinokokyu! Your flames will be put out almost instantly with the sprinklers! Stay back!" Ah, so Hinokokyu is his codename. It's quite on-the-nose, but so are a lot of things, like "fireplace".

Anyway, Shield Hands runs up to Tetsutetsu and engages in a fist-to-fist combat with him. Tetsutetsu focuses on him instead of Curious, who has her eyes turned to me. Hinokokyu shouts, "The sprinklers won't last forever!" Damn, we can expect something big will happen when the sprinklers stop.

I can't focus on that. I have to trust that Tetsutetsu can beat Shield Hands on his own. Curious is just under seven meters away from me, holding onto her chain wristband on her right arm. Just barely, I hear her saying, "I wonder how it feels to be fighting just like a Hero! Just like your late husband!"

Wow, this bitch really wants to piss me off, huh? Ugh! Calm down, I can't let this journalistic scrooge get under my skin. Let's just muster the spirits of every single Hero in your forsaken family: Kaito's idiocy, Mom's heart, whatever Uncle Sora and Aunt Nana has, and Dad. I hope you're safe up there. You have the hardest job out of all of us, especially in _Operation Hero Force Army_ or whatever it's called. Right….

"_Working hard, sweetheart?"_

"_Well, not all of us are protecting a U.H.N. official, where said official is conveniently situated away from all of the fighting."_

"_You definitely inherited sarcasm from me. Really though, I'm here to talk about what's gonna happen. You're gonna fight these assholes just like a Hero would."_

"_Is this your 'I'm worried about you, my sweet daughter' speech? I'll be fine_—"

"_I know that. I'm here to give you some encouragement. These scummy punks would underestimate a support scientist like you, Hayami. Use that to your advantage 'cause they don't know that you have the fighting power of a Pro. __**Better**_ _than the average Pro, I'd say. After all, I'm your dad. You can resent me all you want tomorrow, but this is something I prepared you for when worse comes to worst._

"_Go put a couple of holes in 'em, sweetie."_

Yeah, you really did prepare me when worse comes to worst. "Shut up, Curious."

She rushes in—

—I'm locked in.

_DASH_—_!_

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

It's hard to aim when the sprinklers are trying their damn best to blind you, especially whenever you move your feet, you hit at least ten mushrooms with each of them being a different species. Curious has a hard time moving too, but thanks to the conditions we're fighting in, I miss all of my shots—all five of them. Fourteen left. Curious nearly stumbles, but she recovers and lunges at me. She presses something on her wristband and—?!

"—The hell?!"

_CHAIN RING CURIOUS FLATTENER!_

Her right hand suddenly gets enveloped with some kind of box! Did Deternat make that?! Shit, they're already going into Hero Support! That explains the crap she threw earlier! Curious plants her feet and sends whatever-that-is forward, aiming right towards my face!

_BOOM!_

"Geh, ha—!" I get a face-full of an explosion. The impact sends me backwards a few meters, making me tumble onto a bed of Kinoko's mushrooms. I barely hold onto my pistol. My face stings, but it's not the worst thing in the world. I roll back onto my feet as Curious playfully shows off her toy.

"Did you like my Curious Flattener, Miss Kendo? It was produced with the engineers of Deternat and Ronin. It's an excellent support equipment that goes hand-in-hand with my Meta Ability. There are some—!"

—_BANG!_

_CLING_—_!_

"Fuck." I tried. Right in the middle of her monologue, I tried to put a dent in her skull, but she blocked my bullet with her Curious Flattener. Thirteen left.

Seeing my cowardly display, she just laughs. "Goodness, you're such a shameful woman, Miss Kendo! You tried to attack me during my little spiel! That's incredibly dishonorable, especially for us Japanese. Our ancestors pride ourselves on honor—!"

—_BANG!_

_CLING_—_!_

"Goddammit." Tried shooting her again; it didn't work. Same thing happened. Twelve shots left in the magazine.

Curious clearly listens to my message. I didn't say what it was, but she can read the bullets I sent her. They told her everything I wanted to say. Without going on a monologue again, she runs forward.

_BANG BANG BANG!_

I shoot her three times, but she uses her Curious Flattener as a shield. The bullets bounce off, leaving dents into her equipment; unfortunately, it's not enough damage to destroy it completely. She thrusts her Flattener right into my face but I jerk myself to the side, dodging a blast to the face. We're too close where I can just shoot her point blank, so this will have to do!

_KICK!_

"Geh!" I slam my shin against her hip and leap back, shooting her at the same time—eight bullets left. Curious blocks it like usual, spinning around and tossing another one of those big balls at me. It pops open and explodes just like the one she threw at Tetsutetsu, creating a cloud of smoke and light in front of me.

That means she's trying to charge forward. How about I do the same thing? As soon as the cloud appears, I make my move!

—_SLIDE!_

I slide on the soaked, mushroom-covered carpet, diving low into the cloud. I hear Curious jumping above me, and just when the cloud disperses, she slams her Curious Flattener forward—!

_BOMB!_

But all she blows up is air. "What the—?!"

—_BANG!_

_CRACK_—_!_

I nail her right on the head. A most-satisfying _crack_ is heard, the sound of rubber hitting skull, and a pained yelp following right after it. Seven rounds left.

She spins around, following the momentum of the bullet. I can't get a good shot on her, so I need to move closer!

I dash forward—?!

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

"—Gah!" Below me! The mushrooms I stepped on just exploded! The explosions rattle my feet, nearly taking my legs out from under me. Dammit, she really used Landmine on Kinoko's mushrooms?!

As I stand there staggered, Curious runs up to me just before I can raise my pistol. Her head is leaking blood. "You don't need this, Miss Kendo!"

_WHACK!_

She knocks my pistol out of my hand. Using her Curious Flattener, she slams the end against my chest and—!

_BOOM!_

_LAUNCH!_

I get hit by another explosion. My stomach feels like it'll turn inside out that time. I'm launched back into the wall, my head smacking hard against it—not even the mushrooms could cushion the impact. I bounce off of it, getting down on one knee. I can feel blood running down my head now, that's not good at all. This is why I'm not a Hero. I don't like pain; I'm not a masochist like Sanji.

Curious gives me her standard evil villain laugh. She claps, but since her right hand is currently holding her launcher, she's just banging against steel. "I didn't think a support scientist like you could give me such a hard time. You're quite an interesting engineer, aren't you?"

"One of the best," I say, grinding my teeth. I stand up as the sprinklers are still pouring water over our clothes, washing away the blood that's running down our heads. I snap my arms out. It's time to bring out my trump card.

_WRAP!_

A special kind of cloth suddenly wraps across both of my arms, forming dark-colored sleeves that cover everything from my hands to my shoulders. It's made out of carbon fibers and a metal alloy I made myself. At my fists, they're practically covered with the alloy, acting like metal gauntlets.

These are my Battle Fist Knuckle Dusters. Yeah, these are _meant_ to be used by Itsuka, but they're not finished yet. That's why I'm using them. The bindings are meant to fulfill three purposes. One: provide further support for her arms; two: more stopping power with her punches; three: absorb more force since she awakened to Dad's Quirk. The cloth provides the first, while the metal alloy provides the latter two. I'm trying to ensure that her Knuckle Dusters will morph and de-morph depending if Big Fists are activated.

For now, I'm testing 'em out in normal mode.

Curious sees my newest invention and smirks. "Care to explain to me what those do?"

"No."

"I'll give you monetary compensation."

"I have enough money already."

"Hmph." She digs into her pocket and throws out a few more marbles. They explode; I duck outta the way. Curious reaches me and tries to push the Flattener into my head again, but I jump past her. We play this game for a little while: she attacks, I dodge; she attacks again, I dodge again, and so on. She uses the mushroom around us to catch me off-guard, but because she did that before, I'm used to her tricks. They won't put me in a bad spot. I'm just barely able to prevent her from touching me or any of my things. If that happens, I lose.

So eventually, mustering enough courage to charge at me _again_, I can finally counter her and give Curious some pain for once. Curious leaps forward, and so do I. "Who taught you how to move so well even in these conditions, Miss Kendo?!"

"Who do you think?" I reply, just as her Curious Flattener reaches me.

—At the same time, I send my left arm forward. I'm faster. My fist presses against the opening of her Curious Flattener like putting a cork in a wine bottle. Before Curious realizes what happens, she activates Landmine.

_BOOM_—_!_

—_BURST!_

Curious's, well, Curious Flattener explodes from within, completely destroying her incredibly annoying and ugly toy. And me? Thanks to my Knuckle Dusters, I came out of it completely unscathed. These things can act as protection too, thank God. Curious though? She feels the brunt of the explosion. Her right hand gets burned, and thanks to the force directing _inwards_, I wouldn't be surprised if she has a few broken fingers too. She lets out a pathetic moan of pain, stepping back holding her right hand. Honestly, it looks _prettier_ with those wounds.

"Damn you, Hayami Kendo!" she shouts. "That's not everything I have!" With her good hand, her left, she pulls out a small handle. Flicking her wrist, that handle suddenly expands into a whip. Oh great, she has a whip too. Lemme guess, it's called "Curious Whip" and at the end, it can explode. Well, it makes sense that she has all means of attacking: range, medium range, and close. If only she wasn't so annoying...

Waving her whip around, she sends it towards my right. If that hits, it'll be painful even with my Knuckle Dusters. But I have good enough reflexes.

...And I just realized that I have something that I could've used all this time: my Quirk. Mom's Quirk was Transmutation: she can transform her skin to the composition of something she was touching. For example, if she was touching concrete, her skin transforms into concrete. Mine is Object Transmutation. Same thing, but with two objects. One is the object with the composition I wanna transform, the other is the object with the composition I want. I don't really use my Quirk much, but I definitely can here.

As soon as her whip comes around, I grab the chain. Her eyes go wide. "Huh—?!"

—And it transforms into water. Her Curious Whip transforms completely into water just like that. My entire body is touching water, so if I just grab her whip, I can destroy it. And so it does. It falls right outta her hands and onto the mushroom and water-soaked carpet. Looks like I destroyed her toys.

I start walking towards her. Behind Curious, I see Tetsutetsu yelling his lungs out. He's letting out an onslaught of punches onto Shield Hand's barrier. Curious, holding her injured right hand, starts talking, "I almost forgot about your Quirk, Miss Kendo. I overlooked it, I'll admit that. But the last thing I'll admit is defeat, you know!"

"Stop talking. I can't stand an annoying bitch like you," I shut her up, and I'll shut her up again with my fist. I—

—She thrusts her left hand forward but I catch it. Nice try. "Hayami Kendo—!"

_UPPERCUT!_

"Why can't you shut up?"

She stumbles backwards, stunned.

_BAM! WHAM! PUNCH!_

"You're one of the worst people in Japan. You harass my kids and paint them as useless little brats who can't do shit!"

_BLAM! BLOW! SLAM!_

"You act like you're innocent, acting like you're fighting for the people, but you're just fighting for yourselves! You're just glorified con artists!"

_KABLAM! WAPOW! BASH!_

"So sit down and get off our backs."

Curious falls flat on her back, her face bloody and bruised. She's on the verge of unconsciousness, shambling about in pain and misery. Good. That's what she deserves. For a Top Executive in the M.L.A., she got defeated by a measly support scientist. She trained so hard with her Quirk, having all kinds of support equipment just for her. And I shattered her hopes and dreams like it was nothing.

It's almost like she forgot who my father is. Dad, being the protective bastard he is, wanted to make sure I'd be safe whenever I was in public. So naturally, he taught me martial arts. Turns out, you can beat up a lot of people using just that and nothing else. But would ya look at that? If I actually wanted to be a Hero, I might've been a good one. Screw that alternate universe though. Heroism doesn't do me any good.

_SHATTER!_

"Rrraaaaaah—!"

_CRASH!_

"—Ugh, guh…"

_THUD!_

Tetsutetsu's done with his fight. I saw him punching through the man's barrier and nailing him in the jaw. Shield Hands falls onto the incredibly comfortable carpet; he's down for the count. Heaving heavily, he looks at Hinokokyu who's just watching us with his cheeks puffed up. What the hell is he doing? Quickly, I run up to Tetsutetsu before he does anything impulsive and rash. "Hold on, Tetsutetsu! Let's wait—!"

—The sprinklers finally turn off.

Well shit.

Hinokokyu leans forward and opens his mouth, releasing the breath he's holding. And damn, it's massive. A large pillar of fire erupts from his mouth with the same intensity as Endeavor's flames, I'd say. The strength of his Quirk might be dependent on how long he can hold his breath for; it explains why he's able to hold his breath against Kinoko's Quirk.

My legs are frozen in place as Hinokokyu's fire reaches us, but before I know it, Tetsutetsu grabs me. He throws me behind him and takes the brunt of the flames, acting as a shield just for me. "Tetsutetsu!" I yell. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Tetsutetsu spreads his body out as much as he can, groaning as the joints in his body buckles like steel scratching against steel. "What d'ya think?! I'm Real Steel, dammit! I gotta be a man; more importantly, a freaking Pro! There's nothing more heroic than being a shield, 'specially for a woman!"

_FOOOSH!_

The fire gets stronger. Hell, I can hear it _roaring_ as if the fire has a beating heart and all that. That idiot child though…. He reminds me of Kaito's straightforwardness so much… They're the type of guys who would act first and think second.

"Grah—haah! So friggin' hot, dammit! My Steel's practically melting!" Tetsutetsu shouts, slumping his back over from the intense heat he's experiencing. Slowly, step by step, he marches forward towards the source, trying his damn best to not fall down. "Don't you look down at me, you crappy Fire Quirk user! I'mma prove that us 1-Bers aren't second-rate! We're friggin' badasses!"

_ROAR!_

Somehow, Hinokokyu's fire is getting _even_ stronger than before, but Tetsutetsu isn't willing to stand and let himself melt. Mustering every ounce of strength he has remaining, he claws through the fire, stomping through Kinoko's mushrooms and meeting the man himself. He shouts, "Rrraaaah—! Eat a fistful of hot iron—!"

—_TETSUTETSU FIST!_

_BAM_—_!_

Tetsutetsu slams his steel fist into Hinokokyu's stomach, silencing the flames sprouting from his mouth. With a bit of a cruel rattle from his throat, Hinokokyu is pushed back with the rest of his friends, who are still on the ground. I guess mushrooms and sprinklers make for a very terrible day at work.

"Ugh… I'm spent… Sorry guys…" Tetsutetsu's Quirk drops, revealing that his entire body is practically covered in burns. Then, he falls down flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. Shit, some of them look pretty serious!

I run over to Tetsutetsu. He has second-degree burns over his body; his clothes are burnt to a crisp. Okay, that's something to worry about! Alright, I need to take him up to Monoma and the others. But I can't let these soldiers follow us when they eventually recover.

To solve that, I throw some of the Bondo Grenades I have, covering most of the soldiers except for Curious. I hoist Tetsutetsu's arm over my shoulder and lift him up. And luckily for me, Kinoko's already on her feet. Some bits of glue are stuck to her clothes, but she looks perfectly fine. She took care of Curious already. Curious is covered in both glue and mushrooms. Also, Kinoko's holding my gun. "I'm finally free, freaking shroomheck! S-Sorry, Momma Kendo… I couldn't help you and Tetsu fight!"

"It's fine, don't worry about it! We need to get upstairs fast! Tetsutetsu's too injured to fight!" I say, leading the way up after taking my pistol from her.

"Nah, I can totally make these assholes eat my fists…" Tetsu says with his voice woozy. Yeah, I don't believe him.

Taking out my walkie-talkie, I call in, "Team Hayami here. We're done with our part. Twenty-five M.L.A. soldiers are glued up and one commander, Curious. Tetsutetsu is heavily injured during the fight. We're coming up to you guys as we speak."

I get an immediate response. "Phantom Thief speaking. We'll take care of Tetsutetsu, don't you worry, Miss Kendo! The rest of the goons haven't arrived yet, so we're simply biding our time until they make their grand appearance. As for the status of the rest of our teams, we received no answer from Battle Fist. Shangdi is still dominating his fight, we're watching him as we speak. As for Bravo, Armory and Maria are still in Castor. I have a feeling that Armory will be just fine, especially considering he has Dragon Shroud with him."

...No answer from Itsuka. Fuck, you better be alright, sweetheart. "Dammit okay. What about Dad? Did something happen to them?"

"Why would they? I doubt that any harm will come to them."

"...Yeah. Hope so, but you never know. Anyway, we'll talk more once we arrive at your position. Stay safe."

"Et tu."

Itsuka's gone silent, and Sanji's still doing his thing. I'm not a religious woman, but I think this is a good time to pray to God, for _both_ of their safeties…

* * *

**Sanji Inochi - Location: Castor, Service Elevator**

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

_Ding!_

I'm on Floor 30, going up by the second. Destination: Floor 53. Floor 53 to 55 make up an atrium that's supposed to mimic a mall. Once I step out of the elevator, I'll be greeted with a hallway leading into the large space. In that hallway, I'm expecting company. Thank goodness that Ishtar gave me the key to this service elevator. No one will know that I'm coming because they don't know that we have access to it. Ibara and the others are down at the basement with their part of the plan. And Rin? Well, he's entering the atrium in another way and we'll meet up in the middle. We're tackling this place from two angles instead of one.

Our mission is simple: Find Setsuna's missing flash drive and retrieve it before the M.L.A. can. It's on this floor—well, _floors. _A Top Executive is most likely leading the search. Lian is fighting Geten and Stalwart; Indignation, Curious, and Trumpet are sieging Pollux. That leaves Vainglory and Re-Destro. I don't think Re-Destro will try and find a small flash drive, so I'll probably meet Vainglory.

That means Re-Destro… He's…

_Ba-thump! _

I put my hand over my heart. "Oh, be still my beating heart… Please be safe, Itsuka…"

"_Itsuka, I finally got a chance to talk. I, uhm, well—"_

"_I know what you're gonna say already. You don't have to awkwardly force the words outta your mouth. However, I'm more concerned about __**you**__, Mister I-Get-Mortally-Injured-Anytime-I-Fight? I'm joking, but there's some semblance of truth in that, you airhead. How about this? Let's have a mutual agreement that we'll try our best to __**not**_ _get so injured that the other will cry."_

"_You know that my anxiety won't go away with that, right? You're a smart person..."_

"_Yeah yeah, at least I don't have the IQ of Monoma, Sanji_—"

"—_Okay, Monoma is smarter than you give him credit for. He helped me with calculus before our Final Exam, and I actually felt confident about my answers."_

"_Alright alright, you told me before, you don't have to repeat it. We don't have the time to argue over something silly like that, heh. Back on topic, of course I know that. I'm anxious as hell too, don't get me wrong. Funny thing about that… I'm a lot more worried about you than I'm worried about myself."_

"_Guess we have that in common. Everyone is trying to predict which Top Executive will fight who. Even though we know their Quirks, this'll be our hardest fight yet. These guys, they're not All Might. Sure, we beat All Might, but that's only because he had weights on __**and**_ _he was holding back to a reasonable extent. Sorry that I'm rambling, but you get my point right?"_

"_Yeah, and you weren't rambling __**that**_ _much. I, well, damn… How do I put this? Right, we kick their asses. They tried kicking ours and they failed miserably. Have some confidence, Sanji. I'm not asking you to be just as confident as Bakugo or even Suzuki. Just have confidence in healthy doses. Before you know it, we'll be on the first flight back home explaining what happened to Mister Kan and the Hero Public Safety Commission."_

"_...I don't look forward to the last part."_

"_I don't either. Anyway, all in all, just fight. Do your part and I'll do mine, then we meet in the middle. I'm counting on you just as much as you're counting on me."_

"_Heh, now that's a deal I'm willing to make. But for argument's sake, I'm pretty sure I count on you more than you count on me. The gap between us? Yeah, it's not a quantifiable distance."_

"_Oh shut up, don't make me pinch you."_

_Ding!_

Floor 45. Eight more floors to go. I gotta do this as fast as possible. Ibara and the others are our escape route, and will also mop up the remaining soldiers too. Let's hope I don't fight Vainglory right off the bat. Or if Rin has to fight him alone. Both are equally bad scenarios. That's probably why Hayami gave me a gun.

An actual pistol. I'm pretty sure I'm not legally allowed to use a pistol even if I'm using rubber bullets—even then, rubber bullets are less lethal but still lethal nonetheless—but this situation warrants self-defense. If I do get arrested—not sure how that will happen—there'll be a strong case for me. It's a pretty light pistol with twenty-one rounds; the magazine has a capacity for twenty plus one in the chamber. Unfortunately, I didn't bring all of my support equipment with me. There was no time between explaining what was happening, coming up with a gameplan, then planning for said gameplan, and finally getting ready all within less than an hour. I only brought my katana and that's it. Anyhow, all of those American action movies will pay off.

"_Why are you giving me a pistol? I understand that you're using one too, Hayami, but uh… It's just not… How do I say it?"_

"_Your style? Your method of fighting? Yeah, completely understandable. Not all of us are Snipe, but you need to use this. First of all, you're Quirkless. You know how strict Japan is with gun laws; we're not America. Despite that, about 85% of gun owners are Quirkless from a study done a couple of years ago. Secondly, or second of all I dunno, you'll be fighting the average knuckleheads, whose Quirks are unknown variables if I might add. You don't have time to play with them, so you need to down these idiots as fast as possible. You need to hit them before they can use their Quirks on you."_

"_Alright… I don't think I can argue with you, can I?"_

"_Not tonight, no. At the very least, you can finally fire a gun for the first time. It's pretty fun."_

"_Yeah, but you'd be shooting at paper targets. __**My**_ _targets happen to be made out of flesh and blood."_

"_Eh. Tomayto, tomahto." _

_Ding!_

Floor 50. The sounds of the elevator creaking its way up slowly dims down, slowing as I approach my destination.

_Ding!_

Floor 51. Slower and slower…

_Ding!_

Floor 52. I take a deep breath. Just gotta stay calm. It's not like you're about to head face-first into a crowd of hungry, brain-eating zombies… You're just heading into a crowd of angry soldiers who wanna tear your eyes out of your sockets… Yup, that's it.

_Ding! Crrrr!_

Floor 53. The elevator door opens to a fairly well-lit hallway. It doesn't look nearly as pretty or clean as the rest of the hotel, but this is a service hallway, I'm assuming. The only thing here is… Uh… Actually, I have no idea what's even in here in the first place. All I know, and all I _need_ to know, is follow the signs in order to head towards the main hallways towards the altrium.

Luckily for me, there's no unwanted visitors here. I'm perfectly in the clear to make my careful entrance. I step out of the elevator, stepping into the hallway, and following the signs with small, methodical footsteps like I'm a thief trying to make way with precious jewelry in tow. Guess my precious jewelry is my heart, since I kinda need that in one piece.

_Murmur murmur…_

Voices. They're too faint for me to make out what they're exactly saying, but they're straight ahead in the direction I need to go. I slow my pace down to a walk, stepping lightly one foot after the other, just creeping up, just creeping and creeping like I'm a crazy stalker, until I reach the corner. I quickly take a glance at the hallway. It's bigger than the hallways with the hotel rooms; these are meant to have large groups of people walking to and from the altrium up ahead. It has a bunch of various stuff around like potted plants, benches, vending machines, a bunch of rooms off to the side like bathrooms and janitor closets, and some other things. Off to my right, there's a massive window showcasing the view outside towards the glistening Central Tower that's currently under attack. Right now, the blinds are closed.

That's just the surroundings though. For the people I'm worried about? There's quite a bit of them, but not enough where I panic. The voices I heard earlier, they belong to two men who're just standing around. I spotted a woman ducking into a janitor's closet, a couple of other men at the bathrooms, a woman just further down the hall from the two men, and I think I can see another figure at the end of the hall. That's seven soldiers and none of them spotted me, thank God for that.

"Where the hell is this flash drive?" says the first man with hair all over his body like Shishida. "I haven't heard anything from Vainglory yet."

So Vainglory is here… The other man, who looks like the average Japanese man, replies, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Look at this place. Geten didn't give us good information, and now we're stuck on our hands and knees looking through every nook and cranny."

From down the hall, the woman speaks up, "Well I don't see you two doing any work! We need to find this thing as fast as possible and regroup with the others!"

The hairy man snaps in return, "We've been looking ever since we made a deal with those brats, and we found squat! Why the hell did Geten even give that bitch a chance to run off anyway?"

"Do you ever stop complaining for once?" the woman replies. "I thought that's why you joined our cause, so you, y'know, stop talking your friends' ears off and actually try and reform this God-forsaken world of ours?"

From down the hall, a man yells, "Would all of you stop talking and find this flash drive?! We don't need you arguing!"

The average-looking man sighs, rubbing his lips. "Alright alright, he's right. Arguing won't get us anywhere. We're wasting valuable time."

The woman rolls her eyes and heads back into the closet. She has the door open, so I'd better keep note of that. Well, glad to see that the M.L.A. isn't a collective hivemind of like-minded individuals. There's one thing that radicals hate more than the average folk: other radicals. The rest of the soldiers, other than the two men, go back to whatever they were doing before.

And the two men? They have their backs turned to me, finally deciding to do their job. Alright, guess I need to get a move on. I step out from the corner, my footsteps as quiet as I possibly can make them. Twenty rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber, my katana's fitted snugly in its sheath, everything is good to go.

I approach them; they're completely unaware of my presence. They don't look all that durable, thankfully. So this should be easy. What happens after this though… I just need to improvise.

_BAM!_

I squeezed between them like a small, kinda bratty kid trying to hurry to someplace. The moment they glanced at me, I drove my left fist into the side of the jaw of the hairy man. His body crumples from the sudden attack, automating itself to take the man back a few steps. The man's body might be moving, but there's no light in the oven. He'll recover in a few seconds though.

"Wh—?!"

—_POW!_

I perform a hook kick into the average-looking man's face, keeping my foot pressed against it. Because I'm so close to him, I twist my hip and use the momentum to take him down. His head crashes against the tiled floor first, echoing a loud _crack_—that's the tiled floor not his skull, I hope. He'll stay down for a while.

The hairy man regains consciousness after nearly falling over, just a few meters from a conveniently-placed pillar decorated with some pretty stone. Before he can react, I dash up and do a spinning side kick into the center of his chest. He gets kicked back into the pillar. Huffing, we both make a move: I approach him while he takes a step forward.

He lets out a cry, swinging forward with a wide right hook. I weave right underneath it, my hair just barely touching the skin of his arm.

I loudly exhale, and I throw my own.

"_Inochi, from the state you brought those soldiers in, they not only look physically abysmal, but mentally as well. I'm almost certain about this assumption, and that is, you intimidated them, which the word 'intimidated' is an understatement. They fear you, and that fear will spread to the rest of their comrades. I don't know how you conditioned yourself to be so brutal with your attacks—as a Hero, I ought to be reprimanding you for your 'unheroic' fighting style, perceived as such by orthodox Heroes—yet for the sake of your safety, and the safety for your friends, keep fighting like that."_

—_BLAM!_

_CRASH_—_!_

"Ghrr—ah—!" My left fist crashed into his cheek, forcing a groan tear through his throat. I step forward and bring his entire body with me. Just like his friend who got his head smashed into the floor, the hairy man—thanks to my trusty fist—gets his head slammed into the pillar with a loud _crash_ that echoes throughout the entire hall. The pillar cracks, bits of stone crumbles to the ground. Judging from that, I'm pretty sure he doesn't feel like moving.

The woman in the janitor's closet hears the commotion and runs out. She shouts, "What the hell is going on—?!"

From my jacket, I pull out a Bondo Grenade that Hayami made me. I have three of these, and I have to make them count. It's worth it to disable just one person.

_THROW!_

On my right hip is my holstered pistol. I unholster it with my left hand, and right as the grenade reaches her, I shoot.

_BANG!_

_POP!_

The Bondo Grenade explodes before it makes contact with her, breaking it open and spewing his Cedemine all over her. The woman instinctively leans back, but because of her momentum, she ends up falling on her back glued to the ground with a _thud_ signaling her fall. Three down, twenty bullets left.

The other three M.L.A. members hear me. I mean, I'd be worried if they _didn't_ hear me, because holy crap, they have to be either deaf or incredibly inept at their job to not even notice my presence. Alright, the two men at the bathrooms are running towards me and the other woman is running behind them.

_Slide…_

Oh, the hairy guy is sliding to a sitting position. Yeah, he doesn't look like he wants to move. Alright, three versus one, I dealt with worse! Just remember, I can't let them use their Quirk!

First, I need to isolate one and distract the rest!

_SPRINT!_

I sprint forward. Just a meter ahead of me is a potted plant sitting comfortably next to his friend, the bench. Sorry Mister Plant, I have to separate you with your best friend.

_GRAB!_

With my right hand, I grab the potted plant by the rim of the pot, barely able to hold onto it due to it being a, uh, potted plant. It's like trying to carry a big cardboard box—light, but hard to carry due to its size.

Anyway, it's not going to hinder me too much. I'll reach the first man within three seconds, the second man in about five, and the woman in seven or eight. They yell profanities at me, berating me and calling me demeaning names—names that I heard before.

I raise my pistol, causing all of them to momentarily slow down, hesitating. That's the natural reaction when you have a gun raised at you regardless if it's packing rubber bullets or actual bullets. But this… This raises an interesting question: Are they normal people? Are they the average joes and whatever the female equivalent is for "joes"? Only normal people would have that brief moment of hesitation when confronted with a firearm. I'm supposed to be trained to remove that hesitation along with other things; that's in the job description of a Pro Hero.

So are they "soldiers" at all? Or did they call themselves that to further drive the point that they're revolutionaries fighting a war against the oppressive government?

Either way, soldiers or not, I'm treating them as much.

_BANG!_

"Gah—!"

_THUD!_

I refuse to hesitate. My safety's on the line. The safety of my friends are on the line. Everyone I love and adore, their lives are resting on my shoulders. I refuse.

The woman in the back, I targeted her first. She's furthest from me, so when I eventually deal with the two men, I'll have a tough time trying to adapt to her, which gives her ample time to use her Quirk. So I nail her on the top left corner of her forehead, drawing blood. She falls down from the impact, rolling on the pristine floors of the Gemini Hotels. Rubber bullets really hurt; nineteen left.

The two men look back and see their fallen comrade tumble to the ground like a graceful dancer on stage—if you think hitting the ground like a meteor is "graceful" that is. For a brief second, they take their eyes off of me. That's a mistake that they can't afford to make, honestly. Taking your eyes away from your enemy just means they have an extra second to do what they want, and since I have that second, it might as well seal their fate.

Just as the first man turns back to face me, I'm already in front of him with the potted plant raised. He tries to raise his arms up to guard his head, but I'm not trying to aim for his head. Besides, I'm fast enough where he wouldn't even be able to fully guard before I attack.

_BAM!_

"Fweh—?!"

His foot—that's my real target. I slammed the potted plant onto his right foot; the pot shatters completely, the ceramic scattering all over the floor like ants. There's a pressure point on your feet. Target it and you have a good way of gaining the upper hand, just like in this situation. He's stunned in his place, his body seizing up from the pain. The second guy barely processed what just happened, let alone trying to come up with a suitable course of action. That's the shock of my attack, so I need to spend this valuable second as wisely as I can.

_KNEE!_

"—Guh!" I raise my right knee and jump up, slamming it into the man's chin, snapping his head upwards and forcing him to look up at the ceiling.

_BAM!_

Last but not least, I turn on my left leg and give him a side kick right in the chest. He gets thrown back from my kick right towards his partner. It doesn't matter what his friend planned for me. I'm making him do what I want him to do—

_PUSH!_

"—Dammit!"

And that's exactly it: pushing his friend to the side. He looks ahead and sees me, a wizard who somehow teleported in front of him within a second.

_WHACK!_

With the butt of my pistol, I slam it on top of the man's head. You could hear the _whack_ echoing in the hallway, then being followed by a grunt and a whimper. But he's still standing.

I grab the man's tie with my right hand and raise my right knee.

_POW!_

I did two motions: yanking the man's head down with his tie and raising my knee up so fast that it briefly became a blur. They meet in the middle like a handshake, but replacing that handshake is my knee smacking right into his face. I can feel a few splatters of blood staining my dress pants.

_POW!_

I do it again to be safe. It might be brutal of me to do this, but I can't afford to take any chances with these guys.

"Guh… Gah…." the man whimpers in pain. His head suffered a ton of trauma, but he's still not done. To my right, there's a pair of vending machines. One has snacks and the other has drinks. This should do him in.

_THROW!_

While I was still holding onto his tie, I threw him against the vending machine with the drinks. His back hits the vending machine first, smacking it against the wall behind them. It wobbles back and forth, the soda bottles inside doing the same dance. The soldier rests against the machine with blood dripping from his mouth, doing his best to look up at me.

"You damned—?!"

"—Shut up."

_POW!_

I perform a jumping side kick into his chest. I kicked him so hard that the vending machine basically breaks, spilling out bottles of soda onto the hotel floor. The man spits out more blood and stains what used to be my pristine outfit. Fortunately though, he's out of commission. He isn't fighting back any time soon.

"Stupid kid—!" a woman yells. It's the woman that I shot in the head earlier. She recovered faster than I thought, but she's running straight at me with reckless abandon so she probably suffered some brain damage. Well, if you look up "brain damage" in a medical dictionary, the M.L.A. is the example that the book gives you, but I digress. I ought to make use of what I got right at my feet.

_KICK!_

Using one of the fallen-from-grace soda bottles, I channel my inner soccer player and kick it right into the woman's head. Just like before when I shot her, she stumbles from the sudden impact and tumbles right back down. Stumble and tumble, that's how it goes.

_Click clack!_

Behind me. I haven't turned around yet, but I know who it is: the first man. He isn't nearly as injured like the rest of them, but he definitely watched me. And now, he's making a move.

"Hey—"

—_BANG!_

Eighteen. I aimed for his knee. I tell him, "Stay down or the next one will ricochet off your skull."

Surprisingly, the man listens. He just falls down and leans against the wall, clutching the knee that I just shot. He doesn't taunt me; he doesn't say anything for that matter. The only thing he gives me are the eyes filled with more fury than you can imagine. There's no words that he can say to describe it.

I walk down the hallway until I encounter the woman that I both shot and kicked a soda bottle into. She's laying on the ground staring up at me. We exchange nothing more than eye contact, but she doesn't attempt to attack me. I think she knows that if she tries anything, it won't matter; I'm just faster.

That means six soldiers are down. There's one left; it's the figure that I swore I saw at the end of the hallway. But I don't see them, so hopefully—

_Thump! Thump!_

_So hopefully, I won't encounter them. _That's what I would've said if I didn't encounter them, but from the sounds of those footsteps, someone big is coming. Their footsteps are like a giant's. I can practically feel the hotel shaking from the weight of those feet.

_Click click!_

...That's the sound of a gun. Alright, I'm pretty sure that isn't me. One: I'm a responsible gun owner—least that's what I tell myself; two: pistols don't make that _clicking_ sound. It sounds just like a...machine gun…

"Oh crap."

Juggernaut makes his appearance, holding his military-grade machine gun. I can't tell how much ammo he has in his magazine, but I'm sure it's somewhere around one hundred. "Hey kid. Nice to meet the best damned Quirkless in the world."

"Uhh…" I mumble. I think I should…

—_DIVE!_

_RATATATATATATA_—_!_

What the hell?! Those are real bullets! Is he trying to kill me here?! Crap, I barely just managed to use a pillar for cover, but even then, I'm barely small enough where I have full cover! And he's taking bits of it out!

Bullets are shattering everything it comes across. The sound of machine gun fire is the only thing I can hear. It's a constant, deafening noise that erupts in my ears, accompanied with the sight of seeing everything around me being destroyed as if they're glass. I can feel the vibrations of the bullet in the pillar; some of them make contact directly on it. Thank God that this pillar is thick enough where these bullets can't penetrate through it.

I shout at the top of my lungs, "Aren't you worried that your friends are in the line of fire?!"

I hear him shouting back, "They can handle themselves! It's you I'm worried about!" I focus my attention onto the other soldiers. He's right to an extent. A couple of them got up; they're trying to drag their friends away from the line of fire. They're in no state to fight, let alone trying to fight when there's bullets flying right at them.

_RATATATATATATA!_

God, that sound will be the death of me. I'm just able to hear myself think. I heard that soldiers, back in the day when Quirks weren't around, would be utterly shell-shocked from the sound of bullets whizzing past their ears like killer bees, especially when it came from a machine gun. Even the most battle-hardened soldiers would be traumatized just from the experience alone. At times like these, I'm almost scared at how calm I am.

Think, try and remember what Master Kendo told you…

"_That Juggernaut is a real piece of shit. I could never beat guys like him for two reasons: the asshole has an automatic rifle and he's wearing armor made to stop tanks. Now, the military has definitely progressed in the past few decades, so I bet that his armor can withstand just about everything besides from big explosions or a .50 cal. Rubber bullets won't work on him—obviously—and he can resist cuts. That leaves you with two things. One of them is attacking in the gaps of his armor, but that'll be hard even for a prodigy like you. The other is stabbing him. That armor can resist slashes, but I bet it's not pierce-resistant. Worst part about it: we don't even know his Quirk. Basically Sanji, you need to find a way to close the distance. Otherwise, you'll be turned into swiss cheese."_

This is probably one of my toughest opponents yet. I'm pinned down. If only I had Full Cowling like Deku, then I could probably avoid the barrage of bullets through various leaps. But I'm just regular old me, carrying a pistol and a katana like I'm the protagonist of an action movie. Now, if I want to live through this, I need a way to distract him.

I look around.

There's a fire extinguisher encased in glass on the far left end of the wall. I can shoot it out, but I would need to shoot a few times.

To my right, there's a hallway that I can dive into. It leads to a back room, but I shouldn't rely on it to give me what I need. However, if I do dive in there, then the Juggernaut can effectively trap me. No good.

Below…! Nothing. I can't dig my way out. Okay, above! There's a few sprinkler heads. I can shoot them from where I'm standing. It'll definitely distract the Juggernaut for just a moment; that's all I need.

Okay, part one of my master plan is complete. What happens afterwards? I have two Bondo Grenades, eighteen rounds, my katana, and my wit. One of them is useless.

_RATATATATATA—!_

He stopped firing. Instinctively, I stick my head out. I see him gripping onto his large magazine drum. The drum glows a faint blue, and then—?!

_COCK!_

—_RATATATATATA!_

I almost got my head shot off! How can he keep firing?! He didn't even change his magazine! I thought it was empty, but now he's firing again as if it's full! That blue glow… Don't tell me that's his Quirk? His magazine drum was empty; the cocking of his rifle was evidence that he chambered a round. So if his drum was empty but now it's full…

That's his Quirk. I'd call it "Replenish". He can replenish any empty container, but I don't know how he can specifically replenish his magazine with bullets and not anything else. But at least I know his Quirk. Downside: it means he has effectively unlimited ammo. He's basically cheating in real life.

Alright, now that's done and over with, I need to act. I aim my pistol at the sprinkler just a few tiles to my left.

_BANG!_

_SPURT! _

Seventeen. Juggernaut stops firing for a moment, watching as water begins to pour down in the gap between us. With no doubt in my body, I jump out of cover and throw one of my Bondo Grenades at him.

_BANG!_

Sixteen. I shot the Bondo Grenade while it was still in the air. It explodes and creates a temporary wall of Cedemine that separates the two of us. Juggernaut just lost sight of me. The most logical course of action is to spray and pray. My next move needs to distract him again, so I unsheathe my katana and toss it in the air.

_LEAP—_!

—_RATATATATA!_

Just before the barrage began, I leapt into the air above the wall of Cedemine, and above me is my katana. The bullets penetrate the wall but the only thing they hit is air. The world is upside down from my perspective. Time slows down, and I see the Juggernaut turning his head up to see just what the heck I'm doing.

He gets his answer once my right foot collides with the hilt of my blade.

_LAUNCH!_

Using my foot, I flipped backwards, using both the momentum of the flip _and_ the kick to launch my katana like a projectile towards Juggernaut. It's not a perfect kick, but it does the job. I don't hear any more gunfire. As soon as I land, the Cedemine is spread out on the floor in front of me, and Juggernaut deflects my katana with his machine gun at the last second.

Dammit, it's now or never!

_DASH!_

I leap over the puddle of Cedemine and dash straight ahead! He aims his machine gun and fires!

_RATATATATA—_!

—_WEAVE!_

I make my sprint unpredictable, moving in odd angles and weaving through the hailstorm of lead. A bullet narrowly grazes me, leaving a small cut on my cheek. I drop my head low, lower than low.

Somehow, either by luck or pure skill, I'm here. Before Juggernaut can react, I grab onto the handguard of his rifle and push it upwards towards the ceiling.

_RATATA!_

He fired a couple of times but only made a few bits of concrete rain from the sky. Holding onto his gun, I spin on my left foot and perform a heel kick right into his gun hand!

_WHAM!_

I knock his rifle out of his hands, just to our left! My katana's just behind me, but I can't reach it before he can react. I can see the gaps between his armor though! I need to exploit that and get the upper hand!

I aim my pistol and—!

"Not so fast, kid!"

_BANG!_

_THUMP!_

Shit! He shoved his right hand against the barrel of the gun! He literally blocked the bullet with the palm of his hand! I—?!

—_POW!_

"Guh—" He threw a left straight into my gut. My insides feel like they're spilling out of my throat.

_LIFT!_

Oh crap.

_SLAM!_

"—Fwuh—" He picked me up and slammed me onto the ground.

_KICK!_

Then he kicked my stomach, causing me to slide across the cold floor. I don't know when I let go of my pistol nor do I know where the hell is it. My brain's flashing my body with pain, but I need to fight…

I try my best to look up and I see Juggernaut walking over to pick up his rifle. He's… Shit!

_CRAWL!_

Crap! I crawl back as fast as I can, using every part of my body to inch myself towards my weapon! Shit, it might've been a better idea to stop him from grabbing his gun, but my body just moved on its own! I'm stuck with this!

Turning around, I reach out and grab my katana, but I already hear him turning around. "Sorry, kiddo."

I swing my katana—?!

_THUMP!_

"—Huh—?!"

He just...fell… His rifle drops and slides over to my feet. How did he…?

"Sorry that I took so long, Inochi." Rin!

"How did you—?!"

"I did what Kendo did: karate chop," Rin answers with a smile, doing an exaggerated motion for me. His palms are adorned with jade scales. They must be really hard. "I slid my hand into the gaps of his armor, specifically the space between his helmet and his neck guard. One well-placed strike to the neck can incapacitate anyone if you hit it hard enough, but I'm sure you already know that."

Rin helps me back up and hands my pistol back. Sixteen rounds left in my magazine, I think. After putting everything back where it belongs, we quickly start heading down the hall towards the main area. I ask him, "How's your end of the fight? You look pretty good."

"So do you, considering you had to handle Juggernaut. Counting him, I dealt with nine soldiers. They came in batches though, not all at once," he says with a small smile on his face.

I sigh, scratching the back of my head. "Guess you won. I took out six soldiers."

He frowns. "This isn't a competition, Inochi. Our lives are literally at stake here whether or not they say that they'll spare us."

I do some over-the-top hand motions. "I know I know! I'm just trying to lighten the mood. In my defense, we've been thrown into this mess with barely any time to adapt. Thank God that Grandmaster was able to bluff so well, Lian gave us his strength, and Mister Aldemir for leading us in _Operation Hero Force Army_. Without them, only the stars know what'd be in store for us."

"Yeah, at least you can keep a positive head on you," he says, looking around the main area. "Despite being covered in blood of our enemies, you still have the remnants of a smile on your face."

I look at my suit. Okay, I'm not _that_ covered in blood. "You make it sound like I'm literally bathing in blood. Ugh, it's not my fault. The moment these bastards decide that killing me is worth its weight in gold, it's the same moment when I decide to say 'To hell with it'."

Rin stops, staring at the large window to our right. You can see the rest of I-Island with that gorgeous view. Guess that's the perks of being so high up.

Jeez…

Think, Sanji.

In the main area, it's shaped like a circular atrium like I stated before. There's open floors above us lined with rows of stores ranging from jewelry to clothes to technology, everything. If we had an apocalypse, this place would be amazing to gather literally everything you need, and literally everything you could ever want. But that's not our focus right now.

We're standing on the main floor; this is where the food court is at. It's split in half, separated by an open, partitioned walkway where people can easily traverse this place. On both sides, there are armies of white tables and chairs pristine as pristine can be. Along the far walls of the altrium are the various restaurants and fast food chains. They have food from every culture you can imagine. But none of them are open. The shutters are shut with a solid metal gate.

If we somehow move all of these tables and chairs, we could make a more open space to fight in.

Look at the pillars. They're solid, sturdy, and stone—the amazing three S's. However, they're near the walls because they obviously need to support the upper floors otherwise that's just poor engineering. Moving on, the pillars are double my height, but I'm pretty sure I can use them to climb onto the floor above me if need be. It'll take a lot of time and energy though.

Dang, this place is as much as an advantage as a disadvantage. I have to be reliant on my skill this time around. I—

_SHAKE!_

"Inochi, you're zoning out again." Rin shakes me out of my head with one hand. In the other, he's waving the flash drive at me. "I've been telling you that I found the flash drive. Well, I technically found it. One of the soldiers found it before me but I took it off of him. I—"

I sigh, looking around with intent. "I figured. If you haven't found the flash drive yet, you would've told me first thing. We would've ran here and flipped practically everything over. I was just analyzing this, uh, mall? I guess that's what you can kinda call it. That's besides the point though, excuse my rambling! Anyway, Setsuna predicted this. Our exit isn't smooth as much as we want it to be."

Rin grimances. "Re-Destro?"

I hesitate. I'm not afraid of that name, but I'm afraid for Itsuka. "N-No… It's—"

"Vainglory. I'm happy that you knew I was here," he says, stepping out from shadows casted from the floors above. A fairly put-together man in his late thirties, dressed in a black and red suit resembling a stereotypical professional assassin in action movies. His black hair is swept with red streaks, gelled and combed back. His hair is long enough where it hangs from the back of his head. Overall, he's a fairly handsome man with facial structure that women would fawn over; he's right in the perfect age range for looks, if you happen to like older men anyway.

At his side though, he has a katana like I do, attached to his side. Dark sheath edged with silver, moving around with every step he takes. The hilt of his blade is wrapped in black linen with the wood underneath stained red. The guard is gold; it has etchings in it but I can't make it out from where I'm standing.

Just like me, he practices kenjutsu. But unlike me, he's a skilled fighter, a Top Executive.

This really is a terrible match-up.

Wearing a bold smile on his face, he addresses us with his eyes first as if he wants us to acknowledge him more than we already have. "Sanji Inochi and Hiryu Rin."

Gajin Nobuto, the CEO of Ronin. His company is famous for bullying other Hero support companies out of business. They pick on the little guys, and he? "I wasn't sure if I would meet you—well, Inochi in particular—but I'm ecstatic to see that's the case."

Vainglory, one of the main leaders—one of the Top Executives—of the entire damned organization? The same one who claims that their rights are being oppressed by the government? Instead of blood flowing through his veins, it's hypocrisy. Every breath he takes, you could practically choke from a single molecule of his toxicity. "I believe you have something in which I'm the rightful owner of. I would ask politely, but nowadays, children like you seem to forget what manners are."

He puts a hand on his hilt. Vainglory glances at Rin before looking at me specifically. "You. I'm challenging you."

Rin tries to speak but I raise my hand just enough where he gets the signal. Stepping forward, I reply, "And if I refuse like the impolite, ill-mannered kid I am?"

"Then you'll find your head separated from your body. You and your friend," he threatens, but who's to say that he won't do that anyway? If I think about this logically, then it's a good opportunity to have the first strike. But his Quirk…

Vainglory gives me a smug smile. His Quirk is called "Projection". He can project a solid blue image of his body. As far as I know, that's it. I don't know how he can use it in combat, but I'm about to find out.

Answering without words, I put a hand on my hilt as well. I accept his challenge. This pleases Vainglory. He unsheathes his blade; it has the same color as the moon almost. Stepping forward, he gets into the proper position, the tip pointed towards the ceiling.

I reply in kind. Rin doesn't intervene or tries to stop me. He accepted that this duel is something that I have to do alone. Honestly, I'm not dueling for honor or testing my strength. I'm just here to survive.

I'm not a swordsman like Miyamoto Musashi who founded the school of Niten Ichi-ryu.

_Click clack!_

Trust me, I'm not some fearsome beast like the Dragon of Echigo, Uesugi Kenshin.

_Click clack!_

I'm not one of the Heavenly Kings like Honda Tadakatsu or Sakai Tadatsugu.

_Click clack!_

Or a sword saint, unlike Tsukahara Bokuden, one of the most famous saints there are.

_Click clack!_

I'm just me.

Just Armory, being taught under a great martial artist who didn't feel like coming up with a name for his techniques because he "isn't creative enough or has the energy to do said things".

I inhale.

Me and Vainglory stare each other down as we're less than two meters apart. Just a single step forward and our blades will reach one another. Advance, and our swords will clash; move forth, and someone's blood will be spilled.

Yet who will make the first strike?

Prediction. That's the name of the game. Simulate countless fights. In order to win, you have to know your opponent in and out, imagining what they will do next and counter it.

If I do a downwards slash into his shoulder, the attack itself is fairly obvious so he has time to parry and/or dodge it and move into my blind spot. No good.

If I just straight up stab him, he can deflect my sword away and I'm in a terrible position. That's out.

If I bend low and do an upwards slash, he can lock me into a clinch. I'm in a compromising position as my knees are bent. He can easily use his weight against me, and that's it. Game over.

I exhale.

I simulate four more possibilities within a second. All of them are failures. I have to assume that he has the intent to kill me, and that's what he'll do: a killing blow. Our Quirks aren't inherently combat-based—at least I don't know with mine—so we must rely on our own bodies given by God.

Simulation eight… I inhale.

"Are you alright, Inochi? You're sweating," Vainglory points out as we're still locked together. It's only been three seconds since we reached this position. Now it's four seconds, then five…

Heh, I didn't even notice the beads of sweat dripping from my knuckles.

_STEP!_

I exhale. It's a straightforward upwards slash aiming towards the center of mass. Vainglory raises his blade to guard.

_TURN!_

My attack is a feint. I flick my wrists and raise my blade, transforming the direction from upwards to downwards, attempting to sink my katana into his right shoulder.

"Ah—" Vainglory says, noticing the feint.

_CLANG!_

_SHHHHG!_

He's barely able to guard my attack, leaning his sword downwards into a slope to let mine simply slide off. Right after the guard, I step back to prevent him from countering right away.

"Here I come." Vainglory takes a small hop forward, bringing his arms back to his left side, his sword gathering power for this strike. The attack is obviously telegraphed; he's trying to aim for my right side. I can parry this and deflect his blade elsewhere.

So I promptly guard for it.

I stand my ground preparing myself to deflect this powerful strike. Before I see his blade fly towards me like a sparrow, he has a grin plagued on his lips. That's just arrogance—?!

_VAINFUL RIVER - SLASHING CURRENTS!_

"—Guh—"

"Pitiful."

Three attacks.

Three simultaneous attacks.

That's… That's what Projection does… Not only did he project himself and his blade twice… His projections replicated his actions perfectly, somehow being...displaced from a small distance...away from his body…

As soon as I saw it, I dropped...my guard...

He struck in three different places… Stomach, upper chest, right hip… All of them...landed…

_CLANG!_

That's the sound of...my katana hitting the floor… "Gah—Hah—"

Slowly, I try my best to turn around—

—_SLASH!_

"Gah—!" My...back…

"You're a lot worse than I thought, Inochi. Why did I bother wasting my time on you?"

_KICK!_

_THUD!_

"Now Hiryu Rin, I hope you can provide a better fight than that trash laying on the ground."

* * *

**Yo. I return after not posting anything for like 2 and a half months. Sorry y'all, my motivation hit a low. My productivity sank due to COVID so I decided to take that time off as a break. Now, I have school like most people my age. Hopefully, I can be more productive in the coming weeks because I can't afford to be unproductive when I have high school to worry about. There's nothing much for me to say other than this. Anyway, I hope I can get back into the swing of things. This chapter is the longest yet at 28k words, and honestly, with how small the amount of chapters there are in this arc, the chapters here will be much longer than average. (And my average is too stupidly high wtf)**  
**-**  
**Post-Chapter Discussion:**

**Lian Fei-Long: Lian up against a ton of soldiers, pretty damn cool. I couldn't describe his fight as much as I wanted to, but it's my first time writing him in a fight. However, I hope you understand how powerful he is to solo not only 40 soldiers, but Stalwart and Geten as well. In terms of combat ability, he's capable of unleashing 100% power with little drain of his stamina, and he only used 50% to nullify Geten's Liberation of Okami. It's implied that he didn't even need 50% to destroy it, but 50% to turn it *into mist*. If the average Hero is an ant, Lian would not be a giant or even a mountain; he would be a planet.**

**Pollux Crew: I wanted everyone to have their own moment in this arc, but yknow, that's kinda hard because there's 20+ characters to deal with. But goddamit I'm doing my best. Some characters will definitely have smaller moments compared to others, but that's the price to pay when you prioritize some characters over others. Like for example, one of the characters most affected by this is Vlad King. You don't see him pop up much in this fanfic because I haven't done anything with him that I can easily fit into what I have planned. I know he's the teacher of 1-B and all but I have so many other things to write, so he ends up suffering from a lack of development. It's a sacrifice that I have to make right now to get everything I want done. Anyway, lemme give you some notable character moments that I think would define them for this arc...**

**Togaru Kamakiri: His scene in general**  
**Juzo Honenuki: Mud Whirlpool**  
**Setsuna Tokage: ...She's the reason why everyone is in this mess.**  
**Okichi Tokugawa: Uhhhhh**  
**Kinoko Komori: Her scene (btw, she's a blast to write. I made her narrate with bits of alliteration and rhyming mixed in. She's trying to be a pop star, yo.)**  
**Hayami Kendo: Her scene + Beating up Curious (For her fight scene, she could legitmately be a good Pro Hero. She has martial arts training from her dad and a Quirk that can basically destroy anything if she gets her hands on the right stuff.)**  
**Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu: Flame shield**

**Sanji's Scene: Oh boy, Sanji's fucking dead again. He already died once, he needs to stop dying. I'm joking, but seriously, he can't catch a break. He really meant it when Vainglory was a terrible matchup because he literally has a Quirk that can duplicate his actions in different angles. No wonder Sanji got owned hard. He couldn't anticipate Vainglory's Quirk, ended up taking the bait, and ended up getting honorably injured because of it. Now Rin has to pick up where he left off in the next chapter! Anyway, the main meat of Sanji's scene is him plowing through six soldiers. His fighting style, in this instance, is simply distraction-attack-distraction-attack-distraction-attack. He made use of the MLA soldiers making mistakes during their fight. Though yknow, that changed as soon as he met Vainglory.**

**Other Teams: Now, we haven't gotten through *all* of our teams yet. We still have Itsuka's team and Monoma's too. At the end, you figure out that Itsuka has to deal with Re-Destro, and as the author of this fic... Yeah, yeah... At least we got Monoma! He'll make up for it, right? And what about Hakan's team up at the top floor? What can they do in this mess? Who knows? Maybe there'll be a giant kaiju that destroys everything? You'll find out in the next chapter.**

**Fic Schedule: Speaking of which, I'll try my best to update on a bi-weekly basis, but no guarantees. I'm trying my best to churn through this massive arc so we can head into the next one, Fireworks Festival, with relative ease because *that* will be waaaaaaaaay shorter. Please I need it.**

**Anyway, that's about it. I'm sorry this seems a little shorter, but at least I returned.**

**Prepare for Chapter 49: The Nightingale Swordsman**


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